Amazon announced its updated Fire TV family of products, including its first ever Amazon-branded smart TVs, the Amazon Fire TV Omni Series and Amazon Fire TV 4 Series, and a new Fire TV Stick. Both new TVs are available for pre-order on Amazon, and will officially release on October 27. Both will be available from either Amazon or Best Buy.
As smart TVs become more ubiquitous — 70 percent of Americans had access to a smart TV in 2020 — companies are consequently competing for the largest slice of the pie. Given the above launches and if you’re interested in upgrading your own smart TV right now, here’s what to know about these new smart TVs.
Amazon Fire TV Omni Series
Amazon’s premium smart TV in this release, the Omni Series is a 4K Ultra HD resolution television that comes in 43-, 50-, 55-, 65- and 75-inch sizes — the 65- and 75-inch sizes providing support for Dolby Vision. It offers the option for hands-free TV — the TV has microphones built in that allow for Alexa voice control without the need for a remote. You can turn the TV on or off, switch inputs, and adjust settings only using your voice. The TV can also be integrated with your smart home devices — you can manage your other devices, check to see if they are working and even view your smart home cameras from your TV, all using voice control. With a webcam installed, you can also use your Omni Series TV for Alexa video calling, and later this year, Zoom video calls will also be available on the TV (a first for any smart TV).
Amazon Fire TV 4 Series
The 4 Series offers the same 4K resolution as the Omni Series, and comes in 43-, 50- and 55-inch sizes. Though dropping the hands-free capabilities of the Omni, the 4 series comes with the same voice control features, you just need to use the Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote. Overall, the smart TV capabilities are essentially the same as the Omni Series, with the same Fire TV operating system, and the 4 Series checks in at $40 less in each size. If you don’t need hands-free capabilities or a TV greater than 55 inches, the 4 series could be a good value.
Amazon’s TV release joins other recent arrivals in the smart TV space, including Samsung’s new FRAME and Vizio’s new V-Series, to name a few.
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