Originally published at: Amazon Unveils New Fire TV Stick 4K Select - Disables Sideloading
Amazon has officially announced its latest device in the Fire TV lineup – the all-new Fire TV Stick 4K Select. This is the first device in the Fire TV family that is not supported by an Android-based Operating System and instead runs on their new “Vega OS”, which was developed by Amazon. This Firestick was…
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Wow, that thing is hot garbage imho. Thanks for the info Troy.
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While I think it’s great 
that these companies are trying to look out for me without even asking, I prefer my “enhanced security” products require a background check…
out.. .
It’s interesting that Vega wasn’t developed more before releasing the new Fire TV devices to allow newer versions of BT, WiFi and Dolby.
It’s also interesting that MSRP is $40, meaning that Amazon is looking to make a profit on the devices themselves instead of looking at them as primarily vehicles for selling stuff.
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Hence the gleeful smashing of my last fire twig!! Cheers!
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Well I guess it is time to the next streaming box, which is the next best
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What a disaster! I just got the 4K, so I hope that I’m good for a while!
Me too. We recently bought 2 4k max . Have enjoyed them but it appears time is limited,
As SILK stated which device should our next device be.
Open to suggestions for mid priced devices
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the new onn boxes are affordable and allow sideloading with no problems?
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For those who are going to punt their Firestick, which I did, and don’t want to spend a whole lot, I went for TiVo’s stick, which I picked up at Amazon for a bit over $26 w/ tax, but it’s no longer on sale, maybe wait till Prime deals start in a few weeks. I read reviews before I bought it and a lot seemed to be down about it, except Troy. I haven’t really seen any issue thus far. The fact that no apps are disabled make it 100X better than Firesticks and their box. I wish I had started w/ one to begin with instead of the 5, 6 Firesticks I’ve gone through.
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Will older fire sticks and cubes still remain the same, with android and side loading?
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Kafitzner, welcome to the Insider!
That is the big question. And nobody knows for certain how it will play out with the older Fire devices.
There has been speculation, here on the Insider, that there shouldn’t be any changes that would affect the older devices. But who knows, for certain, what changes might occur with future updates involving the operating system. It appears most bet are on a lockout of most side-loading of apps that are not in the App Store. The first, at this point is to turn off any automatic up dates.
Using the magnifying glass, in the upper right hand corner, search for Troy’s link to setup your Fire device so that it can not be updated. I will try and find the link and update my post here. The other alternative is to look at something like the ONN Plus box available at Walmart ($30) which is a Google based OS. The only issue with the Google based systems is that there is rumbling that Google is making changes in who/what apps can be installed on the Google OS devices.
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Comes as no surprise.
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Amazon is not is the user security business, they’re in the hand in your wallet business. If they can’t make money off of it, you can’t have it! I ditched the Firestick for ONN and Mecool boxes over a year ago and haven’t looked back.
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Why would Amazon admit this to the general public knowing it would hurt sales?
One last thing, anything can be broken into and modified if someone really wants to…
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I have the same question…Will all the older Firesticks still work? 
Hello Mela, welcome to the Insider!
If you read my response to Kafitzer’s question, it should explain the current situation re: older Fire sticks. It’s still pretty much up in the air as to what the outcome will be. One thing, for certain is that what ever apps came with the older Fire Sticks should all work just fine as they are burned into the Fire operating system. Netflix, Prime, YouTube…etc. In otherwords, anything that is in the App Store should always work.
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Amazon has stated they will continue to support their devices for years to come so there is no need to worry or replace out of fear.
From their website:
The security of your device is our top priority. Amazon Fire TV streaming media devices, Smart TVs, and Soundbars receive guaranteed software security updates until at least four years after the device is last available for purchase on our websites. After that time, we strive to provide software security updates for as long as we can (subject to technical and other limitations).
Currently they are listing the date of at least December 31st 2029 for most models. You can check for your exact model here: