Best Buy Cuts 3 Fire TV Sticks to $20 in Black Friday in July Sale

Q: As Amazon's new OS blocks custom apps, is this sale the last chance for a more open Android Fire TV Stick?

Probably not the absolute last chance, but it is one of the clearest chances to buy a new, Android-based Fire TV Stick before Amazon’s lineup shifts further to its more locked-down Vega OS. The key distinction is the operating system. The Fire TV Stick 4K Plus and Fire TV Stick 4K Max in Best Buy’s sale still run Android-based Fire OS, which supports sideloading and custom apps. Amazon has said these existing Android models will not be converted to Vega OS, and they are expected to receive software and security support until at least 2030. For buyers who want Kodi, niche utilities, or other apps outside Amazon’s store, these are still viable options. What is changing is Amazon’s direction for new hardware. Newer entry-level devices, including the 2026 Fire TV Stick HD, use Linux-based Vega OS, which blocks apps from unknown sources and removes the sideloading flexibility that made older Fire TV devices attractive to power users. That makes the sale significant: it offers discounted access to legacy Fire OS hardware at historically low prices, especially the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus at $25. So this is less a final cutoff than a narrowing window. Android-based Fire TV devices are still on sale today, but Amazon’s future models are moving toward Vega OS. Anyone who specifically wants a more open Fire TV experience should buy carefully now and verify the model, because similar Fire TV branding now covers both sideload-friendly Fire OS devices and locked-down Vega OS ones.

3 articles · Updated · ZDNet · Jul 23

$20 to $35 pricing at Best Buy matches Prime Day lows on three Amazon streaming devices: Fire TV Stick HD at $20, 4K Plus at $25, and 4K Max at $35.
The standout deal is the 4K Plus at $25 — a $25 discount and the lowest price previously seen — offering 4K support, 2GB of RAM, Wi-Fi 6, HDR10+, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos.
The $35 4K Max adds Wi-Fi 6E and 16GB of storage, while the $20 HD model targets basic full-HD streaming and can draw power directly from a TV over USB-C.
Best Buy says the offers are part of its Black Friday in July event and are scheduled to run through Sunday, July 26, though limited-time deals can end earlier.