I think it’s fair to say there’s been a lot of Fire TV news lately. Amazon recently launched the new Fire TV Stick HD, a refreshed version of its entry-level 1080p streaming stick. Alongside that, it announced that all future Fire TV Sticks will run Vega OS, its new Linux-based operating system, instead of its Android-based Fire OS platform — a move that completely shifts the direction of its Fire TV Stick lineup.
And beyond its Fire TV Sticks, Amazon recently launched its first lifestyle TV, the Ember Artline, an art-focused TV that’s taking direct aim at the popularity of Samsung’s The Frame.
But amid all that news, Amazon quietly announced something major that seems to have flown under the radar: it’s completely dropping the Fire TV name from its smart TV lineup.
That’s right, Amazon has officially said goodbye to the Fire TV name for its smart TVs and is rebranding them as Amazon Ember TVs.
The change has already taken effect across Amazon’s entire lineup of smart TVs. The Fire TV 2-Series is now the Ember 2-Series, the Fire TV 4-Series is now the Ember 4-Series, the Fire TV Omni QLED Series is now the Ember QLED Series, and the Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series is now the Ember Mini-LED Series.
- Display Size
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55 and 65 inches
- Display Type
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QLED
- Display Resolution
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4K
- Connectivity
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Wi-Fi 6 + Ethernet
Why is Amazon doing this?
The Fire TV name isn’t disappearing entirely
If your first thought about this sudden rebranding is, “Why is Amazon doing this?” Don’t worry, you’re not alone.
That’s a great question, and unfortunately, the company hasn’t really provided a detailed answer beyond saying the move is purely due to the “momentum” of its smart TV lineup.
“We’ve also had so much momentum with our line of Amazon smart TVs that we decided now was the time to give them their own name: Amazon Ember,” Amazon explained in a blog post. “And it was only fitting to launch this new name with our first-ever lifestyle TV, the Amazon Ember Artline.”
While Amazon has dropped “Fire TV” directly from the name of its smart TVs, the Fire TV branding will live on, though it now only refers to the software experience, with Amazon now referring to its Ember TVs as devices “with Fire TV” (via AFTV News).
…this rebrand only affects Amazon’s smart TVs. Its Fire TV Sticks and Fire TV Cube will continue to use the Fire TV name.
The first smart TVs to run Fire TV launched back in 2017, when Amazon rolled them out with third-party partners under the “Fire TV Edition” branding. At the time, that was the name used for any TV powered by Fire TV software.
In 2021, Amazon dropped the “Edition” label and began referring to all TVs running its Fire TV software as simply “Fire TVs.” Not long after that, it also began launching its own first-party models, rather than relying solely on third-party manufacturers.
Personally, I’m a bit perplexed as to why Amazon has decided to rebrand its smart TVs as Ember, given how well-established the Fire TV name is. But Amazon believes that, with its TVs gaining “momentum,” now is the right time to differentiate them with the new Ember branding.
To be clear, this rebrand only affects Amazon’s smart TVs. Its Fire TV Sticks and Fire TV Cube will continue to use the Fire TV name. I really hope it stays that way, because “Amazon Ember TV Stick” just doesn’t quite have the same ring as the Fire TV Stick.
