Amazon has lowered the barrier of entry to its 4K TV streaming devices, announcing the Fire TV Stick 4K Select overnight.
At $89, it’s $10 cheaper than the existing Fire TV Stick 4K. However, that older model originally launched for $79 in 2023, so it’s not the cheapest 4K streaming device previously sold by Amazon. So, Amazon’s “most affordable” claims only account for the current cost of its Fire TV lineup.
Still, it’s a relatively affordable way to add smart functionality to any TV via an HDMI port. Amazon’s Fire TV ecosystem supports most major Australian streaming apps, including on-demand free-to-air services, and the likes of Netflix and Kayo Sports. For those with pre-smart TVs or who don’t like their TV’s included operating system, it’s an easy plug-and-play device.
Interestingly, the Fire TV Stick 4K Select makes a couple of concessions to save a few bucks. It only has 1GB of memory, compared to the 2GB used by the standard 4K streaming stick. Another cutback is its use of Wi-Fi 5 technology, instead of the Wi-Fi 6 or Wi-Fi 6E found in its peers.
Oddly, there’s also no mention of Dolby Atmos or Dolby Vision support. Both HDR formats are supported by Amazon’s slightly more expensive 4K streaming stick. It’s a strange look, especially when the Select’s product listing shows the higher-spec model at a cheaper price as part of a Prime member sale.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Select doesn’t support Xbox cloud streaming at launch, either. Other 4K Fire TV Sticks got the feature last year, so I’m not sure why this model has to wait for a future update.
Pre-orders for the device are open now, with an official launch date of 15 October.
