I've tried BEST Fire TV Stick money can buy – and it has three clever Amazon tricks that could save you £100s a year
Published: Invalid Date,
WHEN it comes to telly, few gadgets are as well known as the Amazon Fire Stick.
And I've been trying out the best version of this blockbuster device: the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max. It's a supreme plug-in streamer that I reckon could even save you hundreds of pounds a year.
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If you're new to the Fire Stick game, this is a small black bar that plugs into the back of your telly. It goes into the HDMI port. Your TV almost certainly several of those.
And it'll give it a brand new interface chock full of apps, games, and some clever Amazon features too.
The idea is that no matter what TV you have – even if it's old and a bit rubbish – you can get a new and "smart" experience on the cheap.
And at £69.99 (or potentially less if you read on...), this device is way cheaper than upgrading to a newer TV.
Of course Amazon Fire TV Sticks can be snapped up for far less, with the HD model coming in at just £39.99. So what makes this so good? Why am I here raving about it to you?
AMAZON FIRE TV STICK 4K MAX – WHAT IS IT?
Let's start with the basics.
You plug it in, and you're pretty much good to go in a matter of seconds.
It's a fairly easy system to navigate. If you've ever used a phone or telly (and let's be honest, you probably have) then it's the same thing. You've got a list of apps that you can open, and they'll serve up content.
There's a frankly enormous selection of apps available via the Amazon Appstore.
But you get some bits pre-installed, like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and (of course) Amazon Prime Video. These are all official and legal apps – no "dodgy" Fire Sticks here.
Amazon Fire Stick trick lets you find lost remote instantly using hidden 'ringer'
There's also a Live tab packed with loads of live TV channels.
These are totally free to watch. The only catch is that you'll have to sit through ads.
But if you fancy effectively unlimited Hell's Kitchen, Mythbusters, or Baywatch, you're in luck.
The big advantage for this device over the cheapest Amazon Fire Stick is the 4K quality.
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You'll be able to watch Ultra HD Netflix or Amazon Prime Video content in its full native resolution. So all of that extra detail is captured and displayed (as long as you have a 4K telly too).
There is a slightly cheaper Fire Stick 4K (the one without the "Max" branding) that costs a tenner less.
There are a few minor differences, including a slightly more advanced Wi-Fi system that you don't really need to worry about, and an "Ambient Experience" that shows artwork on your telly. They're both fine to have, but they're not the big winners.
Instead, look out for the doubled storage on the Max (16GB versus 8GB) so you can download more apps.
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And note that the processor is also faster on the Max, which makes it ultra-speedy. A slow telly is immensely frustrating. Don't put yourself through that.
WHAT I'M MOST IMPRESSED BY
One of the best things about the Amazon Fire TV Stick platform generally is the vast array of apps on offer. You can get pretty much everything on here.
But there are some great options that save you money.
For a start, you've got so much free telly on offer that you'd struggle to get through it all. You could quite easily watch TV forever without paying a penny.
So if you fancy binning all of your TV subscriptions, you won't have to go without telly.
That'll save you hundreds of quid right off the bat.
But earlier this week, I also revealed how you could quite easily enjoy a "virtual" Xbox on the Fire Stick – rather than paying for a £500 console.
For £14.99 a month you can get Xbox Cloud Gaming, which is basically a "Netflix for games".
So instead of having a console render the gaming visuals, they're beamed to you over the internet instead.
You can play a massive library of over 350 games without owning a console. You just need a Fire Stick, decent internet, and a wireless games controller – like an Xbox or PlayStation joypad.
It's a great way to make a saving, because you don't need to fork out for a console.
But there's an even cheaper option that I'm also pretty impressed by.
Amazon has its own Xbox Cloud Gaming rival called Luna.
And if you pay the £8.99-a-month Luna+ fee, you get more than 100 games to play.
It's massively cheaper than buying a console, and you can cancel at any time. That's harder to do with a console.
It works extremely well, and the visuals are stunning – because they're being rendered by powerful Amazon computers.
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Better yet, if you've got Amazon Prime then you get some games for free – even if you're not paying for Luna+. That includes Fortnite, which is a smash-hit shooter game that almost needs no introduction.
So that's a third way this could slash your bills.
If you can enjoy the free games you're getting with Prime, you don't need to pay for Luna+ at all.
Are there any downsides? Honestly, it's pretty good for the price.
I think the Apple TV 4K box is still a slicker experience. It feels faster to navigate, and I think the whole interface looks better. Plus it works neatly with your other devices if you have an iPhone, iPad, or Apple Watch.
But that magical Apple box starts at £149, so it should be better.
Not everyone needs a £149 plug-in streamer.
But I think Amazon's 4K Max device is a great middle-ground between your smart TV or a bottom-end Fire Stick and a top-end gadget like the Apple TV 4K.
SHOULD YOU BUY IT?
Whether it's the gadget for you really depends on your budget – and home set up.
If you haven't got a 4K telly or you're not paying for any 4K content subscriptions (if you've got the basic Netflix plan, for instance), then buying a 4K Stick is arguably overkill – unless you're looking for future-proofing.
But 4K TVs are much cheaper to come by these days, so keep that in mind.
If you're an Apple fan that wants to splash out, the Apple TV 4K is still my top pick for a streaming gadget.
I'm impressed by it. For the price, this is good value for money – and it's got several ways to slash your entertainment bills too.
It's fairly small and doesn't need a tangle of wires. The remote is neat and easy to use, and looks good on the coffee table. It also gives you access to the Alexa voice assistant, which is handy for asking about the weather or demanding a movie. And the set-up is no-nonsense.
I'd only downgrade to the cheapest Fire Stick if I was sticking it in a spare room on a non-4K TV. Otherwise, this feels like the Fire Stick to go for.
The other thing to watch out for is pricing.
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As I mentioned, this gadget normally costs £69.99 – but it doesn't always.
Amazon often discounts its own products. Just plug the gadget into CamelCamelCamel (a tracker that monitors Amazon prices over time) to see for yourself.
There are several points where it's been on sale for as low as £50, and even £44.99. The average retail price is £58.74.
So this gadget is even better value for money if you can pick it up in a sale. There's no guarantee, but keeping your eyes peeled around Black Friday 2025 (that's November 28) could be a good idea.
Buy at Amazon
Check The Sun's guide to Fire Stick 4K vs Fire Stick 4K Max.
All prices in this article were correct at the time of writing, but may have since changed.
Always do your own research before making any purchase.
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