The Fire TV Cube uses Amazon’s Fire TV media streaming platform, which is a powerful, feature-filled interface thanks in part to Alexa. While it’s obviously Amazon-centric (Amazon Prime subscribers have access to Prime Video and Music Prime via the home screen), Fire TV also supports Apple TV, Crunchyroll, Disney+, HBO Max, Hulu, Netflix, Paramount+, Twitch, and YouTube. It’s weak with respect to local media streaming, however; it supports Miracast/WiDi but lacks both Apple AirPlay and Google Cast, which are easily found on competing platforms. AirPlay and Cast make it far simpler to stream or manage content playback from your mobile device.

You can pin your favorite six apps to a quick-launch bar in the middle of the home screen. Buttons to the left allow you to see what’s on live TV across a variety of services, including Freevee, Pluto TV, Sling TV, and Tubi. What you watch will also aggregate in the Recent row on the home screen and can also be brought up by pressing the Recents button on the remote. Fire TV supports individual user profiles, so different people in your household can enjoy their own favorites and viewing histories.

The HDMI pass-through feature adds some Alexa functionality to content you push from a secondary source through the Fire TV Cube. Information pop-ups will appear, for example, and the TV screen will feature the glowing blue bar across the bottom when Alexa is listening.

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

The Cube provides full access to Amazon’s Alexa voice assistant, which you can use without the remote. This is the Cube’s biggest advantage over the smaller and cheaper Fire TV Sticks. The far-field microphones let you say, “Alexa,” followed by a command to seek general information or perform specific actions. On the most basic level, this lets you control the Fire TV Cube itself to search for content, open apps, and even navigate on-screen menus. Menu navigation via voice is a bit clunky compared with using buttons, but that’s why a conventional remote is included; content and app control, however, are both easy to manage with Alexa.

All of Alexa’s normal features are available. You can make phone calls to any standard (not toll-free, premium, or emergency service) phone number, speak to any Alexa user through their Alexa device, speak to Alexa users on their phone via the Alexa mobile app, and even talk over Skype. If you have a compatible webcam, you can make video calls through Alexa Drop In and Skype; Zoom support will be added in the future. 

(Credit: Will Greenwald)

Perhaps the most useful aspect of Alexa on the Fire TV Cube is its ability to control your smart home. Alexa supports all major smart device brands, spanning hundreds of doorbell cameras, security cameras, smart lights, smart locks, smart plugs, and smart thermostats. Some doorbells and cameras, like Amazon’s own Ring products, can even send video feeds directly to the Fire TV Cube when you ask Alexa to do so.