“With the Launch of Nokia 6 in Chinese Market Nokia is back with a Bang with Registrations of 25 lakh Mobiles within 60 secs.We take a look at some of the most iconic Nokia mobile phones ever”

Nokia reigned as the king of the phone industry for a long period of time, before it eventually withered away and moved into the annals of cellphone history. While waiting for the next chapter in the Nokia’s book to unfold, we decided to travel back in time and take a look at some of the most iconic phones from the brand which we wouldn’t mind buying even today. So, grab some tissues as a wave of nostalgia is about to hit you.

Nokia 8110



Remember the scene in the first Matrix movie where Neo was escaping from agents in his office whilst talking to a mysterious man on a mobile phone? Well, the person Neo was talking to was Cypher and the phone he used was the Nokia 8110, which made news back in the day owing to its unique slider design which could be used to answer or end calls.

Nokia 3310



Not a lot of people had a mobile phone back in 2000, but if you did, chances are it was the Nokia 3310. Perhaps the most popular Nokia device, the 3310 still holds the benchmark for a smartphone’s durability and is extensively used in a host of internet memes even today. Regardless of how good mobile games might be today, they still fall short of the hours of fun Snake II had to offer.

Nokia 6600



The 6600 was a quirkily designed Nokia mobile phone which garnered huge success. Be it the ginormous VGA camera on the back or the support for Bluetooth and infrared, the 6600 had it all back in the day. Not to mention, the device came with a joystick instead of a D-pad which was compatible with certain games as well.

Nokia Communicator E90



Nokia revamped its iconic communicator series with the E90 which sported a laptop-like profile and dual-displays. The idea was that the smartphone could be used as a normal mobile phone with the flap closed and could offer extra room to enhance productivity with the larger 4-inch display that was housed within.

Nokia N95



Nokia’s answer to Apple’s iPhone came in the form of N95, the most powerful smartphone for the year 2007. The device came with features like GPS along with a 5MP camera which was way ahead of its time. Toting a dual-slider form factor and support for 3.5G, the N95 was the biggest threat to Apple’s iPhone and a ‘flagship killer’ before the term was cool.

Nokia N900



The first and the only phone to run Linux-based Maemo OS, the Nokia N900 combined the productivity of the communicator series with the media-centric approach taken by the N series.

Nokia Pureview 808



The USP of Nokia’s Pureview 808 was the massive 41MP camera sensor at the back, which to this date, is the biggest sensor to be housed within a smartphone. Aided with Pureview technology and Carl Zeiss optics, the device was capable of shooting some incredible stills. However, booting Symbian OS in 2012 made the 808 outdated before one could even open the box it shipped in.

Nokia X7



One of the frontrunners of Nokia’s Symbian^3 OS which was later renamed to Anna and then to Belle, the X7 brought some refreshing changes to the software side of things with support for portrait keyboard and improved browser experience.

Nokia E71



The iconic E series from Nokia was aimed to give business professionals something other than a Blackberry to gawk about. Jacketed in a metallic body, the E71 quickly became a fan favourite owing to its optimised email and messaging support. While not as media-centric as the N95 or the N97, the E71 still came with support for Wi-Fi, 3G and A-GPS.

Nokia 5800



The phone which made a debut on the big screen with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight was the first all-touch smartphone from Nokia which came with an optimised version of the Symbian OS. The mobile phone was a huge hit in the Indian market and shipped with a 3.2MP autofocus camera with a Carl-Zeiss lens.

Instagram launches Layout, a standalone app for your photo collages
Now you can delete those dodgy third-party apps from your smartphone



The number of photo collages being uploaded to Instagram must have made Facebook sit up and take notice, because they've decided to launch an official Instagram app specifically to make franken-images.

Available now on iOS (an Android version will be released soon,can't say about Windows Phone), Layout differs from other collage-making apps before it by allowing more creative freedom. It's also much more polished and intuitive, which makes sense given it has Facebook's billions behind it. In fact, it's probably the best collage app around, right off the bat. Unless you actually prefer tacky frames and stickers, that is.

Instead of limiting users to fixed collage templates, Layout lets you customise arrangements based on how many photos you want in your collage, up to a limit of nine.
Besides being able to select from your phone's camera roll, it also included a Faces tab to display only photos of people, and a Recent tab for photos you've used Layout with, should you want to narrow down your options. It's not just images already on your phone though. There's also a Photo Booth option to make collages snap-by-snap so you can further tailor the overall look.



From there, it's just a matter of picking the basic configuration you want from an extensive selection, tweaking the images' position, size, and allocated space, and saving it to your camera roll. It's all really easy, with familiar gestures and grid lines.You also have the option of using the flip or mirror tools to add some creativity, so feel free to go nuts and fake your own twin or whatever.

You can then share your collage to Instagram and Facebook directly - with the former helpfully going straight to the filters selection screen - or to the iOS share sheet for use with other apps.

Seeing as it's only 10.5MB to install, we don't really know why Instagram hasn't baked Layout into its main app. Perhaps they're aiming to gauge users' reactions before making the call.

Microsoft unveiled the first details of its Windows 10 operating system Wednesday, which they say will span devices from PCs and game consoles to smartphones and tablets.
Terry Myerson, Microsoft's executive vice president of the company's operating systems group, says the latest rendition of Windows focused on "more personal computing."
Myerson says Windows 10 targets three pillars: "mobility of the experience," trust and "the right interaction at the right time," hinting the platform can be controlled by mouse, touch or even gaze.



Among the new features is the introduction of a successor to the Internet Explorer Web browser, dubbed Project Spartan. The browser, which will work across multiple devices, includes a note-taking feature for annotating webpages, a reading mode and built-in support for PDF files.
The Start menu appears to be a hybrid of the classic Windows PC interface and the tile-based presentation of applications, allowing users to go full screen with the Start menu for more information.
Microsoft will also add Cortana, the personal digital assistant users communicate with through voice, to PCs running Windows 10. Users will be able to ask Cortana to pull up PowerPoint slides, send e-mails or search for photos and other information.
Microsoft will integrate Skype across all devices, and include Office programs Word, Excel and PowerPoint on all Windows 10 phones and tablets. It will also feature an Xbox app where users will find their games or follow the activity of friends.

"We want to move from people needing Windows, to choosing Windows, to loving Windows," said Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.
While PCs and mobile devices dominated the event, Microsoft offered an incredible glimpse into the future with a jump into holographic computing. The company introduced the HoloLens, a virtual reality style headset that allows its users to view holograms in the real world. Demos showed users watching Netflix programs on a virtual screen, or manipulating three-dimensional images.
Windows 10 is the first significant upgrade to the platform since the arrival of Satya Nadella as CEO last year. During his tenure, Nadella has made a strong push toward mobile, enterprise and the cloud as well as thrown support toward the company's popular Xbox video game brand.
The introduction of Windows 10 is the first step in Microsoft realizing Nadella's vision, says FBR Capital Markets analyst Daniel Ives. "This is about Nadella leading Microsoft into its next stage of growth away from the PC and towards a cloud, virtualized world which can connect all devices on one platform."
UPDATE: Microsoft Has Announced That It Will Provide Free Upgrade to Windows 10 for PC's Running On Windows 7 & Windows 8.Now That;s a Big Reason To Upgrade To Windows 10.

In normal use the button would appear as normal - flush with the front of the device. A simple click will however see it protrude upwards, thanks to an in-built spring, and another push will lock it back into its original position.
While it would certainly offer a better level of accuracy and feedback than digital on-screen controls, it's just asking to snap off or fill up with dust and debris - very un-Apple compromise, if you ask us.
Still, it's not like every single Apple patent has ever come to fruition. If they did, your iPhone would probably be sporting a holographic sapphire display and miniature jetpacks right now.

The latest whispers from the iRumour mill suggest that production of the long-rumoured Retina Display MacBook Air has increased ahead of its launch in the first quarter of 2015.
The news, courtesy of Digitimes, states that Apple's supplier Quanta Computer is looking to bring in an additional 30,000 workers to also help with production of the Apple Watch.
Sources close to Quanta believe that the new MacBook Air will arrive with a 12in display, replacing the existing 11in model while the 13in version will remain.
The new 12in screen is expected to be the first Retina Display to land on a MacBook Air, but a pixel-packed screen isn't all that's likely to change.
Sources point to a newer, more efficient Broadwell Core M processor which will result in an even thinner, fanless design, for increased portability and silent operation.
Not only that, but most of the ports and connections for the new MacBook Air are also likely to be stripped away, according to previous speculation brought forward by Apple leaker Jack March.
We're now looking at a headphone jack, a pair of microphones and a single USB Type-C port, which supports reversible USB inputs for easier use. An adaptor is likely to be included in the box.
Design-wise, the bezels are expected to be narrower, suggesting that despite the larger 12in screen, the overall footprint won't be significantly larger than the existing 11in model.
The keyboard is expected to stretch to the edges of the chassis (which, incidentally, will also reportedly be available in gold), and the speakers are also apparently now located above the keys, with a visible grill, as opposed to beneath the keyboard itself.
Stay tuned for more news, as and when we get it.

We tried out the Ultrahaptics interface at CES, and it is genuinely extraordinary. The first demo fires a stream of invisible bubbles at your hand, which burst when you come into "contact" with them; they don't feel exactly like soap bubbles, popping with a gentle buzz, but they're close enough to the real thing that it makes no odds.
A second demo has you playing a brick-and-bat game, with a pulse firing at your hand each time the ball makes contact with the bat. There's also a vertical "force field" which you can push your hand through air – it feels something like the stream of air that issues forth from a Dyson Airblade.
You can instantly see the potential for gaming and entertainment applications – imagine feeling the wind on your face, or raindrops, while watching a movie or playing a game.

It's the final demo, though, that's most interesting – pointing to the possibilities of the device as a control interface. The computer screen shows a spinning circular dial which, when you put your hand above the ultrasound generator, is matched by a pulse that traces a circle on your hand. Move your hand about, and it tracks your hand's position, following you about. Trace circles in the air with your hand, and the circular motion speeds up.




One of the problems faced by control interfaces like the Leap Motion and Kinect is a lack of tactile feedback – as anyone who's flailed about in front of their Xbox One will testify.
The Ultrahaptics generator could solve that problem, giving you a physical response to a gesture-controlled system; it could be particularly useful for controlling the infotainment system in a car, for example.
We'll be watching Ultrahaptics with interest – and hopefully it won't be long before we're getting our hands on (or above) it in a commercially-available product.

WIRED FOR SOUND 

My Walkman was already old when I got it - a hand-me-down from my mother. I recall it (probably erroneously - although only slightly) being about the same size and weight as a housebrick.
The thing was so bulky that it came with a shoulder strap rather than a belt-clip, in order that it not yank your trousers down at inopportune moments. Its heft was such that if you spun round too quickly, the thing would fly dangerously about your person, causing you to send friends flying into walls, or turn hideous (but, at the time, weirdly fashionable) ceramic owls and field-mice into exciting three-dimensional puzzles.
Despite this, I loved the thing, with its giant clicky buttons, even as it chewed through batteries (and sometimes the cassettes it was supposed to be playing). It was this that cemented itself in my head whenever I thought ‘Walkman’, eclipsing any successors with their new-fangled shiny discs, MiniDiscs, and MP3s.

Similarly, Kodak Instamatic has an important place in history for a great many people, ushering in an age of relatively low-cost photography, and boasting form factors that were tactile, beautiful and approachable. Naturally, by the time I got my hands on one, it was already pretty old, but that merely somehow made it feel experienced and worldly wise.
This was a camera that had been places; it quickly became a cherished item - something magical that had a life of its own.

Old for old's sake?



At CES 2015, though, the modern-day interpretations of these classics bear little relationship to their forebears. Admittedly - at least from certain angles - you might initially think otherwise. The Instamatic certainly has an unmistakable form factor, and while there’s no such immediate familiarity with the Walkman, it nonetheless intrigues with its chunky buttons and textured matte black finish, emblazoned with a gold Walkman logo.
But flip these devices over and you’re abruptly wrenched back to the present, faced with touchscreens running Android. Naturally, this is about pragmatism, utilising a relatively freely available foundation in order to create new high-tech gadgets. But by encasing these items in retro clothing, they end up feeling a little hollow and soulless.
They’re neither one thing nor the other - not classic kit, nor anything truly new.
For the nostalgic, there’s a whiff of cynicism in the air, of trying to part old fools with their money. And for relative youngsters who never experienced a Walkman or Instamatic first-hand, you have to wonder whether these Android devices would have been better just shooting for being amazing in their own right.
As it is, while the originals were game-changers, these new tykes simply feel like more of the same. And truly, they are proof that in the world of technology, you can never go home again — unless you visit eBay.

So Here's Another Copy Cat In Smartphone Business.



When Chinese smartphone maker Xiaomi announced the Mi 4 on Tuesday, we — and pretty much every other site that covered the news — were quick to point out that it bears a slight resemblance to the iPhone. This isn’t the first time Xiaomi has been influenced by Apple, either. In fact, the company is often referred to as the “Chinese Apple.”
And yet, despite all that, Xiaomi global vice president Hugo Barra, who used to be in charge of Google’s Android division, has dismissed any likeness to the Cupertino company, and says he’s “sick and tired” of the Xiaomi being labeled an Apple copycat.
Based on the evidence, I have to say I disagree.
The allegations about Xiaomi copying Apple are “sweeping sensationalist statements,” Barra told The Verge. “They have nothing better to talk about.” Barra argued that, “If you have two similarly skilled designers, it makes sense that they would reach the same conclusion.”
So, are the likenesses to Apple being blown out of proportion, and are they purely coincidental? Are we all being a little too harsh on Xioami? Well, I’m not so sure. Let’s take a look at the evidence.
We’ll start with the company’s most recent product, the Mi 4. Unlike most of its Android-powered rivals, its chassis is made out of stainless steel, and it has beautifully chamfered edges all the way around its front and back. Its antenna is built seamlessly into its frame, and its speaker grille is made up of tiny little holes carefully drilled into the metal.
It’s no wonder everyone thinks it looks a lot like an iPhone.



Even during the Mi 4 unveiling yesterday, Xiaomi CEO Lei Jun couldn’t help but borrow the iconic “one more thing” that was often used by Steve Jobs… while wearing a black top and blue jeans.



Then there’s the Mi Pad, Xiaomi’s attractive and affordable tablet, which is made out of a strong, colorful plastic. It looks just like an iPhone 5c; it’s even available in the same colors, and Xiaomi made changes to the tablet’s user interface to introduce bright colors that make it look a little more like iOS 7.
The Mi Pad even has some things in common with the iPad mini — including exactly the same screen size, resolution, and aspect ratio.



Xioami doesn’t just make mobile devices. It also offers a set-top box called the Mi Box that brings streaming video to your TV — and yes, you guessed it, it looks a lot like an Apple TV.



And what’s this? Apple sells its Magic Trackpad in black now? Nope. That’s the Xiaomi Mi Router Mini.



Even Xiaomi’s stores are influenced by Apple’s, with colorful displays and large wooden tables where visitors can test out their latest gadgets.



Xiaomi’s strangest and most blatant Apple rip-off could be in its official press shots for the Mi 3. The image below was taken from the handset’s product page on Xiaomi’s website, and at first, it seems completely innocent. It doesn’t look like anything Apple has ever released, right?



Take a closer look at the Mi 3’s camera lens, however, and you’ll see it was quite obviously pulled straight from Apple’s Aperture icon.



Coincidence? I’ll let you decide.

Sometimes the PS4 will constantly eject the disk, even when there is no disk in the drive. If you try to insert a disc the PS4 will not accept it, and eventually spit it out and continue trying to eject a disk that isn’t there.



We’ll explain how to fix a PS4 ejecting a disk when there is no disk in, including how you can fix this PS4 problem without opening up your PS4 or sending it back to Sony.
We ran into this PS4 problem when re arranging our home theater and turning the PS4 vertical for a few minutes while attempting to clean the dust off the device without scratching the surface.

When plugging the PS4 back in it ejected Assassin’s Creed Unity and continued trying to eject a disk over and over. Turning the PS4 off did not fix the problem, but there is a quick fix for most users.

Fix PS4 Eject Problems No Disk In Drive

If your PS4 keeps trying to eject a disk, here is how you can try to fix the problem without sending it in to Sony for repair. This is not the same issue as unexpected disk ejects that are a problem for some users, but it is still very annoying.

1. Unplug all the wires from your PS4. This includes HDMI, Ethernet, audio and power.
2. Now, count to 10 and then press the power button until the PS4 lights up for just a half a second.
3. Yes, this works with the power cord unplugged.
4. After this happens, count to 5 and plug the PS4 back in and get back to gaming.

It doesn’t sound like this will work, but it saved a frustrated call to Sony and got our PS4 back up and running in a few minutes. There is a chance you’ll hear a click and not see a light, but overall this should fix the PS4 constantly ejecting a disk problem.
For users who experience this problem more than once, it is a good idea to check out a full repair from Sony, so you don’t run into this PS4 problem after your warranty runs out and get stuck with a big problem you can’t fix on your own.
There does not appear to be any specific disc that causes this, but you can take steps to avoid this. Make sure you shut down the PS4 properly before unplugging it and remove all disks before you move the PS4 unit. This includes simply lifting it up to move and dust it, which is what broke our PS4 for a short period.
The PS4 warranty lasts one year, but you can buy an extended PS4 warranty for $49.99 that adds three years of additional coverage to the PS4. The only catch is that you need to do this before the first year of coverage is up. Once that passes you will need to fix the PS4 yourself or pay Sony to fix the PS4. If your PS4 warranty just expired you can try to convince support to help you out, but that’s not a sure thing.

A compass is a must for any trek in the wilderness, and a smartphone compass can do things that a traditional model couldn't dream of. Smart Compass has an augmented reality display which makes it incredibly intuitive to follow: hold your phone or tablet up to the horizon and real-time video from the camera is overlaid with a compass heading. This enables you to set off in the direction of a landmark without having to constantly re-check your orientation. It's simple, very effective and free.
Wapwing Says: ✭✭✭✭✩
Platform: Android Price: £free

2. SAS Survival Guide

The SAS Survival Guide could be the only survival app you’ll ever need. It has a huge amount of well-written info on everything from making camps and fires to foraging and coping in extreme conditions. And as well as all the guides and tutorials, there's a bunch of useful tools including a text-to-Morse encoder. An imminent update will add the SAS Urban Survival Guide to the package. Handy for when the zombie apocalypse eventually comes.
Wapwing Says: ✭✭✭✭✭
Platform: Android, iOS, Windows Phone Price: from £2.59

Download SAS Survival Guide for Android here
Download SAS Survival Guide for iOS here
Download SAS Survival Guide for Windows Phone here

3. Magnificent Magnifier HD

This might not seem like an essential tool for a survivalist, but there are plenty of occasions when the ability to zoom in on some tiny detail will come in handy. There are loads of magnifying-glass apps out there, but we’d stick our pin in this one. It’s great for diagnosing vehicle breakdowns or making repairs in dark spaces, as well as improving legibility of maps or small print. And unlike with a normal magnifying glass, you won't need to juggle a torch at the same time when using it in the dark.
Wapwing Says: ✭✭✭✭✩
Platform: Android Price: £free

The announcement of the aptly named Jolla Tablet comes just days after Nokia introduced its own first Android tablet, the N1, and those with a keen eye will spot that the Jolla device looks rather similar to its distant Finnish cousin.
The pair share a fair bit of internal DNA too: both have 7.9in screens with 2048 x 1536 resolution, quad-core Intel processors with 2GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Crucially though, Jolla has included a microSD memory card port.
The Jolla Tablet will run on the Sailfish OS, first seen on the Jolla Smartphone. It's an open-source OS and Jolla claims it won't sell or share your data with third parties. Sailfish can be controlled with a variety of hand gestures, meaning you don't have to get your sticky fingers all over the screen.
Multitasking will also feature prominently on the Tablet, with Jolla claiming it will have "the best multitasking on pretty much any device that's available in the world." Confident, then.
Loyal Android users will be pleased to know that Sailfish can run Android apps, as well as its own native ones.
The first batches of Jolla Tablets have sold out, but you can pre-order one on Indiegogo for US$210, with an estimated delivery date of May 2015.

Following the launch of its Band wearable, Microsoft is reportedly developing a fitness tracker that will sync with the Xbox One console's health and fitness apps.
The new Xbox One wearable has been all but confirmed and will launch sometime in 2015. Joe Officer, head of Exertis, an Xbox One component supplier, said to tech site PCR that we can expect to see a number of Microsoft wearable devices coming next year: "These will be linked to the Xbox One which has loads of health and fitness apps already in it - add that to real time heart rate monitors, health bands, scales and video sensors and users will have day in, day out, real time monitoring of themselves."
The Xbox One already features some fitness tracking features using the Kinect sensor, while Microsoft has also launched its own Microsoft Health service for monitoring your vitals. With wearable technology gaining traction all the time, a fitness tracker designed for use with the Xbox One console is the next logical step.
The original Microsoft Band is currently a US-only release, with no confirmation of whether it will be made available in other countries. Hopefully the Xbox One wearable will make it over to our shores at least. We'll have to wait until 2015 to find out.

Aesthetically speaking, the Fire TV Stick is about as exciting as the inside of an Amazon cardboard box. Without the fun air pillows to pop. Remarkably, it's probably less interesting to look at than an actual stick, which at least might be a bit knobbly or have an interesting insect crawling along it.But that doesn't really matter, as the Fire TV Stick is destined to be stuck, hopefully unseen, in an HDMI port at the back of your telly. One word of advice for future stick engineers - putting the micro-USB power socket on a thin edge of the stick means you can't put another HDMI in an adjoining port. Sticking it on the end or one of the thick faces would be more practical. Amazon does include an HDMI extender, gratis, but we can't help thinking it would be unnecessary if the Stick was designed a bit more thoughtfully in the first place.Set-up is unbelievably easy. The Fire TV Stick automatically finds and pairs with its Bluetooth remote, then you tap in your Wi-Fi details, including 5GHz networks (unlike Chromecast) for more reliable low-range streaming. A perky video tutorial then talks you through its navigation and operation. 

Interface and features

It's a shame that Amazon doesn't ship the Fire TV Stick with the same voice control remote as the Fire TV. Being able to simply hold down the microphone button and say what you want - in almost any accent and even in a noisy room - makes the rest of the Fire TV's interface virtually irrelevant. You can buy one separately, currently for £25, but it feels like a missed opportunity.
At least the home screen operation is fast and intuitive. Categories and menu items are on a vertical column on the left, populating out with recent and recommended items to the right. The Fire TV Stick feels just as fast as its big brother for browsing but maybe a couple of seconds slower to start playing videos. That sluggishness is even more noticeable when it comes to games, which can take five or ten seconds extra to load.
That's hardly a surprise. The Fire TV Stick has a dual-core ARM chip and 1GB of memory, compared to the Fire TV's quad-core silicon with 2GB of RAM. Both gadgets have 8GB of storage, which is enough for a handful of apps and games. The Fire TV Stick works as a seamless second screen with Fire tablets (and the Fire Phone, if either of you out there with one are reading this), and you can fling other services such as YouTube and Spotify from iOS or Android phones.
All the most popular apps are present and correct. Amazon Instant Video is the easiest and quickest to use of course, but Netflix, Hulu Plus, YouTube and WatchESPN work OK. HBO GO is promised for next year (at least in the US), just in time for its promised unbundling from cable subscriptions (both Roku and Chromecast already offer the app Stateside).

Amazon Fire TV Stick tech specs

The great news is that video (up to 1080p, 60fps) looks every bit as good on the Fire TV Stick as it does on the Fire TV. Colours are great, detail is crisp and there are no nasty artefacts. It doesn't handle navigating through video quite as well, though. Tap the fast forward or rewind button for a 10-second shift and the screen hiccups slightly, unlike the Fire TV's silky smooth transitions. Scrubbing at high speed forward or back also feels laggy.
One thing worth noting is Amazon's smart handling of Wi-Fi interruptions and general internet slowdowns. The video signal degrades very gracefully, pixellating the image without interrupting the stream until the last possible moment. If your connection is prone to problems, this is one of the best systems we've seen to cope with it.
The Stick can't play H.263 or MPEG videos (unlike the Fire TV) although it does offer Flac and Vorbis audio playback that its older sibling does not. Home cinema fans will be pleased to hear that Dolby Digital Plus and 7.1 channel passthrough are on board. There's no optical audio out (again, unlike the Fire TV).
As long as you're not expecting the Fire TV Stick to replace a real console for games, you won't be disappointed. Casual games are slower to load than on the Fire TV but play without glitches, including the latest 3D puzzlers such as Disney's Smash It! Amazon gives you some coins to buy a few games without actually spending any money - you might even find them enough to keep you busy between Netflix binges.

Amazon Fire TV Stick verdict

Amazon did the right thing in releasing a super-portable streaming stick. The Fire TV Stick is small enough to take on holiday with you or to lend to a mate, and looks very respectable when stacked up against Google's Chromecast or Roku's Streaming Stick. While it doesn't offer quite as many apps, it's got all the basic, popular streaming services stacked up, with the bonus of a selection of high quality casual games to dip into.
The problem really comes with the Fire TV Stick's core audience - people who already pay for Amazon Prime and want to get the most from it. Given that you're paying £79 or $99 a year for the service, saving a little on a cut-down streaming device doesn't add up. The standard Fire TV box comes with a revolutionary voice control remote, beautifully smooth video and pretty fast gaming - the Fire TV Stick really only has its price and size going for it.
The Fire TV Stick is a solid performer at a very cheap price, then, but if you're a streaming veteran there's probably not enough reason to up sticks and switch to this.