Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen Review – Is It Worth It?

| Updated on March 26, 2024

With Fire TV Products, Amazon reinvented the idea of what a TV should be and paved the way for the next generation of the viewing experience. The most recent entry in the line of hi-tech Amazon devices is the Fire TV Cube. 

So far, the Fire TV Cube is its most advanced version.

Fire TV Cube 3rd gen

The Fire TV Cube provides the features of both Fire TV & Echo Speaker in one product. With the first generation of Fire TV Cube coming out in mid-2018, this year Amazon released the 3rd generation of Amazon Fire TV Cube.

Amazon Echo 4th Generation 2023 is another smart speaker option.

Priced at $139.99, the Fire TV Cube is the most expensive product Amazon has ever launched, being significantly more expensive than other Fire TV Products. For a product as expensive as a Fire TV Cube, it needs to provide a lot of features to make up for its high price. 

Despite its high price, the Fire TV Cube does offer a set of advanced features that will make anyone purchase this. But, before you make any purchase you should be aware of its pros and cons. 

As someone needed to review the Amazon Fire TV Cube below, we have given a proper review of the Fire TV Cube. 

Take a look at what features it provides and see what cons will be coming to your side so you know if the newest Amazon Fire TV Cube model works as well as other Fire TV products. 

Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen 2023 Overview

amazon fire tv cube 2022 review

The Amazon Fire TV Cube is the first media streaming device to offer a completely hands-free voice control option. While the devices before this one came with a remote that came with a voice search option, this device is fully capable of operating through voice commands. 

The Amazon Fire TV Cube contains a truly voice-controlled interface. Though it still offers four buttons at the top for additional control, you won’t ever have to push them.

With Alexa voice commands at your disposal, anything users were able to do with a remote before can now be done through their voice. 

Apart from Voice control, the Fire TV Cube is Amazon’s fastest and most advanced streaming player. Offering a better interface and better streaming quality it also supports 4K streaming in most HDR formats.

Being a 3rd gen product, the Fire TV Cube offers the best of what the technology can do and also offers slight upgrades from the previous two Cube models. 

Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen Specifications:

Resolution4K UHD
HDRDolby Vision, HDR, HDR10+ & HLG
PortsHDMI 2.1 (Input & Output), IR Extender, Power, USB, Ethernet Port
Networking802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax 
ProcessorOcta-Core
AudioDolby Atmos & Digital Plus
RemoteVoice Control & Alexa Fire TV 4th Gen Remote
Storage16GB
RAM2GB
Dimensions3.38 x 3.38 x 2.99 in (W x D x H)
Weight1.13lb
WiFi SupportWiFi 6E
Bluetooth SupportBluetooth 5.0 + LE
Price$142.98

The improvements made to this model are mentioned below in the Amazon Fire TV Cube 2023 review. 

How Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen is Better Than the Previous Two Models

According to Amazon, the Fire TV Cube 3rd gen performs 20% better than the previous model. You can see how the Fire TV Cube 3rd gen has improved from its past versions below.

Processor 

The first-gen Fire TV Cube came with a quad-core (ARM 4xCA53) processor & the second-gen had a Hexa-core processor (ARM Mali G52-MP2). A notable upgrade the 3rd gen Cube had on it was that it came with an octa-core processor (4x 2.2GHz 4x 2.0GHz). 

The Octa-core processor can be credited as the reason why 3rd gen Fire TV Cube performs 20% better than its predecessors. 

WiFi Connectivity

While the previous two versions had 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; 2×2 MIMO WiFi standard with 1st gen Fire TV Cube supporting only 2.4 GHz, The 3rd gen Cube has 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/ax wifi networks (2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz dual band), it also compatible with 6E Triband which is the latest WiFi standard.

Bluetooth Connectivity

Both the first gen & second gen Cubes supported Bluetooth 4.2 + LE which is the most common Bluetooth encryption, the 3rd gen Cube comes with Bluetooth 5.0 + LE encryption which is said to be twice as fast, capable of transferring 8 times as much data, and a range four times bigger than the previous version.

Remote Control

As some users may be unable to fully control their devices through their voice, an Amazon Fire TV Remote is provided with the Fire TV Cube.

4th gen fire tv alexa voice remote

The 3rd gen Cube comes with a 4th gen Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote, while the previous two versions came with the 2nd & 1st gen Alexa Voice Remotes. 

HDMI

Another advantage Fire TV Cube 3rd gen has over its previous versions is that it contains an HDMI input port which allows you to connect cable TV & consoles with Fire TV Cube. The previous two versions only contained an HDMI output port.

As you have read, the Fire TV Cube 3rd gen is a massive upgrade from the previous versions. Anyone who didn’t like the first two models of Fire TV Cube can surely appreciate the 3rd gen model. 

It should be noted that this device does have its faults, below we have mentioned the pros and cons of using the Amazon Fire TV Cube, this will give you an understanding of what it is like to use this device.

Pros of Using Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen

For a device that combines the Amazon Fire TV & Alexa Echo, there are bound to be a lot of benefits. The Amazon Fire TV Cube is by far one of the most promising devices to be released in the market. 

The biggest pro of Fire TV Cube is that it allows its users to control their devices through their voice. While Alexa voice commands were available in previous devices, they were mostly used to do simple stuff, but this device can be fully controlled through voice commands without any need for a remote.

The Fire TV Cube will also look good in your room. Its design is also an upgrade from the previous two versions as now it is covered by a fabric similar to Amazon Echo, making the device better looking.

fire tv cube top side

The top side of the Cube contains four buttons which are Action, Mic off, Volume Up & Down. An LED strip is also installed at the top which will glow in the direction from which your voice will come. 

Also compatible with other devices, this device is suited for smart homes. The HDMI input port allows you to connect Fire TV Cube with your cable tv and with gaming consoles. Another thing it is capable of doing is accessing your camera, if you have a lot of surveillance cameras at your home then you can access them through the Amazon Cube. 

Not to mention that in a smart home this device will allow you to control everything from your voice. 

A Fire TV Remote is provided which you can use till you get the hang of the Voice Controlled interface. But you probably won’t need it as Fire TV Cube 3rd gen is easy to navigate.

The 3rd gen Fire TV Cube comes with an octa-core processor(4x 2.2GHz 4x 2.0GHz), 2GB RAM, and 16GB of storage. The device is also compatible with 6E WiFi & Bluetooth 5.0 making it one of the best and strongest streaming devices in the market. You can easily stream at 60FPS from the Fire TV Cube. 

Being both strong & fast, the Fire TV Cube is capable of using super-resolution upscaling, which converts any footage into 4K for a better viewing experience.

Cons of Using Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen

Despite all its pros, there are areas where the Amazon Fire TV Cube fails to benefit its users. 

The biggest disadvantage of using Fire TV Cube is the number of ads you’ll have to go through. 

While no one likes ads, you will start to hate them even more after using the Fire TV Cube. this device will even show you ads when your screen is left idle or on screensaver mode. 

The high amount of ads is the biggest problem users of Fire TV Cube will face, but another aspect of this which can disturb them sometimes can be controlling their TV through their voice. 

While it feels good to fully control your TV from your voice, there are times when that is not possible. Using voice commands all the time can be a problem for some people and at times navigating through Fire TV Cube will get complicated. 

So far, the only con of Fire TV Cube is its high number of ads and the high price of $139.99 which a lot of people won’t be able to afford. 

Amazon Fire Cube VS Fire Stick – Which One Is Better?

fire cube vs fire stick

Now you must be thinking about what to buy between the Fire TV Cube & Fire TV Stick. With both of the products being the right media streaming device, there is bound to be a Fire Cube vs Fire Stick comparison.

Though Fire TV Stick is an amazing device, if you’re looking for a better option then you should choose Fire TV Cube.

Even a product as good as Fire TV Stick pales in comparison in front of Fire TV Cube. It should be noted that the Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd gen is capable of doing everything the Fire TV Stick & the Amazon Echo speaker does.

Below we have given a detailed comparison between Fire TV Cube & Fire TV Stick. Going through this, you’ll have a better understanding of how the two devices compare with each other in different areas.

Design 

Starting with the design, the Fire Stick’s design makes it similar to an oversized USB drive. The Fire Cube, on the other hand, is a 3.4-inch box that is designed to be placed in front of your TV.

Seeing how both devices are designed to be placed in different places, the Fire Cube has a way better design than the Fire Stick. 

Performance

Being the latest and most advanced streaming device by Amazon, Fire Cube performs way faster and better than any previous product by Amazon, including Fire Stick.

Fire Stick has received its fair share of negative criticism for being slugging, and lags have been reported frequently by its users. Fire Cube has improved on this, its users won’t be having any problems as its Quad-Core processor is capable of handling everything.  

Features

In terms of Features, Fire Cube does everything Fire Stick does and also works as an Echo Speaker. In terms of technology and use, Fire Cube improves upon everything a Fire Stick & Echo Speaker does and combines it.

Fire Cube ends up being a way better device than the Fire Stick; though Fire Stick is still a device that you will benefit from, Fire Cube makes Fire Stick obsolete. 

Anyone looking for a streaming box will be way better with Fire Cube than Fire Stick, but Fire Stick is still a viable option for people who aren’t interested in using voice commands and paying $139.99 for the Amazon Fire TV Cube 3rd gen. 

FAQ

Is it worth getting a Fire TV Cube?

Yes, the Amazon Fire TV Cube is a device worth its price and it deserves a place in front of your TV. It can be used as an Echo Speaker, and it also works as a Fire TV Stick.

Is the Fire TV Cube better than the 4k Fire TV Stick?

Yes, since Fire TV Cube utilizes super-resolution upscaling which converts any footage to 4K quality it is a better device than the 4K Fire TV Stick.

Can I change my cable tv channels from Fire TV Cube?

Yes, Fire TV Cube is capable of changing your Cable TV channels.

Is the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen suitable for gaming consoles?

Yes, the Fire TV Cube 3rd Gen works especially well with gaming consoles, it will make your gaming experience even better, but you might have some problems while switching to different apps.


Khushboo Chhibber

Senior Web Writer and Video Creator


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