For a long time, Amazon Fire TV Sticks represented excellent value, and for most people, I would say they still do. Amazon is constantly refreshing the line, and thanks to frequent sales, you can often find one for cheap. Even at full price, these sticks don’t break the bank, and they are nice alternatives to higher-end devices like the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K.
Recently, Amazon has made some rather baffling decisions, at least in my eyes. The biggest change was ditching Fire OS and going with Vega OS. Vega OS runs on Linux, while the older Fire OS ran on Android. That might not mean much to many people, but it essentially means sideloading is dead on Fire TV Sticks. Before this shift, the Fire TV Stick was a perfect device for a wide range of things. The big thing was the ability to add Android apps via APKs, and people could get things like retro game emulators running on them.
With the ability to do that now wiped away, the only thing Amazon has going for these Fire TV Sticks is that they’re really cheap. Don’t get me wrong, that’s a great selling point, but it’s also one that other companies can match. Budget brand Onn has Android streaming sticks that are dirt cheap and can do what the Fire TV Sticks used to do. If somebody asked me what cheap stick to pick up, I don’t think I’d say to get an Amazon Fire TV Stick. I’d point them toward Onn sticks, and it’s all because of a self-inflicted change.
- Operating System
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Fire OS
- Resolution
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4K, Dolby Vision, HDR10
- Ports
-
HDMI
- RAM/storage
-
2GB RAM/8GB storage
- Connectivity
-
Wi-Fi 6
Amazon Fire TV Sticks are in a weird spot
No clear fit
The Amazon Fire TV Stick line is still excellent for anybody looking to watch their favorite shows and movies. They still feature all the major streaming services, and if all you need to do is upgrade your smart TV UI and watch things, they’re perfect for the job. There are so many to pick from, and as long as you pick up a 4K model for your 4K TV, I don’t think you’ll be upset.
I grabbed streaming sticks and boxes with the intention of only using them to watch TV, but when I learned about the various things they could do on top of that, I couldn’t wait to dig in deeper. My Apple TV 4K can run games through Apple Arcade, and it can also run RetroArch for retro gaming. I didn’t think that was all that strange, considering the Apple TV 4K feels like a formidable device instead of just being a stick. It wasn’t until I learned that Amazon Fire TV Sticks could do the very same thing that I was intrigued.
Now, the Vega OS sticks can’t do that, so it leaves Onn sticks to pick up the slack. The good news is that these Onn sticks and boxes can do that. The Onn 4K Pro is actually a disruptor for more than just Fire TV Sticks. The Onn 4K Pro is a box that competes with the Roku Ultra and Apple TV 4K, I think it is actually a good alternative to those two. It can do the same exact things, and if you want to run game emulators, it can do that too. At $60, it’s a difficult price to beat.
I would argue that Onn has effectively taken over the budget markets with its sticks and boxes. If you aren’t buying a Roku Ultra or Apple TV 4K, I think you’re better off getting an Onn device unless you’re really drawn to the Amazon or Roku UI. Both Roku Streaming Sticks and Amazon Fire TV Sticks are still good devices, but I’d rather have something that can do everything instead of something trapped behind a walled garden.
For a long time now, Amazon has dominated the budget market, but this OS change could prove to be a tipping point, at least for the enthusiasts. It’s started a lot of chatter, but the reality is that a majority of people don’t dig into their streaming devices. They install Netflix and start watching. That’s what they’re made for, but I still like seeing devices being able to do things that you don’t expect. I mean, who wouldn’t think it’s cool to see their Fire TV Stick running a Final Fantasy game?
Most people don’t care
Only for the diehards
At the end of the day, I don’t think this is going to be a big deal for a lot of people. I would wager that most people don’t know what operating system is running on Fire TV Sticks or why it matters. That’s totally fair, but I still don’t like that Amazon made this change after allowing sideloading for years now. The good news is that your current Fire TV Sticks aren’t going anywhere, but there will come a time when the updates come to a halt, and you’re stuck with what you have.
I’m just glad that an alternative exists for people who want to do more with their devices. Onn still has a long way to go before it gets the name recognition that Roku and Amazon have, but being an affordable option is a good first step for that. When people start realizing the versatility of what an Android-based device is capable of, I think it’ll catch on even more.
In a strange way, since the Onn Pro 4K runs on Android, it makes it a better value than even the Google TV Streamer. As the years go by, I could easily see the Onn line filling the space left behind by Amazon. It’ll be very interesting to see how things shake out, and there are glimpses of it already. Onn has branded TVs already for very cheap, so it’s clearly becoming a bigger name in the budget space. Amazon also has its line of cheap Fire TVs, so there’s really no shortage of budget options for people who want them.
The only thing Onn has to do is make people care about the line. I think if you placed a similarly priced Onn product next to an Amazon one, people would gravitate to the Amazon one based on name recognition alone. That’s understandable, and that’s why I think it’s important for Onn to keep on making budget-centric devices. Yes, it leaves Amazon Fire TV Sticks in an odd position since that’s what they target right now, but I think it’s for the best. I don’t think Amazon is going to fail by any means, the company is far too large for that, but it’s going to be fun to follow how it all develops.
