With Google TV becoming commonplace, is there still a place for a stick that turns your TV into an entertainment smorgasbord? I didn’t think so, but never mind what I think because Amazon thinks there is still a place for its Fire TV. Folks, this is the new Fire TV Stick 4K.
Amazon’s argument is speed. In its tests, the newcomer reached content roughly 20–40% faster than a similarly priced rival stick and started playback faster than three tested smart TVs. Your television may be smart, but that doesn’t necessarily make it quick.
The slimmer stick packs a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, 8GB of storage, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, and up to 4K/60fps output with HDR10+, running Amazon’s Vega OS with Alexa+. Direct Power lets it draw electricity from your TV’s USB port using the included cable.
The bundled remote gets a weighted, curved bottom, differently shaped buttons, a metal Home button, and a customizable star button. Useful improvements for anyone who has tried operating a remote upside down in the dark.
The new Fire TV Stick 4K is shipping in the U.S. for US$59.99. The redesigned remote is also sold separately for US$14.99, shipping in late October. It joins the Fire TV Stick HD (US$34.99) introduced earlier this year, if anyone’s interested.
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Images: Amazon.