We used the Amazon Fire TV Cube for almost two weeks, here is our in-depth review.
When it comes to TV streaming devices, Amazon is ahead of the pack by a country mile. The tech giant’s Fire TV Stick dominates the affordable streaming hardware segment, even with the likes of Xiaomi stepping into the ring. The Amazon Fire TV Cube integrates Echo Dot with Fire TV Stick, offering you the best of both worlds. With the 3rd generation Fire TV Cube, Amazon has finessed an already great product. While the essentials remain the same, Amazon has made some additions on the hardware front in the third iteration of this streaming device. While this may not warrant an upgrade from your current Fire TV Cube, if you are looking for your first streaming device, this is as good as it gets. So, without further ado, let’s jump into our review of the 3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Cube.
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Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) review: Design
The Amazon Fire TV Cube ships inside the signature orange and black rectangular box. Inside, you will find the streaming cube, Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote, 2 Triple A batteries, a power adapter, a safety guide, and a quick start guide. There is no HDMI cable inside the box.
The Fire TV Cube retains its cube-like shape but now comes with a mesh fabric wrapped around it on four sides. This vastly elevates the feel of the device and is a good improvement over the glossy texture of the previous-generation Cube. There are physical buttons for volume, action, and microphone up top. The bottom panel has been given a rubbery texture to avoid any accidental slips or falls. The Alexa LED light bar runs along the top border of the device.
The back panel is where you’ll find some interesting developments. Like its previous iteration, the Fire TV Cube has a cutout at the back for input/output ports. While its predecessor came with a single HDMI port, the new Amazon Fire TV Cube has two HDMI 2.1 ports for input and output. You can use the input port to pass your cable box or gaming console through the TV Cube (more on that later). Also present are an ethernet port, the power input port, and an IR extender. Amazon has replaced the micro USB port with a USB Type-A port.
The Alexa Voice Remote has all the essentials you want in a remote. It is slim and compact with a nice matte texture to it. Up top, you will find the power button with the dedicated Alexa right below it. The navigation controls are ring-shaped and have a glossy texture to them – a nice contrast to the matte texture on the rest of the remote. The buttons are firm and offer a satisfying tactile response. Well, as satisfying as it gets on a TV remote. There are dedicated keys for Prime Video, Netflix, and Amazon Music on the remote control.
As good as the remote control is, it isn’t Amazon’s best one on the market. This is a strange choice as you’d want your premium remote to be included with your flagship streaming product. The Amazon Voice Remote Pro is a standalone device that is currently listed on Amazon for Rs 2,499. If you want a backlit remote with customisable buttons, this is the one you should go for.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen): Performance
The 3rd Generation Amazon Fire TV Cube is powered by a 2.2 GHz Octa-core processor and comes with 2GB of RAM along with 16GB of internal storage. The device has support for WiFi 6E, which may not find application right away but futureproofs the Fire TV Cube for years.
Setting up the Amazon Fire TV Cube is not a hassle at all. Since the box does not come with an HDMI cable inside it, you will need your own cable to plug the streaming device into your TV. You will need an Amazon account to get started. The OS comes with major streaming services installed on it. You will need to sign in to the individual services, including your Google Account for YouTube. It didn’t take us a long time to set everything up as the process was very intuitive.
Navigating the interface and switching between the apps is a fast and seamless experience. Those used to the sluggish navigation of an average Smart TV will notice the incredible speeds right away. This is where the Octa-core processor pulls its weight and truly shines.
You can plug in your set-top box or a gaming console to the Fire TV Cube using the HDMI input port. The integration of secondary devices with Alexa voice control is seamless and makes your life a whole lot easier. The only downside here is that the passthrough for gaming consoles is limited to 60Hz.
Amazon Fire TV Cube’s user interface is one of the best around but still has a few glaring and obvious issues. To start with the good parts, we love how well Alexa is integrated with the OS. As we grew familiar with the device, we found ourselves reaching for the remote less frequently. Switching between different apps using Alexa was a breeze. If you’re looking for a particular title, simply ask Alexa to play it. You wouldn’t need to look for the platform it is streaming on. Not only this, but you can even scroll through the interface using Alexa.
The Fire TV Cube lets you control the video resolution, frame rate, colour depth, colour format, and dynamic range from the settings. There is also a special ‘Game Mode’ that reduces the lag when the device is connected to a gaming console. The Live TV section in the settings lets you choose and manage your favourite channels. The Fire TV app works fine with the Cube as well. We prefer the app for its onscreen remote, which lets you enter passwords using the onscreen QWERTY keyboard.
It goes without saying, the 4K playback is stunning and flawless. If you’re primarily concerned with a device that can stream 4K video content without any hiccups, the Fire TV Cube is a no-brainer. If you don’t own a 4K TV, the Fire TV Cube upscales the quality of 720p and 1080p content. Using the Fire TV Cube on a TV with 1080p resolution, we could immediately tell the difference in the quality of the images produces on screen.
Amazon’s Appstore has a decent catalogue outside of the streaming apps. The is an extensive range of fitness programs and apps that can be downloaded from the Appstore. With an internal storage of 16GB, you don’t have to worry about the number of apps you download on the Fire TV Cube.
The only downside, which many of you may have already guessed, is the volume of ads within the interface. Since this is an Amazon product, content from Prime Video dominates your home screen, which isn’t surprising but a bit of a letdown nonetheless. The homepage banner often runs ads that aren’t related to TV content at all. We came across ads for hair products, smartphones, graphic cards, and other irrelevant products. Even the content ads aren’t tuned to your viewing pattern since Prime Video titles always get the top priority. While the presence of ads makes sense on a budget streaming device like the Fire TV Stick, it is not a good look on a premium flagship like the Fire TV Cube.
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Verdict
At the price of Rs 12,999, the Amazon Fire TV Cube is a fine addition to your TV setup. At this price, you’re getting a premium streaming device with Echo Dot capabilities. The sheer speed and smoothness at which it operates put it above the rest of the devices in this category. There are no complaints on the streaming front, as you get a standard 4K viewing experience. Alexa integration is another aspect of the device where it pulls ahead of its competition. Being less dependent on your remote and accessing the content you want to watch with just one voice command is a great accessibility feature.
Amazon Fire TV Cube: Pros
Mesh fabric finish is a great upgrade over the glossy panels
Smooth browsing experience with no lags or hiccups
Alexa integration works really well
Amazon Fire TV Cube: Cons
Too many ads for a flagship product
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