I tried Amazon’s new Fire TV Stick 4K – it features three massive upgrades and my telly has never been faster

WAS a new Fire TV Stick missing from under the Christmas tree this year?

If so, dive head first into those Boxing Day sales because I can confirm that a replacement may well be overdue.

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I have long been wrestling with my sluggish 2nd-Gen Fire TV Stick, released in 2016, which makes it painful to flit from one streaming app to the next.

When browsing on a Fire Stick is nightmarish-ly slow, it sort of renders the whole device a bit useless.

It’s fine when you finally land on a desired film or TV show – but the effort it takes to get there is marathon-level.

The new Amazon Fire TV Stick 4k, then second-generation of the 4K stick released in October 2023, looks pretty similar to my seven-year-old gadget.

Except it’s way faster, and provides streaming in a much higher resolution.

Both have Bluetooth headphone support, Alexa voice control, HDMI output, and micro USB for power.

But the biggest advantage that the Fire TV Stick 4k over the 2nd-Gen model is that it supports 4k 2160p video and playback up to 60 frames-per-second (fps).

This means films and shows are finally compatible with my HDR-supported telly – and can be watched in a much higher resolution than before.

My non-4k 2nd-Gen model only supported up to 1080p/60fps.

Now jumping from one app to the next is not the assault course it used to be.

The difference between this year’s Fire TV Stick 4k and the first-generation that was released in 2020 may not be as great as the seven-year gap I have between my gadgets.

But it’s important to note that the 2023 Fire TV Stick 4k boasts an updated 1.7 GHZ quad-core processor, making it nearly 30 per cent more powerful than the previous generation.

Aesthetics

Visually, the 2023 release of the Fire TV Stick 4k is sleek, and paired with fool-proof buttons.

I personally prefer the matte finish over the sheen of the 2nd-Gen non-4k stick, too.

But my favourite part is the easy access Netflix, Prime Video and app library buttons – which are not only my first experience with direct-to-go buttons but are an absolute gamechanger in my browsing world.

You can jump from A to B without spamming the back button to access to your app library or switch services.

Activating the in-built 3rd-Gen Alexa is now done via the round blue button at the top of the remote, which is very responsive.

It can take you to any TV show, movie or app – even when you’re mumbling.

Set up process

Pairing the devices was – I don’t like to admit – more difficult than I had first hoped.

This was, as I discovered, due to my older, 2nd-Gen non-4k remote being involved.

The instructions leaflet found inside the box makes the set up appear incredibly easy – and it is for the most part.

But my rival 2nd-Gen Fire Stick threw a real spanner in the works, so the setup wasn’t entirely pain free.

My old Fire TV remote remained paired to the new Fire TV Stick, while the new remote wouldn’t recognise my telly as its own – like some unwanted lodger.

At the time – and looking back now – it would have been helpful if the leaflet, or QR code instructions, included a section on what to do with your obtuse old remote.

But soon enough the issue was resolved, thanks to trusty Google.

The set up process will be easy if you’re aware of the hiccups your other remote can bring – if you have one you’re replacing, that is.

One thing I would say though, is that I wish Amazon would adopt a similar set up process to Apple’s iPhones.

This way I could have avoided the gruelling process of logging into each of my services again.

This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk