Amazon has recently announced that it has sold more than 200 million Fire TV devices, including Fire TV streamers, third-party TVs running Fire TV software, and its own televisions that were launched in 2021. The latest update on this figure came at CES 2022, when Amazon claimed to have sold 150 million devices. To expand its lineup, Amazon has added new sizes to its flagship Fire TV Omni QLED series, as well as a new, more affordable TV lineup called the 2-Series. These budget sets are limited to HD resolution, but they come with the Fire TV experience built-in, starting at just $199. Although the 2-Series models technically support HDR10, HLG, and Dolby Digital audio, their panel brightness may not be sufficient to display HDR content effectively.
Given that it features full-array local dimming, the Fire TV Omni QLED model ought to perform better in that regard. The 65-inch and 75-inch sizes of Amazon’s finest self-branded TVs were previously available. Smaller 43-, 50-, and 55-inch versions are now being added. In addition to Dolby Vision support, the Fire TV Omni QLED sets have a room sensor that allows Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus Adaptive support. These two modes automatically change brightness based on your surroundings.
Amazon has added a new feature called Fire TV Ambient Experience to its QLED series, allowing users to display artwork, widgets, and information like reminders and sticky notes. This feature has been received well by Fire TV Omni QLED owners, with 98% of them using the ambient features, according to Amazon. To further improve this experience, Amazon is introducing hundreds of new artwork options from institutions like the National Galleries of Scotland and Munich’s Pinakothek der Moderne. Additionally, Amazon will be rolling out dynamic artwork that adjusts to factors like weather, temperature, and time of day. This feature was created in collaboration with artist Samuel Stubblefield.
This move by Amazon is seen as a direct challenge to Samsung’s Frame TVs, which have been a popular choice among consumers. The ambient features, combined with the presence sensor, have received positive reviews. Amazon is also expanding to more screen sizes and introducing cheaper price points with its 2-Series TVs to compete with Roku’s new TV lineup, which includes the Roku Select and Roku Plus models.
The new Fire TV Omni QLED models are currently available for preorder at Amazon beginning at $449.99; on May 11th, they will be sold by BestBuy.com. The entry-level Fire TV 2-Series is now offered in 32-inch and 42-inch sizes, with prices beginning at $199.99. Amazon says the company’s Luna cloud gaming service is expanding to the UK, Germany, and Canada to round out today’s news. Meanwhile, the UK, Germany, and Mexico are getting the Fire TV Omni QLED, 4-Series, and 2-Series.
Further, Amazon is also in talks with Redmi to have built-in Fire TV support in its upcoming models in place of Google TV and these models from Redmi are likely to launch soon in the Indian market.
