According to a Friday filing with the Federal Communications Commission (first discovered by Protocol), Verizon is preparing to launch a smart display device based on the Alexa voice assistant. The FCC filing shows a basic-looking device that resembles an Amazon Echo, with an 8-inch display and front-facing camera, and the specs show it has 4GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, Bluetooth, wi-fi and 4G connectivity.
It’s not clear from the filing what the user interface will look like on its screen but the device, referred to as LVD1, will “wake” when users speak the phrase “Hi Verizon” to it. That would seem to confirm, as Protocol notes, that the device is part of Amazon’s Alexa Custom Assistant program, which allows companies to build their own versions of Alexa for their branded devices. building Alexa skills specific to certain devices.
A user manual included in the FCC filing indicates the device supports the BlueJeans videoconferencing platform that Verizon acquired last April, which would be a logical use for it. At the time of the acquisition, Verizon said in a statement that “BlueJeans will be deeply integrated into Verizon’s 5G product roadmap, providing secure and real-time engagement solutions for high growth areas such as telemedicine, distance learning and field service work.”
Verizon didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment Saturday.