Having released its $99 set top box in April 2014, the Fire TV, that also doubles as an Android-driven games console, the online retail giant Amazon on Monday took on Google’s Chromecast with a $35 HDMI dongle dubbed the Fire TV Stick.
Amazon is calling the Fire TV Stick “the most powerful streaming media stick.” And at just $39, it’s within reach of average consumers who need a pocket-sized device to wirelessly beam their media and apps from an Android phone or tablet (iOS coming soon) to a big screen TV.
The Fire Stick has a dual-core processor with two times the memory (1GB of RAM) and four times the storage (8GB) of Google’s Chromecast. More reliable streaming is realized via a built-in dual-band, dual-antenna (MIMO) Wi-Fi.
“The team has packed an unbelievable amount of power and selection into an incredible price point—Fire TV Stick is just $39,” said Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com Founder and CEO.
The gizmo comes with the included remote, although a phone running Amazon’s mobile app can also double as a remote with voice search. Customers can opt to upgrade to the even better Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote for $29.99.
The Fire TV Stick allows you to fling or mirror content from your phone or tablet to your HD TV. The gadget ties into the Amazon ecosystem and supports a bunch of popular content sources and services like Netflix, Prime Instant Video, Hulu Plus, WatchESPN, NBA Game Time, Prime Music, Pandora, Spotify and more.
As a bonus, it runs games, too!
Key highlights:
- Powerful performance — 4x the storage and 2x the memory of Chromecast, plus a dual-core processor and 1 GB of memory.
- Massive selection — Over 200,000 TV episodes and movies, millions of songs, and hundreds of games. Learn more
- Free 30-day Prime trial — Unlimited access to thousands of popular movies and TV episodes including award-winning series from HBO and exclusive titles like Alpha House, plus new Prime Music.
- Instant streaming with ASAP — No more waiting for your movies and shows to buffer—ASAP learns what movies and shows you like so they start instantly
- Dedicated remote and app for easy use — With the Amazon Fire TV Remote that comes in the box or the free app on your Android device (iOS coming soon), you have all the controls you need to easily search, navigate, and play games
- Voice search that actually works — Simply say what you want to watch and start enjoying in seconds with the free app or Amazon Fire TV Voice Remote (sold separately)
- Connect your small screen to your big screen — Fire TV Stick lets you fling your favorite apps to your TV to free up your small screen for other uses. Or mirror your phone or tablet to your TV.
- Great for gaming, too — Play favorite titles like Flappy Birds Family, Toy Story: Smash It!, Monsters University, and more great games
As a thank you to new and existing Prime members, Amazon is offering the Fire TV Stick for just $19, a $20 saving, for two days only. Not a Prime member? you can sign up for a free trial to receive this special price.
The Fire TV Stick is now available for pre-order over at Amazon and will ship November 19.