Amazon Unveils Enhanced Fire TV Sticks And A Free Generative AI Upgrade For Fire TV
Amazon has announced two new Fire TV Sticks that it says are the most powerful yet. Along with the two new Fire Sticks, the company also announced new generative AI updates for Fire TV, and an all-new Fire TV Soundbar.
The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max brings along with it the Fire TV Ambient Experience, more speed, support for Wi-Fi 6E, and two times the storage of its predecessor. The new Max Fire Stick also takes advantage of an upgraded 2.0GHz quad-core processor, making it what Amazon calls its “smartest and most powerful streaming stick yet.
The Fire TV Ambient Experience was previously only available on the Fire TV Omni QLED Series. Users can take advantage of this new experience via the Shortcuts menu and replace blank TV screens with helpful information, or artwork. Users will be able to check their Calendar, Reminders, leave sticky notes, or control smart devices such as a thermostat or Ring doorbell.
Not to be left out of the AI craze, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max can also create artwork using just a person’s voice with AI Art. An example might comprise generating a personalized background by giving Alexa an imagination-driven prompt, such as, “Alexa, create an image of cherry blossoms in the snow.” This free feature will begin rolling out to customers in the US by the end of this year.
The all-new Fire TV Stick 4K introduces support for Wi-Fi 6 and features an updated 1.7GHz quad-core processor. Amazon says this makes the new Stick nearly 30% more powerful than the previous generation.
Other AI-enabled features coming to the Fire TV experience include being able to ask Alexa nuanced or open-ended questions about TV shows and movies. Continue Watching is also rolling out later this year, and will include content from leading streaming providers.
Also announced was the Fire TV Soundbar. This audio device brings room-filling sound with support for DTS Virtual-X and Dolby Audio. It is fairly compact in size, coming in at 24-inches, and Amazon says it is easy to set up. Users can also connect the Soundbar to a smartphone, tablet, or any other device via Bluetooth.
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is available on Amazon for $59.99, while the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is only $34.99.
