Amazon Planning March Launch for Apple TV Set-Top Box Competitor

by

In light of recent reports stating that Apple is hard at work on an Apple TV refresh, Amazon is allegedly readying a new Web TV box that would compete with Apple's set-top box and the Roku, according to Re/code. The report states that Amazon's new media streaming device could be available as soon as March.

amazon_logo
Similar to rumors that surfaced last year, this latest information claims Amazon's set-top box will tie into the company's Instant Video service and may support third-party content providers in a manner similar to the Apple TV and Roku.

A box is also a logical move for Amazon, which is investing heavily to build up a Web video catalog, and is starting to produce its own shows as well. An Amazon box will allow its customers to easily watch that stuff on their TVs; it should also give other content providers a chance to serve up their stuff via apps, in the way that Roku and Apple TV boxes do.

Sources tell me Amazon’s box is will be powered by Google’s Android operating system, which is also not a surprise — Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablets use a “forked” version of Android.

Re/code also speculates that Amazon's set-top box could contain a gaming component, noting that the company is looking to expand its Amazon Games Studio by hiring game developers who can "break down technology barriers and deliver experiences people have never seen before." This follows another recent rumor from VG247 that suggests the online retailer is working on an Android gaming console similar to the Ouya.

Amazon has stepped up its streaming content offerings in the past year, producing 14 original television pilots and using feedback to decide which get made into full shows, as well as spending significant amounts of money to secure exclusive rights to popular shows like Downton Abbey and The West Wing.

Currently, Amazon's Instant Video service is available on iPads and iPhones, the Xbox 360, the Nintendo Wii, the Sony Playstation 3, smart televisions from LG, Panasonic, Samsung, Sony, and Vizio, TiVo, the Roku box, as well as a number of Blu-ray players.

Popular Stories

iPhone Top Left Hole Punch Face ID Feature Purple

iPhone 18 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 12 New Features

Thursday January 15, 2026 10:56 am PST by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are not expected to launch for another eight months, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we have recapped 12 features rumored for the iPhone 18 Pro models, as of January 2026: The same overall design is expected, with 6.3-inch and 6.9-inch display sizes, and a "plateau" housing three rear cameras Under-screen Face ID...
Read Full Article • 74 comments
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

These 5 Apple Products Will Reportedly Be Upgraded With OLED Displays

Friday January 16, 2026 7:07 pm PST by
Apple plans to upgrade the iPad mini, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, iMac, and MacBook Air with OLED displays between 2026 and 2028, according to DigiTimes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman previously reported that the iPad mini and MacBook Pro will receive an OLED display as early as this year, but he does not expect the MacBook Air to adopt the technology until 2028 at the earliest. A new iPad Air is...
Read Full Article • 78 comments
iOS 27 Mock Quick

iOS 27 Will Add These 8 New Features to Your iPhone

Sunday January 18, 2026 3:51 pm PST by
iOS 27 is still many months away, but there are already plenty of rumors about new features that will be included in the software update. The first beta of iOS 27 will be released during WWDC 2026 in June, and the update should be released to all users with a compatible iPhone in September. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense...
Read Full Article • 100 comments
Apple Wallet ID Illinois

Apple Plans to Expand iPhone Driver's Licenses to These 7 U.S. States

Friday January 16, 2026 12:12 pm PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Read Full Article
airpods pro 3 purple

New, Higher End AirPods Pro Coming This Year

Tuesday January 20, 2026 9:05 am PST by
Apple is planning to debut a high-end secondary version of AirPods Pro 3 this year, sitting in the lineup alongside the current model, reports suggest. Back in September 2025, supply chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reported that Apple is planning to introduce a successor to the AirPods Pro 3 in 2026. This would be somewhat unusual since Apple normally waits around three years to make major...
Read Full Article • 80 comments

Top Rated Comments

MattG Avatar
MattG
156 months ago
Ugggh...I just want one box that does it all. Wish ATV would just do Amazon Prime.
Score: 34 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GenesisST Avatar
GenesisST
156 months ago
The more the better. The faster cable companies loose power over distribution, the better.
Score: 27 Votes (Like | Disagree)
monty77 Avatar
monty77
156 months ago
..hopefully this means Apple will finally give us the App store we've wanted for so long - letting Amazon get there first would be extremely unwise.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
alent1234 Avatar
alent1234
156 months ago
they banned my account with no warnings or notice and screwed over all my DIGITAL PURCHASES and bricked two kindles in the process. F them, even if you think your account would never get banned I want everyone to take note that they have the ability to mess you up real badly and what's worse screw over digital content that you supposedly OWN over issues that have no relationship to the digital purchases. Other than that, yeah, great idea, the market is screaming for yet another set top streaming media box.

i'm sure you had nothing to do with it
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
japanime Avatar
japanime
156 months ago
And Roku will continue to quietly kick everyone else's butts.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
edk99 Avatar
edk99
156 months ago
Incredibly it seems they make very little, therefore pay very little in tax.

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/may/16/amazon-tax-avoidance-profits

..massive uproar in the UK not so long ago as they were branded a tax cheat given their billions in turnover, press neglected to highlight that you don't pay tax on turnover only profit.
It always amazes me that people are quick to brand a company a "tax cheat" when in reality they are just following the rules put in place by the government. Until government changes the rules or they are caught red handed actually really cheating on their taxes then the peoples uproar should be with the government and not Amazon, Apple or google or any other large world wide company that legally takes advantage of tax laws to lower their tax exposure. They shouldn't have to give the government one penny more then they have to just like each one of us.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Read All Comments