The first 8K-capable Mi Box (Updated)
- Xiaomi has launched the first 8K-capable Mi Box in China.
- The streaming box also offers 16 GB of storage space compared to 8 GB in the 4K version.
- Xiaomi says they currently have no global plans to share.
Update: November 5, 2020 (6:35 a.m. ET): Xiaomi yesterday introduced the Mi Box 4S Pro (see original article below), which for the first time in the series offers 8K playback capabilities. We also wondered about the international availability, but it sounds like we shouldn’t hold our breath.
“We currently have no global plans for the Mi Box 4S Pro,” said a representative from Xiaomi Android Authority in response to a request sent by email. This doesn’t mean the streaming box isn’t leaving China at all, but it does suggest that you shouldn’t expect it in your market in the near future.
Original article: Nov. 4, 2020 (6:17 p.m. ET): The Mi Box series from Xiaomi is one of the most popular Android TV boxes ever. It’s available at an affordable price and offers a wide range of features. We’ve already seen the Mi Box 4S and Mi TV Stick launch in the past few months, but the company is aiming even higher with its latest product.
Xiaomi presented the Mi Box 4S Pro today. The main selling point is that it supports 8K video playback. This makes it one of the few 8K-capable streaming boxes on the market.
The Mi Box 4S Pro also offers HDMI 2.1 support, 16 GB of storage, 2 GB of RAM and Bluetooth voice control. As with many Xiaomi TV products in China, this latest device comes with the MIUI for TV platform. There’s no word on other specs yet, but if it has anything to do with the standard Mi-Box 4S we can expect a USB port too.
Expect to pay 399 yuan (~ $ 60) for the new streaming box when it goes on sale in China. Pre-orders start at midnight on November 5th. This means that it’s a bit more expensive than the ~ $ 43 Mi Box 4S Top with 8GB of storage and 4K playback.
We asked Xiaomi about availability outside of China and will update the story if they get back to us. But presumably it would swap MIUI for TV for standard Android TV when it comes to Europe, North America and other regions.
Next: The best media streaming devices you can buy right now
