While Amazon might be known for being a huge internet retailer, they are slowly getting more attention for the hardware they are building. They recently announced some new budget tablets and a new set-top-box along other products for TVs. Some TVs have been getting smarter, even running Android TV, which is the OS created by Google for the larger screens. Still, buying a set-top-box offers some benefits, not only in terms of giving older TV sets some new life or how fast or smooth the OS run compared to the ones from some Smart TVs, but also apps and the whole OS could get updated to perform better, plus, they could get exclusive content.
Now, most of Amazon’s TV related products are finally shipping to those who pre-ordered them or those who want to buy them without having to wait a longer time before actually getting the product. The available products include the Fire TV, which is a regular set-top-box, but now it includes 4K capabilities that work with Amazon’s Video service and Netflix. The new remote now supports some voice commands using Alexa, which would let users find content, play music, check sports scores, the weather, and additional information. The new Fire TV is priced at $99.99. The second product is very similar to the Fire TV, but it is dedicated to users who want to use it for gaming, it includes a game controller compatible with Alexa, plus two premium games are bundled and the catalogue includes more than 800 games. The “Gaming Edition” runs for $139.99.
Then, there’s the Fire Stick, which connects directly to the HDMI port, and its compact size let users carry it wherever they want. Its specs are not as good as the set-top-boxes, but a lot of content can still be played and users can use their smartphone to control it, in addition to the included remote. Of course, most of the ports have been removed favoring portability. It is priced at $39.99 and there’s a version enhanced with the voice functionality of Alexa which runs for $49.99. If you’re invested in Amazon’s ecosystem, these products are worth a look.