Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for Prime Day - but you should buy the Chromecast instead

(Image credit: Google)

No surprises here, practically all of Amazon's first-party 'Fire' branded hardware is featured front and centre in the Prime Day sales. That includes all three 4K capable streamers that Amazon currently sells, the Fire TV Stick 4K, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and the Fire TV Cube.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max was ££65 now £38 (save £27) at Amazon
The Max edition of the Fire TV Stick 4K adds snappier internals and Wi-Fi 6 to the mix - if your router supports it. Overall streaming is a touch more consistent, and menu navigation does feel a little bit quicker, but its not a night and day difference. However, considering it costs just £3 more than the standard model, you're probably better off going for this Stick over the regular one, as the more powerful guts mean it'll likely stay quick for longer.
Read our Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max review

So which one should you actually buy? If you're set on a Fire streamer, then the standard Stick 4K is probably the best value for money here. At just £35 in the Prime Day sales, it's a pretty accessible way to get into 4K streaming. The Max is just a small step up at £38 and for that minuscule price increase, we'd say it's probably worth the upgrade if it means you're Amazon streamer will last longer - thanks to that upgraded processor.

The Fire TV Cube is a bit of a dud however, as even though it's a pretty tempting offer at £109, you still have to be pretty serious about Amazon streaming in order to justify it - especially considering it outclassed in the picture and sound categories by the Apple TV 4K which isn't a shed load more expensive at £149.

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Realistically, the two 4K Fire TV Sticks are your best bet, but only if you're not compromising on the Amazon aspect, as there is a much better streaming deal to be had as part of Amazon Prime Day - and ironically it's the Fire TV Stick's main competitor.

That's right folks, Google's Award-winning Fire TV Stick competitor, the Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is just £2 more than the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. If you've read our head-to-head comparison between the two streamers, then you'll know the picture and sound of the Chromecast is leagues ahead of the Fire TV Stick, so that £2 increase is more than worth it.

With a much more considerate design that doesn't block nearby HDMI ports, the Chromecast is a sleeker puck with a trimmed-down remote to match. Available in either Snow or Sky (white or blue) the 4K Chromecast gets the smarts of the Google Assistant and wide compatibility of the Play Store, making it a supreme streamer.

Moving onto picture and sound, the Chromecast delivers a much more natural and authentic approach to both that the Fire Stick can't quite match. Visually, it's a touch cleaner, more engaging and the colours look more natural, while its sonic presentation is more textured and timing is much better too.

The Chromecast is also stacked when it comes to features, with HDR support in the HDR10, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision HDR formats, as well as the newly implemented content frame matching system which Netflix has just adopted, in order to create smoother motion. You can also wireless stream to the Chromecast via Bluetooth or pairing a phone or tablet - unsurprisingly, Google's own Pixel devices and Android phones work best.

Overall, the Chromecast is the best TV streamer to go for in my mind, especially with £20 knocked off the asking price.

MORE:

Read our full Google Chromecast with Google TV review

Check out the best Prime Day deals still available

And the best Prime Day TV deals

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Lewis Empson is a Senior Staff Writer on What Hi-Fi?. He was previously Gaming and Digital editor for Cardiff University's 'Quench Magazine', Lewis graduated in 2021 and has since worked on a selection of lifestyle magazines and regional newspapers. Outside of work, he enjoys gaming, gigs and regular cinema trips.