The Amazon Fire TV 3 (Pendant) has gone out of stock. The product page briefly listed an in-stock date of October 3rd but has now indicates that the 3rd generation Fire TV will return on September 22nd. An Amazon device abruptly going out of stock is easily the strongest indicator that a new model will soon be released.

It’s not unusual for an Amazon device to go out of stock during or immediately after a major sale, like Prime Day or Black Friday. When that occurs, it’s not an indicator of a new version of the device on the horizon. However, what is a good indicator of a replacement model coming is when a device suddenly goes out of stock out of the blue.

That is what has happened with the current Fire TV. While the device has been on sale during the last week, it wasn’t such a killer deal to cause it to go out of stock for so long. This likely means that Amazon has greatly reduced or altogether stopped new production of the existing Fire TV in anticipation of a new model.

The currently listed in stock date of September 22nd should not be used as a gauge to determine when a new model will be released. Amazon has historically never used the return date as a hint to when a new model will be announced or released. Based on when Amazon traditionally released Fire TV models, if a new Fire TV is coming, it will likely be announced and/or released near the end of September or early October. The current Fire TV was announced on September 27, 2017 and released on October 25, 2017.

With the recent release of the Amazon Fire TV Cube as the new flagship model in the Fire TV lineup, it’s unlikely that Amazon will release a new Fire TV that is superior to the Fire TV Cube. What is more likely is that a new mid-tier Fire TV model will be released for those who want more than the Fire TV Stick has to offer but don’t need the hands-free and universal remote capabilities of the Fire TV Cube.

There’s a very likely possibility that the current Fire TV will simply be replaced by a 4K and HDR capable Fire TV Stick. Many people already incorrectly refer to the existing Fire TV 3 as a “4K Firestick,” even though it does not use a stick form factor. The pendant form factor of the Fire TV 3 has been a concern for many, since it appears to put more strain on the HDMI port than the Fire TV Stick. If Amazon is able to fit all the same capabilities of the existing Fire TV 3 into a true stick form factor, that would certainly be preferred to another pendant design.

ShareTweetShare+1