The Xiaomi Mi Box is one of the few Android TV boxes running Android TV and not a custom version of Android for mobile phones. Announced two years ago, the TV box now has a successor (if you want to call it that) called the Mi Box S. Is it worth buying? Read on to find out.
The Mi Box S has the same design as the Mi Box 4 sold in China but it comes in black and not white like its Chinese version. Obviously, it runs Android TV and not Xiaomi’s version of Android for TVs.
The design of the box is not the only new thing. The Mi Box S also comes with a new remote. The power button is now in the middle but still at the top and right below it is a Google Assistant microphone button. There is also a dedicated Netflix button, a Live TV button, and apps button. It runs Android 8.1 out of the box.
The Mi Box S supports 4K output and playback (4K at 60fps). With built-in Chromecast, you can also cast what is on your phone, tablet or PC screen to the TV. Thanks to Google Assistant, the Mi Box S will also control your supported smart home devices such as the thermostat and lights. You can also use the assistant to find a movie/show, ask it to play a song, or even ask it the weather.
The Mi Box S has the same internals as the Mi Box. It is powered by a Cortex-A53 quad-core chipset with a Mali-450 GPU and has 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage. The Mi Box S has dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 for connectivity. It has an HDMI 2.0 port, a single USB 2.0 port, an audio output port, and a power input port. Just like the Mi Box, you can also connect a supported gamepad and play games on the big screen.
[envira-gallery id=”215859″]READ MORE: Xiaomi Mi MIX 3 3C certified; Launch seems imminent
If you already own the Mi Box, there really is no reason to buy the Mi Box S. However, those who don’t already own an Android TV box should grab this not only because of the new design and remote but also because it’s cheaper than the original.
The Mi Box S is priced at $59.99 and is available for pre-order on Walmart. It will start to ship on November 6.
