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- As good as the Fire TV range is, the interface had become a little cluttered and more than a bit confusing to use. Fortunately, Amazon is on the case with its brand-new interface, which first appeared on the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, and was added to the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2nd-gen) in July 2021.
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Feb 9, 2021 · The new Fire TV interface is coming to the Fire Stick Lite and normal Fire Stick first, and the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Cube are still waiting.
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Nov 6, 2023 · Interface is sometimes sluggish. Editors' Note: This is the most recent version of the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite. Read our original review from October 6, 2020 below. The $39.99 Amazon...
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Jan 25, 2023 · Fortunately, Amazon is on the case with its brand-new interface, which first appeared on the new Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite, and was added to the Fire TV Stick with Alexa Voice Remote (2nd-gen) in July 2021.
- The cheapest Fire TV Stick yet
- One minute review
- Cut to the chase
- Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite pricing
- Fire TV Stick Lite design
- Fire TV Stick Lite UI
- Features and performance
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Reviews
By Henry St Leger
last updated 3 December 2021
(Image: © TechRadar)
The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite is a new entry into Amazon's Fire TV range of streamers, and it's the cheapest model that Amazon has put out yet; for that alone, this is a budget streaming stick that should be on your radar.
Retailing for just $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99, it's a good amount cheaper than the new Fire TV Stick (2020) or its premium Fire TV Stick 4K cousin. While you won't be getting all the bells and whistles of more expensive models, you're still getting the same Fire TV interface and Alexa voice assistant, as well as full HD streaming and even HDR support.
•Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite (2020) (Black) at Amazon for $21.99
Amazon has historically often been undercut on streaming sticks, with the likes of the Roku Express proving a cheaper, lower-spec alternative to the Fire TV range – but this latest model is sure to make the budget streamer space even more competitive.
There are changes afoot for the Fire TV UI, but our time with the Fire TV Stick Lite so far reassures us that this a smart choice for a budget HD streamer.
That's not to say there aren't issues, and the lack of volume controls is something of an irritation, but corners had to be cut somewhere. Less forgivable is the at-times domineering presence of Amazon-owned or Amazon-affiliated content, including ads for Audible subscriptions on every menu pane – but if you're a Prime subscriber this should suit you just fine.
•What is it? An affordable HD streaming stick in the Amazon Fire TV range
•When can I get it? It's out now
The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite has now launched. You can buy it for $29.99 or £29.99 in the US and UK respectively, or for AU$59.99 in Australia (marking the first time a Fire TV model has landed in the territory).
That price point puts it well below the $39.99 / £39.99 Fire TV Stick (2020) and $49.99 / £49.99 Fire TV Stick 4K. It matches up with the $29.99 Roku Express, making it pretty clear that Amazon is looking to stop Roku from beating it on price.
When you open the box, you'll find a neatly packaged assortment of accessories. There's the Fire TV Stick Lite streamer itself, as well as a short (but pliable) extension cable, which is useful for helping the stick fit in narrow spaces behind a television.
You'll also get two Amazon Basics AAA batteries for the Alexa voice remote, and a charger to plug the streamer into (via micro USB).
The streaming stick itself is pretty nondescript: a short black slab, the size of a small candy bar, which plugs into a TV via HDMI 2.0, and measures 86 x 30 x 13mm.
It's essentially the same design as the Fire TV Stick 2020 or Fire TV Stick 4K, so if you're juggling a couple – as we were during our review – it may be hard to tell the difference. There is a subtle Amazon logo, but it's not obtrusive, and the sleek black design and curved remote give it all a premium feel, despite the low price.
The main difference here is not in the streamer, though, so much as the remote.
Every Fire TV device ships with some version of the Alexa voice remote, and the Fire TV Stick Lite carries a simplified version without TV or volume controls. That means if you want to make the TV louder or quieter, or turn any connected AV equipment on and off, you won't be able to do it with this remote.
Setup is relatively painless, though we found the Lite restarted a couple of times. You will have to sign in with an Amazon account, or create one, before being prompted to pick apps for the home screen.
Netflix is on your home screen automatically, which is a good gesture as Amazon Prime Video's biggest rival streaming service. However, much of the Fire TV interface is clogged up with Amazon Prime Video content that can get a bit distracting if you're not a Prime member.
There are various content rows to navigate horizontally, such as your Recent apps, Your Apps & Channels, and Prime Originals & Exclusives.
Prime content doesn't always have 'prime' placement as such, and you can order apps as you wish – unlike the Netflix app on Hisense's Vidaa U TVs, which is stuck in first place. However, the majority of the content is Prime or Prime-adjacent, and we often found we'd select a content title that turned out to require a subscription to an Amazon TV channel.
Amazon is big on 'dark patterns' such as this, which try to get you interested in a title before telling you how to pay for it, and no on-screen prompt to 'cancel' once you've selected a movie or show; we found we had to use the back button on the voice remote, which took some guesswork and isn't very user-friendly.
You also can't sign in to the Prime Video app unless the Amazon account registered to the device has access. This problem should get fixed when Amazon launches user profiles later in 2020, but for now it's an annoying pain point – especially if (like me) you and your cohabitants share various streaming subscriptions.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite supports Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080), though if you're watching on a 4K TV it should be upscaled to 4K resolution by the set's processor.
There are streaming sticks with native 4K support – like the Fire TV Stick 4K – which should make for a better picture on a 4K TV, though. It's worth noting that the Fire TV Stick 2020 also supports Dolby Atmos passthrough, whereas the Lite makes do with regular Dolby Digital audio, so there are a couple of key features that the Lite misses out on.
The Fire TV Stick Lite also adds in HDR (high dynamic range) support, increasing color and contrast with a larger range of possible tones to utilize. Most 4K video these days is filmed in HDR10 – the basic HDR format – making it a smart choice to upgrade to the Lite if you're currently making do with an SDR streamer.
You'll also get the dynamic HDR10+ format favored by Amazon Prime Video, which uses metadata to calibrate your picture settings on a shot-by-shot basis – and the HLG (hybrid log gamma) broadcast format, so most of your HDR bases are covered.
HDR is a surprise addition at this price point, especially since 4K isn't supported – but it does make the Fire TV Stick Lite a meaningful upgrade over the Fire TV Stick (2019).
60fps playback is welcome, while the Quad-core 1.7 GHz processor is a step up from the 1.3 GHz processor used in the 2nd-generation Fire TV Stick.
You want the cheapest Fire TV streamer out there
At just $29.99 / £29.99 / AU$59.99, it's a decent deal, even if the Roku Express undercuts it in some territories.
You want hands-free voice commands
Using Alexa is pretty nifty, even if the voice assistant can't handle everything you throw at it. For simple commands, though, it's a neat way to jump around the OS.
You're an Amazon Prime subscriber
Amazon is pretty intent on showcasing Amazon Prime movies and the like on its Fire TV platform – as well as associated Prime channels – and so you'll see more content relevant to you if you've bought into the Amazon ecosystem already.
You want volume controls
The main issue with the Fire TV Stick Lite is its lack of TV or volume controls. For the sake of convenience, it might be easier to get the Fire TV Stick 2020 or Fire TV Stick 4K.
You want 4K HDR playback
You are having to sacrifice 4K resolution at this price point, so a 4K streamer may be better for viewing high-quality sources.
You're not an Amazon Prime subscriber
Amazon quite overtly tries to sell its own content to you where it can, and if you're not in the ecosystem it can get a bit annoying.
Aug 2, 2021 · Full Alexa support with Alexa Voice remote. All the major streaming services supported. Redesigned Fire TV interface. This stick has full access to all of the Fire TV apps as well as Alexa's...
Dec 9, 2020 · The new Fire TV UI will roll out to the Fire TV Stick (third-gen) and Fire TV Stick Lite over the coming weeks, with an eventual roll out to other Fire TV devices early next year.
Feb 25, 2022 · Amazon Fire TV users should get ready to see a new interface when they turn on their media streamer, with Amazon pushing out its all-new Fire TV experience this week. The roll-out...
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related to: Does Fire TV Stick Lite have a new interface?Search and launch content with your voice using the Alexa Voice Remote. Struggle-free, tinker-free, and stress-free. No patience needed—it's actually simple.
