Amazon Fire TV Cube 4K Review: A Huge Internal Jump

POSITIVES

✓ Noticeable upgrade

Faster, better, stronger than the original

✓ Convenient and easy to use interface

Set up apps list and that's that

✓ Essentially another Echo device

One less room you'll need an Alexa product to operate your smart home with

NEGATIVES

✘ Same design as the original

No new looks

✘ Ads are still served plentifully

The marketing on the interface is noticeable

✘ Same price as first gen

About 120 dollars

Retail Price: $119.99

Buy on Amazon

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I've been a fan of the Amazon ecosystem for quite some time now. From Echo Dots to Echo Shows, I’ve found a lot of convenience in embracing Amazon’s way of life. One product that I was an early adopter of was the Fire TV Cube in 2018. As a day one buyer of the first generational television controller, I’ve been an adamant fan of the product ever since. Fast forward a few years later and my Cube was starting to act up. With Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale, I took the opportunity to upgrade to the newest model of the set top box and boy was it a worthy upgrade.

Same Look, But Different

When you first look at this glossy little box, you’d be hard pressed to know it was an updated 4K model. That’s because it’s literally the exact same hardware as its predecessor. Nothing has changed whatsoever. The only discernible difference I was able to distinguish between this newer model and my older model was that the power adapter cable has less slack. I’m not sure why Amazon decided to reduce the cable length, but that minimally affects the potential placement of the Fire TV Cube in your setup. 

One reason why it was time to upgrade the first-gen Fire TV Cube was because it was starting to get some serious software issues. The interface would lag significantly before locking up while navigating to an app. I also had audio issues that required a soft reboot to get it back on track. All these little issues began building up to remove what was once a stable and enjoyable experience. I loved being able to use my voice to turn on my television. I loved opening Hulu to watch Family Guy all without touching a remote. I’m happy to report that with the 4K model, all of this is back again. Boy is the performance night and day.

What’s on the Inside

A Hexa-core processor with an ARM Mali G52-MP2 GPU powers the Cube alongside 2 GB of ram and 16 GB of storage. The Cube now pushes 4K with HDR 10+ and Dolby Vision for up-to-date specs on a modern streaming device. Apps open significantly quicker on this newer Cube and that is a significant benefactor. The reason anyone would purchase this over a Fire Stick is simply for the hands-free voice control over your entertainment apps. Before Amazon came out with the Cube, Logitech (Harmony) had the only economically reasonable solution to turning a television on and off without pressing anything. 

By hooking the HDMI cable from the Cube to your television and connecting it to the internet through Wi-Fi or ethernet, your television becomes a smart TV like no other. Since this Cube has 4K capabilities, you’re going to need a matching HDMI cable that can support the high-quality playback. Simply ask “Alexa, turn on TV” and boom the television turns on just like magic. “Alexa, Play Family Guy” and Hulu will populate your screen with the current episode of the show you left off at. This is all overly-convenient and unnecessary, but isn’t that the whole point of technological development? We’re constantly looking for ways to be lazier and to reduce exuded effort over the simplistic tasks. The Fire TV Cube does just that. 

Additional Conveniences

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If you do decide to use a remote, Amazon provides you with a standardized (2nd gen) voice remote that’s 5.9 inches long. It’s essentially the same remote included on every other Fire TV product. Amazon designed it with the intention of its user relying on the voice button to communicate the adjustments needed through Alexa. The only benefit of using the remote is to skip the wake word which takes literally one second to say. The good thing about this being an IR device is that any universal remote can be programmed easily to work with the Amazon OS. I use the same remote that shipped with my 4K Samsung television across my devices, thus making it much easier to keep organized without the need to search for multiple remotes.

The beauty of the Cube lies in the fact that it is essentially another Echo device. This product doubles up your television into an Echo device which means it’s one less room that you’ll need an Alexa product to operate your smart home. There is an added benefit to this as the Cube can control everything an Echo Show can including Ring cameras. While I haven’t necessarily tested the range in which the Cube can pick up my voice, I also haven’t felt like it was any different than my Echo Show or Echo Dots. Unless you live in a LeBron James-sized mansion with full-sized basketball court rooms, I’m pretty confident in saying that the Cube can pick up your cue calls. 

Aesthetic and Easy Interface

When it comes to the actual entertainment interface, I have to admit that it has grown on me over the years. In my household, we have an Nvidia Shield TV running Android TV along with an Apple TV at my family’s house. We’re all pretty accustomed to set-top box ecosystems. I like the way Amazon has things laid out the best. Yes, there are way too many ads planted all around, but in general, it’s nice and clean with icons easily accessible to the user. Setting up a favorite apps list is simple and most of the time I don’t need to go further than that list to find something to watch. I’m one of those people who have a set routine with a preconceived intent whenever I turn on the television. That means I have a good idea of what I’m going to watch when I ask Alexa to turn the television on. With this particular lifestyle, the Cube is a perfect compliment. If you’re someone who browses often and spends more time looking for new material more than actually watching anything (ahem Lida), the processing power bump benefits you a lot here. With this Gen 2 box, moving from content to content is near instant. You’ll just have to use a remote to click around because Alexa isn’t anywhere near as intelligent as the Google Assistant. Good luck getting her to navigate you to something you were actually looking for with your voice.

Is It Worth the Upgrade?

This is a terrific upgrade from Amazon. While I’d normally be disappointed paying about the same amount of money for a product only a generation removed, yet looking exactly the same externally, the performance and responsiveness improvement made this a must buy for first generation users. The great thing about Amazon products is that they always go on sale. Whether it be Black Friday or the made-up shopping holiday, Prime Day, you don’t really ever buy something like this at its full MSRP. The next time a sale pops up and this was on your peripheral, I wouldn’t hesitate getting it. After all, that's exactly what I did.

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