Amazon is gearing up to release multiple smart phones manufactured by HTC, according to people familiar with the company's plans. Sources of the Financial Times claim that a range of phones are in the works, with at least one that is in advanced stages. The phone is said to be released as early as the end of this year, but launch plans have changed before and may be pushed back again until 2014.

Amazon has traditionally used white label manufacturers for its Kindle devices, holding all branding to itself. The move to partnering with HTC for manufacturing is something that HTC is well-accustomed to, but it's unclear what Amazon has to gain from having the HTC logo on its devices.

Presumably the partnership could be mutually beneficial if Amazon targets the product correctly. Amazon could potentially leverage HTC's brand recognition and history of dealing with wireless carriers, and an Amazon-driven phone that sells extremely well would be a boon for HTC's currently struggling financial situation.

Source: FT