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Amazon has fuelled rumours it is to release its own rival to Apple’s Siri technology by acquiring the firm behind voice-recognition app Evi.
The online giant reportedly bought the firm behind Evi for $26 million last year, however word of the deal has only recently surfaced.
Evi is the latest addition to Amazon’s growing portfolio of voice-recognition apps, following the firm’s buy out of the Ivona app.
Amazon’s active interest in voice-recognition has fuelled speculation that the company is looking to release its own smartphone device – one that would rival Apple and its iPhone device, which houses the popular Siri app.
However, given Amazon’s wide portfolio of Kindle tablet and e-reader devices, the buyout of the Evi app could be more related to the integration of voice-recognition within these devices.
Whilst there’s no word on an upcoming Amazon smartphone, watch this space. If the firm continues to acquire voice-recognition apps at the rate it has, an Amazon branded device could be on the cards.
Amazon image from Shutterstock/Annette Shaff
