Amazon’s New Fire TV User Interface Has A Big Improvement, No Longer Amazon-Centric

Amazon's best selling TV stick has just been upgraded. It is the next-generation Fire TV stick that features Alexa Voice Remote, no cable nor satellite required.

While the Amazon Fire TV stick looks the same as the older model, the features are more advanced. With quad core processor, it clearly has faster processor, and it comes with a remote control with integrated microphone. The user interface is surprisingly new, Yahoo! tells readers, "Amazon's new Fire TV user interface, which will come to the newest generation of Fire TV sticks and Fire TV streaming boxes first, is putting a big emphasis on promoting content of its partners."

A major inconvenience for the older Amazon Fire TV stick model users faced is that if it's not in Amazon Prime, it won't play in Amazon Fire TV. They have to use the individual apps to access those movies and shows. But that is no longer a problem. According to SlashGear, "Now, Amazon is doing that hard work for you, and that might well mean you get better value from whatever services you're subscribed to."

Amazon is now working with content partners like HBO and Netflix. With Amazon Fire TV stick's new update, users can choose their subscribed services, which is given their own row in the user interface. Then, the device will mix all the recommendations including third-party providers' content. Instead of going in and out, shifting windows to access watch lists, Amazon Fire TV home screen displays all its recommendations. In fact, Tech Crunch reveals that, "it plans on adding more partners' recommendation rows in the coming months."

New user interface and added functionality of Amazon Fire TV stick are colossal. Amazon is surprisingly welcoming to content providers with its ongoing support for third-party applications. Considering its price point, Amazon Fire TV stick might just be the product that establishes open relationship with content providers.