Amazon did not announce its own Android smartphone last week, but its app-bundling deal with Verizon may mean it never needs one.

While Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos announced two new Kindle e-readers, an updated to the popular Kindle Fire, and an entire new tablet line under the Kindle Fire HD moniker, one thing was missing from yesterday’s launch extravaganza: a smartphone.

Speculation had been floating for months that Amazon was working on its own smartphone. After all, it seems like a logical step after moving from e-readers to full-fledged media tablets with the Kindle Fire. Yet reports that Amazon would debut a phone at yesterday’s Kindle product announcements proved to be a bit optimistic.

So what happened? As it turns out, Amazon may have skirted the need for one.The Verizon deal

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