I'm going to be honest — I'm not quite sure why you'd buy a Fire TV Stick these days. It's not that there's anything deeply flawed, as long as you don't skimp on specs. Rather, most smart TVs already have a decent interface, so there's no strong incentive to buy an add-on streamer short of the ridiculously overpowered Apple TV 4K. Many of those TVs are based on Fire OS to begin with.
Clearly, though, there is still a market, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Maybe you have an older TV that needs an upgrade, or you like the idea of being able to bring your apps and settings wherever you go. Some people get so attached to a particular OS that they insist on using it, no matter how competent the alternatives might be.
A basic question if you're shopping for a Fire TV Stick is how long it will last. The answer to this is surprisingly complicated, partly because of Amazon's past practices, and a radical overhaul to Fire OS taking effect in 2026.
How long will your Fire TV hardware last?
Durability versus relevance
When it comes to the physical durability of Fire TV Sticks, there's probably not much to worry about. There's no official data that I know of, but mechanically, they're extremely simple products — they're little more than a processor, a few memory and wireless chips, and an HDMI port. They don't even consume much energy. In some cases, you may be able to run a Stick…