The Amazon Fire Stick 4K is down to its lowest price of the year at just $25 ahead of Prime Day

]Has your TV remote been letting you down lately? Slow, laggy and just not as intuitive or responsive as you'd like it to be. Do you get the spinning wheel of content death? Have time to grab a drink and go to the bathroom after you launch a streaming service before it actually loads? We feel you — same here. It's really a bummer, especially with so much excellent content available these days. But there's good news: Right now, Amazon's Fourth of July sale is going on, and the mega-retailer is offering the newest model of its Fire Stick for 50% off. And believe us when we tell you it's a serious upgrade. Let's get into it!

Why is it a good deal? 💰

Well, for starters, you're getting Amazon's newest Fire Stick for half off. Have you ever seen any new tech discounted to half its price shortly after release? That alone is enough to make it add to cart-worthy. But also, consider this: For about the price of a movie ticket and small popcorn, the Fire Stick 4K offers quick and easy access to more content than you'll ever be able to watch in a lifetime. We're talking 1.5 million TV shows and movies at your fingertips. If you like chilling on your couch and catching the newest season of The Bear or want to be among the first to see Sinners when it's released this month, this deal is for you.

Why do I need this? 🤔

There's a lot to love about the new stick, including that "4K" right in the name. If you have a 4K TV, this device is optimized for your existing setup. It's powered by a quad-core 1.7 GHz processor, which means quicker app starts and more fluid navigation — or, as Amazon says, "It makes getting to the good stuff even easier." And Wi-Fi 6 support means you won't experience lags and other hiccups, even if others in your house are connected to the same router. You can also expect more intuitive, AI-powered search functionality — just hold down the mic button and tell Alexa exactly what you want. Want to see rom-coms with a love triangle? Ask for that. Eager to watch a horror movie that involves the paranormal? Yep, that too.

And, if you're a gamer, the 4K stick lets you play Xbox titles, no console required. You can stream popular games like Starfield, Forza Motorsport, Palworld and "hundreds" of other high-quality games directly from the doodad with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate via cloud gaming. These are just a few of the more tangible features. The stick also offers access to Dolby Vision and even lets you control other smart-home tech in your house, like a thermostat or lights.

What reviewers say 💬

Over 60,000 five-star fans say Amazon's new streaming remote offers stellar picture quality, intuitive programming, and is easy to set up.

Pros 👍

"I bought this Fire TV Stick thinking it would help me stream The Office for the 47th time in peace. What I didn’t expect was for it to basically become my new life coach," said one self-actualized shopper. "The 4K quality? So sharp I started cleaning my living room just because the dust on my TV stand looked extra high-def. The AI-powered search is wild — it’s like it knows what I want before I do. My social life may suffer, but my binge game is elite."

"I love being able to stream Xbox games without a console," remarked a gratified gamer. "And Wi-Fi 6 keeps everything smooth even when the network’s busy. It’s the ultimate all-in-one device for streaming and smart-home control."

"Setup? Ridiculously simple," shared a final succinct shopper. "Navigation? Smooth like jazz. Lag? Nonexistent. This thing moves faster than I do when someone says 'free snacks in the break room.'"

Cons 👎

While some buyers feel this little device is magic in a stick, others reported some issues.

"Amazing amount of apps available," remarked one user before adding that, unfortunately, "Limited memory restricts the amount of apps you can download unless you add an outside memory stick."

"I cannot tell you how annoying it is when I pause a show, come back and my TV is off and I have to reopen the app," said another.

If you have Amazon Prime, you’ll get free shipping, of course. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $35 or more.)

The reviews quoted above reflect the most recent versions at the time of publication.