TL;DR
- Amazon says the latest Fire TV Stick HD can be reliably powered through TV USB ports, eliminating the need for a wall adapter.
- Many other small streaming devices consume more power than most televisions can supply.
- The 1080p dongle costs $35 and will be available for pre-order starting today.
Amazon has a new Fire TV dongle that looks great for traveling. The latest Fire TV Stick HD is thin and light, and unlike many popular standalone streaming solutions, Amazon says it can be used without a wall adapter, drawing all the power it needs from a TV’s USB port.
In a blog post, Amazon says the new Fire TV Stick HD is its thinnest yet, about 30% thinner than the previous model released in 2024. It also supports Alexa Plus, Amazon’s AI-enabled voice assistant, a feature that was exclusive to Amazon’s 4K Fire TV devices.
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While any TV streamer with a USB connection can theoretically work with TV USB ports, most draw more power than TVs typically provide. He Chromecast with Google TVFor example, you need a 7.5W power supply, while most TVs output 5W or less through their USB ports. Amazon doesn’t specifically say how much power the new Fire TV Stick HD consumes, but given its frame around the new dongle, it can’t be much.
The option to use the streamer without having to plug it into the wall makes the Fire TV Stick HD seem like a great travel companion: stick it to your TV, connect it to hotel Wi-Fi, and away you go. You can also plug the dongle into a wall adapter, if that’s more convenient.
That the Fire TV Stick HD maxes out at 1080p will mean it’s probably better suited as a secondary streaming option for most users, but given its focus on portability and its bargain price of $35, that’s not so bad. Amazon says the streamer will be available for pre-order starting today (it isn’t yet, as of press time), and units are expected to ship before the end of the month.
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