Amazon has cut its latest Fire TV Stick 4K to $24.99 from $59.99, its lowest price ever according to price trackers. That is $35 off, or nearly 60%.
The stick is 3.6 inches long and draws power from your TV's USB port through the included cable, so it needs no extra wall outlet. It supports 4K over Wi-Fi 6, plus the HDR formats HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG, which improve contrast and color on compatible sets. It does not support Dolby Vision or Dolby Atmos audio. The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, now $39.99 (down from $69.99), is the pick if you want either, at $15 more.
On speed, PCMag reported that apps respond almost instantly and 4K streams load quickly with almost no blurry, low-resolution moments. That matters because the pitch here is rescuing an older TV or a sluggish smart TV, and a cheap stick is only a bargain if it is quick. The redesigned Alexa voice remote adds a more comfortable shape, an easier-to-find home button and shortcut keys for major streaming services.
The weak spots are in software. Ads and recommendations dominate the home screen, leaving little room for your own apps. There is also no Apple AirPlay or Google Cast, so sending video from your phone takes more effort than it does on rivals that support them.
The price is the argument. Apple's 128GB Apple TV 4K sits at $299 with no discount, roughly 12 times the cost of this stick. That is a different class of product, but for someone who mainly wants Netflix and a working remote, the gap is hard to justify. Amazon sells the hardware cheaply and earns its return through the home screen, and at $24.99 the ads are the real price you are paying.