Amazon Fire Stick HD Hardware Limitations Due to Software, Not Hardware
A recent teardown of the Amazon Fire Stick HD (2026) by [electronupdate] reveals some interesting details about its hardware. The device features a Mediatek MT8698D SoC, which is not so different from the one used in the 4K versions. In fact, both the 4K Plus and the 4K Select use similar hardware, including the G310V2 GPU at 500 MHz and the same decoder block (VPU), capable of 4K video decoding.
This implies that the 'HD' distinction is purely software-based, raising questions about the limitations of this version compared to its 4K counterparts. The teardown also revealed ceramic patch antennas for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, as well as a PMIC IC with USB-PD functionality. The device's PCB shows a fairly typical design, with most components sourced from Mediatek.
The fact that the SoC die is a mere 5.2 x 6.45 mm suggests that it could be replaced or repurposed with some software tweaks or even by installing plain Android onto its 8 GB of eMMC.