Xiaomi has announced a new streaming stick called the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen), which is going on sale globally from this week. It has just appeared on the company’s website, following in the wake of the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) that launched last July.
As a Full HD model rather than 4K, it’s the successor to the original Xiaomi TV Stick HD that launched in 2021. The main updates pertain to a superior central processing unit, which enables superior audio and video quality, the company said.
The device is meant to be plugged into a TV or monitor, transforming it into a Google TV-powered smart TV, bringing access to streaming apps like Netflix, YouTube, Disney+ and Apple TV+. You’ll also get access to Google Assistant-based voice controls and smartphone screen sharing through Google Cast.
One useful update is that the 2nd Gen stick expands HDR support. In addition to Dolby Vision, which was available on the original device, it also supports HDR10+. Dolby Audio is present, same as before, and DTX:X sound is now available too.
The stick plugs into TVs and monitors via a HDMI port and requires a WiFi connection to use. According to Xiaomi, it supports dual-band Wi-Fi 2.4Ghz/5Ghz and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity. WiFi connectivity should be faster because it now supports WiFi 6, rather than the WiFi 5 standard found on the older model. There’s a dedicated remote control with buttons for Netflix, Prime Video, YouTube and Google Assistant.
In terms of the underlying hardware, it combines a Mali G31 MP2 GPI chipset with a quad-core Cortex-A55, which offers 38% greater performance compared to the older stock. This should mean the device runs notably faster, the company said. In addition, graphics performance is boosted by an impressive 150%.
On the downside, the device doesn’t improve on the 2GB of RAM and 8GB of storage found on its predecessor, which is an odd decision considering that Google last year declared that future hardware platforms should have a minimum of 16GB of storage space. But given the recent worldwide memory shortages, maybe that can help to keep the price down, at least.
The company has not said anything about pricing for the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen), but it should be cheaper than the more powerful Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen), which currently costs €59.99 (around £52) in Europe.
