Xiaomi has expanded its Android TV set-top box lineup with the addition of Mi Box 4S Max, which offers ample storage and RAM upgrades over its competitors.
[Update 06/13]: As we expected, it seems that the Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Max will only be sold in the homeland of the tech giants. Xiaomi confirmed to Android salad That this interesting Android TV set-top box will only be sold in China officially:
“We do not currently have any plans to introduce the Xiaomi Box 4S Max in international markets.”
This is not a huge shock, given that Xiaomi has a wide range of products that are only available through official channels in China. Third-party sellers often offer the ability to import such products, which seems to be the only way Western fans will be able to get their hands on the Mi Box 4S Max this time around.
Officially launched in China (via APCTV), Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Max looks somewhat similar to previous generations, but comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage as standard. Given the frustrating storage and performance limitations of Google’s flagship Chromecast with Google TV, Xiaomi has decided to make sure these annoyances don’t exist in this streaming box.
The Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Max is powered by the Amlogic S905X3 processor, which uses the Amlogic Video 10 engine. Unfortunately, this means that the AV1 codec is not supported here, but Xiaomi says it is still capable of streaming content at 4K 60fps at even HD 8K – although the frame rate is not specified.
Inputs and outputs include an HDMI 2.1 port and a USB 3.0 port as well as a remote control inside the box that is said to support Google Assistant via a built-in microphone. This is a pretty standard customization for a home broadcast device like this one. MIUI for TV comes pre-installed with Android TV here, but since it’s currently only available in China, a number of the more popular Western streaming services aren’t available.
Xiaomi Mi Box 4S Max has been listed at 499 Yuan (~$75) on its official storefront in China. Although this price may seem particularly tempting, it is not clear if Xiaomi will launch this set-top box outside the region.
More on Google TV:
FTC: We use affiliate links to earn income. more.
Check out 9to5Google on YouTube for more news: