Amazon is rolling out a redesign of Fire TV that puts more emphasis on content while simplifying navigation and layout. The company says the update is the first major Fire TV release in years from a user experience standpoint, and comes with an updated version of the Fire TV app and the introduction of a new premium Fire TV TV with colorful frames.
The company saw a need to change the look and feel of Fire TV as the amount of streaming content has exploded over the years. Today, Fire TV customers can access TV and movies through purchase, rental, and streaming services, but they also have apps to watch short-form content on their TV, access tons of live TV streams, premium content, podcasts, music, games, and more.
Fire TV’s simple design
“As we move forward with that content, [user interface] “There’s a lot of stuff, there’s a lot of lines, it’s a little cluttered. We know the data. A lot of time is being spent searching. We know… we can do it easier,” Fire TV vice president Aidan Marcus added in an interview with TechCrunch.
The new user interface includes several design changes, including rounded corners, different gradients, consistent typography, and increased spacing between content to reduce interface clutter. You can scroll down to see your favorite rows, such as what’s next, but you can also view your apps in an expanded horizontal row.
Previously, you could only pin six apps to your Fire TV home screen. This was a common complaint from users. However, this update has reduced the size of app icons to show more icons on the home screen, giving you 20 app slots to scroll through.
The navigation at the top of the screen is simplified into easy-to-understand categories such as Movies, TV, Live TV, Sports, and News. There is a search button on the left side of the Home tab.
Fire TV centralizes your access to the content you’re already watching and available across the services you subscribe to through a new tab. It also gives you the ability to discover new content, including recommended movies and shows (the row labeled “For You”), free movies to stream, a list of top movies and shows, and other subscription content you might want to try.
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Although these pages do not offer infinite scrolling, they are longer to represent the depth of content available on the streaming service.
new[ライブ TV]The tab organizes live content from broadcast or cable TV if you have a subscription, in addition to services that have live TV streams built-in. Specifically, the sports section includes access to current live games and other scheduled sports content.
Other TV features are hidden under the three-line hamburger menu icon, including games, art and photos, the Appstore, music videos and audio, the now universal watchlist (“My Stuff”), settings, and other options.
For easy access to commonly used settings, you can now also press and hold the Home button to adjust display and audio settings, set a sleep timer, use accessibility features, access smart home features, and more. From this panel, you can adjust your TV’s brightness, enhance voice interaction, and display your Ring camera feed on screen while you watch.
Amazon claims the redesign also includes rewritten code that makes the interface work faster on some devices.
“The same features are 20% to 30% faster on our most popular devices, because the key is to give people quick access to what they want to see,” Marcuss said.
Built-in AI
Of course, Alexa+ access is built-in, allowing users to ask questions, search for content, and even call an Uber. This AI-powered assistant allows users to ask questions in natural language, refine questions, follow up, and use visual context during chats. For example, you can say “Tell me more about that” when a square tile of a movie or TV show is selected on the screen. You can also ask more nuanced questions, such as “Find more movies that look the same,” or help you find photos and art.
Alexa+ will be available as an add-on subscription after exiting the early access phase (currently requiring opt-in). AI services are also included in your Prime subscription.
Meanwhile, the Fire TV app has also been updated to offer a combination of the traditional remote control and new ways to discover new content. The idea is that people might want to view something on their phone, rather than one person using a remote control to control the content discovery and search experience.
The revamped Fire TV interface and mobile app will roll out in the U.S. on Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd generation), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED series in February.
Later this spring, this redesign will be available in more countries and on more devices, including Fire TV Cube (3rd generation), latest generation Fire TV 2 Series, Fire TV 4 Series, Fire TV Omni QLED Series, and TVs from partners like Hisense, Panasonic, and TCL.
It will also be available when the new Amazon Ember Artline TV launches (see below).
Ember Artline TV: Amazon’s new TV that looks like art
The Ember Artline TV is Amazon’s newest TV that comes with a frame that matches the style and color of your room. Available in 55-inch and 65-inch options, prices start at $899.
The new TV itself features a 4K QLED screen with 800 nits of brightness. The display is also thin at 1.5 inches and has a matte screen finish to reduce glare.
The TV also supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Wi-Fi 6.
However, the biggest selling point is that you can choose from 10 different frame options that offer a variety of colors, textures, and shapes. This allows customers to take better advantage of Fire TV’s ambient features, such as displaying art when the TV is not in use.
Available colors include Walnut, Ash, Teak, Black Oak, Matte White, Midnight Blue, Fig, Pale Gold, Graphite, and Silver.
Fire TV comes with access to over 2,000 pieces of free art, and you can even use your own photos.
You can also ask Alexa+ to display specific photos from your Amazon Photos collection using commands like “Alexa, create a slideshow of my family trip to Colorado” or “Alexa, show me my wedding photos.”
