About two years after introducing a tiny media streamer that plugs into the back of any TV with an HDMI port, Amazon is updating its Fire TV Stick with a new model sporting an updated processor, faster wireless connectivity, and a new remote control that has a built-in microphone and support for Amazon’s Alexa voice service.

But there’s one thing that’s not changing: the price. The new Fire TV Stick is up for pre-order for $40 and expected to ship starting October 20th.

That’s the same price as the original Fire TV Stick, and $10 cheaper than the price Amazon had been charging for a Fire TV Stick + Voice Remote up until now.

aftv-stick-2

If the only thing Amazon changed was the price for the Stick + Voice Remote, the new model would have still been a pretty good value. But at a time when Roku has just updated its entry-level media streamers (and Google is expected to launch a new model soon too), a bit of a hardware upgrade was probably a good idea.

So here are a few other things Amazon has changed: the old model worked with 802.11b/g/n WiFi networks. The new model has 802.11ac MIMO support. The original Fire TV Stick had a dual-core processor. The new model has a 1.3 GHz MediaTek 8127D quad-core chip with Mali-450 MP4 graphics. And Amazon says its new Fire TV Stick can support HEVC streams as well.

One thing that the new model does not support? 4K content. For that you’d need to pay more for a larger (and more powerful) $100 Amazon Fire TV.

Other features include 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, Bluetooth 4.1, an HDMI connector, and a micro USB port (for power). Amazon also says there’s “optional” support for Ethernet, suggesting that you may be able to connect a USB-to-Ethernet adapter.

The Stick measures 3.4″ x 1.2″ x 0.5″ and weighs 1.1 ounces, while the remote (which is powered by 2 AAA batteries) measures 5.9″ x 1.5″ x 07″ and weighs 2.4 ounces.

The Fire TV Stick works with thousands of apps, games, and channels including Amazon Video, Netflix, Hulu, and HBO (but not Google Play Movies) and the Alexa Voice Remote lets you search by voice, control media playback with commands like “go back 30 seconds,” or get answers to questions.

Amazon says customers who buy and activate a 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick by October 31st will also get a $10 Amazon Video credit and other offers worth a total of $65, including credits for new Hulu and Sling TV subscriptions.

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11 replies on “Amazon launches 2nd-gen Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote for $40”

  1. Need help? My new fire stick with Alexa voice remote, second generation, quad core is malfunctioning. After I plug it in and select my Wi-Fi network it says that it’s checking for updates and has been doing that ever since. It won’t get pass the “checking for updates” screen? I have it connected to my “nighthawk wireless router on the 5G setting”.

  2. good price on the fire stick with remote. i have two original sticks without voice remote and one with the voice remote. they aren’t great, but they are well worth the price for the kids TVs and bathrooms TVs (set up for by the tub) that they are installed on. I have Fire TVs on the rest of the TVs which are a bit more responsive.
    seriously, forty bucks is pretty impressive. nice job, amazon

  3. i noticed you worded the subscription credits are for new accounts. is this true? if i already have a hulu account the free months are worthless..

  4. Is the ‘video credit’ just a general amazon gift card or is it restricted to that?

  5. I understand a lot of people are installing Kodi with some “unofficial” add-ons in order to stream misappropriated content. I wonder if Amazon has done anything to prevent this from happening in the generation 2 device. The content providers could (and eventually will) accuse/threaten/sue Amazon for allowing people to pirate content with the Fire TVs.

    1. Those installing Kodi and then further installing the add ons to stream content are a small percentage of those using the fire stick. Nothing about the fire stick makes it any better than any other android based system to install kodi, so I don’t see amazon doing anything to change it.

    2. What a Trump like statement. What’s a lot of of people? Where’s the data to support that “A lot of people” are illegally steaming content on Fire Stick?

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