Amazon: New Fire TV Stick HD is slimmer and faster

Amazon is launching a new version of the Fire TV Stick HD. The new product generation is said to be more compact than previous streaming sticks from the online retailer. Amazon also promises improvements in operating speed: on average, the new streaming stick is said to react 30 percent faster to inputs than previous models.

The new Fire TV Stick HD is connected to televisions via HDMI and USB-C cable and receives power from the TV. If the TV does not have a USB port that supplies around 5 watts, users will have to get an external USB power adapter. According to Amazon, the slimmer design is practical for storing the stick space-savingly in the HDMI socket without getting in the way of cables and other plugs. As usual, the Fire TV Stick is sold including a remote control. The price remains at 45 Euros.

Otherwise, the specifications apparently remain unchanged: the maximum resolution of the Fire TV Stick HD is still 1080p, which means the streaming stick does not optimally utilize most modern televisions. At least it supports HDR. Amazon has not yet announced exactly when the new generation of the Fire TV Stick will be launched.

New Fire TV interface on the way

However, Amazon plans to release the new Fire TV Stick interface, promised for a long time, in the course of the month. It comes with a modernized design and is said to be a bit faster to navigate. Content will be sorted by genre in the new interface; for example, movies, series, and sports broadcasts will be bundled from various subscribed services. During the Soccer World Cup in the summer, Amazon wants to offer a soccer hub that leads directly to the broadcast from the provider – in Germany, these are the public broadcasters and MagentaTV.

Amazon already revised the Fire TV app for mobile devices a few weeks ago; a new feature is the ability to search for content on your smartphone and manage your watchlist. You can also now play content directly on your TV via the app.

(dahe)