TL;DR
- The Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) has launched, bringing upgrades over the previous model.
- It features a faster CPU and GPU, HDR10+ and Dolby Vision support, plus Wi-Fi 6.
- The device runs on the Google TV interface with personalized profiles and voice control.
If you’re in the market for a portable streaming upgrade, there’s a new 4K stick in town. It purports to be a notable step up from the last one, and we were already fans of its predecessor.
The newly launched Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) brings improvements across the board. The most significant upgrade is under the hood, with a more powerful chipset featuring a quad-core Cortex-A55 CPU and Mali-G310 GPU. Xiaomi claims this results in an 80% boost to CPU performance and a 150% GPU bump compared to the previous model.
While the core specs of 2GB RAM and 8GB storage remain the same, the second-gen device adds support for HDR10+ alongside Dolby Vision. Audio support has also expanded, now including DTS:X to accompany Dolby Atmos.
Connectivity also gets a lift with Wi-Fi 6 support, which should translate to faster and more stable streaming — assuming your router is up to the task. It still supports Bluetooth 5.2 and includes the familiar minimalist remote, though a few new shortcut buttons have been added this time, including one for Xiaomi’s new free live TV service.
The software has changed, too. Instead of Android TV, the new stick runs on the Google TV interface, which means a more curated home screen and better content recommendations across streaming services.
While the device may not officially make it to the US market, it’s already listed on AliExpress for around $49, which includes a claimed $86 discount. We haven’t spotted it at other retailers yet, but hopefully wider availability will follow soon.
