HOT Hardware: Amazon's Fire Phone Lights Up The Top Seller List

Amazon's Fire smartphone received a lot of flack from critics before its launch, with some claiming that it wasn't polished enough, and that its app selection was too poor. When the phone first debuted, we had high hopes for it simply because it was so feature-packed - but sometimes it takes more than that for a phone to be a major success.

Regardless of all that, though, Amazon's been too busy hopping and skipping to the bank to pay attention to anyone who doesn't think that the Fire is a great smartphone. Apparently, many consumers do believe that it's an attractive device, proven by the fact that the 32GB model has been virtually pegged at the #1 position on Amazon since last Monday. Quartz, by monitoring Amazon's top-seller list every hour spanning the entire week, came up with this chart:

The 64GB model of the Fire, which costs $100 more, has been outside the top ten more than it's been in it, at one point peaking at #6. As of the time of this post, the 32GB version of the phone remains at the top spot, leading us to ask the inevitable question: How long will it stay there?

What I find most interesting about the phone's major success is the fact that it isn't that highly-rated on Amazon itself, sitting at 3.3 stars, out of 5. One of the top reviews calls the phone an "Ok first try" by Amazon, mostly because it "feels overpriced". Out of the 346 current reviews, 115 people have given the phone a perfect score, with another 57 giving it 4 out of 5 stars.

If Amazon's Fire is simply "okay", then it seems clear to me that one of the reasons it's selling so well is thanks to brand loyalty. Many people simply love Amazon, and no doubt feel compelled to pick up a Fire if they're in need of a phone. We'll see how long this lasts, though. The company will have to hit its follow-up out of the park if its phones are going to continue tasting this sweet success.