This is one of those classic ‘there are no proper verifiable sources, but it kinda makes sense’ type deals. According to “sources with knowledge on the matter” (whatever that means), Amazon is close to launching its own branded TVs.
According to those ambiguous sources, the company plans to release a TV designed in-house as well as contract it out to third parties, like TLC. The TVs will range from 55in to 75in, have Alexa functionality built-in and presumably run Amazon’s Fire TV OS.
These Amazon waters are muddy
It is unclear if these new in-house designed TVs will be a part of the AmazonBasics brand, through which the company already sells TVs in India. Maybe Amazon is starting a new forgettable brand.
We could see these new TVs released as soon as October, but don’t hold your breath that they’ll be immediately available here. Or at all, actually. Which is kinda a shame.
The South African TV market could use a breath of fresh air. At the high-end, you only really have the option of LG and Samsung which, while spectacular to look at, generally require a second mortgage or selling a kidney.
For the mid-range and budget options, if you care about quality at all, you only really have Hisense and Skyworth to choose from. There’s clearly a market gap here for feature-rich, affordable smart TVs. If Amazon doesn’t want to fill it, maybe Xiaomi can help us out.
Source: Digital Trends
