The Fire TV stick would also support third-party Alexa skills to allow users to control smart home devices. ( Jordan Keyes/YouTube )
After Amazon launched the Fire TV stick in the U.S. in October, it would be the turn of U.K. to receive the stick with built-in Alexa, the digital assistant of Amazon. The e-commerce giant started on Tuesday to accept pre-orders for the £40 Fire TV stick which would debut in the U.K. on April 6.
Quad-Core Processor Inside
The Fire TV stick would be 30 percent faster than its predecessor, according to MacRumors, because of its quad-core processor. It would support 802.11ac Wi-Fi networks, while like the Siri Remote on the Apple TV, the Fire TV stick would have a built-in microphone.
The microphone could be used to search for content such as movies and music, and to control playback, open apps and more. Alexa in the Fire TV stick could be used for voice commands to control streaming TV options, open apps such as Netflix and look for specific shows and movies, The Verge reports.
Third-Party Alexa Skills
The Fire TV stick would also support third-party Alexa skills to allow users to control smart home devices, unlike the Siri Remote which lacks that function. The Verge notes that the voice search results are usually fast and accurate. Recent software updates have improved the Fire TV stick.
Besides pre-ordering the Fire TV stick, the device would be sold at shops in the U.K. such as Dixona, John Lewis, Maplin and Tesco beginning April 6. The Fire TV stick has almost all the big streaming channels, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, DirecTV Now, HBO, Sling, NFL, Spotify, NBA, news channels, and more. The only exception is iTunes.
In 2016, The Verge named the $39.99 Fire TV stick as the best TV streaming stick for less than $50 with a score of 8.0. It was followed by the $49.71 Roku Streaming Stick (7.8), the $35 Google Chromecast 2nd Edition (6.5) and the $29.99 Roku Express (6.2).
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