Xiaomi has been making media players, or set-top boxes if you like, for years. The first two generations were exclusively for the Chinese domestic market, entirely in Chinese and packed with Asian features.
The third generation also brought the international release of the Mi Box 3. Although formally they were identical to the Chinese variant, the hardware was more powerful and was marked "EU", "International" or "Global" (this is available in a selection of webshops).
I've been using one of these boxes for about 20 months now, and apart from the official Oreo update, I haven't had any problems with it. True, the hardware has been a bit cramped, especially the size of the back. With 8GB of apps (if you play games on it, a serious game will get 1 - 1.5GB) with a loaded Kodi system, it's barely enough. For me, it took about 1 year to fill up 8GB, which was not enough for one program update. Since the system itself doesn't support an external drive as additional storage, and there's no microSD expansion, the Mi Box has its limitations.
At the end of January 2018, the 4th generation arrived, with the launch of two devices. We also reported on this.
No hardware improvements have been made, leaving the 2+8GB, or in the case of the Mi Box 4c, the 1+8GB RAM/ROM version. Both devices run the manufacturer's own Patchwall system, entirely in Chinese, with deep AI integration. I had the 4C for a couple of hours, but my initial enthusiasm quickly waned when Google Translate failed to help me navigate the complex menu and an update rendered the device virtually inoperable. The remote control is of much poorer material quality, and the Mi Box 4 series itself has a more angular design compared to the 3rd generation. It didn't work for me. If I lived in China, I could certainly use it, as the system itself is the same as the MiJIa laser projector or Mi TVs. It can be connected to the MI Home and can be used for practically anything with voice control. In Asia.
This is expected to change in October. At Google's event in October, an international version of the current Mi Box 4 is expected to be unveiled as the Mi Box S.
The name was found by XDA developers in the Google Play list of certified devices. The list also shows that the original model of the device is Mi Box 4.
The Mi Box S comes with a new look, but the interior is the same as the Mi Box 3.
It also comes with a redesigned remote control with a dedicated Netflix button. It was shown at the FCC a few months ago. The version that will be available in the US will definitely be equipped with this remote.
The Mi Box S continues to support 4K streaming and video playback, as well as Dolby Digital and DTS Surround sound, just like its predecessor. No exact pricing is available yet, but we assume it will be available for the same price of around $70 as the previous version. The Android TV system will be available with Oreo as a factory default before the Christmas season.
We understand that the EU version of the Mi Box 3 has been discontinued and is therefore slowly being phased out.
