Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick: 4 Key Differences and Full Comparison

There’s no shortage of Amazon Fire Sticks out there on the market today. From the Fire TV Cube to the Fire Stick to the Fire TV Recast to the latest Fire Stick 4K, Amazon continues to invent (and re-invent) innovative versions of its signature microconsoles and digital media players. Since the 1st generation Fire Stick hit the shelves — and Amazon’s site, naturally — the little devices have rivaled Roku and Apple TV devices as one of the most popular HDMI plug-in sticks and set-top boxes on the market. But what’s the difference between them? Take the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick, for instance.

Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick: Side-By-Side Comparison:

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• Streaming in Full HD
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11/29/2023 06:31 am GMT

Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick: 4 Key Differences

These general specs do a good job establishing the basic fact that there are differences that exist between the Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick. However, they provide little explanation of what exactly these differences mean. From their price points to their performance capabilities to their audio and visual outputs — not to mention things not yet mentioned, such as the remotes — these are the four key differences between the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick.

Price

Firstly, price. Of all the specs listed above, this is the one that is perhaps the most obviously different. As we can see, the Fire Stick Lite retails for $29.99, whereas the 3rd gen. Fire Stick is currently priced at $10 more: $39.99. While the former is undoubtedly cheaper than the latter, both are ultimately cheaper than the rest of the Amazon Fire TV lineup. The 3rd gen. Fire Stick 4K retails for $49.99, and the 1st gen. Fire Stick 4K Max is set at $54.99. In this light, both the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick are on the cheaper end of the Fire TV lineup. Still, the Fire Stick Lite is cheapest.

Remote

Secondly, the remote for the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick. After their differing price points, this is surely the most significant difference between these two Amazon Fire TV products. The Fire Stick Lite comes with the Alexa Voice Remote Lite, whereas the Fire Stick comes equipped with the Alexa Voice Remote. While they share the same dimensions, the Lite’s remote lacks many of the buttons found on the Fire Stick’s remote. This means that the Fire Stick’s remote can be used to control the volume and channels of the TV itself, whereas the Lite’s remote cannot.

Performance

Thirdly, we have a difference that’s not as easy to see as the varying price points or the differing remote controllers: the performance capabilities of the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick. As the “Lite” version of the Fire Stick, the Fire Stick Lite’s performance specs fall short of the 3rd gen. Fire Stick’s. This means that the Fire Stick Lite is slightly slower, slightly less powerful, and slightly less functional than the 3rd gen. Fire Stick. Both have the same amount of storage and memory, but the Fire Stick Lite is ultimately second to the Fire Stick in this regard.

Audio

Lastly, there’s the difference in audio output between the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick. On the surface, it might seem like the two are nearly identical in this respect. After all, both brandish the Dolby Atmos name, don’t they? Well, not quite. The Fire Stick Lite merely allows Dolby Atmos-enabled audio to pass through the device, through the HDMI cord, and into a soundbar or speaker system with Dolby Atmos capabilities. The Fire Stick, on the other hand, can deliver Dolby Atmos audio itself — no need for any passthrough. It’s a slight difference, but an advantage for the Fire Stick nonetheless.

The History of Amazon Fire TV

Occasionally stylized as amazon fireTV, this line of Amazon-branded digital media players and microconsoles has been giving Roku, Apple, and Google a run for their money since its first unveiling in April of 2014. Currently available in two different form factors — a set-top box, not unlike the Apple TV, and a HDMI plug-in stick, not unlike the Chromecast — the Amazon Fire TV lineup began with the unassuming Fire TV Box and Fire Stick. It only grew larger and larger from there. Today, the Amazon Fire TV family consists of five different products in all.

The Fire Stick and Fire Stick Lite — the two products we’ve been comparing side by side throughout this article — are accompanied by two higher-end products: the Fire Stick 4K and the Fire Stick 4K Max. These four HDMI plug-in sticks are joined by the Fire TV Cube set-top box. After the 1st generation Fire TV Box and Fire Stick hit the market in 2014, the Amazon Fire TV lineup continued with 2nd generation products in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The 1st generation Fire TV Cube hit shelves in 2018, and the same goes for the 1st generation Fire Stick 4K.

Recent years have seen numerous updates to these five pillars of the Fire TV family. The 2nd generation Fire TV Cube was unveiled in 2019, followed by a 3rd generation in 2022. The 3rd generation Fire Stick and 1st generation Fire Stick Lite were released in 2020. Lastly, the 1st generation Fire Stick 4K Max hit shelves in 2021. Amazon has always been one to diversify its product lineup — just look at how many Amazon-branded smart speakers there are! — and the Amazon Fire TV catalog is no exception.

How the Fire Stick Came to Be

At the start, back in 2014, the Fire Stick Lite vs Fire Stick debate was essentially nonexistent. In truth, back in these early days, the Fire Stick wasn’t even a thing. The Amazon Fire TV product line actually began with a box, simply named the Amazon Fire TV. Announced in April of 2014 and priced at $99, the earliest Fire TV device focused on streaming and — oddly enough — gaming. It even came with its own original video game titled Sev Zero: a fast-paced tower defense shooter from Amazon Game Studios.

Amazon’s intention was to compete directly with Roku and Apple, both of which were dominating the digital media player market. Roku was on its 3rd generation at the time, offering the Roku LT, Roku 1, Roku 2, Roku 3, and the Roku Streaming Stick. Apple was also on its 3rd generation Apple TV at this point. Though the Amazon Fire TV device did not support 4K streaming, it did offer support for Dolby Digital Plus 7.1 surround sound, 1080p streaming, Ethernet and Bluetooth connectivity, and the aforementioned mobile gaming feature (complete with its own special controller accessory).

It didn’t take long for Amazon and its research and development team to realize that they needed something smaller (and cheaper) in addition to the box if they truly wanted to compete in the digital media player market. With this realization, the Fire Stick was born. Released in November of 2014, the 1st generation Fire Stick shrunk the Fire TV set-top box into a handy, dandy HDMI plug-in stick that retailed for just $39.99. As you’ll notice above, the latest iteration of the Fire Stick still retails for this same exact price.

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11/28/2023 12:43 pm GMT

5 Must-Know Facts About Amazon Fire TV

• The Fire TV Cube, currently in its 3rd generation, was first released in June of 2018. It combines the streaming capabilities of a set-top box with the sound of an Amazon Echo smart speaker. It’s one of the Amazon Fire TV line’s most powerful products, serving as the closest thing to rival products from Apple or Roku. It currently retails for $139.99.
• Neither the Fire Stick Lite nor the Fire Stick can support 4K UHD streaming. This is a feature reserved for the Fire Stick 4K, the Fire Stick 4K Max, and the Fire TV Cube. However, both the Fire Stick Lite and the Fire Stick support HDR — specifically HDR 10, HDR10+ and HLG. This is unique, as HDR is typically linked to 4K resolutions.
• The Amazon Fire TV name extends beyond microconsoles and digital media players. It also exists in the form of the Fire TV Edition, a line of smart TVs equipped with a Fire TV operating system built right in. Fire TV Editions can be found from Insignia, JVC, and Toshiba.
• The Fire TV Recast aimed to merge the advantages of a Fire Stick and the benefits of a DVR into one unique product. The Recast used an antenna to record live television, then stored them in the cloud for viewers to watch later on their Fire TV device. The Recast had its fair share of downsides — including no support for other streaming devices and no commercial skipping — and was discontinued in August of 2022.
• As of 2022, Amazon’s market share is tied with Roku’s in the streaming hardware market. With 40% each, Amazon and Roku account for 80% of the entire market overall. This leaves just 20% for Apple, Google, and other streaming hardware devices.

Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick: Pros and Cons

Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick: Which Is Best?

So, when it comes to the Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick, is there a clear front runner between the two? Looking at the Fire Stick’s HDR support, its superior Dolby Atmos audio, its affordability compared to many rival products from Roku, Apple, or Google, and its better remote, the Amazon Fire Stick is ultimately superior to the Fire Stick Lite. The two are very evenly matched — as a matter of fact, they’re nearly identical — but the Fire Stick has those few small advantages over the Lite version. That’s what makes it the winner overall, especially at just $10 more than the Lite.

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