When the 2nd-gen Fire TV and new Fire TV Stick with Voice Remote bundle were first announced, I learned through my sources at Amazon that the voice remotes included with each device were slightly different. Now that both products have arrived, we can see that the two remotes are in fact different. Here’s a detailed comparison of the differences and similarities between the 2nd-gen Fire TV and new Fire TV Stick bundled voice remotes.
The overall size, shape, and weight of each remote is identical. I’m told by my sources at Amazon that the internal circuitry is also exactly the same with each remote. Where they differ is in the materials used to create the body and buttons. The Fire TV voice remote (top) body is made of a soft-touch plastic that’s slightly rubbery feeling, where as the Fire TV Stick voice remote (bottom) body is made of hard plastic that is slightly smoother and slipperier. If you’re familiar with the the soft plastic 1st-gen Fire TV voice remote and the hard plastic Fire TV Stick non-voice remote, the materials used on the new remotes mirrors the old ones.
The Fire TV voice remote (top) feels like the more premium product between the two. It does not show fingerprints or hand oils nearly as much as the Fire TV Stick voice remote (bottom). The Amazon logo, at the bottom of each remote, is flat and printed on the Fire TV voice remote, while it’s molded in with a mirror finish on the Fire TV Stick voice remote.
The only other big difference between the two remotes is the button material. The Fire TV voice remote (left) has hard plastic glossy buttons, whereas the Fire TV Stick voice remote (right) has rubbery soft buttons. I’m told by my source at Amazon that the difference in button material is one of the main reasons there are two different new voice remotes, because the rubbery Fire TV Stick voice remote buttons are cheaper to manufacture. In practice, the two different button types make little to no difference. They both feel just as good and clicky as the other. The large circular directional button is identical on each remote.
The two remotes are identical from the back, apart from the Fire TV voice remote (top) being made of soft plastic and the Fire TV Stick voice remote (bottom) being made of hard plastic. The back battery covers are interchangeable between the two remotes.
Removing the battery cover reveals the last difference between the two remotes. While they both share the same FCC ID number 2ADU9-3876, further indicating they are identical on the inside, the Fire TV voice remote (top) lists model number “DR49WK G” whereas the Fire TV Stick voice remote (bottom) lists model number “DR49WK B”. The “G” and the “B” are references to each remotes code name, where the Fire TV voice remote is codenamed Gelato and the Fire TV Stick voice remote is codenamed Bane.
While the Fire TV voice remote is slightly better than the Fire TV Stick voice remote, due to the soft-touch plastic and premium button material, the two remotes are so similar that it makes little to no difference which one you use. Currently, in the US, UK, and Germany, Amazon still appears to only be selling the older bluetooth based voice remote separately, as indicated by the reference to bluetooth in the product description. In Japan, Amazon appears to be selling these new wifi based voice remotes separately, although it’s difficult to know whether one will receive the Fire TV or Fire TV Stick version. Amazon has shown signs of starting to sell these new remotes separately soon, but it’s unclear if they’ll replace the existing product page with a new one, or if they’ll just start shipping the new remotes, at some point, when someone orders from the existing voice remote product page.
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I have an echo with voice remote. I do not use it. Can I disconnect it from the echo and use it as a voice remote with my first gen fire tv stick?
Ah… that would be cool. I also have the useless Echo Remote lying around. Would make my Fire TV Stick much more useful. Wonder why it can’t.
The Echo remote does not currently work with Fire TV, so I’m guessing it won’t work with the Fire TV stick either.
http://www.amazon.com/forum/-/Tx3I5UUXP9NLROV/ref=ask_ql_ql_al_hza?asin=B00L9EPT8O
This is strange. That is the remote I received with my pre-ordered Fire Tv 2. Rubber buttons and hard plastic. I was not happy about it. So are the remotes for the Fire Tv 2 different here in the UK? Or have I been bundled with the wrong remote?
That’s interesting. Hopefully other Fire TV 2 UK owners can chime in and let us know which remote they received.
I bought a Fire TV a few weeks ago that shipped with the proper Fire TV remote described above.
Every few days it would need a replacement set of batteries. Eventually it completely stopped working.
I returned it and got an exchange for another Fire TV. The new remote is the above described hard plastic with rubber buttons. I suspect this is the better version of the two, and is shipping in newer production models. It actually feels better to use initially, only time will tell if it craps out on me like the last one did.
There is evidence that Amazon is using the two remotes at least somewhat interchangeably. I pre-ordered a Fire TV to arrive on launch day, and the remote I received with it you listed as the Fire TV stick (“Bane”) model. Once Amazon was willing to sell them to customers again, after their extended testing, I ordered another one, and received the model that you list as the Fire TV remote (“Gelato”).
I disagree with you about the premium feel of the Fire TV remote, and feel that the Fire TV stick remote, with its rubber-capped buttons, is actually much nicer! In addition, I have found that the Fire TV remote will show fingerprints and smudges much more easily than the hard plastic (which feels like a very high-grade plastic) of the Fire TV stick remote. The molded Amazon logo looks “more premium” to me than the printed one. Lastly, I’ve found that the battery cover slips off much more easily on the Fire TV remote compared to the Fire TV stick remote. it feels much cheaper to me and I feel that the added force on the Fire TV stick remote will keep it from slipping off accidentally in the future.
In operation, they connect and function identically, so it isn’t a big deal. It works for me because it makes for an easy differentiator to know which remote belongs in which room…at least until I buy a third one!
Amazon is either making all remotes the same or are shipping the stick remotes with boxes instead… I have a couples boxes I’ve bought from staples with cheap plastic materials and not the rubberized.
I bought the newer fire tv 4k box from argos a few days ago, and got the remote listed here as for the fire tv stick (bane).
Got the 2nd Gen AFTV on Prime Day. Having remote problems from day one. Found this article and I was shipped the “Bane” remote with it. Also noticed the remote is about 1/2 longer than the original more premium feeling 1st Gen voice remote. I use the sideclick with it (love that product!) and noticed the bane remote doesn’t fit snugly. Added a piece of gaffing tape to the back and it is snug again.
Has there been a change in remotes again?
typo above: 1/2 = 1/2″
I think the original bluetooth remote is more responsive. The new wifi remote gets forgotten by the Gen2 AFTV. I have the box connected by ethernet.
I purchased a gen 2 Fire TV box in late september, has the “bane” remote, plastic shell and rubber buttons, not a fan because will not work with voice in kodi.
So I have been helping my cousin set up her Fire TV on her J.C.V Smart TV And when Her not so bright lighted brain gripping Long term of a friend,thinking he so god-like gifted with knowing everything about technology and how to set up all devices, started this project one night prior but is so remotely slow cause for he set up the Amazon Fire TV With parts of and too an Amazon Fire TV Stick Voice Remote, For I was puzzled all this morning until i remembered that all devices have model ID numbers put on them by Their Co. Factories marking each item with an unique numeric, thus saying and asking for help and saving her, my queen Big Cousin how do i dis-link the uncommpatable devices from each other Fire TV Voice Remote(gelato) from Fire TV Stick Voice Remote(bane) cause i have done the research on both Fire Devices and they are two different generations and models