Well, now it can be said: Xiaomi's 4K Android TV Mi Box is officially available in the United States. This came after reports revealed that the device was already on display at Walmart last week despite being listed as an upcoming device at Xiaomi's website.
As Tech Times previously reported, Mi Box was sold for $69 and the official announcement confirmed this figure. It is now available to U.S. customers via Mi.com and at Walmart stores.
"This is a significant milestone for Xiaomi, as it is our first opportunity to demonstrate to consumers here in America the power of what makes Xiaomi extraordinary: our promise of innovation for everyone," Hugo Barra, vice president at Xiaomi Global said in an official statement. "We believe everyone is entitled to benefit from technological breakthroughs, and Mi Box is a reflection of that belief."
Google also heaped praises on the device, with no less than Sascha Prueter, the head for Android TV, extending the team's excitement over the Chinese company's initial foray into the U.S. market.
A number of observers have cited that the Mi Box is a steal. Indeed, for the price point, it is possibly one of the best streaming devices to hit the market. Xiaomi, for instance, can stream 4K resolution at a staggering 60 frames per second (fps).
What this means is that it is up there with Amazon TV and Roku, and thoroughly trounces Apple TV, which can only manage 1080p at 60 fps. No one needs reminding that the latest Apple TV's base model retails for $149.
Under the hood, the Mi Box has a 2GHz quad-core chip, Mali 450 GPU and 2 GB of RAM.
The Mi Box also ships with a Bluetooth remote that is also outfitted with voice recognition. This technology enables voice search and command. The remote can also serve as a controller when playing games that are available for Android TV.
There is only 8 GB storage but it can be offset by the availability of a USB port to plug in additional storage module.
The streaming device runs on Android TV 6.0, which means it can support Google Cast. For the uninitiated, this feature allows Android users to beam or cast contents from their devices right to their TV and speakers.
What is even cooler is that the Mi Box will come with what Xiaomi called as special perks, complementing the live streaming TV experience. These are add-on services and contents provided by partners such as Sling TV, Pandora and VUDU. These purportedly cost a total of $76.
