The new generation of TV entertainment is here, and it’s doing more than just allowing you to watch your favorite shows. Amazon introduced their Fire Stick in 2014, allowing for a more convenient and versatile viewing experience. Two years later, Amazon released a second version of the tool. The Amazon Fire Stick Alexa allows easy access to shows, movies, music, and even games, all at the push of a button. If you’ve never owned a Fire TV Stick before, you’ll be happy to know that it could change the way you view television.
Amazon Fire Stick Alexa
Compared to the first Fire Stick, the second version has a redesigned exterior and a much needed upgrade on the inside. Instead of a flat rectangular remote, the Fire Stick 2 features an ergonomic design that naturally feels better when gripped in your hand.
Inside, it flaunts a quad-core processor while the old one runs with a dual-core processor. The bluetooth and wi-fi is also upgraded in the Fire Stick 2. The Fire Stick 1 supports 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi networks and is equipped with Bluetooth 3.0, while the Fire Stick 2 supports 2×2 MIMO 802.11a/b/g/n/ac networks with Bluetooth 4.1.
What does that even mean? It basically means that the Fire Stick 2 is much more responsive and quicker at processing commands than its older version. It may not sound like much when expressed in words, but the difference is instantly noticed at first use. The Fire Stick 2 is much faster than the first.
How To Use Alexa In Fire Stick
On the face of the remote, we can see a new button marked with a microphone icon. Seeing that, you might have correctly guessed that Amazon Fire Stick has incorporated Alexa right into the remote. With Alexa built in, you can do everything on your TV without the lift of a finger. This makes accurate voice commands possible. You could even make a specific command such as “fast forward 45 minutes” and Alexa will jump your movie 45 minutes ahead.
But it goes beyond the simple pause and play functions. With Alexa, you can search for programs by naming genres, artists, and keywords. You can even tell Alexa to “order Domino’s Pizza” and she’ll assist you with that as well. Basically, anything you can do on the TV, you can do with voice control via Alexa.
Amazon Fire Stick Features
When you unbox the Fire Stick 2, it looks surprisingly small despite its gigantic capability. The package comes with the remote, two AAA batteries for the remote, the Fire TV Stick (which is as small as a USB stick), a power adapter, and an HDMI extender. You might be a bit surprised, but don’t worry, you didn’t fall victim to false advertisement. In fact, the Fire Stick’s small size is another great advantage.
With minimal bulk, Amazon’s Fire TV is easy to set up. Simply plug the Fire Stick into the HDMI port of your TV, plug the power adapter into a wall outlet, and connect the adapter to the Fire Stick. All it takes is 3 steps. In addition to quick setup in literally seconds, Fire TV’s small size also allows it to be extremely portable. The requirements are just three things: a screen with an HDMI port, an internet connection, and an outlet for the power adapter. As long as those three elements are present, you can easily take your fire stick to another TV.
Amazon Fire Stick Alexa Compatibility
Fire TV allows streaming from many different programs including (but not limited to) Netflix, HBO Now, Hulu, YouTube, and of course Amazon Video. As mentioned earlier, you can also stream music and Fire TV is compatible with many applications like Spotify and Pandora. Note that having the Fire TV does not automatically give you membership to those applications.
Conclusion
Besides the internal upgrade that allows for faster reactions from the device and the new sleek design, the coolest upgrade to the Fire Stick is Alexa. The newest addition flaunts Amazon’s voice assistant and it’s abilities, and it shows potential for Alexa’s future. The fact that it can already do so much on the TV leaves me curious for its potential in other appliances. I can’t wait to see Amazon’s future releases with Alexa.