Amazon Fire TV OS Undergoes a Revitalizing Overhaul

Amazon's Fire TV system has long lagged behind its competitors like Google, Roku, and Apple in both interface intuitiveness and system speed, leading it to be viewed as an area needing improvement within Amazon's selection. These shortcomings have been notably evident in high-quality TVs such as the Panasonic Z95B. After being introduced to the upcoming changes, however, there is newfound optimism about the Fire TV OS revamp.

The redesigned user interface is more logically structured and draws inspiration from Google TV, which has been lauded for its design. The new Fire TV appearance is more visually appealing, featuring tiles with smoother edges as opposed to the previous sharp corners. The interface facilitates much easier navigation. Instead of apps being clustered in the middle, tabs are now strategically placed across the screen's top, offering quick access to sections like search, home, movies, TV series, sports, news, and live programming. This arrangement enables the aggregation of content from all your subscriptions under each genre tab, rather than segregating by individual apps.

Users can now explore their app collection on a dedicated line of the interface. The ability to pin up to 20 frequently used apps, in any preferred order, is a noteworthy improvement over the previous limit of six. While the presence of sponsored content remains a characteristic of streaming interfaces, Amazon has optimized its display across its platform.

The Fire TV's backbone was optimized for performance; Amazon reports an enhanced speed by about 30 percent in responsiveness. Users can now swiftly navigate to games, art, photos, and Amazon’s specialized Ambient Experience through menu shortcuts. Additionally, pressing the home button offers rapid access to audio, display settings, and connected gadgets like Ring cameras, making everyday controls more approachable.

Incorporating Alexa+ into the revamped OS grants users the convenience of locating content, retrieving sports stats, or managing smart devices like thermostats and lighting through voice commands.

The revamp extends to the Fire TV mobile app too. Beyond doubling as a substitute remote control, the app now allows users to look for content, manage a personalized watch list, and select media to display on their home television. The application becomes especially handy while away from home; a suggested show or movie can be conveniently saved for later viewing even on the go.

The rollout of this updated interface will commence in February with devices like the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus, Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Gen), and Fire TV Omni Mini-LED TVs seeing the first wave of updates. Later in the spring season, other models, including the latest Fire TV 4K streaming players and compatible TVs from brands such as Panasonic, Hisense, TCL, and Insignia, will receive the update. Newly released devices will arrive equipped with the enhanced OS right out of the box.