Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen, 2023)
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) packs an upgraded processor, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity, and 2GB of RAM to deliver a solid streaming experience. It also costs under $50.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen, 2023)
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max has the best of Amazon’s streamer technology. It comes with Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of storage, and a more powerful chip.
Amazon’s popular streaming device portfoliohas two new entrants: the Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023). And as you can expect, they pack several upgrades to make them faster and ready for the modern streaming and smart home landscape.
But as both can deliver 4K streaming and pack all the essentials, includingAlexasupport, what makes the one better than the other? Let’s find out.
Price, availability, and specifications
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2023) - the 2nd generation model - costs $49, in line with its predecessor. The Max model is $10 costlier, with a price tag of $59.
Sales for both are already open, and you can order them from Amazon and Best Buy. And if the past is any indication, we expect decent discounts on both streamers duringBlack Friday,Prime Day, andCyber Mondaysales.
Coming to the raw specifications, the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max share several similarities but differ in some key aspects.
Hardware, remote, and video output
The Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd gen) and the Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd gen) are identical in terms of the streamer hardware. Both sport the same updated design with rounded corners. You won’t be able to tell a difference by just looking and feeling the two.
The same goes for their video output support. The two media streamers can output in 720p, 1080p, and 4K at up to 60fps, depending on the display they are connected to. So, no matter which Fire TV 4K stick you buy, you may enjoy up to 4K content from Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and other streaming services without any problem. Both also support the same popular HDR formats: HDR10, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and HLG.
The one difference between the regular and Max versions is in the included remote. While the standard 4K Fire TV Stick gets the Alexa Voice Remote, the Max version comes with Alexa Voice Remove Enhanced. While both remotes are essentially the same, the Enhanced version has channel buttons to change Live TV channels.
Processor, performance, and connectivity
Most of what’s different between the regular and Max versions comes down to the chips powering them. While the Max model comes with the Mediatek MT8696T quad-core CPU clocked at 2GHz and an 850MHz GPU, the regular version is limited to the Mediatek MT8696D quad-core CPU clocked at 1.7GHz and a 650MHz GPU. The faster chip combined with 2GB of RAM in the Fire TV Stick 4K Max will result in snappier performance, lower app load times, and quicker app switching. This doesn’t mean the regular 4K model will be slow or laggy. You will just get a better performance from the Max model.
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2023) has another trick up its sleeve in the form ofWi-Fi 6Econnectivity. If you have a Wi-Fi 6E router, this should help you get better network performance without worrying about clogging up your Wi-Fi for other people in the household while you binge your favorite show.
You also get 16GB of storage on the Fire TV Stick 4K Max compared to just 8GB of the Fire TV Stick 4K. More storage will help you install more apps and keep media files locally.
Part of the Fire TV Stick lineup, the Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max run the same Fire OS 8 software. It’s based on Android 11 and comes with the company’s App Store for app needs. You don’t get access to Google services or apps. But the Amazon App Store selection is pretty decent, and you’ll get all popular streaming platforms and more.
While the software on both sticks is practically the same, the costlier Max version gets the Fire TV Ambient Experience, which was earlier limited to Amazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED models. Ambient Experience turns your TV into an Alexa-powered smart display. It allows you to display curated art collections or personal photos as background, display time and weather, or listen to audio in the background when you are not using the TV. You can also use widgets to set up your own smart display-like view. Plus, Ambient Experience is smart enough to realize when no one is in the room, or it’s dark using sensors to switch to a standby mode.
Which is right for you?
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and the Stick 4K Max are undoubtedly capable media streamers. Most people will be satisfied with either. But if you can shell out for the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, it’s certainly a better streaming device thanks to its powerful chip, Wi-Fi 6E support, and more storage space.
Considering the list price of the two streaming devices, at just a $10 premium, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max makes more sense. It’s also more future-proof than the regular 4K model.
It’s hard to go wrong with Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It has everything you want in a top-notch media streamer.
But if you don’t have a Wi-Fi 6E router or don’t plan to get one in the near future, the Max model becomes less enticing. Sure, it’s more powerful, but the Fire TV Stick 4K is also fast and 30% more powerful than its predecessor, as per Amazon. You may have to deal with a couple more seconds of app load times. But otherwise, it will serve you well. Moreover, if you are buying multiple streamers, there is no reason to get the Max model for guest rooms or rooms that will see little usage.
The Fire TV Stick 4K may lack a few of Max’s features. But it’s no slacker. It’s an excellent streaming device with 4K support.
