Speculation surrounding an Amazon Kindle smartphone has been rife for the past few years, but it looks like the device is finally coming to fruition. These images show off a prototype of the upcoming handset, which is claimed to be one of at least two that are currently in development.

For gamers, the question of whether Nintendo will/should develop titles for smartphones has been hotly debated in recent weeks — with reports suggesting either way seemingly being shot down on a daily basis.

In a reversal of a previous denial (got that?), Nintendo has now confirmed that it will use smart devices as a platform for apps and promotions, after all — but that there are currently no plans to port core titles over to Android or iOS.

Well, that little dream didn’t last long.

Nintendo has denied plans to bring mini games to smartphones and tablets in an effort to promote its latest console titles. Sources had claimed that the Japanese company was set to announce new mobile offerings later this week, but as many will have suspected, that’s not going to happen.

Nintendo is finally ready to swallow its pride and begin developing games and other content for mobile devices, according to a new report from Japan. It’s still unlikely we’ll ever see full Super Mario or Zelda titles, but sources say will will get free mini-games, trailers, and more to promote new Nintendo releases on its own consoles.

(Credit: Flickr / mauricio giraldo)

With Nintendo recently admitting that its Wii U console has flopped — slashing its sales forecasts for the device by 70 percent, despite U.S. spending on games consoles reaching a three-year high — the rumor mill has been abuzz with reports that the Japanese games manufacturer would exit the hardware business altogether, and instead focus on creating games for existing smartphones and tablets.