Amazon has just made its first foray into the TV arena with the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series and 4-Series smart TVs, which will look to rival the recently launched Sky Glass. The new TV is now available to purchase in the US, and it's priced between $409.99 and $1,099.99 based upon what screen size you opt for.
Like Sky Glass, the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series responds to users' vocal utterances, which includes voice commands like the "Alexa" wake-up word, much like how a device like the Amazon Echo wakes up when commanded to do so.
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According to the folks over at The Verge, the company has also made a somewhat unexpected announcement alongside news of the launch of the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series, noting that AirPlay 2 and HomeKit will also be included with the TVs by default, as well. AirPlay allows users to mirror their devices on a TV, a function that's not present on the existing Fire TV devices.
In its official blog post, the company said that users will be able to "use AirPlay to share videos, photos, music, and more from your iPhone or iPad to your Fire TV.” Back in July, Amazon announced that it was introducing the technology on Toshiba and Insignia-made 4K UHD Smart Fire TV models. Rather confusingly, these models had the “Fire TV’ branding but weren’t promoted as “Amazon-built” like the new ones.
Sky Glass and the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series
Unsurprisingly, the Amazon TV ships with Amazon baked into its core, and buyers will need an Amazon Prime account or an Amazon device such as the Echo Dot to unleash the Omni TV’s full potential.
Sky Glass ships in three sizes, including the 43-inch, 55-inch, and 65-inch screen variants, plus it ships in Ceramic White, Dusky Pink, Ocean Blue, Racing Green, or Anthracite Black. Amazon Omni TV ships in five different screen sizes and is a bit cheaper than Sky Glass, too, which starts from £649 and goes up to £1,049.
Amazon's Omni TV is set for a UK launch sometime soon, though there's not a specific date yet as to when that could happen. For now, Amazon's new TVs have their targets firmly set on Sky Glass, competing against it to hold court in living rooms around the country as the go-to all-in-one smart TV.
