BTTR is independent. We may earn a commission if you buy through our links. Why trust us?
As much as I love the advancements in image quality with the best TVs you can buy today, I'm not a big fan of "smart" TVs. I still prefer to use a third party connection to control my media, so you don't have to sit through hideous half-screen ads while trying to find something to watch.
Amazon's one of the few players still playing in the streaming hardware space, and it's just updated the Fire TV Stick HD to its most portable and slimline design yet.
The new Fire TV Stick HD is Amazon's slimmest streaming device, trimmed down around 30% in width compared to the previous generation.
That slimmer body lets it fit more neatly into an HDMI port without blocking nearby plugs or cords, and it's small enough to slip into a carry-on bag for travel.
The new model also features Direct Power, which lets you run the stick entirely from your TV's USB port using the included cable, without the need for wall adapter. If your TV doesn't have a USB port, a standard USB-C cable and adapter will also do the job.
What's new under the hood
Amazon says the new stick is more than 30% faster on average than the last-generation HD model, which means quicker boot times and snappier app launches.
It ships with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3, both solid upgrades for keeping your connection reliable in homes with a lot of devices competing for bandwidth.
The stick also ships with Amazon's latest Fire TV interface, redesigned to feel less cluttered. Movies and TV shows are better organised into categories, you can pin your most-used apps to the home screen, and smarter recommendations mean less time scrolling through content you don't want.
Amazon is also flagging an upcoming Adaptive Display accessibility feature, which will scale up text, menus, and content artwork to make everything easier to read on screen. No firm release date yet, but Amazon says it's coming in the months ahead.
Pricing and availability
The all-new Fire TV Stick HD is available to pre-order now for $79 from Amazon.com.au, with shipping beginning April 29, 2026. It will also be available at JB Hi-Fi, Officeworks, and The Good Guys.
Latest streaming device deals
