The day which a lot of Mi TV 4A owners have been waiting for is finally here. Xiaomi announced that the Mi TV 4A 32-inch and 43-inch models would start picking up Android TV 9.0 update in India starting today. This is one of the major announcement made by Xiaomi back at the launch of Mi TV 4A Pro series in September 2018. Initially, the update was supposed to roll out to the Mi TV 4A series in early 2019, but the company was hit with some unexpected roadblock due to which the rollout has been delayed. Notably, the Mi TV 4A series does not run Android TV platform, so upgrading them to Android TV platform is the biggest challenge Xiaomi has taken. For the unaware, the Mi TV 4A series ran AOSP build on Android TV with PatchWall UI on top, but they are now being updated to full-fledged Android TV platform.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A Series Start Getting Android TV 9.0 Update
The Mi TV 4A series was the first series of Smart TVs launched by Xiaomi in India back in February 2018 alongside the Redmi Note 5 Pro smartphone. The Mi TV 4A 55-inch model priced at Rs 39,999 was the first Smart TV with PatchWall UI to make its debut in India. Later on, Xiaomi launched two new models in the same series with 32-inch and 43-inch screen sizes. Both ran the same AOSP build with PatchWall UI on top.
At the Mi TV 4A Pro series launch in September 2018, Xiaomi promised that it would upgrade the Mi TV 4A models to Android TV since the 4A Pro series came out with Android TV 8.0 platform. Xiaomi said that the Mi TV 4A models would get the much-awaited Android TV update in early 2019, some unexpected issues delayed the update.
Nevertheless, the update is now being rolled out to 32-inch and 43-inch models of the Mi TV 4A series. Xiaomi did not release the update to Mi TV 4A 55-inch model, but we're expecting the company to start the rollout to its first premium Smart TV very soon. After the Mi TV 4A series, all the Xiaomi Smart TVs ran Android TV out of the box and they're already upgraded to Android TV 9.0 platform in India.
Android TV 9.0 Update for Mi TV 4A Series: What's New?
While announcing the update to its two oldest Smart TVs, Xiaomi also revealed key features which the Android TV 9.0 will bring to these two Smart TVs. Xiaomi says the update will add Chromecast built-in, Data Saver, YouTube, Google Play Store, Google Play Movies and much more. The company did not reveal whether the update will bring Netflix and Amazon Prime Video apps to the Smart TVs or not. To recall, Xiaomi confirmed that the Mi TV 4A models would also get Netflix and Amazon Prime Video support back at the September 2018 launch event itself.
Even if the update does not bring the two OTT apps, you can download them and watch the content with ease from either Google Play Store or from the web. Sadly, the two TVs will not have access to voice search functionality directly from the remote, but you can purchase Xiaomi's Mi TV remotes from the Mi.com. The Mi IR Remote Black is available at Rs 199, whereas the Mi Bluetooth Voice Remote can be purchased for Rs 499.
