Why it matters: Amazon has introduced an upgraded version of its popular Fire TV Stick 4K with faster wireless connectivity and better overall performance. According to Amazon, it’s the most affordable streaming media device that supports Wi-Fi 6 by a long shot.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max features a new quad-core 1.8GHz processor alongside 2GB of RAM. According to Amazon, this hardware combo is 40 percent more powerful than the guts that shipped in the original Fire TV Stick 4K, meaning apps will load faster and navigation should be even more fluid.
Amazon’s new streamer supports 4K UHD, HDR and HDR10+ as well as Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, and ships with the latest Alexa Voice Remote. With Alexa Home Theater, users can also wirelessly connect to Echo smart speakers or an Echo Studio for an immersive audio experience.
Related reading: Amazon announces its first branded TV sets, the Omni Series and the 4-Series
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is also Amazon’s first media player to support Wi-Fi 6, which is enabled via the MediaTek MT7921LS Wi-Fi 6 chipset. You’ll of course need a Wi-Fi 6-compatible router to take advantage of the speedier connection, but with everything in place, it should result in smoother 4K streaming and gaming with Amazon Luna.
And if energy conservation is a selling point for you, you’ll be happy to know that this is Amazon’s first streamer to launch with an Energy Star certification.
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is available to pre-order priced at $54.99. Look for it to launch on October 7.