Amazon Fire TV Stick has been a core part of the smart TV revolution in India and many countries over the past few years. This device lets you convert any regular TV into a smart screen with support for Wi-Fi internet, Bluetooth and ability to download apps. Heck, you even get voice command control through the bundled remote.
And in 2024, the new Fire TV Stick 4K focuses on the finer details without really going overboard with the changes. After all, you have a product that has done well in the market, so the need to make changes was probably less for the company. However, the Fire TV Stick 4K faces a tough fight from the Google TV-Chromecast 4K. Priced at Rs 5,999, the 4K Fire TV Stick 2024 version promises hardware upgrades mostly but is that enough to be considered as the ideal smart TV dongle for the big screen? We used the new version for a few weeks and here are the four things that we found.
Big Power Upgrade
Amazon claims the new processor powering the Fire TV Stick 4K 2024 model offers 30 percent faster performance which is a big improvement. Running content in 4K quality can be an intensive exercise, so the Fire TV Stick could use any boost that it gets.
You also get support for Wi-Fi 6 standard which is also helpful when you want to connect the dongle to a high-speed connection in your home that aids with seamless gaming output as well. You can now also connect to a 5GHz or 2.4GHz Wi-Fi band that most routers at homes support these days through various ISPs.
You notice these changes while testing the device on the big screen and having support for Dolby Vision is a definite add-on that should become a mainstay across all the platforms and TVs in 2024. You still need the power adapter plugged in to use the dongle and that is unlikely to change anytime soon.
New Fire TV Stick 4K, Same Looks
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick is easily identifiable which is a good and a bad thing at the same time. We have seen the same design reference used for the dongle for many years now. A design refresh is long overdue now and it is high time that Amazon heads back to the drawing board and works on a new and fresh look for the Fire TV Stick series.
Having said that, it is hard to ignore the curvish layout of the dongle which was previously a rectangular-shaped bar design.
Even the remote could use fresh ideas, even though you get new shortcut buttons for OTT apps along with a host of other control buttons. We would like Amazon to switch the design of the remote, something that Google has done with the recent Chromecast 4K model.
All Your Favourite Apps Available
Amazon claims its app store has 12,000+ apps which is a big catalogue that most people don’t even use. However, it still doesn’t compare to the Play Store app collection. Most of you will be happy to see apps like Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix, Zee5 and SonyLiv available for the big screen and all those popular apps are readily available on the new Fire TV Stick 4K as well.
Alexa, Find My Movie
And yes, any talk about the Fire TV Stick is incomplete without mentioning Alexa, the default voice assistant from the company.
We have seen Alexa become smarter with new search responses but all those are still reserved for select regions. We are waiting for the new AI-infused Alexa to make its debut in India soon, even though the company seems to have hit a lull with its progress on the new look assistant for its devices.
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