The Fire TV Cube is down 21% at Amazon right now, dropping to $110 from its regular $140 – and the deal is tagged with that “Selling Fast” label. It’s fitting that Amazon’s fastest streamer is one of its fastest-moving deals, especially since this is the version that Amazon just overhauled from the ground up. This is the latest model, released just months ago, and it’s a far more comprehensive upgrade than the generational ticks Fire TV devices usually get.
Amazon supercharged the Cube with an octa-core chip that the company says is 2x as powerful as the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. App launch times and UI responsiveness are the payoff — the Cube isn’t waiting on a slow processor when you switch between Netflix and Prime Video or load a 4K stream off a cold start. For a device that lives on a TV you’re expecting to respond immediately, that processing headroom is a deal-maker.
Wi-Fi 6E Has Arrived
The Cube is also the first streaming media player to support Wi-Fi 6E, which adds the 6 GHz band to the existing 2.4 and 5 GHz coverage. That translates to less interference and more bandwidth available in crowded wireless environments like apartment buildings, homes with a lot of connected devices, or anyone whose 2.4 and 5 GHz bands are already loaded. For 4K HDR streaming, which peaks at around 25 Mbps on services like Netflix, Wi-Fi 6E isn’t strictly necessary, but having the 6 GHz band available means the Cube can hold cleaner speeds in the conditions where previous devices struggled.
The overhaul of the Fire TV Cube can also be seen on its homescreen, specifically the all-important search function. Alexa+ handles natural language queries: You can ask for action movies with car chases, movies with a specific actor, or, according to Amazon, find something by iconic quote. That’s different from the keyword-matching search most streaming interfaces still run. The new interface also supports dedicated content categories, more pinned apps, and personalized recommendations, which should reduce the amount of time spent choosing what to watch rather than watching it.
Plays Well With Others
The built-in mic and speaker array lets the Cube control a compatible TV, soundbar, and receivers entirely by voice, from across the room, without pointing a remote. It also handles HDMI passthrough for connecting a cable box, game console, or webcam, so one input on your TV covers the streaming device and anything plugged into it. The hardware mic disconnect is there for users who don’t want always-on voice processing running when the TV isn’t in use. More than a mute button, the disconnect turns off the mic entirely.
The best-yet version of the Fire TV Cube normally lists for a reasonable $140, but this Amazon offer drops that number to $110. That’s well worth it for active streamers and anyone who uses one of the big streamers as their live TV source. But don’t forget — Amazon’s fastest-ever streaming device is also one of its fastest-moving deals.