Amazon has announced several updates for its Fire TV products, aiming to make it easier for people to find and enjoy content at home. The company is rolling out a new user interface for Fire TV, launching a redesigned mobile app, and introducing a new lifestyle TV called the Amazon Ember Artline. These changes focus on making content discovery simpler and giving users more options for how they use their TVs.
The updated Fire TV user interface is designed to be faster and more organized than before. People in the United States are now spending more time searching for something to watch, with recent research showing an average of 12 minutes spent looking for content, up from 10.5 minutes the previous year. The new interface groups content by type, such as movies, sports, and live TV, across all installed apps. This means you can see all your movie options in one place, regardless of which streaming service they come from. The design has been updated with new layouts, rounded corners, fresh color gradients, and better spacing. The underlying code was also rebuilt, which Amazon says can make the system up to 20 to 30 percent faster in some cases. People will get the new interface through a free software update.
Another improvement includes letting users pin up to 20 apps to their home screen, up from the previous limit of six. There are new ways to access features, such as pressing the Menu button on the remote to quickly reach Games, Art & Photos, and the Ambient Experience. Amazon Photos can now be linked to Fire TV, making it easy to see personal photos on the TV screen. There is also a shortcut panel that can be brought up by holding the Home button on the remote. This panel gives quick access to important controls, including audio and display settings, connected cameras, and smart home device controls.
Alexa+, Amazon’s voice assistant with generative AI, is now integrated throughout the Fire TV system. By talking to Alexa+, users can get personalized recommendations, add titles to a watchlist, get game stats, create background screensavers, and control smart home devices. Alexa+ also allows users to describe a scene in a movie they want to watch, and Fire TV will skip to that scene on Prime Video. This feature is meant to save time and make it easier to find what you want.
The Fire TV mobile app has also been redesigned. While many people use it as a backup remote, the new version adds more features. Users can browse content, manage their watchlist, and play titles on their TV from the app. The look of the app now matches the new Fire TV design. The app is free to download and can be used as a second screen. For example, you can add a show to your watchlist while away from home if a friend makes a recommendation.
Amazon has sold over 300 million Fire TV devices worldwide, including streaming sticks and TVs made by partners such as Hisense, Panasonic, TCL, and Xiaomi. Amazon has also expanded its own TV line with series like the Fire TV 2-Series, 4-Series, and Omni QLED Series. The company’s TVs include features such as the Ambient Experience, which lets the TV display photos and art when someone is in the room, and powers down to save energy when no one is present. These features have been well received, leading Amazon to give its TV line a new name: Amazon Ember. The first product under this name is the Amazon Ember Artline.
The Amazon Ember Artline is a 4K QLED TV that supports Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Wi-Fi 6. It has a thin frame at 1.5 inches thick and a matte screen to reduce glare and display art or photos clearly in any lighting. The TV comes with access to over 2,000 pieces of free art, making it suitable for different rooms and styles. This new product is designed to fit into people’s homes not just as a TV, but also as a way to show art and personal photos.
These updates are focused on making it easier for people to find and watch what they want, while also offering new ways to use their TVs for art and home control. With changes to the interface, new features in the mobile app, and the addition of the Ember Artline TV, Amazon is making adjustments based on how people use their products at home.
View the original press release.
