The much-awaited, and dare we add, needed update to Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is finally here. The 3rd Generation Amazon Fire TV Cube is a device that works on improving an already interesting product and takes things a notch higher to bring to the market what’s arguably one of the more complete streaming devices available right now.
It features an improved design, a new and improved chipset to keep applications running smoothly, and also support for Wi-Fi 6E for better connectivity. All these upgrades also come at the cost of a slight bump in the price tag. But is this hike in price justified, and is the new 3rd-Gen Amazon Fire TV Cube with its snappy octa-core processor with buying? Let’s find out in our review.
While the core design language remains the same as last generation’s Fire TV Cube, in the new one you do get some crucial upgrades. This is because in the latest version of the Fire TV Cube, Amazon has chosen to not use black plastic and instead used a fabric mesh as the main element for the outer body of the device. This gives the Fire TV Cube a more refreshed and up-market look. While this makes the new Fire TV Cube look better it does leave it more susceptible to picking up dirt and damage compared to the older generation model. However, that’s something one can easily manage considering this is a product that’s meant to sit in your home and not be moved around too much.
At the back of the device, we have a good selection of ports, including an HDMI in and out port, an IR extender port, USB-A socket, and an Ethernet connector in case you want to hook up the Fire TV Cube to the internet through a physical connection.
The top of this cube is where all the important controls rest. Just four buttons to be precise, with the volume up and down as well as a mute button and one to wake Alexa also there. The latter is for converting the Fire TV Cube into an Alexa-enabled smart speaker for times when it’s not hooked to your TV. Apart from this, there are also two far-field microphones on the device to pick up the user’s voice-based controls.
The 3rd-Gen Fire TV Cube can also be controlled using the standard Fire TV remote control that’s also found inside the box. It also comes with a microphone and is your standard remote that houses basic navigation keys, a volume key and channel controls, along with other essential buttons such as the menu, back and home.
Under the hood, the third generation of Fire TV Cube offers plenty of power. It’s Amazon’s fastest Fire TV streaming media player to date as it comes powered by an all-new octa-core (4×2.0 GHz + 4×2.2GHz) processor making it 20 per cent more powerful than the previous generation Fire TV Cube.
This makes app launches through the Fire TV Cube super fast and fluid, thus elevating the streaming media player experience. This chipset is also responsible for what’s generally good upscaling of low-resolution content, and playback of not just 4K ultra HD content but also content that’s mastered for Dolby Vision and HDR. There’s also support for Dolby ATMOS audio which works seamlessly on supported content on through the device.
In our time with the Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen, the above-mentioned features worked as expected. The Fire TV OS improved the experience of playing content on a relatively old 4K HDR TV which has in the past frustrated me with its sluggish performance. The more sophisticated colour science used in the presets of the Fire TV Cube also helped visuals look better on the TV it was connected to. Further, it also connected seamlessly to the soundbar I use with the TV for a no-frills audio and visual experience.
Streaming experience in applications was also good, which I believe could be in part because of the support of Wi-Fi 6E on the device that creates a more stable and faster connection between the home router and the streaming device.
Since it’s a Fire TV OS device, which uses the Android TV code as its base, the Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen also gets access to over 10,000 applications in India. These include all your popular streaming applications including Netflix, Hotstar and Amazon’s Prime Video.
The latest generation Fire TV Cube from Amazon is available at a slight, 1000 rupee premium over its predecessor. And trust you me, at this slight premium, it offers enough of an upgrade to make it worthy of a recommendation. At Rs 13,999 it is an easy fix not only for your old smart, 4K HDR TV, but also can double up as a nice looking smart speaker in your living room.
However, that’s only if you’re looking for a smart speaker. If not, then there are more affordable options in the market to turn your smart TV, into a smarter, faster television. For example, the Fire TV Stick Max from Amazon itself which is retailing for Rs 6,499. But before you go ahead and buy the more affordable Fire TV stick, do know that you’d be missing out on some forward-looking features such as the Wi-Fi 6E and of course the functionality of the Fire TV Cube 3rd-Gen to turn into an Alexa-based smart speaker all while looking really cool doing so.