Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max (Newest gen), supports Wi-Fi 6E, Ambient Experience

I'm a big fan of firesticks, mainly as they are a great way of turning a non-smart tv into a smart one for a fraction of the price of buying a smart tv. I've got 2 of the entry level fire sticks (I believe they were referred to as "lite" at the time, but now referred to as HD) which I've had for about 4 years, one for the main living room TV, the other for the bedroom.As some of the apps were getting a little "clunky" (worked but would take a few moments to load and didn't feel as responsive to button presses on the remote) I had been toying with the idea of getting one of the higher spec models and grabbing one at a bargain price during prime day felt like a good idea.I don't have a 4k TV, but this works fine on a full HD 1080p and I've got the benefit of 4k should I get a TV of that spec at any point in the future. Apps are noticeably quicker at loading and the ones which were clunky on the old sticks, specifically the Prime video app and the ITV X app, are now much faster loading, smoother, and more responsive.Set up was very straight forward as I chose the option for it to be auto set up when plugged in (I forget the exact term, but my layman's understanding is that the settings of my other sticks are stored by Amazon so the new one "knows" how to connect and which apps I already use) - I recon I was up and running within about 10 minutes maximum after plugging it in and a few obligatory software updates were installed. If this is your first, then the usual entering of WIFI codes and choosing which apps you want, entering usernames, passwords etc is required and to be expected.The remote certainly has more features than the more basic version but my TV remote is automatically able to operate the Firestick anyway without any set up or faffing about needed, so I can't verify the ease of set up for the Firestick remote to operate the TV volume etc, I just have no need for it to do that.The only slight downside is not an issue with the product, but with the delivery. I was advised of a Sunday delivery, which is fine, it said delivery would be via Royal Mail, which I hadn't expected but, OK, I can only assume that they do Sunday parcel deliveries, I'm aware they are concentrating more on that side of the business.When occasionally checking the "track package", it still indicated as a Sunday delivery so I was a little put out when I found a red Royal Mail card to say they'd not been able to deliver on Saturday morning (ok, maybe I should've realised they wouldn't deliver on a Sunday, but then, why state that as the delivery day?) So I had to rearrange via the Royal Mail's website to have the item delivered to a nearby Post Office to collect from there as I would be at work if they tried to re-attempt the delivery on the next working day. When I collected from the Post Office the outer packaging was a little torn and the product box was a little dented, however, no visible damage to the contents and, as this is a product review, I'm not going to knock off stars for the Royal Mail's slight muck ups and a seeming inability to knock very loudly on my front door.

I've had streaming boxes ie Shields and random unknown but recommended devices over the years, but having bought an expensive TV that did it all they all became redundant.But, my not even 2 year old TV now is suffering the typical fate of manufacturers selling it and forgetting it - ie apps have become buggy and unfixed or missing all together, and generally bloated performance wise.After a recent failing of YouTube on my TV I decided enough was enough, I'm going to try out the new Amazon Fire 4K Max sticks.Price - I mean it wasn't hugely cheap, but it's certainly not expensive in the grand scheme of media streamers and its certainly fully functional & if Amazon supports it like they do my very old fire tv stick on my bedroom TV which still performs brilliantly then it's worth every penny.Hardware wise, the specifications themselves are strong but the hardware included in the box is all you'll ever need, I'm not sure why there's some negative reviews about the remote quality as I personally feel its no worse than a normal TV remote, maybe some slightly rougher edges that will soon round off in use, it gets its weight from the batteries & it feels just fine.Setup - as someone who's dealt with complicated setups of streaming devices for years, the setup on the fire stick is down right boring - just pay attention to what it says on screen and you'll be left with a paired remote that also controls your basic functions.Performance wise, wow.. this things faster than my Samsung QN95 TV UI, and Xbox Series X for comparison, and it loaded up my Plex server on the first-run, in a matter of a couple of seconds, no stutter no bother.All the main apps are avaliable on the store, Netflix, Disney, iPlayer, YouTube, Prime Video, ITVX, 4, 5, Luna, and more.Plus if your tech savvy you can side load additional applications with relative ease.The UI, is the typical Fire TV UI nothing has changed there, splash banner at the top of the home screen advertising Amazon Video content (hardly a surprise) then your list of apps, easy.Functionality wise, there's enough settings in the settings menu to scale the screen properly to your TV if required, and sync up the sound if that's an issue, HDR / Sound modes etc basic simple but enough there to fine tune to one's specific setup should it be required.4K / HDR content plays with no issues at all from my Plex server, as does YouTube 4K etc.The Ambient mode, exclusive to the Max model I believe is a nice touch, basically a screen saver but more akin to an Echo Shows screen in that it displays the time, weather, reminders, etc after 5 minutes of being idle (or whatever time you set) - very quick to disappear and resume what you were doing, no slow down or stutter, just very "Nice".The only gripe I'd have would be the fire stick itself still has a Micro USB port, I mean come on Amazon/Jeff, its 2023 and even the fruity crew are rocking USB-C now.Technical tip: I'd advise using the supplied power plug, or if you do decide to run it directly from a USB port from the TV if you see a power insufficient warning, just use the plug - the device won't perform as it should and it will be unstable, possibly crash etc, while USB ports are rated for 5v (note the device wants 5.25v) it seldom actually manages a constant 5v.So, a great purchase for old dumb/redundant TVs (as long as they have an HDMI slot) to breath new life into them, but also nice even for modern/ year old hideously expensive TVs that get neglected by there manufacturers or the UI just isn't as slick as you'd expect it to be.All in all, very happy with my purchase & will recommend to others.

A very fast product easy to install and set up

Great device, bought to replace aging google tv dongle. Easy to set up with very clear instructions and audio cues.. it links with all my existing device (plugs, lights and echo 8). The downside i have found and should have really expected is the constant ads, Hence the 4 stars. Overall build quality is good but feels less premium than the google dongle and remote. But the extra specs more than make up the difference. Operating system not as refined as google but is more than usable.

good upgrade over the base 4k model (much faster, all the other upgrades e.g. wifi are welcome), easy to use and set up, connection with TV controls are really nice to have. Remote works well though sometimes it will seem to lose connection (cannot detect) but a button press usually wakes it up, not much more to say as you can expect good support from various streaming apps and match frame rate (where an app supports it) is really nice to use.

Fast, Smooth & Packed with Features – A Big Upgrade!Absolutely love the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It’s noticeably faster and more responsive than the older versions – apps load quicker, navigation is smoother, and streaming starts instantly. The picture quality is fantastic with support for 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+. Everything looks sharp and vibrant on screen.Setup was super easy and the Alexa Voice Remote is a real bonus – very handy for searching or controlling smart home devices. I also like the extra storage space compared to the standard 4K Stick, which is useful if you install multiple apps.Overall, a solid upgrade and well worth it if you're after the best Fire Stick experience available right now.