A New Look for Fire TV

The arrival of the Amazon Ember Artline—a new "art TV" designed to compete directly with Samsung’s The Frame—marks my first experience with Amazon’s latest Fire TV interface. While the rollout of this software has been gradual and met with varying feedback across the US, the Artline utilizes it to power its unique art-display features.


Speed and Interface Improvements

Amazon touted a 20-30% performance boost for this update, and in practice, the system feels noticeably snappier than its predecessors. The aesthetic has also received a modern overhaul, drawing closer inspiration from the Google TV layout. Navigation is anchored by major content categories at the top, with a significantly expanded area for application shortcuts.

Previously, users were capped at six app icons, which often forced users to dive into deeper menus. Now, I can fit 16 apps on my home screen. While it doesn't quite match the clean simplicity of Roku, the ability to pin my most-used services to the front is a substantial quality-of-life improvement.


The Customization Struggle

Despite the increased space, the interface is marred by Amazon’s tendency to prioritize its own ecosystem. Users are forced to accommodate "bloatware" icons like Amazon Kids, Luna, and Amazon Photos on the home screen. While some of these can be removed, others are immovable fixtures.

Beyond the app row, the level of control drops significantly:

  • Input management: Switching inputs now requires three clicks via a side menu, as it has been removed from the main shortcut bar.
  • Fixed top-level navigation: The top bar—housing search, home, and categories like live TV—cannot be customized.
  • Rigid content rows: The home screen is heavily populated by sponsored rows and recommendations from services I don't use, pushing useful features like "Continue Watching" off the primary screen.

The AI Assistant Experience

Interaction with the TV is further supported by Alexa+, the new AI-enhanced iteration of Amazon’s voice assistant. However, its effectiveness remains inconsistent. In my testing, the new AI failed to locate specific content that the legacy version of Alexa identified immediately, suggesting that the "smarter" assistant may still have some teething issues to overcome.


"The interface feels like space for rent. With sponsored rows and advertisements dominating the screen, the user experience seems secondary to the platform’s promotional goals."

Final Thoughts

While the new Fire TV OS is undeniably faster and more visually polished, it feels like a missed opportunity for true personalization. By cluttering the UI with advertisements and limiting the user's ability to rearrange their own home screen, Amazon has created a system that feels more like a shopping portal than a refined entertainment hub. One can only hope that future updates will prioritize user-centric customization to balance out the current focus on ad-driven real estate.