Amazon wants to step up its TV game in the U.S.
What you need to know
- An Amazon-branded TV is reportedly close to launching in the U.S.
- The TV would feature the Alexa voice assistant and come in 55 to 75-inch sizes.
- The launch will reportedly happen in October, nearly a year after Amazon launched its first TV in India.
Amazon is no stranger to TVs, thanks to its Fire TV software found on devices like the Fire TV Stick and TV Stick Lite. So it may not come as much of a surprise that the company is reportedly planning to launch its own Amazon-branded television in the U.S.
Sources tell Insider that Amazon has been working on the TV for two years and it could launch as soon as October. It would feature sizes from 55 to 75-inch models.
The TV will be Alexa-powered, and development involves teams from Amazon Devices and Lab126, the company’s research and hardware division. TCL, which already makes some of the best Android TVs, is mentioned as a product manufacturer, although Amazon is said to be designing a separate TV model in-house.
This wouldn’t be Amazon’s first TV, as the company launched one last year in India under the AmazonBasics brand. The company also partners with other companies to preinstall Fire TV software onto some of the best Amazon Fire TV Edition televisions, similar to what Google does with Android TV. However, the Amazon brand name isn’t present on those products.
We’ve reached out to Amazon to comment on the rumor but did not immediately receive a response.
If Amazon launches its own Alexa-powered TV set, that could bolster the company’s efforts in home electronics, especially towards the holiday season. However, it would face stiff competition from the likes of Samsung and LG, two of the biggest TV brands, and would have to price its TVs aggressively if it wants to stand out.
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