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  • Amazon's new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is now available for preorder.
  • The upgraded streaming device costs $55, includes support for Wi-Fi 6, and has an improved processor.
  • The Fire TV Stick 4K Max will be officially released on October 7.

One of the most popular streaming sticks on the market is getting an upgrade. Amazon announced its new Fire TV Stick 4K Max on September 9. You can preorder the improved streaming device right now, and shipments are expected to go out by October 7.

If you're looking for a new streaming device or want to upgrade your current Fire TV Stick 4K, you can check out a full breakdown of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max's new features, below.

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How to preorder Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max

You can now preorder the Fire TV Stick 4K Max on Amazon. The device costs $55, and October 7 is the expected delivery date. Amazon is the only retailer where you can currently place a preorder.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
$54.99 from Amazon

This new streaming device costs $5 more than the retail price of Amazon's standard Fire TV Stick 4K. That said, the Fire TV Stick 4K is now on sale at Amazon for just $35, which makes it a more appealing buy.
Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. Great Price
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K
The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K streams video in 4K straight to your TV. You can get $15 off its usual price of $50.
$34.99 from Amazon
Originally $49.99Save 30%

What's different about the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max?

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is designed to serve as an upgraded version of the existing Fire TV Stick 4K. Most notably, the navigation is expected to be smoother and apps will load faster with 2GB of RAM and a quad-core 1.8GHz processor. Amazon claims this device is 40% more powerful than its predecessor, the Fire TV Stick 4K.

Wi-Fi 6 is another brand-new feature in the Fire TV Stick 4K Max. The Apple TV 4K that was released earlier this year also includes Wi-Fi 6, but Apple's device has a retail price of $179. For only $55, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a more budget-friendly option for buyers who want the latest Wi-Fi standard.

The inclusion of Wi-Fi 6 is aimed at providing an improved experience for people with multiple devices connected when streaming in 4K or cloud gaming with Amazon's Luna. For $100, you can preorder a bundle from Amazon that includes the Fire TV Stick 4K Max and a Luna controller. 

Like the older Fire TV Stick 4K, the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max also supports all of the latest video and audio formats, including Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, HDR10, and HDR10+. An Alexa voice remote is included for digital assistant support.
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
$54.99 from Amazon

Should you preorder the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max?

Based on the specifications Amazon announced, the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max looks like a very capable streaming stick for $55. This is especially true if you're someone in the market for a streaming device and don't already own a previous Fire TV Stick model.

That said, it remains to be seen how much better it performs over the existing Fire TV Stick 4K. The improved hardware should enable faster navigation, but general video playback capabilities are the same. If you're someone who craves snappier navigation, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max could be a worthwhile upgrade, but you may want to wait until reviews are out before making the jump.
Reece Rogers
Streaming Fellow, Insider Reviews
Reece Rogers is a Streaming Fellow for the Insider Reviews team. They have written for WIRED, The Daily Beast, The Los Angeles Review of Books, and elsewhere. After graduating from college, they were a smartphone repair technician for a short stint and performed soldering magic on far too many iPhones.  See below for some of their work. Learn more about how our team of experts tests and reviews products at Insider here.

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