Amazon’s two 4K streaming sticks are back on sale at Best Buy and Target, which is useful if the app grid on your current TV has started to feel like a punishment. The retailers list the Fire TV Stick 4K Max at $34.99 at Best Buy and $34.99 at Target, down from $59.99. The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is listed at $24.99 at Best Buy and $24.99 at Target, down from $49.99.
The Verge says both prices match the lowest it has seen for these models. The sale puts the higher-end Max at $10 more than the Plus, which is the part worth checking before you let Amazon’s product names do violence to your short-term memory.
What the extra $10 buys
The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the more capable device in the pair. It has 16GB of internal storage, twice the capacity of the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, and supports Wi-Fi 6E instead of Wi-Fi 6. That difference matters only if your home network supports it, but the storage bump is easier to understand: more room for apps and updates.
The Max also supports Amazon’s Fire TV Ambient Experience. Amazon uses that feature to turn the television into a kind of wall-mounted smart display when video is not playing, showing artwork and Alexa widgets such as calendar entries or sticky notes.
Both sticks support 4K video, Dolby Vision, HDR10 Plus, and Dolby Atmos audio, assuming the TV, streaming service, and audio gear in the chain also support those formats. The hardware is only one piece of that mess, as usual.
The software pitch
Both devices run Amazon’s updated Fire TV experience. According to Amazon’s description, the interface pulls recommendations from streaming subscriptions, groups programming into hubs for categories such as TV and sports, and lets users pin as many as 20 favorite apps.
The sticks also integrate with Alexa Plus. Amazon says users can ask by voice to open content from particular streaming services or search for specific scenes. The same assistant controls compatible smart home devices and can show live video from connected Ring cameras on the TV.
Other deals listed
- Anker’s Zolo Power Bank with 10,000mAh capacity and 30W output is listed for $21.99 at Amazon and Anker with code WS7DV2RPFIPT. The Verge says that matches its best price of the year. The model includes a built-in 5.4-inch cable that also works as a carrying hook.
- Eufy’s Robot Vacuum Omni C20 is listed at Eufy for $329.99 with code WS24T2280, a $370 discount, or for $10 more at Amazon. Eufy says the vacuum and mop can empty its dustbin, wash and dry mop pads, refill its water tank, and clean with 7,000Pa of suction.
- Xgimi’s Elfin Flip Laser projector is listed at Amazon for $719.10, $80 off. The portable 1080p projector uses a triple-laser light source rated at up to 1,600 ISO lumens, supports HDR10, runs Google TV, and supports Google Cast.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.
