Amazon Plans Apple HomeKit And AirPlay 2 Support For Its Own Fire TVs

We've known for a while that Amazon had plans to make its own Fire smart TVs, the first models of which are now rolling out to buyers. The company has revealed that it plans to add two big previously unannounced features to its latest Fire TV models: support for Apple's HomeKit and AirPlay 2.

Amazon is now selling its own-brand Fire TV 4-Series 4K UHD and Fire TV Omni Series 4K UHD smart TVs in various size options, all of them powered by the company's Fire TV platform. According to The Verge, Amazon has revealed that it'll soon add support for AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, making the smart TVs more appealing for consumers who are dedicated to Apple's ecosystem.

AirPlay 2 is essentially Apple's version of casting, enabling the company's device owners to easily and wirelessly send content from their Mac, iPad, or iPhone to devices that support the protocol. This can be used, for example, to play a video from one's iPhone on a TV that supports AirPlay, Amazon's own-brand Fire TVs soon to be among them.

HomeKit, meanwhile, is Apple's answer to the smart home market, enabling the company's users to control devices that have HomeKit support using the Home app. This support will enable Apple users to control their 4-Series or Omni-Series Fire TVs using the Home app or Siri if they prefer that assistant over Amazon's Alexa.

This won't be the first time Amazon has made HomeKit and AirPlay 2 support available on some Fire TV-powered smart TVs, though the company still hasn't brought the same support to its standalone Fire TV boxes and sticks. That makes the platform less appealing to Apple users who are satisfied with their existing television, driving them instead to Apple TV.