Best Buy will launch more than ten 4K and HD TVs based on Amazon’s FireTV platform this summer. The TVs will also be sold through Amazon.

The FireTV platform is expanding
In 2017, Amazon announced that it had partnered with Seiki, Westinghouse and Element to integrate its FireTV platform into actual TV sets.

In the near future, you can also find these FireTV sets in a Best Buy near you. The two major retailers have announced a multi-year partnership to offer upgraded FireTV sets from Insignia and Toshiba.

- “Amazon and Best Buy have a long history of working together, and today we take our partnership to a new level,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. “These Fire Edition smart TVs by Insignia and Toshiba deliver beautiful visuals and all the movies and TV shows you love, with an experience that gets better every day with Alexa. We could not have a better partner in this endeavor.”

Not many details on the actual TVs were shared as part of the announcement but it appears to be mainly entry-level HD and 4K TVs. Much like Roku, Amazon is focusing on the entry-level segment as a way to build reach for its TV operating system whereas TV manufacturers typically create in-house platforms or opt for Google’s 'Android TV' platform for premium TVs



- “Our partnership with Amazon is exciting because we believe Fire TV Edition delivers an incredible user experience and further strengthens the growing connection between home theater, home automation and voice control,” said Hubert Joly, Best Buy chairman and CEO.

The Fire TV sets will have tuners built-in and offers apps such as Amazon Video, Netflix, HBO, and Hulu. The bundled remote control has a built-in microphone for Alexa voice commands that allow users to search for content, switch input or control connected devices at home. Unlike many other TV manufacturers, Amazon is also committing to keep the TVs’ software updated.

The new Fire TV Edition sets from Toshiba will be available from Best Buy and Amazon (through Best Buy as a third-party seller) in the US this summer. Additional models will be released later this year. The TVs are also coming to Canada. Check amazon.com/firetvedition for updates.

- Source: Amazon / Best Buy