Editors’ Note: Amazon recently updated the Fire TV Stick Lite remote. We have updated our original review from October 6, 2020 to reflect these changes.The $39.99 Amazon Fire TV Stick is one of the best 1080p media streamers you can buy, at $10 less than some of our favorite 4K models from Amazon and Google. If you want to pay even less, Amazon also offers the 1080p Fire TV Stick Lite for $29.99. It looks and works just like the standard Fire TV Stick, but its remote lacks any TV controls. It’s an easy, affordable way to add streaming media and Alexa voice control to older TVs, though if you plan to use it often, you might want to spend the extra $10 to step up to the model that can also control your TV, which is why the regular Fire TV Stick remains our Editors’ Choice.The Same Black StickAmazon has left the physical design of the Fire TV Stick unchanged for years, and the Fire TV Stick Lite shares in that homogenous styling. It’s a simple black plastic rectangle with an HDMI plug on one end, measuring 3.4 inches long and 1.2 inches wide. A micro USB port sits on the side for use with the included USB cable and wall adapter (or Amazon’s optional $15 Ethernet adapter if you want to use a wired network connection instead of Wi-Fi). A short HDMI extender dongle is included if space on the back of your TV is too tight to plug the stick directly into an HDMI port.
(Credit: Will Greenwald)
Internally, the Fire TV Stick Lite is nearly identical to the standard Fire TV Stick. It’s a 1080p media streamer that supports high dynamic range (HDR) content in HDR10, HDR10+, and hybrid log gamma (HLG). According to Amazon, it’s also 50% more powerful than the 2019 Fire TV Stick.
The only compromise here is that it only supports Dolby-encoded audio pass-through rather than Dolby Atmos audio output like the standard Fire TV Stick has. So if you upgraded your sound system more recently than your TV, you might want to spend the extra $10 for Dolby Atmos. A Simpler Remote
(Credit: Amazon)
The Alexa Voice Remote Lite is the main reason the Fire TV Stick Lite is $10 less than the Fire TV Stick. It has the same shape as the wand included with the previous Fire TV Stick and the Fire TV Stick 4K, a thin black rectangle with slightly rounded ends. It’s also an Alexa voice remote, with a pinhole microphone near the top for using Amazon’s voice assistant. Its main compromise (and what makes it the Fire TV Stick Lite) is the lack of additional TV controls. Other Fire TV remotes let you adjust the volume and power of your TV without reaching for a separate controller, which isn’t an option here. The remote does get some extra buttons in the Fire TV Stick Lite’s latest iteration, though: four controls sit below the playback controls, including dedicated buttons for Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.Amazon Fire TV and AlexaAmazon updated its Fire TV interface since we last looked at a Fire TV device. The new home screen is a bit more Amazon-centric, shrinking down the app list a bit and adding more content suggestions (with Prime Video and IMDB TV suggestions usually stacked near the top) on the screen at once. It’s more colorful than the previous interface design, but it feels busier, as well.
(Credit: Will Greenwald/Amazon)
There are still plenty of third-party services on top of all of the Amazon content you can access, including most of the big streaming platforms like Apple TV, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, Twitch, and YouTube. The Fire TV ecosystem is huge, with thousands of smaller and more targeted apps as well; you’ll probably be able to find something that appeals to you, whatever your hobby is or where you live. Screen mirroring is also available on the Fire TV, but only through Miracast or WiDi. You won’t find the convenience of Apple AirPlay or Google Cast here like you will on Roku (AirPlay) and Chromecast (Google Cast) devices.You can use the Alexa voice assistant by pressing and holding the microphone button on the remote, and talking into it. Alexa continues to be very useful, with a number of helpful functions. For instance, you can ask Alexa for general information like weather reports and sports scores, and check your schedule and email. The relevant information will show up on your TV, as well as spoken through Alexa’s voice.For content searching, you can ask Alexa to look for TV shows and movies across most major streaming services (not just Amazon’s). You can also ask for music from Amazon Music, radio from iHeartRadio, and audiobooks from Audible. If you want to browse the different services yourself, you can just ask Alexa to open them.Alexa can control compatible smart home devices from a massive list that includes all major brands of light bulbs, locks, thermostats, and many more. You can even directly bring up video feeds from compatible home security and doorbell cameras, including Blink and Ring models.Sometimes SluggishWhile Amazon says the new Fire TV Stick Lite is more powerful than the previous Fire TV Stick, that doesn’t come through in its performance. Navigating the home screen and opening apps can feel sluggish; it took nearly ten seconds in testing to open Netflix, and I often waited just as long to return to the main menu from nearly any app after pressing the Home button on the remote. This can be because of the new Fire TV interface because the previous Fire TV Stick never felt jerky running the old one.
Jumping between apps and the home screen are the main points of sluggishness on the Fire TV Stick Lite, as most other functions are quick and responsive. Content loaded quickly from all apps once I opened them. Alexa was also fast to answer my commands, easily checking the weather and searching for movies with little wait. And while a 1080p picture isn’t nearly as sharp as a 4K one, shows and live streams from the Fire TV Stick Lite both looked good on my TCL 55R635.The lack of volume control on the remote is a small but persistent inconvenience. It’s very useful to be able to adjust the volume on your TV without picking up a second remote, because different apps and streams can vary significantly in loudness. For me, that added convenience is well worth the additional $10 for the regular Fire TV Stick.The Most Affordable Fire TV StickFor just $30, the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite can stream content from all major services, offer thousands of other Fire TV apps, and provide access to the Alexa voice assistant. Its interface can sometimes feel sluggish, and the lack of volume control on the remote can be cumbersome if you use it often, but again, it’s only $30. For the same price, the Roku Express trades Alexa (or any voice other voice control) for a simpler, more responsive interface, making it another solid option for 1080p TVs. Ultimately, the standard Fire TV Stick earns our Editors’ Choice award for adding TV controls for $10 more. And if you have a 4K TV, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and the Chromecast With Google TV are both excellent 4K media streamers for $50 each.
Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite
The Bottom Line
The $30 Fire TV Stick Lite is the most affordable way to add streaming media and Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant to your 1080p TV.
Like What You’re Reading?
Sign up for Lab Report to get the latest reviews and top product advice delivered right to your inbox.
This newsletter may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. Subscribing to a newsletter indicates your consent to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe from the newsletters at any time.
