Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation): Amazon’s Most Powerful Streaming Device Doesn’t Come Cheap

It’s not often that you receive a product to review and then don’t know what to say or how to feel. That’s what happened when I received the Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation) for review. A month or so later and I want to buy one and send it to my sister even though she already has a Roku Streaming Stick.

The reason I was initially confused as to what to say was that I am already using the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max daily. It’s a device I’ve come to like a lot, and mostly pick over Google’s Chromecast. It’s fast, fluid, and Alexa is easy to use.

What is the Fire TV Cube?

Amazon’s Fire TV Cube - “all-new Fire TV Cube” - launched back in October of 2022. It’s the most powerful Fire TV player yet, according to Amazon. It adds Wi-Fi 6E (with a compatible router), an octa-core processor, 4K streaming support, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision along with the AV1 codec. There’s 2GB of RAM, 16GB of expandable storage and more.

If you’re after more than just simply streaming, then the Fire TV Cube is for you! The Fire TV Cube is a combination of an Echo speaker and a Fire TV Stick. It’s the all-out entertainment solution!

A square design

In comparison to the compact USB-like design of the Fire TV Stick, the Fire TV Cube is a beast. The 3.4-inch square box weighs 465g and is designed to sit in front or on the side of your TV. It’s squarely aimed at being the only entertainment hub you would need. To me, the Fire TV Cube looks stylish and every bit premium. It’s got a soft-touch fabric that I quite like. It compliments the room well and doesn’t look out of place. 

There are four buttons at the top with a blue LED (for when Alexa is active) running across the top edge. At the back of the box is an ethernet jack, an HDMI in port and a USB-A 2.0 port. There’s also the power outlet, HDMI out port and an IR extender (for which you need a compatible cable).

The basic Alexa Voice Remote (slightly different from the one included with the Fire TV Stick 4K Max) is what you get with the Fire TV Cube. This remote does support HDMI-CEC, and can control power and volume without any problems.

At Rs 13,999, the Fire TV Cube doesn’t come cheap, but if you want something more out of your daily driver, then this product is worth considering.

One thing to note is that Amazon doesn’t include an HDMI cable in the box. When buying the Fire TV Cube, just keep this in mind.

What’s good

The Fire TV Cube is one of the most feature-packed streaming devices on the market. It’s got Alexa voice control integration and a far-field microphone array. The Fire TV Cube is all about voice commands. The set-up is fairly easy unless you want to connect the Fire TV Cube with every compatible device in your home entertainment centre. Plug in the Fire TV Cube, turn on the TV and with the help of Alexa, you can be set up and ready to go within minutes.

I immediately noticed that the new Fire TV Cube was incredibly smooth. It was way slicker than the Fire TV Stick I have been using daily. Thanks to the 2.2GHz Octa-core CPU, the 3rd-gen Fire TV Cube is snappier than any streaming device before it. Whether it is scrolling through the menus searching for content, consuming media, or calling upon Alexa, the Fire TV Cube never let me down.

The Fire TV Cube felt like a major upgrade on older televisions. If you have a slow TV or one without any kind of smarts, the Fire TV Cube will give you the upgrade of a lifetime (without having to spend big bucks on a shiny new TV).

One thing that the new processor helps with is multitasking. If you’re watching a football match, and want to switch to another app during half-time, and then back, it can be done with aplomb. It feels like you never switched in the first place.

The Fire TV Cube doubles as a Fire TV and an Echo speaker. So, do the built-in speakers do justice? Absolutely. Going hands-free with the Fire TV Cube is a treat. Even more so because the Fire TV Cube can be used to control other Alexa-enabled devices.

What’s not so good

Honestly, there’s not much to complain about with the Fire TV Cube. One thing that has annoyed me is that despite the sky-high price tag, the ports are very limited. The ethernet port isn’t capable of gigabit speeds, while the USB-A port is 2.0 and not 3.0 (which is 10x faster). This means that the Fire TV Cube is just short of being future-proof. 

Furthermore, the Fire TV Cube lacks support for Google Cast or Apple AirPlay. Casting content from your phone because a little bit harder thanks to this. It does support Miracast and Intel’s Wireless Display (“WiDi”) casting, but not many people out there use these two services. 

My only other complaint with the Fire TV Cube is concerning the abundance of ads. For such a premium product, with a sky-high price, having many ads is a sheer disappointment. You’re already paying for Amazon Prime, what’s the need for so many ads? Just take a look at YouTube Premium and how it has done away with ads for its premium subscribers. The sponsored content takes up the top three rows and takes away from the overall experience. Sure, it gives easy access to Prime Video and Amazon Music, but I'd just like my most recent apps up top. Is that too much to ask, Jeff Bezos (CEO of Amazon)?

Verdict: Is it worth the premium pricing?

The Fire TV Cube (3rd gen) lords over every other product in the Fire TV lineup. It’s worthy of an upgrade - with an octa-core processor, more ports and Wi-Fi 6E support - but falls just short of being a 10/10. The Fire TV Cube also doubles up as an Echo speaker and looks good while doing so. 

The Fire TV Cube (3rd gen) can be your one-stop solution to getting started on the smart home path. It’s a powerful, tiny hub for all your smart home needs. 

If you can stomach the sky-high price, the multitude of ads, and other minor annoyances, then the Fire TV Cube (3rd gen) is the one to get. The device will suit your needs even better if you’re still clinging to an older TV.

My only advice, once you’ve decided you want to buy the Fire TV Cube, is to wait for one of the many discounts throughout the year to snag one.