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Amazon is flooding the zone with new TVs as it crosses 200 million Fire TV devices sold

Amazon is flooding the zone with new TVs as it crosses 200 million Fire TV devices sold

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There are now smaller sizes of the flagship Fire TV Omni QLED series, and Amazon is adding a budget-tier 2-Series that sticks to HD resolution.

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A marketing image of Amazon’s Fire TV 2-Series television.
The budget Fire TV 2-Series sticks to HD resolution.
Image: Amazon

Amazon announced today that it has sold a total of over 200 million Fire TV devices. That number is a combination of Fire TV streamers, third-party TVs that run Fire TV software, and the company’s own televisions that debuted in 2021 (with new models introduced last year). The last update came at CES 2022, when Amazon said it had crossed 150 million sales.

Alongside that news, Amazon is introducing new TVs at the top and bottom of its lineup. It’s adding new sizes of the flagship Fire TV Omni QLED series and launching a new cheaper TV lineup called the 2-Series. These smaller-size budget sets are limited to HD resolution, but the entire pitch here is that you’re getting the Fire TV experience built in for prices that start at just $199. The 2-Series models technically support HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Digital audio — though I wouldn’t expect that their panel brightness can really showcase HDR.

The Fire TV Omni QLED series should do a better job at that since it includes full-array local dimming. Amazon previously offered its best self-branded TVs in 65-inch and 75-inch sizes. Now, it’s adding smaller 43-, 50-, and 55-inch options. The Fire TV Omni QLED sets support Dolby Vision and include a room sensor that also enables support for Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus Adaptive: both of these modes automatically adjust brightness based on your environment.

A marketing image of the Amazon Fire TV QLED Omni series.
The Fire TV Omni QLED series offers an ambient mode with artwork and onscreen widgets.
Image: Amazon

One of the new tricks that Amazon added to the QLED series was the Fire TV Ambient Experience. You can have the TVs display artwork, various widgets, and information like your calendar, reminders, and sticky notes. Amazon says 98 percent of Fire TV Omni QLED owners are using the ambient features and that they’ve boosted usage of the TVs overall, so it’s expanding those today with “hundreds” of new artwork options from institutions like the National Galleries of Scotland, National Museum Wales, and Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne. Later this year, Amazon will roll out dynamic artwork that can adjust to reflect factors like nearby weather, outdoor temperature, time of day, and more. Amazon collaborated with artist Samuel Stubblefield on this feature.

These ambient features are clearly Amazon’s attempt to come after Samsung’s popular Frame TVs, and combined with the presence sensor, they’ve been praised in reviews. By expanding to more screen sizes (and cheaper price points with the 2-Series), Amazon is also trying to fend off Roku’s new TV lineup. Those Roku Select and Roku Plus models recently began shipping.

The new models of the Fire TV Omni QLED series are up for preorder at Amazon today starting at $449.99, and they’ll be available from BestBuy.com on May 11th. The entry-tier Fire TV 2-Series comes in 32-inch and 42-inch sizes and is available starting at $199.99 starting now. Rounding out today’s announcements, Amazon says the company’s Luna cloud gaming service is coming to the UK, Germany, and Canada. Meanwhile, the Fire TV Omni QLED, 4-Series, and 2-Series are headed to the UK, Germany, and Mexico.