When Xiaomi came out with its first generation TV Stick back in 2020, the main gripe that consumers had with it was the lack of 4K streaming support. With industry giant Amazon dominating the streaming device segment with Fire TV Stick, Xiaomi did not have much of a chance at capturing any significant market share with a product that capped video quality at 1080p.
But now, the story may take a turn. Last month Xiaomi came out with its next-generation TV Stick 4K which, as you can guess from the name, offers 4K streaming support. Apart from video quality, Xiaomi has made some minor but noticeable changes that make the TV Stick 4K a complete streaming product. So does this device finally have what it takes to go against the Fire TV Stick? Read our review of the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K to find out.
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Xiaomi TV Stick 4K review: Design
The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K ships in a compact rectangular box. Inside, you will find the TV Stick, remote, power adapter, USB cable, HDMI extender cable, and a booklet that serves as an installation and product information guide. The remote requires two AAA batteries to function which are not included in the box.
The design of the Xiaomi TV Stick remains unchanged from its previous generation, although it is slightly larger in size. The top two-thirds portion of the stick gets a matte finish while the bottom third has a glossy texture. The Xiaomi branding has been embossed on the matte finish and the small notification light has been housed in the glossy section. The micro USB port has been placed on the side. It is a little weird that Xiaomi hasn’t gone for the USB-C port on their new device, but they have provided a USB cable with the product.
You also get an HDMI extender cable along with the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K. This came in extremely useful since the TV we were using had only 2 HDMI ports next to each other, which didn’t allow two bulky devices to be connected side by side. If your TV is wall mounted, the HDMI extender cable may dangle from the side.
The TV Stick remote carries the same minimal design as its predecessor. It’s good to see Xiaomi has not tried anything new with the remote as its clean, easy-to-use layout was one of the highlights of the previous-generation product. The remote is easy to pair with your TV and there is an option to use the remote control functionality on the Google TV app.
The power button has been placed at the top of the remote followed by a dedicated button for Google Assistant. There are dedicated buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+ Hostar, and system apps as well.
Xiaomi TV Stick 4K review: Performance
The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K is powered by a Quad-core Cortex-A35 processor and runs Android TV 11. The device features 2GB of RAM along with 8GB of storage space. Throughout our use, we did not experience any annoying lags or stutters. Pairing the stick to your TV is an easy process as well. All you need to do is plug in the stick to the HDMI port in your TV and connect the power adapter to the wall socket. Plug in the micro USB cable to the TV stick and you’re good to go. Connect the TV stick to your home WiFi network and sign in using your Google Account to download the streaming apps from the Play Store.
What we liked the most about the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K was the bloatware-free Android TV 11 OS experience. It comes with some pre-installed apps like Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube, but we wouldn’t exactly call it bloatware. You also get Xiaomi’s MiTV+ app on the device, which lets you watch a bunch of TV channels at no additional cost. Switching between the apps is an absolute breeze and the browsing experience is seamless.
Xiaomi’s Patchwall interface curates content from different streaming platforms on your homepage. The look and aesthetic of the Patchwall are quite pleasing to the eye, and it comes in handy when you don’t want to jump between different apps to find what you want to watch. The built-in support for Chromecast and Google Assistant also brings a whole lot of smartness to your TV.
As we mentioned earlier, the biggest upgrade on the Xiaomi TV Stick is 4K media support. Paired with Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision support, the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K provides an exemplary viewing experience that is in line with the best streaming on the market right now. We streamed HBO’s latest hit The Last Of Us and were not disappointed with the seamless streamless and vivid images we were treated to.
The remote is extremely accessible to use, even for people that aren’t tech-savvy. The minimal design and dedicated keys for major streaming services make the device very easy to use. If you’re thinking about gifting a smart TV stick to your elderly parents or relatives, the simplicity of Xiaomi’s product should make it the pick of the lot. The only problem with the remote is that it lacks a mute button. You will need to use your old remote controller or the Google TV app to mute the system. We would also have liked an extra customisable hotkey on the remote.
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Verdict
Priced at Rs 4,999, the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K is a great device to pick up to bring Android functionalities to your TV. There’s no skipping this one as Xiaomi has delivered the entire package – from 4K streaming support to built-in Chromecast and Google Assistant. The minimal design and easy accessibility of the remote is also a big point in its favour. However, we feel like Xiaomi could have been more moderate with the pricing, as their products have a reputation for undercutting their competition by a decent price margin.
Pros
4K streaming
Minimal design for the remote
Ease of access
Cons
Price could have been lower
No mute button on the remote
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