In a surprise announcement last week, Amazon revealed it is releasing a brand-new Fire TV Stick on April 29, a refreshed version of the Fire TV Stick HD, its entry-level 1080p streaming stick.
Without a doubt, the new Fire TV Stick HD’s biggest drawback is that it runs Vega OS, Amazon’s new Linux-based operating system that doesn’t support sideloading. Though it’s not all bad news. The new Fire TV Stick HD has a few welcome upgrades, including improved performance and a new slim design, which Amazon claims makes it its “slimmest streaming device” ever. It also no longer requires a wall plug and can be powered directly from your TV’s USB port, making setup even easier.
However, there is one more upgrade that flew under the radar that Amazon has packed into the new Fire TV Stick HD: it’s equipped with a USB-C port rather than Micro-USB, marking the first time ever a Fire Stick has featured USB-C.
Because of this, Amazon is releasing a brand-new Ethernet adapter to match its new USB-C connector, and it also has one major upgrade over the old Micro-USB version: it seems to offer Gigabit Ethernet instead of 100 Mbps Ethernet (via AFTV News). Unfortunately, there’s one big problem.
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Amazon
- Bluetooth codecs
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Bluetooth 5.3
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Wi-Fi 6
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1080p (HD)
Amazon isn’t claiming the adapter is Gigabit
It’s seemingly capable of Gigabit, but it seems the Fire TV Stick HD can’t handle it
While Amazon is releasing a new Ethernet adapter for its new Fire TV Stick HD, it’s not actually claiming it’s a Gigabit adapter. On the product page, it’s advertised as supporting “up to 480mbps when used with Fire TV Stick HD (2nd Gen).”
This means it isn’t 100 Mbps Ethernet, nor is it truly Gigabit Ethernet. Since there’s no official Ethernet standard between 100 Mbps and Gigabit, the adapter needs to support Gigabit to achieve 480 Mbps on the new Fire TV Stick HD. So, why doesn’t it reach 1 Gbps then?
Amazon has introduced a new Gigabit Ethernet adapter, but it hasn’t released a new Fire TV Stick that can fully utilize it. At least, not yet.
As AFTV News reports, the issue likely stems from the new Fire TV Stick HD’s USB-C port being limited to USB 2.0 rather than USB 3.0. This means that although the adapter is technically capable of Gigabit speeds, the new Fire TV Stick HD can’t actually achieve them because USB 2.0’s bandwidth is too limited.
So, what this boils down to is that Amazon has introduced a new Gigabit Ethernet adapter, but it hasn’t released a new Fire TV Stick that can fully utilize it. At least, not yet.
This new Ethernet adapter could be a sign of what’s to come
A Fire TV Stick 4K Max with USB 3.0?
Although it’s disappointing that the new Fire TV Stick HD tops out at just 480 Mbps with Amazon’s new USB-C Ethernet adapter, it does raise an interesting question about what this accessory could mean for future Fire TV Sticks.
Amazon hasn’t confirmed anything about its future roadmap, so this is purely speculation on my part, but it’s hard to imagine the company not eventually releasing a new Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and 4K Max with the same slim design as the new HD stick and a USB-C port that could support faster USB 3.0 speeds.
If that happens, this new USB-C Ethernet adapter suddenly becomes a lot more interesting.
The new Fire TV Stick HD having USB 2.0 isn’t all that surprising, given it’s the cheap entry-level model. But for pricier models, especially a new Fire TV Stick 4K Max in the future, it would make a lot of sense for Amazon to step things up by adding proper USB 3.0 support on the USB-C port.
If that happens, this new USB-C Ethernet adapter suddenly becomes a lot more interesting. While it’s capped at 480 Mbps on the current HD stick, hopefully, it’s only a matter of time before a new Fire TV Stick rolls around that’s actually capable of unlocking its full Gigabit capabilities.
For now, the new Fire TV Stick HD launches on April 29 for $35, and the new USB-C Ethernet Adapter for it costs $20.
