Overview

The Amazon Fire TV Cube (3rd gen) is a hybrid streaming player and smart speaker that combines 4K HDR streaming with hands-free Alexa and universal IR control. Powered by a hexa-core MediaTek MT8696 processor (2x Cortex-A76 + 2x Cortex-A55 at 1.8 GHz) with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of onboard storage, it handles Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and HLG through its HDMI 2.1 output. The built-in far-field microphone array lets you call up Netflix, Prime Video, or Apple TV+ by voice, while the IR blaster and HDMI-CEC can control your TV, soundbar, and cable box - replacing up to three remotes. At roughly 3.4 inches cubed, it competes directly with the Apple TV 4K ($129) and Google TV Streamer ($99).

Design & Build

The Fire TV Cube measures 3.4 x 3.4 x 3.0 inches (86 x 86 x 77 mm) and weighs 17.6 oz (499 g), giving it a compact, unobtrusive footprint that blends into any entertainment center. The matte black plastic exterior hides a small LED light bar on the front and a grid of four far-field microphones on top. Around back you get HDMI 2.1 input (for passthrough), HDMI 2.1 output (eARC), USB-A, IR extender port, Ethernet (10/100), and the power barrel jack. Unlike the Google TV Streamer’s clean puck design or the Apple TV 4K’s glossy aluminum finish, the Cube’s textured finish is utilitarian but effective - it needs to sit within line of sight of your other components for the IR blaster to work.

Performance

The hexa-core CPU (2x Cortex-A76 at 1.8 GHz + 2x Cortex-A55 at 1.8 GHz) paired with 2GB DDR4 RAM delivers snappy app launches and fluid 4K UI navigation in Fire OS 7 (Android 11-based). Prime Video, Netflix, and Disney+ load in under 3 seconds from cold start, and 4K Dolby Vision streams play back without stutter. Wi-Fi 6E support ensures fast wireless streaming even on congested networks, while the 100 Mbps Ethernet port provides a stable fallback. Dolby Atmos TrueHD passthrough over HDMI eARC works cleanly with compatible soundbars and AVRs. In daily use, the Cube feels marginally faster than the Google TV Streamer and roughly on par with the Apple TV 4K for UI responsiveness, though the Apple TV’s A15 Bionic still wins on heavy gaming.

Features

Streaming Ecosystem: The Fire TV Cube runs Fire OS 7, giving you access to Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, Apple TV+, Hulu, HBO Max, Peacock, YouTube, and thousands of other apps from the Amazon Appstore. The Alexa voice remote (included) has dedicated buttons for Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+, and Amazon Music.

Hands-Free Alexa: The four far-field microphones can hear wake-word commands from across the room, even with music playing. You can launch apps, search content, control smart home devices, check weather, and control volume - all without touching a remote. This is a capability neither the Apple TV 4K nor Google TV Streamer offers natively.

Universal IR Control: The built-in IR blaster plus the included IR extender cable lets the Cube control your TV, soundbar, A/V receiver, and cable/satellite box. During initial setup, the Cube scans for compatible devices and auto-configures power, volume, and input switching - effectively replacing up to three remotes.

HDMI Passthrough: A unique HDMI 2.1 input on the rear lets you connect a cable box or game console through the Cube, reducing the number of HDMI ports you need on your TV. The input supports 4K HDR passthrough at up to 60 Hz with low latency.

Pros

• Hands-free Alexa with far-field mics - unique among streaming boxes (Apple TV 4K and Google TV Streamer lack built-in voice assistants)
• Wi-Fi 6E support for faster, less congested wireless streaming (up to 1.2 Gbps theoretical throughput)
• HDMI 2.1 input with passthrough reduces TV port demands and keeps HDR quality
• Universal IR blaster can replace up to three remotes (TV, soundbar, cable box)
• Dolby Vision + HDR10+ + Dolby Atmos TrueHD passthrough covers all major HDR and audio formats

Cons

• 16GB storage (only ~10GB usable) - less than the Apple TV 4K’s 64GB base; heavy app installers will chafe
• 100 Mbps Ethernet instead of gigabit - a bottleneck for high-bitrate local streaming vs the Apple TV 4K’s gigabit port
• USB-A port is limited to media playback only (no external storage for app expansion)
• Alexa voice remote feels plasticky compared to the Apple TV 4K’s aluminum Siri Remote or the Google TV Streamer’s haptic-backed remote
• Heavier ad integration in Fire OS home screen compared to the cleaner Apple tvOS interface

Verdict

The Amazon Fire TV Cube earns an 8.2/10 for its unique combination of 4K streaming, hands-free Alexa, and universal IR control at a street price of ~$118. It outperforms the Google TV Streamer on wireless speed (Wi-Fi 6E vs Wi-Fi 5) and voice control, but falls short of the Apple TV 4K in raw horsepower, storage capacity (16 GB vs 64 GB), and Ethernet speed (100 Mbps vs 1 Gbps). For households already invested in Alexa smart home devices, the Cube’s IR blaster and far-field voice control make it the most versatile streaming hub available.

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Sources

• Amazon Fire TV Cube Product Page - amazon.com
• Amazon Fire TV Cube - Wikipedia - wikipedia.org
• Amazon Fire TV Cube Review - PCMag - pcmag.com
• Amazon Fire TV Cube Specs - Wikipedia - wikipedia.org
• Buy on Amazon - amazon.com
• Buy on eBay - ebay.com