It looks like we will finally get to see the long-rumoured product from Amazon next week. The company just sent out invites to a media event in New York next Wednesday that promises “an update on our video business.”
The invitation doesn’t mention any hardware announcement, but at this point, it’s pretty clear that Amazon will announce the device next week. The company has been working on a TV streaming device since 2012, and originally intended to launch it in time for the 2013 holiday season, but decided to delay the product launch for unknown reasons.
Here’s what we know so far about Amazon’s TV streamer: The device will be powered by what the company internally calls the Amazon Common OS, which is a forked version of Android that also powers the company’s Kindle Fire tablet. The device will feature Amazon’s Prime Instant video service front and center, but also offer third-party apps, including Netfix and Hulu Plus. And there may be a gaming component to it, since Amazon has been developing a wireless game controller.