(Credit: Amazon)
Amazon’s popular, cheap media streaming stick is now better than ever, thanks to an upgrade that makes it slimmer, improves loading times, and draws power directly from your TV.
At less than an inch thick, the new Fire TV Stick HD is Amazon's slimmest stick ever. The new dimensions should make it easier to fit behind any TV, even ones mounted close to the wall, like in a hotel room.
You also won’t need a wall adapter anymore: instead, Amazon provides direct power through the USB port. That means fewer cables running around your TV and one more spare wall outlet for your other gadgets.
Amazon says to expect “noticeable speed improvements”—30% faster compared with its last-gen product, meaning apps and content should boot up quicker.
That’s a needed improvement as PCMag’s review of the previous-generation Fire TV Stick HD found it had “choppiness and sluggishness.” Our testing found that "switching tabs can occasionally cause hiccups with the menus, and libraries take a few seconds to populate.”
There’s also Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity here, up from Bluetooth 5 on the last-gen. As the name suggests, expect the stick to support Full HD resolution (or 720p in some cases) at up to 60 frames per second.
The newest Amazon user interface, which first debuted in February, is ready from day one on this stick. It’s advertised as faster and more streamlined, which it claims will help you get to what you want to watch faster.
This stick also debuts a new accessibility feature called Adaptive Display, which enlarges small menu items to make them easier to read. You'll need to turn this on manually, but it also scales other elements, such as cover artwork, to ensure the enlarged design looks intentional.
There are also Alexa+ features built in if you subscribe to Prime, which will help you get personalized recommendations on what to watch by asking the AI-powered tool questions.
The new Fire TV Stick HD is still $34.99; you can preorder it now, and it will ship on April 29.