Best Fire TV Stick in 2022: Fire Stick 4K Max, Lite, Fire TV Cube and more
With streaming devices more accessible and affordable than ever, tons of people are Cut the rope on cable. And with one of Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks, you can access thousands of hours of content at the touch of a button. It is true that most new televisions come with clever Built-in features so you can access streaming apps right out of the box, but many smart TV features don’t always keep up with app updates and tend to have lower streaming quality, so we recommend always invest in a dedicated streaming device. Roku makes some of our favorites at the moment, but the company faces stiff competition from Amazon, as well as Google and Apple.
Amazon in particular has aggressively pushed into the streaming market by producing a line of Fire TV-branded streaming devices. We’ve reviewed them all and found that we tend to prefer Roku products for their ease of use and platform-agnostic approach – Roku’s menus don’t favor one service (like, say, Prime Video ) compared to others. That said, Amazon’s Fire TV devices are also great performers, especially if you want them to be. Alexa voice integration.
Amazon’s lineup is robust and runs the gamut from the basic Fire TV Stick Lite to the mid-range Fire TV Stick 4K Max to the high-end Fire TV Cube, plus a bunch of models in between. If this sounds confusing, don’t worry. Our guide to the best Fire TV streaming device will help you choose the model that’s right for you.
Read more: Best 4K TV for 2022
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If you’re looking for the best Fire Stick on the market, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is for you. The Max is quick and loads apps almost immediately, and navigating the system is quick and smooth. Best of all, the Max supports Wi-Fi 6 and almost all the latest playback standards, including Dolby Vision. The downside of the Max is its Fire TV platform with ads prominently featured throughout. We just don’t like the TV becoming a giant rotating billboard for content or advertisements in screensaver mode. But it is a good choice for those who are looking for the best and fastest Amazon Fire TV Stick.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review.
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The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K debuted in 2018 and is still around today. While we generally think it’s worth upgrading to the Max, the original Fire TV Stick 4K is still a good choice for those who want 4K streaming without paying for the latest bells and whistles, namely Wi-Fi. Fi 6 and super-fast speed. Voice functions are impressive, and Echo and Dot owners can control it with Alexa. Its selection of apps and games is superb and responses are still quick, just not as fast as on the Max. The remote can control volume and power for TVs and soundbars. In the end, if the price of the Fire TV Stick 4K is close to the Max, we recommend that you pass it on and get the newer and faster Max.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K review.
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The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is our favorite budget streaming device, surpassing the Roku Express. The Lite trumps the Express in features for the price. The biggest perk of this Fire TV is a remote with built-in voice search and Alexa-powered control. The cheapest Roku with a voice remote is the Express Plus 4K, which uses Roku’s more basic voice system, not Alexa. The Fire Stick remote also doesn’t need line of sight to work. If you want to spend as little as possible on a streaming player, the Lite is your best bet.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite review.
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We haven’t reviewed the latest 2022 iteration of the Fire TV Cube, but it adds a handful of bells and whistles, including 4K upscaling and a faster processor, to keep it as a recommended living room addition. for Alexa-centric households. The Cube is essentially a mix of the Fire TV Stick and an Alexa speaker, letting you use your voice to search for shows and adjust your TV’s volume and inputs, dim the lights, make Zoom calls ( audio only, unless you add a webcam), stream music and check the weather, all hands-free, without using the remote. It also has an octa-core processor and 2GB of memory for super-fast 4K streaming, plus audio support for Dolby Atmos.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Cube review.
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While the Lite is better value for money, the Amazon Fire TV Stick is another good choice for those who still use regular HDTVs. The main difference between the Fire TV Stick and the cheaper Fire TV Stick Lite is the remote. The Fire Stick’s remote has buttons for volume, mute, and power, allowing you to control these functions on your TV. The Lite lacks these capabilities and is therefore slightly cheaper. If you have a 1080p TV and don’t mind paying a little extra for a remote that can control your TV’s volume, the Fire TV Stick is a good choice for you.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick review.
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How We Test Fire TV Devices
Every Fire TV Stick we review receives hours of hands-on testing. Typically, this involves installing the device on multiple TVs, evaluating the setup process, adding popular streaming channels, and using the product as if it were our own. We use all the major features available and note how they stack up against other Fire TV models in the company’s lineup. To do this, we connect multiple Fire TV streaming devices to the same TV so we can switch easily to compare experiences.
The metrics we use to evaluate a device include hardware design, distinguishing features that differentiate models, remote capabilities and design, overall usability, effective layouts and design, search capabilities , privacy settings, number of apps and their performance and overall speed. and system reliability.
Fire TV FAQs
What is the difference between a Fire TV device and a Fire TV?
A Fire TV device, like the ones on this list, is a small stick- or square-shaped piece of hardware that plugs into an HDMI port on the back of your TV. This allows your TV to access Amazon Fire TV software and content, no matter what brand of TV you have.
Amazon also makes Fire TVs, which are TVs that come with Fire TV software preinstalled. This means that your TV will automatically have access to the Fire TV interface without the need for an additional streaming device.
What are the streaming apps on Fire TV?
Fire TV has a long list of streaming apps, including Netflix, Disney Plus, Apple TV, Hulu, HBO Max, Paramount Plus, Peacock TV, Tubi, Pluto TV, Showtime, Discovery Plus, and others. Spectrum cable users, however, do not have access to the Spectrum app on Fire TV.
Do I need an Amazon Prime subscription to use Fire TV?
No, but you will need a free Amazon account to set up the device. Although you don’t need to pay for a Prime membership to use Amazon Fire TV, it’s useful and recommended. Membership includes select Prime Video content, including access to shows such as The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, The Expanse and Wheel of Time. These shows and other Amazon-branded content are heavily advertised in the Fire TV system, and a Prime membership makes it easier to experience everything Amazon has to offer.
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