Amazon recently announced the third generation Fire TV Stick and first generation Fire TV Stick Lite. So, how do these two products stack up against each other as well as the second generation Fire TV Stick and first generation Fire TV Stick 4K?
You can find out in this comparison guide between these four media players.
Quick Summary
When compared to the 2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick, the 1st Gen 4K Stick, 1st Gen Lite Stick and 3rd Gen Stick come with a processor that is 50% more powerful, which leads to a big performance boost.
The 2nd Gen stick does not support HDR while the other three media players do (although the Fire TV Stick 4K is the only one compatible with Dolby Vision).
If you have a 4K TV, or planning to get one in the future, then the only option you have is the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K as the other media sticks support video playback at only up to 1080p.
If you only have a 1080p TV, then the 3rd generation Fire TV and 1st generation Fire TV Lite sticks are more powerful, have more audio options, come with a low power mode and include HDR support when compared to the 2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick.
The 3rd Gen Fire TV Stick, along with the 1st Gen Fire TV Stick 4K, are the only media players in this comparison to support Dolby Atmos.
2nd Gen Fire Stick vs. 3rd Gen Fire Stick vs. 3rd Gen Fire Stick Lite vs. Fire Stick 4K Comparison Chart
You can check out Seeking Tech’s comparison table between the Fire Sticks below.
| 2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick | 3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick | 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite | 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| What’s in the Box | Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen) Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen) USB cable and power adapter HDMI extender 2 AAA batteries Quick Start Guide | Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen) Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen) USB cable and power adapter HDMI extender 2 AAA batteries Quick Start Guide | Fire TV Stick Lite (1st Gen) Alexa Voice Remote Lite USB cable and power adapter HDMI extender 2 AAA batteries Quick Start Guide | Fire TV Stick 4K (1st Gen) Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen) USB cable and power adapter HDMI extender cable 2 AAA batteries Quick Start Guide |
| Weight | 32.0 g | 32.0 g | 32.0 g | 53.6 g |
| Dimensions | 85.9 mm x 30.0 mm x 12.6 mm | 86.0 mm x 30.0 mm x 13.0 mm | 86.0 mm x 30.0 mm x 13.0 mm | 99.0 mm x 30.0 mm x 14.0 mm |
| CPU | Quad-Core ARM 1.3 GHz | Quad-Core 1.7 GHz | Quad-Core 1.7 GHz | Quad-Core 1.7 GHz |
| GPU | Mali450 MP4 | IMG GE8300 | IMG GE8300 | IMG GE8300 |
| RAM | 1 GB | 1 GB DDR4 | 1 GB DDR4 | 1.5 GB DDR4 |
| Storage | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Wi-Fi Features | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac support | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac support | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac support | Dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO) 802.11a/b/g/n/ac support |
| Bluetooth | 4.1 + LE | 5.0 + LE | 5.0 + LE | 5.0 + LE |
| Voice Control | Alexa Voice Remote Fire TV Smartphone App Linked Echo Device | Alexa Voice Remote Fire TV Smartphone App Linked Echo Device | Alexa Voice Remote Fire TV Smartphone App Linked Echo Device | Alexa Voice Remote Fire TV Smartphone App Linked Echo Device |
| IR Device Control with Remote Control? | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Cloud Storage | Free for contents purchased from Amazon | Free for contents purchased from Amazon | Free for contents purchased from Amazon | Free for contents purchased from Amazon |
| Miracast Support? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Ports | HDMI output port Micro USB port (power only) | HDMI output port Micro USB port (power only) | HDMI output port Micro USB port (power only) | HDMI output port Micro USB port (power only) |
| Video Resolution and Frame Rate | Up to 60 frames per second in 720p and 1080p | Up to 60 frames per second in 720p and 1080p | Up to 60 frames per second in 720p and 1080p | Up to 60 frames per second in 720p, 1080p and 4K |
| HDR | None | HDR10 HDR10+ HLG | HDR10 HDR10+ HLG | Dolby Vision HDR10 HDR10+ HLG |
| Video Codecs | H.263 H.264 H.265 (HEVC) MPEG-2 MPEG-4 | H.263 H.264 H.265 (HEVC) MPEG-2 MPEG-4 VP8 VP9 | H.263 H.264 H.265 (HEVC) MPEG-2 MPEG-4 VP8 VP9 | Dolby Vision H.263 H.264 H.265 (HEVC) MPEG-2 MPEG-4 VP8 VP9 |
| DRM | HDCP 1.4 PlayReady 2.5 Widevine L1/L3 | HDCP 2.2 PlayReady 3.0 Widevine L1/L3 | HDCP 2.2 PlayReady 3.0 Widevine L1/L3 | HDCP 2.2 PlayReady 3.0 Widevine L1/L3 |
| Audio Codecs | AAC-LC AC3 (Dolby Digital) AMR-NB eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) FLAC HE-AACv1 (AAC+) HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) MIDI MP3 Opus PCM/Wave Vorbis | AAC-LC AC3 (Dolby Digital) AMR-NB Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC) eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) FLAC HE-AACv1 (AAC+) HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) MIDI MP3 Opus PCM/Wave Vorbis passthrough | AAC-LC AMR-NB FLAC HDMI Audio passthrough for Dolby Atmos HDMI Audio passthrough for Dolby Digital HDMI Audio passthrough for Dolby Digital+ HDMI Audio passthrough for DTS HE-AACv1 (AAC+) HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) MIDI MP3 Opus PCM/Wave Vorbis passthrough | AAC-LC AC3 (Dolby Digital) AMR-NB Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC) eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus) HE-AACv1 (AAC+) HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+) FLAC MIDI MP3 Opus PCM/Wave Vorbis up to 5.1 |
| Low Power Mode? | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| System Requirements | HDTV with HDMI input Wi-Fi internet connection Power outlet | HDTV with HDMI input Wi-Fi internet connection Power outlet | HDTV with HDMI input Wi-Fi internet connection Power outlet | HDTV with HDMI input Wi-Fi internet connection Power outlet |
| Warranty | 90-day limited warranty and service Optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty (US Only) | 90-day limited warranty and service Optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty (US Only) | 90-day limited warranty and service Optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty (US Only) | 1-year limited warranty and service Optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty (US Only) |
| Pricing | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) | Check price on Amazon.(#CommissionsEarned) |
What’s in the Box
In addition to the main media player unit, each product also comes with a remote control, remote control batteries, HDMI extender, quick start guide in addition to an USB cable and power adapter.
You can take a look at what’s included in each box below:
2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- Fire TV Stick (2nd Gen)
- Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen)
- USB cable and power adapter
- HDMI extender
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen)
- Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen)
- USB cable and power adapter
- HDMI extender
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite:
- Fire TV Stick Lite (3rd Gen)
- Alexa Voice Remote Lite
- USB cable and power adapter
- HDMI extender
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K:
- Fire TV Stick 4K
- Alexa Voice Remote (2nd Gen)
- USB cable and power adapter
- HDMI extender cable
- 2 AAA batteries
- Quick Start Guide
Weight
The second and third generations of the Amazon Fire TV Stick, as well as the first generation of the Fire TV Stick, weigh the same amount. The Fire TV Stick 4K is a lot heavier compared to the rest of the media players in this group.
You can take a look at the weight specifications below:
- 2nd Gen Fire TV Stick: 32.0 g
- 3rd Gen Fire TV Stick: 32.0 g
- 1st Gen Fire TV Stick Lite: 32.0 g
- 1st Gen Fire TV Stick 4K: 53.6 g
Dimensions
The 3rd Gen Fire TV and 1st Gen Fire TV Lite are identical in size, which is a little bit bigger than the 2nd Gen device. The Fire TV 4K is bulkier than the other three.
You can check out the full measurements below:
- 2nd Gen Fire TV: 85.9 mm x 30.0 mm x 12.6 mm
- 3rd Gen Fire TV: 86.0 mm x 30.0 mm x 13.0 mm
- 1st Gen Fire TV Lite: 86.0 mm x 30.0 mm x 13.0 mm
- 1st Gen Fire TV 4K: 99.0 mm x 30.0 mm x 14.0 mm
CPU
The second-generation Fire TV Stick comes equipped with a Quad-Core ARM 1.3 GHz processor.
The three other sticks are equipped with a Quad-Core 1.7 GHz processor, which is 50% more powerful than the CPU from the previous generation Fire TV Stick.
GPU
The Gen 2 Fire Stick uses a Mali450 MP4 GPU while the other Fire Sticks use the IMG GE8300 GPU.
RAM
For RAM, the second-generation Fire TV Stick comes with 1 GB while the third-generation Fire TV Stick and first-generation Fire TV Stick Lite each includes 1 GB DDR4.
The first-generation Fire TV Stick 4K is equipped with 1.5 GB DDR4.
Storage
All of the media sticks in this comparison guide come with 8 GB of internal storage.
Wi-Fi Features
The Amazon Fire TV Sticks are equipped with dual-band, dual-antenna Wi-Fi (MIMO), which will help increase streaming speeds and prevent disconnects.
The media players also support the 802.11a/b/g/n/ac networks.
Bluetooth
The 2nd Gen Fire TV Stick utilizes Bluetooth 4.1 + LE while the rest of the sticks utilize Bluetooth 5.0 + LE.
Voice Control
You can use your voice to control these media players. You can do so by using the Alexa Voice Remote, free Fire TV Smartphone App or linked Echo device.
IR Device Control with Remote Control
The 2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick, 3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick and 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K support IR device control as you can use the remote to control compatible IR-enabled devices like your television set to power on, power off, change the volume and perform other actions.
The 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite does not support this feature.
Miracast
All four media players support Miracast, a feature that lets you mirror the screen of your Amazon Fire tablet to your TV.
Cloud Storage
All four sticks in this comparison guide use free cloud storage when it comes to digital contents that are purchased from Amazon.
Ports
The Fire TV Stick include one HDMI output port as well as a Micro USB port used for power.
Video Resolution and Frame Rate
The 2nd and 3rd generation Fire TV Sticks, as well as the Lite version, support up to 60 frames per second in 720p and 1080p resolutions.
The Fire TV Stick 4K supports up to 60 frames per second in 720p, 1080p and 2160p (also known as 4K) resolutions.
HDR
The second gen Fire TV does not support HDR at all. Both the 3rd Gen Stick and 1st Gen Stick Lite support HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG. The 4K stick supports Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+ and HLG.
Video Codecs
When it comes to audio codecs, the second-generation Fire TV Stick is missing support for the VP8 and VP9 codecs that are supported by the other three media players.
The first-generation Fire TV Stick 4K is the only one that supports the Dolby Vision codec.
You can check out the supported video codecs for all four devices below:
2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- H.263
- H.264
- H.265 (HEVC)
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- H.263
- H.264
- H.265 (HEVC)
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
- VP8
- VP9
1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite:
- H.263
- H.264
- H.265 (HEVC)
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
- VP8
- VP9
1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K:
- Dolby Vision
- H.263
- H.264
- H.265 (HEVC)
- MPEG-2
- MPEG-4
- VP8
- VP9
DRM
You can take a look at the Digital Rights Management features for the media players below:
2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- HDCP 1.4
- PlayReady 2.5
- Widevine L1/L3
3rd Gen Fire TV Stick, 1st Gen Fire TV Stick Lite and 1st Gen Fire TV Stick 4K:
- HDCP 2.2
- PlayReady 3.0
- Widevine L1/L3
Audio Codecs
For audio, the 3rd Gen Fire TV Stick and 1st Gen Fire TV Stick 4K are the only two media players in this versus guide to support Dolby Atmos.
You can find a full breakdown of supported audio codecs below:
2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- AAC-LC
- AC3 (Dolby Digital)
- AMR-NB
- eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus)
- FLAC
- HE-AACv1 (AAC+)
- HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+)
- MIDI
- MP3
- Opus
- PCM/Wave
- Vorbis
3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick:
- AAC-LC
- AC3 (Dolby Digital)
- AMR-NB
- Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC)
- eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus)
- FLAC
- HE-AACv1 (AAC+)
- HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+)
- MIDI
- MP3
- Opus
- PCM/Wave
- Vorbis
1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite:
- AAC-LC
- AMR-NB
- FLAC
- HDMI Audio passthrough for Dolby Atmos
- HDMI Audio passthrough for Dolby Digital
- HDMI Audio passthrough for Dolby Digital+
- HDMI Audio passthrough for DTS
- HE-AACv1 (AAC+)
- HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+)
- MIDI
- MP3
- Opus
- PCM/Wave
- Vorbis
1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K:
- AAC-LC
- AC3 (Dolby Digital)
- AMR-NB
- Dolby Atmos (EC3_JOC)
- eAC3 (Dolby Digital Plus)
- HE-AACv1 (AAC+)
- HE-AACv2 (enhanced AAC+)
- FLAC
- MIDI
- MP3
- Opus
- PCM/Wave
- Vorbis
Low Power Mode
Both the 3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick and 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite feature a low power mode, which will automatically activate when the devices go to sleep, resulting in lower energy consumption.
System Requirements
The system requirements are the same for all four media playing sticks. You need a HDTV with HDMI input, Wi-Fi internet connection and power outlet.
Warranty
The 2nd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick, 3rd Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick and 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite each come with a 90-day limited warranty and service.
The 1st Gen Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K includes a 1-year limited warranty and service.
You can also purchase an optional 2-year or 3-year extended warranty if you are a U.S. customer.
Resources:
- https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications-fire-tv-stick.html?v=ftvstickgen2
- https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications-fire-tv-stick.html?v=ftvstickgen3
- https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications-fire-tv-stick.html?v=ftvsticklite
- https://developer.amazon.com/docs/fire-tv/device-specifications-fire-tv-stick.html?v=ftvstick4k