Amazon launched the 3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick in September this year which, although looks identical to the older Amazon Fire TV, offers better performance as per the company.
Alongside the new Fire TV Stick, the company also launched the Fire TV Stick Lite, which offers similar performance with a relatively lesser price tag.
So, which one should you buy, the new Fire TV Stick at Rs 2,499 or go for the Lite variant that offers almost similar specifications? Let’s take a look.
Design & Ergonomics
Amazon hasn’t tinkered at all with the design which goes in favour of the whole compact design philosophy that the previous Amazon Fire TV Stick users have come to adore.
The box also gives you an HDMI extender that can help connect the stick to TVs that are wall-mounted and have lesser space at the back.
Both the TV Stick and the Lite variant have an identical design and even the same model number so there’s nothing to separate the two here.
Performance
In terms of performance, the duo come powered by a MediaTek quad-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, PowerVR GE8300 graphics for audio and video processing as well as 8 GB internal storage for apps.
This, the company says, is 50 percent faster than the 2nd Gen Fire TV while consuming lesser power which we can agree with. Both the Fire TV Stick and the Lite offer HDR support however the Lite version misses out on Dolby Atmos.
The big difference between the two streaming devices is that the Fire TV Stick offers more TV controls via the remote which comes with a volume rocker and a mute button. Apart from these, most of the functionalities are the same.
Compared to the previous generation TV Stick, scrolling through apps is much after and the Home screen load time and transition also take lesser time.
You can also use voice commands to request movies or open an app. It is rumoured that Amazon is working on an update for the remote where the user won’t have to press down on the Alexa button to request something. You will be able to make any request hands-free, just like on multiple Amazon smart devices.
Which One Should You Buy?
As the moment, the 3rd Gen Fire TV Stick retails at Rs 2,499 on Amazon which is just Rs 400 more than the Lite version. For that price difference, you’re getting more TV control options and Dolby Atmos which we feel is a good deal.
It’s no point to even go for the Lite version now and it’s time that Amazon should consider taking the Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite out of the assembly line.
There is also a 4K version of the Fire TV, which retails at Rs 3,599, and only those customer should go for it who have a 4K TV at home.
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