Amazon's Fire TV Stick Still Has This Outdated Detail

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If you're loyal to Amazon's Fire TV Stick, you can reasonably expect a new and improved model in some form every single year. Take the new Fire TV Stick 4K Select, released last fall, or the newest version of the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, released in fall 2024. These devices promise fast, affordable HD and 4K streaming along with Alexa voice controls and easy access to nearly two million movies and TV episodes. Priced and marketed as an easy entry point for casual streamers, the compact devices plug directly into your TV's HDMI port to give you live TV, music streaming, and smart home controls in one handy place.

But in spite of all these modern features, the Fire TV Stick still relies on an ancient piece of hardware: a micro-USB port to help it power on. According to the device specifications, every single Fire TV Stick currently uses it. That choice certainly stands out in 2026 when USB-C has become the charging standard across phones, tablets, laptops, and many other home electronics. USB-C connectors are reversible, which makes them much more convenient. They're also capable of faster data transfer speeds and higher power delivery to boot. One-sided micro-USB cords are used far less often these days. You'll typically only find them on older Android phones and other budget accessories anymore. They're less powerful, too: 9-15W for micro-USB vs. USB-C's 100W or more.

This reliance on micro-USB isn't just limited to these two most recent releases. Other streaming sticks in the lineup, including the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and Fire TV Stick 4K Max, also use micro-USB for power. That said, there's one notable exception in the Fire TV family: The Fire TV Cube (3rd Gen). It doesn't use micro-USB. Instead, it comes with a dedicated power port alongside HDMI 2.1 input and output, USB-A 2.0, and an Ethernet port. The Cube also supports 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6E, and far-field voice control, making it a much more advanced (and more expensive) alternative to the plug-in sticks and their micro-USB power.

It might sound like a minor gripe, especially since the Fire TV Stick family's continued use of micro-USB doesn't necessarily affect streaming quality or day-to-day performance. But for a device that tries to market itself as a smart and powerful upgrade to your home theater setup, it definitely feels strange. That's especially true in a market where USB-C has become the modern standard for charging and connectivity.