Amazon is working on TV set-top boxes and smartphones in a bid to turn the online shopping giant into a consumer electronics powerhouse, according to company insiders.
According to Bloomberg, sources at the company claim chief executive Jeff Bezos wants the company to produce a range of different devices, including tablets, electronic readers and a planned smartphone.
As part of those efforts, Amazon’s Lab 126 Skunkworks is reportedly working on a set-top box that would allow viewers to stream online video from Amazon’s video on demand store, potentially also running apps from its Android app store.
The device would be sold at a competitive or subsidised price, with the company hoping to earn its money by consumers paying for content to use on the device through its online stores.
The set-top box would see the company compete against similar devices such as Apple TV and TiVo, along with video game consoles such as Microsoft’s X-Box 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3.
Andrew Sadauskas is a former journalist at SmartCompany and a former editor of TechCompany.
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