Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K was launched in India on Thursday, May 9. The third generation of the Amazon Fire TV Stick comes with some significant improvements over its predecessor. The new Fire TV Stick 4K comes with a remote that has dedicated buttons for Amazon’s video and music streaming platforms as well as Netflix. There’s a dedicated button for all apps as well. The tech giant first introduced the third generation of the Fire Stick in 2022, but this is the first time it has launched the streaming device with support for 4K video quality.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K price, availability

Just like its predecessors, the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K comes in a single matte black colour option. The device is priced at Rs. 5,999 and is currently available for pre-order on Amazon’s website. The company said that the streaming device will go on sale starting May 13. Apart from Amazon, the Fire TV Stick 4K can also be purchased via the online and offline stores of Croma, Reliance Digital, and Vijay Sales once it goes on sale.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K features

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, as the name suggests, features 4K Ultra HD content streaming and supports HDR10+. Alongside, it also comes with Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos audio. The company claims this is the most powerful streaming device in Amazon’s Fire TV lineup that is available in India.

Under the hood, the Fire TV Stick 4K features a 1.7GHz quad-core processor, which Amazon claims makes it 30 percent more powerful than the previous generations. It offers Wi-Fi 6 connectivity with support for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands. The new Alexa Voice Remote now also features dedicated buttons for apps. Users can find buttons for Netflix, Amazon Prime, and Amazon Music.

Further, an apps button opens all other installed video streaming apps. Just like the predecessor, the remote comes with voice input powered by Alexa and users can speak what they want to watch and the virtual assistant will show it on the screen. Users can also wirelessly connect their Echo devices to the Fire TV Stick 4K through the Alexa app.

The Fire TV Stick 4K offers access to more than 12,000 apps via Amazon’s Appstore including popular apps such as Disney+ Hotstar, Zee5, and Jio Cinema. Users can watch content through all the available apps as long as they have a subscription. They can also enjoy free and ad-supported content on Amazon MiniTV, YouTube, and MX Player. The company has also included a Low Power Mode, which it claims will conserve energy when the device goes to sleep or standby mode due to inactivity.

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Redmi Buds 5A was launched by the company on Tuesday as the company’s latest truly wireless stereo (TWS) earphones in India. It is the company’s cheapest wireless headset in the country with support for active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency modes. At its ‘Smarter Living & More’ launch event company also announced the launch of its affordable Redmi Pad SE tablet, along with two other smart home devices — the Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 and Xiaomi Handheld Garment Steamer.

Redmi Buds 5A, Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 and Xiaomi Handheld Garment Steamer price in India

Redmi Buds 5A price in India is set at Rs. 1,499 and the company says this is a “special launch price”, which means it could be revised at a later date. The wireless headset available in Bass Black and Timeless White colourways and will be available starting on April 29, via the company’s online store, Xiaomi retail stores, and Reliance-owned stores in the country.

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 price is set at Rs. 20,999. The smart home device will be available via Amazon, Flipkart, and Xiaomi retail stores starting on May 6, while pre orders will begin on April 29. Customers can also avail of a Rs. 1,000 discount on HDFC Bank and SBI credit card and credit card EMI transactions.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi Handheld Garment Steamer is priced at Rs. 2,299. Customers can purchase the appliance via Amazon, Flipkart, the company’s online store, and Xiaomi retail outlets starting on May 6, while pre orders will begin on April 29, according to the company. 

Redmi Buds 5A, Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 and Xiaomi Handheld Garment Steamer specifications

The Redmi Buds 5A is equipped with 12mm dynamic drivers, according to the company. It supports up to 25dB ANC and transparency modes for media, along with artificial intelligence (AI) environmental noise cancellation (ENC) for calls. The wireless headset also supports touch controls that can be customised via the Xiaomi Earbuds app and comes with Google Fast Pair support.

It is claimed to offer up to 30 hours of battery life (with ANC disabled), and Xiaomi hasn’t disclosed how long the Redmi Buds 5A will work on single charge. The TWS headset will also provide 90 minutes of playtime with a 10-minute charge, according to the company. It has an IPX4 rating for splash resistance.

Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 avoids obstacles within an 8-meter scanning range
Photo Credit: Xiaomi

 

The Xiaomi Robot Vacuum Cleaner S10 is equipped with a 360-degree laser-based navigation system that is capable of moving around obstacles within an 8-meter scanning range, according to the company. It features a peak suction power of 4000Pa and a floating roller brush and a 300ml dust box.

The company’s latest vacuum cleaner can sweep and mop in Y-shaped and zigzag cleaning paths using custom map functions, with Silent, Standard, Strong, and Turbo modes. It supports both Alexa and Google Assistant voice command. It also supports over the air (OTA) updates that could improve its functionality at a later date.

Meanwhile, the Xiaomi Handheld Garment Steamer has a ceramic sole plate. The foldable 1300W device has a steam rate of 24g per minute, has a 160ml water storage unit, and heats up in under 26 seconds, according to the company. It is claimed to kill up to 99.99 percent of bacteria, while removing allergens. The device works with a range of fabrics, including cotton, linen, wool, nylon, silk, and polyester. It can also be used in horizontal and vertical modes, and can be used without an ironing board.

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Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, has been taking small steps to engage with Web3 without directly exposing its massive user base to volatile digital assets. In a fresh development, Samsung has announced a partnership with metaverse game Wilder World. Through this partnership, Wilder World will provide NFT rewards to fifteen customers of Samsung’s exclusive Web3 TV bundle. This deal, for Wilder World, will offer the game inroads into millions of houses through Samsung’s smart televisions.

A free-to-roam metaverse ecosystem, Wilder World is primarily a competitive racing game that launched for alpha testing in December 2023 and will begin a wider rollout this year. The team behind the game announced its partnership with Samsung via an official post on X on Wednesday.

In Samsung’s next sale of exclusive Web3 TV bundles, fifteen select buyers will get Wilder World NFTs as rewards. Through this partnership, the metaverse game expects to add new players to its ecosystem.

Samsung, catching up with the advancements in emerging technologies, is essentially looking to connect with a newer generation of customers. The Seoul-based company is hence integrating Web3 elements like the metaverse and NFTs with its newer range of products.

Samsung has long maintained its lead in the television market. In 2023, the company reportedly occupied a 30.1 percent market share of televisions sold globally, which was slightly higher than the previous year’s 29.7 percent. With its new initiatives, Samsung could directly bring Web3 technologies to its vast user base.

This is not the first time that the tech mammoth has taken a Web3-friendly approach. In April 2023, for instance, Samsung teamed up with Crypto.com to bring asset trading services on devices from the Galaxy Z fold series.

In 2022, Samsung tied up with partners Theta Labs and Nifty Gateway to get NFTs to its smart TV and smartphone ecosystems.

In fact, the same year Samsung introduced the world’s first TV-based NFT explorer. Later that year, the company started rolling out smart TV models that came with features like NFT buying and management.

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