The smart TV market is fierce, but Amazon is determined to keep up with Roku, Apple, Samsung, and other rivals. Today the company announced a slew of new TV products, including an updated Fire TV Cube, more partnerships with TV manufacturers, the first Fire TV soundbar, and increased international availability.
Fire TV Cube
Amazon's original Borg Cube Fire TV Cube was released a year ago, combining the functionality found in Fire TV sticks with far-field microphones for voice control. The new model is still $119.99, but Amazon says it's twice as powerful as the first-gen Cube and supports 'Local Voice Control,' meaning some voice commands ("Alexa, go home," "Alexa, select number one," etc.) are up to 4x faster than before.
The new Fire TV Cube is available for pre-order on Amazon in the United States for $119.99, in Canada for $149.99, the United Kingdom for £109.99, Germany for €119.99, and Japan for ¥14980. There's not much of a reason to upgrade if you already have the existing model, but performance improvements are always nice.
Buy: Amazon
Fire TV Edition
Amazon is drastically expanding its 'Fire TV Edition' lineup, which consists of TVs with the Fire TV software experience (instead of Roku, webOS, etc.). The company is now working with Dixons Carphone, Skyworth, Arcelik, TPV, Compal, MediaMarktSaturn, and Grundig to release more models in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria.
In the United States, another model of the super-popular Toshiba Fire TV Edition will be available next month at Best Buy. The new model is 65 inches, and will be priced at $599. Sadly, it's not up for pre-order yet.
Amazon also revealed the first soundbars with Fire TV built-in, which could give the JBL Link Bar and Roku Smart Soundbar (the latter was just announced today) a run for their money. The first one is the Anker Nebula Soundbar, which supports 4K Ultra HD, Alexa voice control (through a remote), Dolby Vision pass-through, and more.
The Anker Nebula Soundbar
The Nebula Soundbar is already available for pre-order for $229.99 in the United States, $269.99 in Canada, £179.99 in the United Kingdom, and €209.99 in Germany. It will begin shipping on November 21.
Buy: Nebula Soundbar, Grundig OLED Fire TV Edition, Toshiba 65-inch Fire TV Edition (not available yet), JVC Fire TV Edition
Beyond the new devices, Amazon is also bringing its Fire lineup to more countries. The regular Fire TV Stick and Stick 4K are now available in France, Italy, and Spain for the first time. Before now, only the Fire TV Stick 'Basic Edition' was offered in those regions.
If you already have a Basic Edition, it will receive a software update with the same interface as the newer devices, and Amazon will give you a 50% discount if you decide to upgrade.
PRESS RELEASE
Introducing the All-New Fire TV Cube—the Next Generation Fire TV Experience with Far-Field Voice Control, and the Fastest, Most Powerful Fire TV Ever
The all-new Fire TV Cube is launching in the United States for $119.99 and for the first time in Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan
With an ultra-powerful hexa-core processor, the all-new Fire TV Cube delivers a fast, fluid experience, with instant access to Dolby Vision and 4K Ultra HD content at up to 60 fps; plus, with new Local Voice Control you can play, pause, and browse content even faster without touching the remote
Fire TV has more than 37 million active users and is the #1 streaming media player family in the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, and India
SEATTLE – Sept. 4, 2019 – Today, from Berlin, Germany, Amazon announced the all-new Fire TV Cube, the second-generation hands-free, Alexa-enabled Fire TV experience, and the fastest and most powerful Fire TV ever—still just $119.99. The all-new streaming media player features far-field voice control built directly into the device and is now available for pre-order in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, and Japan.
“Fire TV Cube was the first hands-free streaming media player powered by Alexa, and since launching last year we have gathered a wealth of feedback from customers about how they use voice in the living room,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President of Amazon Fire TV. “Over the past year, we have continued to expand and advance the Fire TV Cube experience based on this feedback with dozens of new features including Multi-Room Music, Follow-Up Mode, and Alexa Communications. These key learnings carried over and guided the development of the second-generation Fire TV Cube, and we are excited to introduce this new-and-improved experience to customers around the world.”
With Fire TV, you can watch favorites from Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, HBO, SHOWTIME®, CBS, and more—plus stream for free from Tubi, IMDb TV, Pluto TV, and others. Plus, tune to live TV channels with cable or satellite boxes from providers like Comcast, DISH, AT&T TV/AT&T U-verse, and more. Fire TV gives you access to tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills, as well as over 500,000 TV episodes and movies with thousands of titles in 4K Ultra HD. The vast Fire TV catalog combined with powerful voice control makes it easier than ever to enjoy TV, simply say “Alexa, watch Stranger Things on Netflix” and your compatible TV will turn on, open Netflix and pick up playback right where you left off.
All-new Fire TV Cube
The Fastest, Most Powerful Fire TV Ever
Featuring an ultra-powerful hexa-core processor, and more than twice as powerful as the first generation Fire TV Cube, the all-new Fire TV Cube delivers a fast, fluid experience, with instant access to Dolby Vision and 4K Ultra HD content at up to 60 frames per second. You will enjoy the brilliant color of Dolby Vision and HDR, and HDR 10+, as well as the audio clarity of Dolby Atmos on the all-new Fire TV Cube. In addition, Fire TV Cube (2nd Gen) comes with Local Voice Control, which is a new on-device processing feature that lets you more quickly execute some of the most frequent voice commands. For example, “Alexa, scroll right,” “Alexa, go home,” “Alexa, select number one,” and more, are up to 4 times as fast as before.
Easy Control of All Your Entertainment
Hands-free voice control means convenience, and on the first-generation Fire TV Cube, customers use voice to control their experience more than 8 times as frequently as on other Fire TV devices. The all-new Fire TV Cube features cutting edge far-field voice recognition with eight microphones and advanced beamforming technology that combines signals from the individual microphones to suppress noise, reverberation, content currently playing, and even competing speech to make sure Alexa clearly hears your request when placed next to your TV. When combined with the powerful new processor, you can easily search and navigate content using just your voice, whether it’s through your cable or satellite boxes; streaming apps like YouTube and PlayStation Vue; or HBO, SHOWTIME®, and STARZ through Prime Video Channels. From across the room, just say, “Alexa, switch to channel 31” or “Alexa, tune to NBC,” and Alexa will respond to your request.
In addition, Fire TV Cube uses multi-directional infrared technology, cloud based protocols, and HDMI CEC, that when combined with Alexa, let you control your compatible TV, soundbar, A/V receiver, cable or satellite box, as well as other smart home devices. With the built-in speaker, Fire TV Cube lets you dim the lights, check the weather, listen to the news and more—even with the TV off. Since launching last year, nearly 80 percent of customers are using Fire TV Cube for home automation requests and there are tens of thousands of Alexa routines used every week.
Always Getting Smarter
The Alexa service is always getting smarter with new features, device control capabilities, and hands-free voice functionality added regularly, meaning like the first generation device, the all-new Fire TV Cube is going to get even better over time. Since launching last year, Fire TV Cube has improved the Alexa experience and added a number of key enhancements including support for Multi-Room Music, Alexa Communication features, Follow-Up Mode, Alexa Voice Browsing, and more. In addition, more than 50 apps globally currently support enhanced in-app voice controls on Fire TV Cube, giving you more ways to use your voice while navigating through content.
Pricing and Availability
Starting today, the all-new Fire TV Cube (amazon.com/firetvcube) is available for pre-order on Amazon in the United States for $119.99, in Canada for $149.99, the United Kingdom for £109.99, Germany for €119.99, and Japan for ¥14980. It ships with an IR extender cable and Ethernet adapter beginning on October 10 in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany. It will ship in Japan on November 5. Customers can also pre-order the all-new Fire TV Cube and Ring Video Doorbell 2 together for $249.99—a savings of $69 (amazon.com/firetvcube-bundle). In addition, customers who pre-order the all-new Fire TV Cube are eligible for an Amazon Music Unlimited 90-day extended free trial of the premium music subscription.
For more information visit www.amazon.com/firetvcube.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
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PRESS RELEASE
Amazon Announces Breakthrough Collaborations with Global Retailers and TV Brands to Bring More than 15 New Fire TV Edition Devices to Europe and North America
Amazon and Grundig announce the world’s first Fire TV Edition smart TV with far-field voice control and the first-ever OLED Fire TV Edition smart TV for customers in Germany and Austria
Amazon joins forces with Dixons Carphone and MediaMarktSaturn to sell the next generation of Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria
Amazon and Anker Innovations introduce the first-ever Fire TV Edition soundbar in Europe and North America
SEATTLE – Sept. 4, 2019 – Amazon, in collaboration with several of the industry’s most recognizable brands, today announced a lineup of more than 15 new Fire TV Edition products for customers around the globe, including the world’s first Fire TV Edition smart TV with built-in far-field voice control, the first OLED Fire TV Edition smart TV, and the first-ever Fire TV Edition soundbar.
“Customers have told us how much they use and love Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United States and Canada, with millions of devices sold and an average rating of more than 4 stars across all models,” said Marc Whitten, Vice President of Amazon Fire TV. “Today we’re thrilled to introduce innovative Fire TV Edition smart TVs and the first-ever Fire TV Edition soundbar from global brands that customers know and love. We can’t wait for customers to experience these new devices with the Fire TV experience built-in.”
Fire TV Edition smart TVs uniquely bring together live broadcast TV channels and all of your streaming content into one easy-to-view location. With Fire TV Edition smart TVs you can connect a HD antenna and use Alexa to instantly search for and watch live TV, or choose from a vast catalog of content from Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, and more, as well as local apps like ITV Hub, All 4, and My5 in the United Kingdom, and ARD, ZDF, TVNOW, ProSieben, DAZN, and waipu.tv in Germany. You can also pair any Fire TV Edition product without far-field voice control with any Echo device for hands-free control—just ask and Alexa will play a show, help you find a good movie to watch, control playback, and more. Fire TV Edition devices continue to improve even after your purchase, with new Alexa skills, software features, and applications added regularly. Tens of thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills are already accessible globally today, giving you amazing entertainment experiences, and letting you view and control your compatible smart home devices, connected cameras, lighting, security systems, and more.
Expansion of Fire TV Edition smart TVs
Over the past year, Amazon and Best Buy have sold millions of Insignia and Toshiba Fire TV Edition smart TVs. Customers continue to show enthusiasm for Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United States and Canada with an average rating of more than 4 stars, and 2x as many Fire TV Edition smart TVs sold this Prime Day compared to last year over the same two-day period. The first Toshiba – Fire TV Edition with Dolby Vision launched in June and today, Amazon and Best Buy are excited to announce the first 65-inch Toshiba – Fire TV Edition smart TV with Dolby Vision, which will be available for customers in the United States next month.
Following the growth of Fire TV Edition smart TVs at Best Buy, Amazon is excited to announce breakthrough collaborations with Dixons Carphone, MediaMarktSaturn, and Grundig to bring the next generation of Fire TV Edition smart TVs to customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, and Austria. With native language support, Fire TV Edition smart TVs are localized for European customers to give them a great user experience.
To support this global expansion, Amazon now works with a growing number of TV manufacturers who produce Fire TV Edition smart TVs. Skyworth, Arcelik, TPV, Compal, and others, can now build Fire TV Edition smart TVs for their customers with manufacturing and assembly capabilities around the world.
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs with Dixons Carphone
Amazon and Dixons Carphone, parent company of Currys PC World, have joined forces to launch JVC – Fire TV Edition Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TVs, which are the first Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United Kingdom—sold at Currys PC World and from Currys PC World as a third party seller on Amazon.co.uk. Available in three models—40”, 49” and 55”—each supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and provides an expanded contrast range and superior brightness, as well as over 8 million pixels for stunning clarity and vivid colors. Fire TV Edition smart TVs from JVC come with the Voice Remote with Alexa, which lets you control your entertainment, manage compatible smart home devices, switch inputs, and more using just your voice.
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs with MediaMarktSaturn
Amazon and IMTRON, a company of MediaMarktSaturn Retail Group managing the private label products of the CE retailers MediaMarkt and Saturn, announced plans for a lineup of Fire TV Edition smart TVs. The first models under the private label ok. will be available next year in Germany and Austria.
“We are very excited about collaborating with Amazon. Our aim is to offer high-quality products with the latest features at affordable prices,” explains Karsten Sommer, Managing Director IMTRON GmbH. “By integrating Fire TV into the smart TVs of our private label ok., we provide customers of MediaMarkt and Saturn with an incredible user experience. In addition, we are also making it easier for even more customers to control their smart home just by using their voice.”
Fire TV Edition Smart TVs with Grundig
Grundig and Amazon announced eleven Fire TV Edition smart TVs in Germany and Austria, including the world’s first Fire TV Edition with far-field voice control. The Grundig OLED – Fire TV Edition is available in four models—two with far-field voice control and two without—and is the first Fire TV Edition experience on an OLED TV. With eight built-in microphones and Alexa, the Grundig OLED – Fire TV Edition Hands-Free with Alexa gives you far-field voice control over your living room entertainment experience. Grundig and Amazon are also announcing the Grundig Vision 7 – Fire TV Edition with 4K Ultra HD and the Grundig Vision 6 – Fire TV Edition with Full HD, which also includes the Voice Remote with Alexa. With today’s news, the entire Grundig smart TV lineup will ship with the Fire TV experience built-in.
“Our new Grundig Fire TV Edition television range redefines how people think about their TV experience. Customers not only have access to all their favorite content through live broadcast and video-on-demand, but can also control their compatible smart home products and access thousands of apps, channels, and Alexa skills. We’re excited to be able to offer our customers the world’s first Fire TV Edition television with far-field voice control, making it even easier for users to control their television and elevate their smart TV experience,” said Mario Vogl, Grundig’s Northern Europe Regional Director and Managing Director Germany.
Introducing the First-Ever Fire TV Edition Soundbar
Building off the success of Fire TV Edition smart TVs in the United States and Canada, Amazon is introducing an entirely new category of products—Fire TV Edition soundbars. The Fire TV experience is integrated directly into the soundbar system, delivering a complete home cinema experience with expansive video streaming and superior sound, all in a single device. You can even add your Fire TV Edition soundbar to a multi-room music group in the Alexa mobile app, letting you stream from Amazon Music and others throughout your home.
Fire TV Edition Soundbar with Anker Innovations
The first expansion of Fire TV Edition beyond smart TVs is from Anker Innovations and Amazon, who have teamed up to launch the Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition, which turns any TV into a cinematic smart TV experience. Featuring support for 4K Ultra HD, a unified smart TV user interface, near-field Alexa voice control, Dolby Vision pass through, and more, the Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition gives you a cohesive entertainment experience with rich sounds that will fill any room. You can use the included Voice Remote with Alexa to easily navigate the Fire TV experience, turn your compatible TV on and off, and control soundbar functions like power, volume and mute. The Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition is launching in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Germany.
Pricing and Availability
The Toshiba 65-inch 4K Ultra HD Smart LED TV HDR – Fire TV Edition will be available at Best Buy for $599. It will begin shipping to customers in the United States next month.
The Grundig OLED – Fire TV Edition Hands-Free with Alexa (amazon.de/Grundig-FireTVEdition) is available for pre-order on Amazon.de today in 55” and 65” models, starting at €1,299.99. It will begin shipping on November 21. The Grundig OLED – Fire TV Edition is available for pre-order on Amazon.de today in 55” and 65” models, starting at €1,199.99. It will begin shipping on October 28. The Grundig Vision 7 – Fire TV Edition is available for purchase today on Amazon.de in 43”, 49”, 55” and 65” models starting at €349.99. It will begin shipping on October 17. The Grundig Vision 6 – Fire TV Edition is available for pre-order on Amazon.de today in 32”, 40”, and 43” models starting at €239.99. It will begin shipping on November 1.
JVC – Fire TV Edition Smart 4K Ultra HD HDR LED TVs start at £349, and are sold at Currys PC World and from Currys PC World as a third party seller on Amazon.co.uk. Customers can sign up today on currys.co.uk or amazon.co.uk/JVC-FireTVEdition to be notified when they are available.
The Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition (amazon.com/nebulasoundbar) is available for pre-order today for $229.99 in the United States, $269.99 in Canada, £179.99 in the United Kingdom, and €209.99 in Germany. It will begin shipping on November 21. Customers who pre-order the Nebula Soundbar – Fire TV Edition are also eligible for an Amazon Music Unlimited 90-day extended free trial of the premium music subscription.
For more information visit www.amazon.com/firetv.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit www.amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
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PRESS RELEASE
Amazon announces new Fire TV devices, Alexa Voice Remote, and Echo pairing in France, Italy, and Spain
Amazon brings an expanded Fire TV device line-up to France, Italy, and Spain with the powerful Fire TV Stick 4K with Alexa Voice Remote and Amazon's best-selling Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote
The Alexa Voice Remote enables voice search, content controls, volume and power control on compatible devices, and more—plus, pair any Echo device with Fire TV for far-field voice control
The upgraded Fire TV experience features an enhanced home screen with content recommendations from Prime Video, Netflix, and more
LUXEMBOURG – September 4, 2019 – Today, Amazon announced an expansion of the Fire TV experience in France, Italy, and Spain with a new lineup of devices including Fire TV Stick 4K which is the most powerful streaming stick, Amazon’s best-selling Fire TV Stick, and the all-new Alexa Voice Remote. This is the first time that the upgraded Fire TV streaming and voice experience will be available to French, Italian, and Spanish customers which includes Echo pairing functionality for hands-free voice control and a new-and-improved user interface designed to help customers discover new shows, apps, and movies to enjoy. These devices are available for purchase today from Amazon, and for a limited-time customers can enjoy special introductory pricing and save €15,00 on their purchase.
“Over 37 million people enjoy Fire TV devices around the world today, and we’re delighted to give customers in France, Italy, and Spain an enhanced Fire TV experience that makes it easy and fun to discover a new favorite show from popular apps such as Prime Video, Netflix, YouTube, Molotov, Movistar+, and more,” said Eric Saarnio, Head of Amazon Devices, Europe. “We want Fire TV to be the easiest and most intuitive part of your day, which is why we’re excited to also introduce Alexa on Fire TV. Customers will now be able to simply ask Alexa to play a show, check the weather, or open an app—all with their voice.”
The latest streaming technology
Fire TV Stick 4K is the most powerful streaming stick bringing brilliant picture quality with incredible depth of colors and clarity to compatible TVs at resolutions up to 4K Ultra HD, with support for Dolby Vision, HDR, and HDR10+. Customers can use the included Alexa Voice Remote to easily find 4K Ultra HD movies and TV episodes—just press and ask, “Alexa, find 4K movies.”
Fire TV Stick is Amazon's best-selling streaming device with an average rating of 4.5 stars globally. Fire TV Stick supports 1080p (HD) streaming and Dolby Audio. Just plug Fire TV Stick into your HD television, connect to Wi-Fi, and start streaming in minutes. Quickly access your favorite movies, TV shows, and apps right from the home screen.
Combining Bluetooth, multidirectional infrared technology, and powered by our cloud-based service, the Alexa Voice Remote allows you to power on your compatible TV and AV equipment—all with a single remote. Plus, the Alexa Voice Remote gives you even more control with dedicated power, volume, and mute buttons, along with the ability to use voice commands to find and control content. The Alexa Voice Remote is compatible with Fire TV Basic Edition.
“Alexa, play Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.”
These new Fire TV devices now ship with the Alexa Voice Remote, allowing customers to access the power of Alexa with the simple press of a button. With Alexa customers can ask for music, weather, news, and information—and now with Alexa on Fire TV, customers can open an app, search for a show, and more just with their voice. Discovering something to watch for family movie night is as easy as asking—“Alexa, find comedies” or “Alexa, open Arte.”
Prime Video features additional voice functionality allowing customers to begin watching a show by simply saying “Alexa, play Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.” Navigating the show or movie you’re watching is easy on Prime Video, simply say fast-forward, rewind, pause or play next episode. YouTube, Netflix, Molotov, Atresplayer, and RTVE alacarta in-app voice controls are coming this year, more apps are on the way.
With Alexa on Fire TV, customers can check the weather, their commute, or ask how late their favorite restaurant is open, and Alexa will respond with visual search results. Ask Alexa to view live camera feeds or control lights, thermostats, and other compatible smart home devices; for example customers can connect a Ring smart camera allowing them to check who’s at the door or live stream the nursery.
Also beginning today, customers can pair compatible Echo devices with Fire TV, allowing them to use Alexa on Fire TV without picking up the remote. Just say “Alexa, open YouTube,” “Alexa, show me the front door,” or “Alexa, find dramas on Fire TV.”
Alexa is always getting smarter, meaning Alexa on Fire TV will continue to improve even after purchase, with new Alexa skills, software features, and applications added regularly.
Upgraded, cinematic UI
Fire TV in France, Italy, and Spain now comes with an updated, cinematic user interface that makes finding what you want to watch even easier and more enjoyable. The new home screen delivers content recommendations and suggested new apps to try. Quickly navigating back to your favorite apps and games is easy with a customizable app list on the home screen.
Starting today, Fire TV Stick Basic Edition customers will receive a free over-the-air software update that gives them access to the same user interface found on the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick 4K. At this occasion, these customers can also order the all-new Alexa Voice Remote as a standalone device for 50% for a limited time.
Watch what you loveFire TV brings popular apps and content to the biggest screen in the home including live news, sports, and on demand entertainment. Experience thousands of channels, apps, and Alexa skills. Popular apps such as Netflix, YouTube, Prime Video, Arte, Raiplay, RTVE alacarta, Artresplayer, and more are available as well as hundreds of cooking, fitness, and gaming apps. Listen to your favorite music from Amazon Music, Spotify, and TuneIn. Subscriptions may be required.
Pricing and Availability
Fire TV Stick 4K—Brilliant Picture. Powerful Performance.
Fire TV Stick 4K is available to order today on Amazon and for a limited time customers can enjoy special introductory pricing €44,99 (€15 off), normally €59,99. Fire TV Stick 4K includes the Alexa Voice Remote.
Fire TV Stick—Ready. Set. Stream.
Fire TV Stick is available to order today on Amazon and for a limited time customers can enjoy special introductory pricing €24,99 (€15 off), normally €39,99. Fire TV Stick includes the Alexa Voice Remote.
Alexa Voice Remote—Includes volume, power and device control.
Alexa Voice Remote is available to order today on Amazon and for a limited time customers can enjoy special introductory price of €14,99 (50% off), normally €29,99. The standalone remote can be paired with Fire TV Basic Edition for power and volume control of compatible TVs, sound bars, and AV equipment.
These new devices will also be available in-store from Boulanger in France, Media World in Italy, and MediaMarkt in Spain.
About Amazon
Amazon is guided by four principles: customer obsession rather than competitor focus, passion for invention, commitment to operational excellence, and long-term thinking. Customer reviews, 1-Click shopping, personalized recommendations, Prime, Fulfillment by Amazon, AWS, Kindle Direct Publishing, Kindle, Fire tablets, Fire TV, Amazon Echo, and Alexa are some of the products and services pioneered by Amazon. For more information, visit amazon.com/about and follow @AmazonNews.
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