Amazon launches new Echo device and Fire TV upgrades to Australia

Amazon aims to reinvent the smart TV experience with the introduction of the all-new Fire TV Stick 4K Max with the Fire TV Ambient Experience, and the Fire TV Stick 4K.

“Our mission for Fire TV is to reinvent what customers can expect from a smart TV experience. The Fire TV Ambient Experience transforms the TV into a beautiful, always-smart display, not only making smart TVs smarter and more useful, but transforming the home into something more beautiful” said Patrick Walker, Country Manager of Amazon Devices, Australia and New Zealand. “We’re thrilled to bring the Ambient Experience, featuring work from local Australian artists, to customers in Australia and New Zealand with the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max. We’re also excited to launch the next generation of Amazon’s best-selling 4K streaming media player with a faster and more fluid 4K experience for just AU$79 with the new Fire TV Stick 4K.”

All-New Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the first streaming media player to come with the Fire TV Ambient Experience, and features an upgraded 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, making it Amazon’s smartest and most powerful streaming stick yet. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is the industry’s first streaming stick to include support for Wi-Fi 6E, meaning customers with a compatible router can enjoy the smoothest streaming experience with lower latency, faster speeds, and less interference from other Wi-Fi-enabled devices in the home. With ultra-cinematic, vibrant 4K Ultra HD, and support for Dolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+, and immersive Dolby Atmos audio, the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max delivers Fire TV Stick’s best visual and audio experience yet.

Fire TV Stick 4K Max features 16GB of storage, doubling the previous generation’s capacity – enabling customers to store even more apps and games directly on the device, including Netflix, Prime Video, BINGE, Kayo Sports and more. It is also the first Fire TV Stick to come with the Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced, giving customers a “Recents” button for one-touch, instant access to their most recently used app or channel.

Fire TV Ambient Experience

The Ambient Experience can turn the TV into an in-home art gallery, with no monthly subscription required. Today, Amazon added hundreds of new images to a collection of more than 2,000 free, gallery-quality pieces of artwork, and expanded its collection to include artists from Australia, France, Spain, Italy, and Japan with art from notable institutions including Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Museo del Prado in Madrid, and Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Florence. Customers can also choose from motion graphics, landscape art, and personal photos.

As part of the new Ambient Experience, there is artwork available to showcase in homes across the world from renowned Indigenous Australian artist Biddee Baadjo, and Australian contemporary artist Nicole Blake. “Having the opportunity to have my work reach Fire TV customers and be displayed on screens across the globe is something special,” said Nicole. “I create art with the goal of infusing beauty into the world, and through this collaboration I hope to continue this mission and bring the wonder of Australia’s natural landscape, as well as more joy, directly to the home.”

Customers can activate the Ambient Experience when not streaming by holding down the “Home” or “Alexa” buttons on the remote—or simply by asking Alexa—to replace blank TV screens with helpful information and beautiful artwork. With the Ambient Experience, customers can also see glance-able information like their schedule with Calendars and Reminders, leave Sticky Notes for family members, control smart devices like a thermostat or Ring doorbell, and play audio from services like Amazon Music and Spotify.

All-New Fire TV Stick 4K

The new Fire TV Stick 4K is the next generation of Amazon’s best-selling 4K streaming media player. It introduces support for Wi-Fi 6 and features an updated 1.7 GHz quad-core processor, making it nearly 30% more powerful than the previous generation. Customers can enjoy vibrant 4K Ultra HD picture quality and immersive Dolby Atmos audio with support for Dolby Vision, HDR, HLG, and HDR10+. Plus, with Alexa Home Theatre, customers can wirelessly connect compatible Echo devices, for audio across multiple speakers and inputs.

Sustainable Design

The all-new Fire TV Stick 4K Max and Fire TV Stick 4K use more-sustainable materials and implement a design that reduces their overall lifetime energy consumption. The wood-fiber based materials in both devices’ packaging is made from responsibly managed forests or recycled sources, and the devices include Low Power Mode, which conserves energy when a device goes to sleep due to inactivity.

Pricing and Availability

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is available for pre-order from today in Australia and New Zealand from Amazon.com.au/firetv4kmax for AU$119 and NZ$129, and will begin shipping to customers from September 27th 2023. Also available from JB Hi-Fi and other leading retailers from September 27th 2023.

The all-new Fire TV Stick 4K is available for pre-order from today in Australia from Amazon.com.au/firetv4k for AU$79, and will begin shipping to customers from September 27th 2023. Also available in Australia from JB Hi-Fi and other leading retailers from September 27th 2023.