Xiaomi has been unstoppable in recent times. After becoming the leading Smart TV brand in the country, the Chinese company has now set its eyes on the non-Smart TV market. At the time of the Mi Box 4K launch back in May this year, Xiaomi stated that there are more than 15 million users with a TV, but it is not a Smart TV. The Mi Box 4K was the first attempt from Xiaomi at capturing the non-Smart TV users. However, the Mi Box 4K is a proper television accessory and it can't be moved easily, which is why the company has brought the Mi TV Stick. Priced at Rs 2,799, the Mi TV Stick can be directly connected to your television using the HDMI port and it competes directly with the Amazon Fire TV Stick that's retailing for around Rs 4,000 in the country. Continue reading to know more about the Mi TV Stick in detail.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Review: Design
The Mi TV Stick is more like a big USB drive. There is a very minimalistic branding of Mi on top of the Android TV stick and it very light in weight. Dimensions of the stick are 92.4 x 30.2 x 15.2mm, and to be honest, it feels like a more compact and precise version of the Amazon Fire TV Stick. The body of the stick is divided into two parts. The lower body or the second half of the Mi TV Stick has a glossy finish. The design of the body of Mi TV Stick has been executed cleverly by Xiaomi. There is a micro-USB port on the side of the body which supplies power to the Mi TV Stick.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Review: Performance
Let’s first talk about the hardware part of the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick. The Cortex A53 cores power the Android TV Stick, and with that, you also get 1GB of RAM paired with up to 8GB of internal storage so that you have enough space for downloading your favourite applications. For connectivity, this Android TV stick can support Wi-Fi ac and Bluetooth 4.2.
One of the best things about the Xiaomi MI TV stick is that it is powered by Android TV. As we already know, Android TV offers a much cleaner experience when compared with what Amazon offers with its streaming products. Google Play Store has a ton of games and apps that you can download and access on your TV. One feature that you will like about the Xiaomi MI TV Stick is that it allows customers to customise the home screen of the TV as per their wish.
You will have very easy access to most of your favourite content streaming platforms. Streaming platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video can be accessed directly via the remote of the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick. There are other services such as Disney+ Hotstar, ZEE5, and more which you can download independently if you wish to.
The Mi TV Stick delivered performance very similar to the Mi Box 4K. Switching between multiple apps was a breeze too. The Android TV stick also comes with in-built Chromecast so you can also cast the screen of your smartphone on your TV whenever you want. For sound, it supports Dolby Audio; thus, you won’t find anything wrong with the sound of the game.
Unlike the Mi Box 4K which offers 4K support, the Mi TV Stick is limited to just 1080p. So if you are someone who watches content in 4K, then you will have to purchase the Mi Box 4K. In addition, your television should have support for 4K.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Review: Remote Control
One of the essential elements of an Android TV experience is the navigation from one app to the other. For that, a remote is used. Xiaomi offers a remote with the Mi TV Stick. It doesn’t look like the traditional TV remotes with a ton of buttons on it. But it has a minimalistic design and a very clean look with fewer buttons.
There are two dedicated buttons for Netflix and Amazon Prime Video so that the customers don’t have to search for the app to stream from either of the platforms. There is a power button, and right below it, there is a dedicated Google Assistant button which will help you in giving voice commands. There are buttons for lowering and increasing the volume. Then at the centre are the buttons for navigating.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Review: What Can Be Improved?
Every product that comes to the market can be improved. That doesn’t mean it is necessarily an unfinished product or a wrong product. It just means that with time, it can get better. It is the same case with the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick. It can be improved on a few ends. First is the quality of the visuals.
Xiaomi offers customers the Mi Box 4K which supports 4K quality videos. But it is not the case with Xiaomi Mi TV Stick. It is quite strange to see that Xiaomi didn’t offer 4K quality support with the Mi TV Stick. With this Android TV stick, the customers only get support for viewing 1080p videos. Along with that, one thing that is probably missing inside the packaging box is an HDMI extension wire. Other than this, nothing is missing from the Xiaomi Mi TV Stick and it is probably the must-have TV accessory.
Xiaomi Mi TV Stick Review: Price and Verdict
The Xiaomi Mi TV stick has been launched in India for Rs 2,799 and compared to other Android TV sticks; it is safe to say that it is one of the best priced and cheapest for the customers. If you are looking for a cheap Android TV stick which can give you an excellent Android TV experience, the Mi TV stick is worth considering. There is just one thing; if you want the content in 4K, then this is not the product you should go for. But if you are happy with 1080p, then the Mi TV stick becomes a perfect option.
Also, before purchasing the Mi TV Stick make sure that the HDMI ports on your television are located onto the sides. If they are located on the rear side, then you will have to purchase an HDMI-HDMI extension.
