Amazon Gives Fire TV Sticks a Small Boost, Teases AI-Enhanced Voice Search
Looking to upgrade your TV setup for Thursday Night Football or your next binge watch? At its fall event today, Amazon refreshed its Fire TV lineup with more powerful media streamers and a generative AI update that should make for a more conversational back-and-forth with Alexa.
The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max offers some small upgrades, like bumping the quad-core processor from 1.8 GHz to 2.0GHz, and its networking support from Wi-Fi 6 to Wi-Fi 6E. It also doubles storage to 16GB. Like its predecessor, there's still support for Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio. Pre-order it now for $59.99; it ships on Sept. 27.
Amazon also brings the Fire TV Ambient Experience from the Fire TV Omni QLED Series to its 4K Max dongle. It turns your TV into a smart display with information like calendars and reminders, at-a-glance views of smart home devices, and access to music-streaming services.
Similar to Samsung's The Frame TV (for a lot less cash), the Ambient Experience also provides access to more than 2,000 pieces of artwork. But this wouldn't be a tech event in 2023 without incorporating AI, and Amazon teased a feature rolling out by year's end that will let people ask Amazon to create art for them. (“Alexa, create an image of cherry blossoms in the snow.")
The new Fire TV Stick gets a Wi-Fi 6 upgrade. It still has a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, but Amazon says it should be 30% more powerful than the older model. There's Dolby Atmos audio with support for Dolby Vision, HDR, HLG, and HDR10+, as well as support for wireless connections to compatible Echo devices. It's available for preorder now for $49.99 and ships on Sept. 27.
The promise of voice assistants has always been a conversational flow that feels like you're
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