Now, after three years of hype, the Fire Phone is here, and now that it is, we know why it took so long: eye-tracking technology, a revolutionary interface, and a Firefly search feature that completely reinvents search itself. This is the phone that could shake up the monotony of years of monotonous touchscreen smartphones, one rectangular slab after another, with nothing but minor spec tweaks and gimmicks posing as innovation.

So why should you, the lawyer, stay away?

The Good

Also, if the phone’s interface follows in the footsteps of the Kindle Fire tablets’ simplistic interface, it’ll likely be very easy to use – a boon to the last few smartphone luddites or those making the switch.

The Bad

It’s AT&T exclusive, at least for now. It’s also not cheap, at $200 for the 32GB version and $300 for the 64GB one with a two-year contract.

Finally, will motion-based phone interfaces catch on? The Nintendo Wii brought motion controls to videogames, and “revolutionized” gaming, but now, the successor device isn’t nearly as popular and companies have returned to using controllers and buttons. The Fire Phone may spark a similar fad, or it may not. And if it does, will it last? And all of this is assuming it actually works: what happens if you’re on a bus and you hit a bump – will it turn a page or hang up on someone?

The Verdict

This could be huge. The technology is exciting, the interface is new and shiny, and who knows – this may completely revolutionize smartphone and tablet interfaces.

Or it could flop. Carrier exclusivity, the high cost, the limited app store, and the gimmicky interface could relegate this to fire sales (hah!) or clearance racks in six months or so.

Either way, do you want to be the one to make the leap, or do you want to be like most lawyers and stick with an iPhone?

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