There’s a weird trend with making cars way more technologically advanced than they need to be these days. Obviously stuff like CarPlay and Android Auto are fantastically useful, but everything else is a bit odd. Do we need a car that plays Cuphead and farts on demand? No, Elon, we do not and I’m not sure we need a car that has Amazon Fire TV screens in the back either.
But that’s exactly what’s happening. Amazon has announced that cars from BMW and Fiat Chrysler will be the first car-makers to come with seatback screens powered by Fire TV’s operating system. In other words, they’re screens that can stream content and try to convince you that you need to subscribe to Prime Video while also suggesting you watch stuff that costs extra.
Details are very scarce right now, but we do know that the screens will have touch controls, offline playback, and the ability to stream over WI-Fi and via 4G networks. So it’s not that much different from strapping a tablet to the back of the driver’s seat and installing the Prime Video app. The hardware is also being made in partnership with Garmin and Voxx.
But after the launch of the Echo Auto in the U.S. last year, it seems Amazon is going to go big on putting itself in your car. Because that’s exactly what everyone needs. At least it’ll keep the kids quiet when you have to drive for more than half an hour. [The Verge]
This post originally appeared on Gizmodo UK, which is gobbling up the news in a different timezone.