Quick Summary
Amazon has launched a new entry-level Fire TV Stick – the Fire TV Stick HD.
It's currently US only at $34.99, but expect a price below £40 when it launches in the UK too.
Amazon has launched a new version of its Fire TV Stick for HD TV viewers. It's currently US-only but it'll be coming to the UK and Australia too.
If you want the ultimate Amazon Fire TV Stick, this isn't the one for you: we reckon that the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the best of its breed, and the Fire TV Stick 4K comes a close second. But the new HD version is a cheap and cheerful way to bring Amazon's streaming smarts to HD TVs.
What's new in the Fire TV Stick HD?
Like the brand's other streaming devices, it's business as usual when it comes to the design. There isn't even USB-C, just the familiar micro-USB power connector and external power supply.
It looks like any other Fire TV Stick and connects in the same way by plugging into an HDMI port, but you do get an AA battery-powered Alexa Remote included this time. That means you get voice control too.
Specs-wise you're looking at a maximum resolution of 1080p HD, and it works with HDR, HDR 10 and HDR 10+ but not Dolby Vision. You don't get Dolby Atmos either. However, the Stick does support Amazon's Luna gaming service.
Spec-wise there's Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth LE and Bluetooth 5.0, a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 8GB of storage.
Amazon's platform is well established now and includes not just Amazon's own Prime Video and Freevee, but also apps for all the other key streaming services, including Disney+, Paramount Plus and, new to the service, Apple TV+. Those apps require separate subscriptions but they integrate well with Amazon's interface.
The UK price hasn't been announced just yet, but in the US it's a direct replacement for the entry-level Fire TV Stick at $34.99. The UK and Australian prices for that outgoing model were £39.99 and AU$69 respectively, so we'd expect the same or very similar pricing when the new HD model also launches in those markets.
