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Amazon’s New Fire TV Stick 4K Launches With Faster Performance & Redesigned Remote – Channelnews

Amazon says the stick starts content nearly 20% faster than a comparable 4K model and adds a more tactile remote with a customizable button.

  • On Wednesday, Amazon launched the Fire TV Stick 4K for $60, introducing a faster, slimmer streaming device that replaces older 4K models in its simplified hardware lineup.
  • Amazon consolidated its streaming hardware into four main devices—Fire TV Stick HD, the new 4K model, 4K Max, and Fire TV Cube—retiring the previous 'Select' and 'Plus' 4K branding to simplify buyer choice.
  • The redesigned Fire TV Remote features a programmable star button and metallic home key for tactile identification, while the stick includes 8 GB of storage, a 1.7 GHz processor, and Wi-Fi 6 support.
  • Software updates bring a dedicated Alexa+ hub to the Fire TV interface, enabling smarter content reasoning and mobile app integration for managing watchlists and discovering shows on phones.
  • A premium Fire TV Remote Plus arrives in early 2027 with backlit buttons and a 'Find My Remote' feature, while the current stick drops to $30 during next week's Amazon Prime Big Deal Days.
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Amazon’s New Fire TV Stick 4K Launches With Faster Performance & Redesigned Remote – channelnews

Amazon has unveiled a new Fire TV Stick 4K with a slimmer streaming device and a redesigned remote, putting emphasis on tactile controls and easy navigation. The new model is designed to make Amazon’s 4K streaming hardware faster and simpler to set up. The company says it can access and begin streaming content around 20% to 40% faster than comparable 4K streaming devices and TVs. The new Fire TV Stick 4K adopts the slimmer design introduced with Amazon’s Fire TV Stick HD earlier this year. One practical change is that it can draw power directly from a compatible television’s USB port, so there is no need for a separate power adapter in supported setups. The device includes Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and Bluetooth Low Energy connectivity, along with 8GB of internal storage and a quad-core 1.7GHz processor.  The streamer supports 4K output at up to 60 frames per second, alongside HDR10, HDR10+, HLG and a range of video codecs including AV1. Amazon is also using its newer Vega OS platform on the device, continuing its transition away from the Android-based software used by earlier Fire TV products.  The redesigned remote will probably be the more noticeable change for those already using Fire TV. The remote’s new asymmetrical shape is intended to make it more comfortable to hold and several buttons have been redesigned to make them easier to identify by touch when a room is dark.  The familiar blue Alexa button has been replaced by a smaller microphone button, while the Home button has a distinctive metallic finish. The power button is recessed, and the directional pad has been flattened and given a more tactile centre click. Amazon has also added a customisable Star button, which was previously used with its higher-end Alexa Voice Remote Pro. Users can configure the star for actions like to launch an app or a frequently used feature such as closed captions.  The new Fire TV Stick 4K is priced at US$59.99 in the US, with Amazon offering it initially for US$29.99 as part of promotional pricing. It’s also launching in October across other markets including Australia, however pricing is not currently available. For reference, the Australian site currently lists the 2026 Fire TV Stick HD at A$79.

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cnet broke the news in San Francisco, United States on Wednesday, September 30, 2026.
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