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Amazon is becoming an increasingly important player in the TV market. Its own lineup features several options that appeal to value-conscious consumers, and it’s got Fire TV, an operating system that’s proved a great fit for brands like TCL, Panasonic and Toshiba.
Having established itself with cost-effective LED and QLED models, the retail giant entered a higher-end space with the Fire TV Omni Mini LED in late 2024. It’s now taking on the lifestyle sector with the Amazon Ember Artline, which is available to preorder from today.
I was at a product showcase in London’s Menier Lounge last week to take a look at the TV, which can masquerade as a picture frame for digital artwork. But before I dig into the details and give some initial thoughts, a bit of Amazon TV housekeeping is in order.
From 7 May (the date that the Amazon Ember Artline starts shipping), all of Amazon’s latest-generation televisions will be rebranded under the Ember TV banner. That means going forward, the lineup will comprise the Amazon Ember TV 2-Series, Ember TV 4-Series, Ember TV Omni QLED, Ember TV Omni Mini LED, and Ember Artline.
The reimagining of Amazon’s TV arm coincides neatly with a substantial update to the Fire TV smart experience. This will begin rolling out across Amazon devices towards the end of April and brings some impactful changes.
Cleaner UI
Amazon has reduced the on-screen clutter, grouped content into sensible categories and added a World Cup destination hub ahead of the tournament, which kicks off in June.
Faster navigation
Amazon says its latest OS update will run up to 30% quicker than the current version, resulting in a much smoother, more satisfying experience.
Alexa+
We’ve been waiting for Alexa+ for what seems like an eternity, but it’s finally here. Well, almost. It’s available to customers with Early Access and compatible devices like the Ember Artline. Expect smarter, more natural interactions with Amazon’s voice assistant.
Fire TV Channels
Many TV manufacturers have their own Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) channels, and Amazon is joining their ranks in the next few weeks. Free content without downloads, sign-ups or fees. Yes please.
With that out of the way. Let’s take a look at what the new Ember Artline TV brings to the table. It’s got TVs like Samsung’s The Frame and Hisense’s Canvas TV in its sights, but does it have the specs to compete?
Amazon Ember Artline: “Alexa, make me look cultured”
The Ember Artline will initially be available in two sizes, 55in and 65in, both of which use quantum dot LED panels with a matte, anti-glare coating.
This coating worked pretty well to reduce the impact of light sources in the event space where the Ember Artline was being displayed, and really helped enhance that painting-like feel this TV is going for. Amazon hasn’t stated a brightness figure for the Artline, but the coating should also ensure that you’re able to enjoy its picture in rooms with plenty of ambient light without it needing to hit crazy high luminance numbers.
I got a very short demo of the TV streaming content from Prime Video, but not enough to get a strong sense of what we can expect in the PQ department. QLEDs generally do colour nicely, and that seemed to be the case here, and there’s support for all of the key HDR formats (HDR10, HDR10+ Adaptive, HLG and Dolby Vision), which is very welcome.
Let’s be realistic, the Ember Artline isn’t likely to revolutionise picture quality for lifestyle TVs, but I do see it grabbing the attention of consumers for a couple of reasons. First up is the combination of Fire TV and Alexa+, which looks set to be more compelling than ever, thanks to the updates outlined above. Fire TV also carries Freely, giving the Ember Artline an advantage over Samsung’s The Frame.
Secondly, there’s the pricing. The launch prices of £950 for the 55in and £1,200 for the 65in model are a little more than what you can expect to pay for The Frame (£894/£1,139) or Canvas TV (£799/£995) at the moment, but those are last year’s models. And, as we know, when deals events roll around, Amazon TVs tend to see incredible discounts. So, it may well be the case that the Ember Artline is the top performer of the trio and remains very competitively priced compared to its rivals.
The Artline has a few other qualities that stood out to me. The library of digital artwork you can display on the TV is extensive; Amazon already has 2,000 paintings available, and this number is only going to grow. Perhaps more importantly, accessing these artworks is free and easily searchable.
You can even use a neat “Match The Room” feature to scan your living room and have the TV recommend pieces of art that fit its aesthetic. At some point in the near future, you’ll also be able to create your own art using AI, and before then, you can of course display your own photos via Amazon Photos.
Like any lifestyle TV worth its salt, you can customise the frame of the Ember Artline. One frame, which attaches to the panel magnetically, is included in the price, and you get a choice of 10 finishes: ash, walnut, black oak, fig, graphite, matte white, pale gold, teak, silver, and midnight blue. If you want to switch it out at any time, Amazon will sell the frames as standalone products, costing £75 for the 55in versions and £85 for the 65in variants.
Amazon Fire TV Stick HD: Amazon’s slimmest streamer yet
In addition to the Ember Artline TV and new Fire TV OS reveals, Amazon confirmed the price and availability of the new Fire TV Stick HD.
At roughly 30% narrower than the last-gen Fire TV Stick HD, this is the most slender streamer the retail giant has ever released, and it’ll draw power directly from your TV’s USB port, removing the need for a power adapter.
It’s not only more compact, but faster too, with Amazon claiming a 30% uptick in performance speed from the previous model. It’s still only limited to Full HD (1080p) resolution, of course – the clue is in the name – but it is the cheapest model in the updated Fire TV Stick lineup at £40.
We’ll be hoping to test both the new Amazon Ember Artline TV and Fire TV Stick HD in due course, so be sure to check back to see how they perform and how big of an improvement the new Fire TV experience is; it certainly seems very promising.
