Reviewed: The Amazon Fire TV (3rd Gen) is a Smart Upgrade, But Only For Some
Our editors independently select the products we recommend. We may earn a commission on items bought through our links.
The sheer volume of smart home Amazon devices can be hard to parse, but there are plenty among them that are worth both your attention and money. One of the areas in which they have quite well-covered is the smart streaming devices like the Amazon Fire TV Cube, and we’ve had a lot of time with the 3rd Gen iteration of this device, and we’ve got thoughts on it.
Today's Top Deals
Get The Echo Dot and Amazon Basics Smart Color Bulb Bundle For Just $15
Bose QuietComfort 45 Bluetooth Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones Are $80 Off
The Amazon Fire TV Cube has ranked among some of the best streaming devices for a while now, mostly due to how easy they are to use to access the best streaming services, and also some handy Alexa integration which makes it handy to control the best smart home gadgets too. Does the 3rd Gen warrant an upgrade though?
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
Buy Now On Amazon
$140 at Best Buy
Pros
Speedy performance
Hands-free Alexa access
HDMI pass-through for cable boxes
Cons
Hit or miss Alexa commands
Fairly pricey
Specs
Wi-Fi Support | Wi-Fi 6E and Ethernet Port |
Storage | 16 GB |
Memory | 2 GB |
Audio Support | Dolby Atmos |
Processor | Octa-core 4x 2.2GHz 4x 2.0GHz, GPU 800MHz |
Included In the Box | Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen), Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote, power adapter, 2 AAA batteries, quick start guide |
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Design
Visually, there’s not a huge amount to say about the design of the Fire TV Cube because, well, it’s a cube. It’s modern-looking, which is nice, and while it’s unlikely to win a SPY Smart Home Award for innovative looks, it’ll go with the decor in most homes.
Things outside of the visual design are a little more mixed though. One of the biggest advantages of this device is its simplicity, and that extends to the setup process too. This is a device that many will innately know how to get working, and it’s the kind of thing that you can talk your parents through over the phone with relative ease.
It is worth noting that you may need an IR blaster extender if your cable box isn’t in direct line of sight though. Although the Fire TV Cube does have built-in infrared blasters, which are ideal for helping it control things like your TV and any soundbars you may have and so on.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Interface
The interface may well be the strongest aspect of the Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen). For starters, you’ve got solid integration for both Prime Video and Prime Music, which is nice if you’re someone who likes music as much as they like TV and films.
It’s also very quick, which makes for a much more pleasant experience when you’re browsing through menus trying to find things to watch. It’s not the case with all of these devices or smart TVs, but sometimes you can get a bit of lag which is aggravating, but that’s not so here.
One of our favorite aspects of the device comes in especially handy if you’re already embracing Amazon in your smart home, because the easy Alexa access allows you to use the Fire TV Cube to control other devices. Given how many wonderful smart home gadgets there are now, this is a huge convenience.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Features
One of the most important features of any streaming device is the visual side of things, and you’ll be happy to know that you’ll be drooling over crisp-looking videos and a really excellent dynamic range too. It just means you’ll be able to enjoy a bit more of everything, which is wonderful.
The Fire TV Cube also has a HDMI pass-through, which allows you to hook up any cable box or TV interface you might already have, but without using up any more HDMI ports. Not only that, but you can actually use Alexa to interface with your cable box too.
However, this can be a little bit hit-or-miss. While giving instructions to Alexa to change to a specific channel works like a dream, things get a little more clumsy if you want anything more advanced. Say, for example, you want to ask Alexa to record something, or launch an on-demand service, those functions are unlikely to work alongside Amazon’s smart assistant, which is a real shame.
Our Verdict: Is The Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen) Worth It?
The question of whether this updated Fire TV Cube is worth buying is a tricky one, and has a few stipulations. The short answer is that yes, this is a worth it.
However, that’s only true if you’re especially committed to Amazon devices, or you specifically have an older TV and aren’t looking to upgrade soon. Otherwise, this device doesn’t quite do enough to earn its price tag, and you can find many of these features on more modern televisions anyway.
Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen)
Buy Now On Amazon
$140 at Best Buy
More Top Deals from SPY
Best of SPY
Click here to see more up-to-date holiday deals!
