Amazon to Debut TVs Using Alexa Voice Controls

Amazon’s next product will be a Fire TV that is fully integrated with Alexa, as the company makes a bid to be more present in peoples’ living rooms, The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Thursday (Sept. 9).

There will be two versions of the Amazon Fire TV offered to customers. The Amazon Fire TV Omni Series, the higher-end of the two versions, will start at $409.99 for a 43-inch display. The more affordable version called Amazon Fire TV-4 series will be priced at $369.99 for a 43-inch display. Both products will be available at Amazon and Best Buy in October, the WSJ reported.

According to Amazon, the TVs will come equipped with ways to interact with Alexa. A built-in far-field mic array will allow customers to ask Alexa questions without using a remote, similar to how its Echo smart speakers work.

While Amazon Fire TV Omni Series will be available in five sizes (43 inches, 50 inches, 55 inches, 65 inches and 75 inches), the TV 4-Series will be available in just three sizes (43 inches, 50 inches and 55 inches). Consumers will be excited by the product line’s 4K resolution, which is optimal for gaming along with streaming TV shows, music and other content.

“When we thought about designing our vision for an intelligent ambient entertainment device, we wanted to combine two experiences customers love — the intelligent, always-available power of Alexa and Fire TV’s content-forward approach. And we knew that to build the deep integration I’m describing, we wanted to create a fully integrated smart TV. The Fire TV Omni Series reimagines what a TV can do,” Amazon’s Vice President of Entertainment Devices and Services Daniel Rausch said in a blog post.

Amazon has been expanding its branded business in areas like apparel, groceries and less-expected things like batteries. It’s also opened branded grocery stores.

Among the eCommerce giant’s plans are new department stores that will carry its own private-label brands.

In another Amazon-related development, the company said it was developing a new point-of-sale (POS) solution at its Project Santos, which was rolled out last year.

Read more: Amazon’s Project Santos Developing SMB POS to Rival Shopify, PayPal

The POS solution is intended to compete with companies like Shopify and PayPal. The POS can process transactions in physical stores and online and will include features to provide data analytics.

The idea behind the new program could be to pull more small businesses in to offset losses to Shopify, the report said.