Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max preview: Fast forward
The new Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max offer faster processing, better connectivity and improved AI for more natural content searching
As part of its massive September showcase, Amazon has unveiled new refreshes for its high end media streamers, the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max. These new models bring with them enhanced performance, faster Wi-Fi connections and more intuitive search features, courtesy of some algorithmic improvements to the Alexa smart assistant.
Although technically more expensive than their predecessors were at launch, both the Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max are priced identically to the previous versions, which received a price increase earlier this year. Whether or not these new sticks prove to be worthwhile upgrades remains to be seen but, for now, let’s unpack the new features on offer.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K: Specifications, price and release date
- Quad-core 1.7GHz processor
- Wi-Fi 6
- Dolby Vision, HDR, HLG, HDR10+
- UK price: £60
- Release Date: 18 October 2023, preorders open now
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max: Specifications, price and release date
- Quad-core 2.0GHz processor
- 16GB storage
- Wi-Fi 6E
- Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+
- Dolby Atmos
- UK price: £70
- US price: $60
- Release Date: 18 October 2023, preorders open now
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max preview: Key new features
Both streamers have received new processors for this refresh, with the Fire TV Stick 4K now powered by an unnamed quad-core 1.7GHz chipset that apparently yields speeds up to 30% faster than its predecessor.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max, meanwhile, gets a slightly more powerful quad-core 2.0GHz processor and, while no exact figures have been promised on speeds, Amazon was happy to call this its most powerful streaming stick ever. The 4K Max also has 16GB of storage – double the capacity of its predecessor.
Rounding out the internals, connectivity has been improved for both sticks, with the Fire TV Stick 4K now operating over Wi-Fi 6, while the 4K Max gets bumped up to Wi-Fi 6E. As long as you’ve got a compatible router this is good news, bringing smoother streaming with lower latency and fewer buffering issues.
While the announcement may have been rather light on the hardware front, Amazon had plenty to say on the software side of things. The first change comes to the homepage, where you’ll find a new “continue watching” row that groups together all the content you’ve got on the go from a wide range of streaming services.
If you don’t want to continue watching, Alexa has had a few improvements that can facilitate a more natural, conversational searching experience. Alexa’s improved Large Language Model (LLM) no longer needs you to remember the name of the film you’re looking for in order to find it. The example given in the showcase saw Alexa finding a specific film based on the vague instruction “by the guy who plays the lawyer in Breaking Bad”.
Once you’re watching content, both sticks support Dolby Vision, HDR and HDR10+ playback, with the Fire TV Stick 4K also supporting the HLG format and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max including Dolby Atmos support. As with other Fire devices, you can connect your TV to Echo devices to create a home theatre system.
On the subject of audio, Amazon also announced a new addition to the Fire TV family: the Fire TV Soundbar. This compact soundbar promises immersive sound and crisp dialogue, Bluetooth connectivity and compatibility with all Fire TV devices. Unfortunately, the Fire TV Soundbar doesn’t seem to be coming to the UK – at the time of writing, it’s not online for preorder like the Fire TV Sticks are.
What is coming to the UK – but only for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max – is the Fire TV Ambient Experience. Plucked directly from the Fire TV Omni QLED Series, this turns the TV to which your Fire Stick is connected into an always-on display. You can flick this setting on by asking Alexa and, depending on your preferences, it can either display helpful information, such as your calendar or sticky note reminders you’ve left for the family, or a rotating gallery of free art images.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max preview: Early verdict
Both the Fire TV Stick 4K and 4K Max are due for release on 18 October 2023, with the Fire TV Stick 4K priced at £60 and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max costing £70. If you want one on release day, preorders are open right now.
If you’d prefer to wait and see how the reviews turn out, we’ll be getting our hands on samples in the near future. Be sure to check back in soon to see if we think Amazon’s new media streamers are worth your interest.