Amazon has expanded its Fire TV Stick range of streaming media players by introducing an all-new model called the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. As its name suggests, the new Fire TV Stick version comes as an upgrade to the existing Fire TV Stick 4K. Amazon claims the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is its best streaming stick yet, with faster experience and next-generation Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is also the first in the Fire TV Stick family to support Dolby Vision format.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max price in India, availability
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max price in India has been set at Rs. 6,499. It is currently available for pre-orders through Amazon.in as well as Amazon kiosks in select malls around the country, with shipments beginning from October 7.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is also available for pre-orders in the US with a price tag of $59.99 (roughly Rs. 4,400).
Alongside the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, Amazon is selling the regular Fire TV Stick 4K in India at Rs. 5,999 and the Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen) at Rs. 3,999. The Fire TV Stick lineup also includes the cheaper Fire TV Stick Lite at Rs. 2,999.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max specifications, features
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is claimed to be 40 percent more powerful than the Fire TV Stick 4K, thanks to its quad-core MediaTek MT8696 SoC that is clocked at 1.8GHz and is paired with 2GB of RAM and an IMG GE8300 GPU at 750MHz. The Fire TV Stick 4K, on the other hand, has a quad-core processor at 1.7GHz, along with 1.5GB of RAM and an IMG GE8300 GPU at 650MHz. Amazon provides 8GB of onboard storage on both Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K.
Alongside the faster processing units, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max carries MediaTek MT7921LS chipset to enable Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. This is unlike the existing Fire TV Stick 4K that comes with Wi-Fi 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5).
The Wi-Fi 6 support is aimed at helping deliver a smoother experience without any lag in streaming. You, however, will need a compatible router to access the built-in Wi-Fi 6 support.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max does have backward compatibility and supports Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac networks. It also has Bluetooth v5.0 along with support for pairing with compatible devices such as Bluetooth speakers, headphones, and video game controllers.
In addition to Wi-Fi 6, the other major difference between the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K is support for Dolby Vision on the former. Of course, you need content in Dolby Vision format to experience the change.
There is also support for other formats including HDR10 and HDR10+. Further, the new Fire TV Stick has support for Dolby Atmos for an immersive sound experience on compatible TV units and for select content.
Amazon has also bundled a 3rd-generation Alexa Voice Remote – the one that was launched in March — with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The same is also available with the regular Fire TV Stick. It includes dedicated buttons for quickly accessing Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Music, and Netflix. The remote also has a button to access all your installed apps.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max includes support for a Live View feature that allows users to run a picture-in-picture feed of their video doorbells and security cameras while playing other content on their TV. The feature works with select smart home and security equipment and is also available on the Fire TV Cube.
That said, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max looks identical to the Fire TV Stick 4K and has the same dimensions of 99x30x14mm. It weighs 48.4 grams — slightly lighter than the Fire TV Stick 4K that is 53.6 grams in weight.
“Fire TV has millions of active users in India, who enjoy hours of content every day. With Fire TV Stick 4K Max, we have taken the best-selling streaming media player and made it even better with a faster experience and the latest connectivity that provides seamless streaming without slowing down your home Wi-Fi,” said Parag Gupta, Head, Amazon Devices India, in a prepared statement.