Amazon held its annual devices event yesterday and announced a lot of Fire TV devices and news. I’ve covered it all in detail but here is a roundup of all the big Fire TV-related announcements in one place in case you missed anything.

New 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube

The biggest Fire TV news is the announcement of the 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube. The changes for this model compared to the last one include a 20% performance increase thanks to the new octa-core CPU, WiFi 6E, built-in 10/100 Ethernet instead of an external dongle, a USB-A port in place of the micro USB port, support for AV1 video decoding, and an HDMI in port to passthrough video from a device like a cable box. Things that remain the same include 2GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, 4K @ 60Hz video with Dolby Vision/HDR10+/HDR10/HLG support, Dolby Atmos, USB 2.0, mic array for hands-free voice control, built-in speaker for Alexa, and a built-in IR blaster for device control. It’s can be pre-ordered for $139.99 and will be released on October 25th.
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New Alexa Voice Remote Pro

For the first time, Amazon is offering a premium remote for those that want something better than the one included with the device and its called the Alexa Voice Remote Pro. This remote has all the same capabilities as the standard Alexa Voice Remote but adds a remote finder triggered by either Alexa or the Fire TV Mobile app, backlit buttons, two customizable buttons that can be set to launch any app or execute any Alexa command, channel up/down buttons, and a headphone button that opens the Fire TV Bluetooth menu for quickly pairing/unpairing headphones. It’s compatible with all Fire TV models except the 1st and 2nd-gen Fire TV box and the 1st-gen Fire TV Stick. You have to buy the remote separately as it is not bundled with any device, not even the new 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube. It is available to pre-order for $34.99 and will be released on November 16th.
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Fire TV Smart TV Remote is bundled with the 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube

Bundled with the new 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube is not the standard Alexa Voice Remote that comes with the previous model and most Fire TV Sticks. Instead, Amazon is including the remote that all Fire TV Smart TVs come with. This is the first time this remote has been included with a standalone Fire TV streaming media player and this could be an indication that other models may see this remote bundled in as well. Compared to the usual remote, this formerly Smart TV-only remote has all the same functionality but also adds channel up/down buttons, a Settings button, and a Recent button that brings up a list of apps and videos you’ve recently selected.
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New Amazon Fire TV Omni QLED Smart TV

Amazon has announced the Fire TV Omni QLED Series 4K Smart TVs as a new premium option in its own branded TV lineup. Like the regular Fire TV Omni Series TVs, these TVs continue to offer hands free control via Alexa through a built-in microphone array. The features they add include a quantum dot QLED screen, a full array local dimming backlight with 80 or 96 dimming zones (depending on the size you buy), an ambient light sensor for automatic brightness control, and a presence sensor to turn on to a new ambient mode when people are in the room. These TVs also support Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10+ Adaptive, which is a first for a Fire TV Smart TV. They can be pre-ordered in a 65-inch size for $799.99 or a 75-inch size for $1,099.99 and will be released on October 27th.
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New Ambient Mode for Fire TV Smart TVs

Amazon has introduced a new mode called the Fire TV Ambient Experience for Fire TV Smart TVs. Combined with a presence sensor built into the TV, the mode will automatically turn on the TV when someone is around to display artwork, family photos, or ambient information through on-screen widgets, similar to the Echo Show 15. Widgets can be shown across the entire screen or in a minimized format along the bottom if you want to see more of the art/photos being displayed. The new Fire TV Ambient Experience is being debuted on Amazon’s new Fire TV Omni QLED Smart TV but might make its way to other Fire TV Smart TVs in the future.
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Fire TV UI is coming to Echo Show 15

Amazon revealed that all Echo Show 15 devices will soon get a free update that adds the full Fire TV UI to them. This will greatly expand the number of streaming services that can be watched through the smart display. The interface looks like a version of the Fire TV system used in cars, since both applications use a touchscreen, but you will be able to pair a 3rd-gen Alexa Voice Remote if you want to use a remote instead. A release timeframe for this update has not been specified.
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Fire OS 8 is not shipping with the 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube

The 2nd-gen Fire TV Cube debuted Fire OS 7 (based on Android 9) three years ago when it was released, so it was expected that the new 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube would launch with Fire OS 8 (based on Android 11). Unfortunately, that’s not the case as the device will launch with Fire OS 7 when it arrives in a month, even though Fire OS 8 has already been released on Fire tablets.
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