Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Simplifies Streaming Options, and I Went Hands-On

Amazon has unveiled a new Fire TV Stick 4K as part of a simplified lineup for the popular streamers, and it has 4K HDR10 playback.

The $60 Fire TV Stick 4K, which replaces both the Fire TV Stick 4K Select and 4K Plus, comes with a new remote and support for HDR10 and Samsung’s HDR10 Plus. It has 8GB internal storage, a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor and support for Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth Low Energy. The company says the Stick 4K is 20% to 40% faster than the similarly priced Roku Streaming Stick Plus.

While it’s not consequential, as it’s going to spend all of its time behind your TV, the Fire TV Stick 4K feels solid in the hand. It seems much more luxe than any other Fire TV Stick I’ve ever used. The device comes with a USB cable, and it no longer needs to be plugged into the wall; it can be powered by your TV’s USB port.

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I found the “upgraded” experience extends to the redesigned remote, which, unusually, no longer includes a prominent blue Alexa button. Instead, the most obvious button features a bright red home icon, and the microphone is now relegated to the top right.

Amazon also said that a new premium remote is coming in 2027, which features backlighting and a “find my remote” feature.

The streaming device is designed to be used in conjunction with Alexa Plus, and one impressive feature the representatives showed me was the forthcoming ability to plug articles into the app. They showed me how to load a “10 best movies about…” article into the Fire TV app and have the TV add the movies listed to a watch-next list.

In general, the setup and use of the Fire TV Stick 4K felt very familiar, but since it was fresh out of the box, I didn’t notice any blazing speeds. This will likely improve over time as the device learns the apps I use most.

The best part about the Fire TV Stick 4K’s release, however, is the simplification of the range for buyers, and this stick should now be the go-to device for most people. Enthusiasts who want to make the most of their home cinema should get the $85 4K Max model for Dolby Vision and Atmos, or support for add-on speakers via Alexa Home Theater.

The range is now just four main devices:

• Fire TV Stick HD $40
• Fire TV Stick 4K $60
• Fire TV Stick 4K Max $85
• Fire TV Cube $199

The Fire TV Stick 4K is available now for an introductory price of $30, and this will likely continue until Amazon Prime Big Deal Days next week.