Content loaded quickly from all apps once I opened them.
Jumping between apps and the home screen are the main points of sluggishness on the Fire TV Stick Lite, as most other functions are quick and responsive. This can be because of the new Fire TV interface, because the previous Fire TV Stick never felt jerky running the old one. Navigating the home screen and opening apps can feel sluggish it took nearly ten seconds in testing to open Netflix, and I often waited just as long to return to the main menu from nearly any app after pressing the Home button on the remote. While Amazon says the Fire TV Stick Lite is more powerful than 2019's Fire TV Stick, that doesn’t come through in its performance. You can even directly bring up video feeds from compatible home security and doorbell cameras, including Blink and Ring models. If you want to browse the different services yourself, you can just ask Alexa to open them.Īlexa can control compatible smart home devices from a massive list that includes all major brands of light bulbs, locks, thermostats, and many more.
You can also ask for music from Amazon Music, radio from iHeartRadio, and audiobooks from Audible. The relevant information will show up on your TV, as well as spoken through Alexa’s voice.įor content searching, you can ask Alexa to look for TV shows and movies across most major streaming services (not just Amazon’s).
For instance, you can ask Alexa for general information like weather reports and sports scores, and check your schedule and email. Alexa continues to be very useful, with a number of helpful functions. You can use the Alexa voice assistant by pressing and holding the microphone button on the remote, and talking into it. You won’t find the convenience of Apple AirPlay or Google Cast here like you will on Roku (AirPlay) and Chromecast (Google Cast) devices. Screen mirroring is also available on the Fire TV, but only through Miracast or WiDi. The Fire TV ecosystem is huge, with thousands of smaller and more targeted apps as well you’ll probably be able to find something that appeals to you, whatever your hobby is or where you live. There are still plenty of third-party services on top of all of the Amazon content you can access, including most of the big streaming platforms like Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Twitch, and YouTube. A short HDMI extender dongle is included if space on the back of your TV is too tight to plug the stick directly into an HDMI port. A micro USB port sits on the side, for use with the included USB cable and wall adapter (or Amazon’s optional $15 Ethernet adapter if you want to use a wired network connection instead of Wi-Fi). It’s a simple black plastic rectangle with an HDMI plug on one end, measuring 3.4 inches long and 1.2 inches wide. The Same Black StickĪmazon has left the physical design of the Fire TV Stick unchanged for years, and the Fire TV Stick Lite shares in that homogenous styling. It's an easy, affordable way to add streaming media and Alexa voice control to older TVs, though if you plan to use it often, you might want to spend the extra $10 to step up to the model that can also control your TV. It looks and works just like the standard Fire TV Stick, but its remote lacks any TV controls.
If you want to pay even less, Amazon also offers the 1080p Fire TV Stick Lite for $29.99. The $39.99 Amazon Fire TV Stick is one of the best 1080p media streamers you can buy, at $10 less than some of our favorite 4K models from Amazon and Google.
How to Set Up Two-Factor AuthenticationĮditors' Note: This is the most recent version of the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite.