Amazon Fire TV Stick Gains Alexa Voice Remote And Quad-Core SoC, Keeps $40 Price Tag
The Fire TV Stick has ditched the crusty, old dual-core processor in favor of a sprightlier quad-core processor (which Amazon says is up to 30 percent faster) and wireless connectivity has been upgraded to support 802.11ac MIMO. The Fire TV Stick also now comes with an Alexa Voice Remote included in the box, which allows you to belt out commands to control your viewing experience.
We should also note that the Fire TV Stick is still “only” a 1080p streamer, so it won’t be able to handle any 4K streaming content. That’s to be expected, however, considering the budget-conscious positioning of the product.
“We are proud that our customers have made Amazon Fire TV the #1 streaming media player in the US. With more than 120,000 reviews and a 4.2 star rating, they’ve also made the Fire TV Stick the most reviewed product ever on Amazon,” said Marc Whitten, VP for Amazon Fire TV. “Today, we are excited to make it even better.”
The next generation Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote is priced at $39.99. You can preorder the new Fire TV Stick today, and orders will begin shipping on October 20th. Customers who preorder or purchase the device before October 31st will receive a free digital bundle that includes a free month of Sling TV, two months of Hulu, and a $10 credit for Amazon Video.
For comparison, the Roku Streaming Stick and Google Chromecast — both of which are also limited to 1080p streaming -- are priced at $49 and $35 respectively.
