And now Amazon.com is making televisions.
In a move that puts the online retailing giant in direct competition with leading TV companies like Samsung,Sony,LG and TCL,Amazon on Thursday announced a new line of Amazon-branded televisions.
Amazon (ticker: AMZN) has previously licensed its Fire TV platform to a small number of TV manufacturers, and on Thursday also unveiled new models under the Toshiba and Pioneer brands to be sold through both Best Buy(BBY) and Amazon’s own online store. Amazon has been selling TVs under the Toshiba and Insignia brands through Best Buy since 2018. Pioneer is a new addition to the mix.
The move to make Amazon branded TVs marks a more aggressive approach to capitalize on its position as the global leader in connected television hardware, thanks largely to its Fire Stick streaming devices.
Amazon announced two families of TVs – the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series as well as the lower-price 4-Series. The company also announced the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, the latest entrant in Amazon’s streaming device lineup.
The Omni Series will come in five sizes ranging from 43 inches to 75 inches, all equipped with Alexa for voice controls and with 4K Ultra HD resolution. Pricing starts at $409.99, with the largest size priced at $1,099.99.
The 4-Series includes 43, 50 and 55 inch models, with prices ranging from $369.99 to $519.99. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max, which also includes Alexa voice support, is priced at $54.99. All of the new TVs will be available starting in October.
Pioneer will offer 43-inch and 50-inch TVs built on the Fire TV lineup. The smaller version will ship later this month, with the larger size to debut in November. New Toshiba sets at 55, 65 and 75 inches equipped with Alexa voice controls will debut next spring.