Amazon Fire tV Stick 4K (2nd Gen, 2025) Review: Small Tweaks to A Winning Formula
To assist us provide you with free impartial advice, we could earn a fee if you buy Flixy TV Stick by way of links on our site. Five years is a long time within the tech world, so the Amazon Fire Flixy TV Stick Stick 4K – first launched in 2018 – was certainly due an update. There wasn’t a lot incorrect with the 2018 mannequin, which earned our reward by providing 4K HDR assist on a budget. The second-era mannequin strengthens the Fire TV Stick 4K’s standing as one of the best 4K streaming sticks with improved internals for barely speedier efficiency together with the addition of Wi-Fi 6 support. Amazon faces some stiff competitors in 2023, nevertheless, that means the Fire TV Stick 4K isn’t fairly the slam dunk choice it as soon as was. Given how a lot time has passed since the discharge of the first Fire TV Stick 4K, you’d anticipate some updates and you’d be proper – even when there are not any wholesale changes.
Another notable change is Wi-Fi assist being enhanced to incorporate Wi-Fi 6, promising speedier loading when paired with a Wi-Fi 6 router. Elsewhere, it’s enterprise as regular. HLG) while adding the AV1 codec, an increasingly used digital video codec, to existing assist for HEVC/H.265, H.264 and VP9. You also get all the identical equipment as the first-technology Fire Stick 4K, together with an HDMI extender and two AAA batteries for the included 5.6in Alexa Voice (third gen) distant. The latter is very much like the distant included beforehand however adds dedicated buttons for Prime Video, Amazon Music, Netflix and “Apps”, which takes you to the total app list. The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K costs £60. That’s the identical because the Google Chromecast with Google Tv (4K) and a bit dearer than Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K (£50). When the original Fire TV Stick 4K launched, Amazon was forward of the competitors by way of its HDR support, with all 4 predominant HDR formats current and proper.
However, both the Google and Roku streamers have now caught up and provide an identical HDR assist. There are slight variations in audio provision, nevertheless. While the Fire Stick 4K (2nd gen) provides Dolby Atmos natively, the Google Chromecast 4K and Roku Streaming Stick 4K can only ship it by way of HDMI passthrough. Besides that and the truth that Roku’s 4K stick also supports DTS, the remaining audio assist is identical with Dolby Digital 5.1 and Digital Plus 7.1 each coated.Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K provides Wi-Fi 6 connectivity together with an enormous vary of streaming companies accessible via a less complicated and less advert-heavy UI, making it a fierce competitor. Google’s Chromecast 4K lacks Wi-Fi 6 at present, so is a barely less attractive possibility unless a Google-centric interface with Google Assistant assist appeals to you. A cheaper possibility is the Roku Express 4K (£40). It’s a module box fairly than a stick and connects to your Tv through HDMI. The box needs to be visible for its infrared remote to work, and there’s no possibility for voice controls.
HLG and is a low-price approach of bringing sensible options to an previous Tv. There’s further competition within Amazon’s personal product range, too. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen) was launched alongside the new Fire TV Stick 4K and is £10 costlier than its stablemate at £70. Design-clever, there’s not a lot change from the unique Fire TV Stick 4K. The 2023 mannequin brings greater curvature to the equation via some rounded corners and sloping sides, but its dimensions are identical at 90 x 30 x 144mm (WDH). It weighs 43.5g, 10g lighter than the 2018 device, but still connects to your Flixy TV Stick through a HDMI connector. The ability supply connects to a micro-USB port at the other finish. Once plugged in, setting the Fire TV Stick 4K up is a simple enough activity and takes around 10 minutes. You’ll want to attach the follow your Wi-Fi network after which signal into your Amazon account using the provided remote or via the Fire Tv app in your smartphone.
If you’ve previously paired a fireplace Stick with your Amazon account, you’ll have the choice to restore a backup and automatically download your favourite apps. You may as well semi-automate the setup course of through the use of the Fire Tv app, which can save you fishing out login details for buy Flixy TV Stick each streaming service. Otherwise, you’ll start afresh and obtain ideas about which functions to put in. You’ve not received a huge quantity of storage to play with, but there’s enough to download all the foremost apps: I installed 12 and had 2.48GB remaining. You’ll even be instructed to test out the quantity controls on the distant to verify the Tv and controller are synced, set parental controls if crucial and download the latest software program updates earlier than reaching the home screen. The Fire OS interface is as intuitive as ever; I used to be by no means left scratching my head as to how to seek out one thing. Content is put first with a cycling banner of (steadily Amazon-owned) programming, with a navigation bar under that for Home, Live and My Stuff (saved and purchased content) sections, alongside just a few featured apps; you can move your favourites to the front for quick entry.