Android TV Box Recommendations

[xiaofan]

Notes added on 10-Oct-2026

1. Prices of Certified Android Boxes are in general increased.

Price of Mi Box S Gen 3 and Mi TV Stick 4K Gen 2 have gone up by quite a bit but others also go up. So they are still okay to buy. You may also find cheaper 2nd units of Mi Box Gen 3, Mi TV Stick 4K Gen 2 and Mi Box Gen 2 as well.

Google’s US$99 4K TV Streamer is now at U$149.

Nvidia has raised the price of Shield TV Pro from US$199 to US$299 and discontinued the standard cylindrical Shield TV.

mecool TV boxes also have price increases and the online stores show sold-out for the models listed.
https://www.mecool.com/
MECOOL MEon1 4K GTV Streaming Box, Sale price at US$139.99
MECOOL KM2 PLUS TV Box, Sale price at US$150.99
MECOOL KM7 PLUS TV Box, Sale price at uS$125.99
MECOOL MEgo1 4K Google TV Stick, Sale price at US$150.99

2. Walmart onn 4K TV boxes may be worth buying if you are okay to buy from US.
https://www.walmart.com/c/kp/onn-tv-box

US$59.98, onn 4K Pro Streaming Device, Google TV with Gemini (NEW 2026 Model) - Ultra-fast Streaming, Stunning 4K UHD, 32GB Storage, 3GB RAM, Dolby Vision & Atmos, Find My Remote with Backlight, Ethernet Port

US$49.98, onn 4K Plus Streaming Device, Google TV - Ultra-fast Streaming, Stunning 4K UHD, 16GB Storage, 2GB RAM, Dolby Vision & Atmos, Remote with Voice Control - U.S. Compatible only

US$39.98, onn 4K Streaming Device, Google TV with Gemini (NEW 2026 Model) - Fast Streaming, Ultra HD, 8GB Storage, 2GB RAM, Remote With Voice Control - U.S. Compatible only

US$29.98, no point buying, onn Full HD Streaming Device, Google TV - Fast Streaming, 8GB Storage, 1.5GB RAM, Remote with Voice Control.

3. Amazon newer FireTV Stick 4K Select 2025 and newer models like FireTV Stick 4K 2026 and FireTV Stick HD 2026 are not worth buying as they change from Fire OS (Android based) to Amazon's own Vega OS.

Reference: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select, Review: a disaster with Vega OS
https://androidpctv.com/amazon-fire-tv-stick-4k-select-review/

4. There may be other certified Google TV devices as well.

5. Those with a decent TV running Android TV OS or Google TV platform may not need an Android TV box.

5. Apple TV is always a good alternative. Now the latest model is still Apple TV 4K 3rd Gen released in 2022.

But with the recent price increase, it may not be worth buying now.

https://www.hardwarezone.com.sg/lifestyle/video/do-not-buy-apple-tv-4k-now
(HWZ Article, 2 Jul 2026)
When it was announced in October 2022, it had a starting launch price of S$199. This got you an Apple TV 4K with Wi-Fi connectivity and 64GB of onboard storage. For S$239, you could get a model with Ethernet connectivity and 128GB of storage.

Today, that same 64GB model costs S$299. And if you need Ethernet connectivity, prepare to cough up S$379. That’s an increase of around 50% and 58%, respectively. And as good as the Apple TV 4K is, I’m afraid they don’t represent great value at these prices, especially when much more affordable alternatives exist.

6. If your apps are included in your Samsung TV, then it is also okay. If not, you may still need an Android TV Box.

7. LG TV is ususally not that smart and may still need an Android TV box.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
To summarize for year 2025/2026 (updated on 14-Sept-2025)

Please also go to Page 7 for some updated info about SOC (TV Box Chipset) comparisons.
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/android-tv-box-recommendations.6662455/page-7

Basically you can consider the following.
1. Get certified Google Android TV OS devices which are also certified by Netflix: Mi Box S Gen 2 or Mi Box S Gen 3 (highly recommended), Google TV Streamer 4k (2024 model), Google Chromecast 2020, Mecool KM2, KM2 Plus, KM2 Plus Deluxe and KM7 Plus.

Mi Box S Gen 2 is a good upgrade from Mi Box S in terms of the upgraded S905X4 CPU and Google TV OS. It also adds the support of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-tv-box-s-2nd-gen-review/

Mi Box S Gen 3 is a good upgrade from Mi Box S Gen 2 in terms of the slightly upgraded S905X5M CPU and 32GB Storage.
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-tv-box-s-3rd-gen-review/

There are a few other choices as well, like Mi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen), Realme 4K Smart Google TV Stick and Mecool KD3 4K TV Stick.

Mi TV Stick 4k Gen 2: same S905X5M CPU as Mi Box S Gen 3.
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-tv-stick-4k-2nd-gen-review/

Or if you want to pay for the best Android TV box, get Nvidia Shield TV 2019 for streaming. If you are into gaming as well, get Nvidia Shield TV Pro 2019.

I tend not to recommend 1080p TV sticks like Mi TV Stick 1080P and Mecool KD5 or Google Chromecast HD (2022 model), they are okay if you use the built-in apps. If you add more apps the 1GB RAM can be the limiting factor.

You may also want to look at onn. Google TV 4K Pro (2024 model) and onn. Google TV 4K Streaming Box (2023), especially if you can get good Black Friday deals.

2. Consider the boxes mentione in Point 1 again if you are first time buyer.

3. If you only need Netflix but not Chromecast, and you want to get a powerful box, get Amazon FireTV Cube 3rd Gen (2023 model). Amazon FireTV Stick 4K 2nd Gen (2023 model) and 4K Max Gen 2 (2023 model) is also a good buy.

4. If you do not need Netflix HD, you can also consider official Android TV OS box (but lack Netflix certification) like Mecool KM6 (S905X4 based) or KM7 SE (S905Y4 based). They support Chromecast.

When you do not need an Android TV Boxes?
1. You have an Android TV OS based smart TV (eg: Sony smart TV), and the performance is okay.
2. You have a smart TV from Samsung/LG and yet you do not feel the limitation from the lack of apps.
3. Apple TV owners. Apple TV is a very good TV box, especially if you are into Apple ecosystems.

 

[xiaofan]

For streaming I think Mi Box S as well as Google Chromecast 2020 should be a very good choice especially for new users. Then Nvidia Shield TV is another good choice if you are willing to pay for the performance. If for some reasons you do not like these two, you may want to consider Option 6, especially S905X3/S905X4 boxes.

Chromecast 2020 is kind of Mi Box S killer with a faster CPU, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

Mecool KM2 is another option with a bit better connectivity option but the brand is not as famous as Xiaomi and Google.

Nvidia Shield TV (usually S$200++) have all the advantages of Mi Box S and none of the disadvantages of Mi Box S.



The above video is a good summary why Mi Box S is often recommended as the streaming device to go.

A) It is a streaming device which makes your TV smart or smarter than it is now. This is true for TVs like those Samsung Frozen OS based smart TV, LG Webos based smart TV and even Xiaomi TV running Patchwall Android based OS.

B)It runs official Google Certified Android TV OS which is easy to use.

C) Very good streaming support due to running Certified Android TV OS, Netflix 4K and YouTube 4K are supported.

D) Good voice remote with Google Assistant

E) Chromecast 4k function built-in. This is one of the best feature of Mi Box S. You can use apps like Netflix, YouTube, Starhub Go, SingTel TV Go, Singtel Cast, HBO Go, Viu Premium, etc, on the phone (iOS or Android) and then cast to your TV with this function. Basically this covers most of the popular Streaming services here in Singapore. Take note you can still use your phone for other things after the shows started on the TV. You can run Netflix, YouTube, SingTel TV Go and Singapore Cast on Mi Box S itself as well.

In terms of cost, typical cost in Lazada/Qoo10/Shopee is around S$70-90, depending on offer and coupon. Take note Chromecast Ultra (4k support) itself cost more than S$100. Even the cheaper Chromecast (1080p) costs more than S$50.

The main disadvantages of Mi Box S are the following.
a) The author mentions relatively weak CPU and occasionally lag or skip frame if you set the interface resolution as 4k. Still it is actually very good for streaming and even casual gaming due to good software optimization.

b) Relatively limited interface, only one USB 2.0 port and no Ethernet interface. Still take note the Dual Band AC WiFi works well.

c) Relatively small 8GB storage but you can add a fast USB Flash Drive to expand the storage

 

[xiaofan]

Depending on your needs you may consider the following streaming hardware options, from easy to more difficult. Option 8/9/10 may sound easy but I think they may have legal issues and should be avoided.

1) Starhub Fibre TV or SingTel TV, still the best for old folks.

2) Starhub TV+ box runs operator tier of Android TV OS with Netflix 4K support. But the feedback is that it is not stable and often you need log out and log in back. It is also locked down so that you can not side-load apps.

3) Apple TV and Apple TV 4k which are good option for Apple users

4) Mi Box S or Chromecast 2020 or Nvidia Shield TV running official Android TV OS whch supports Netflix 4k and YouTube 4k. They have built-in Chromecast 4K function as well.

You can load other apps as well with some exceptions like Starhub TV+. But you can use Starhub TV+ on the mobile and cast to TV.

5) Amazon Fire TV stick 4k, 4K Max or Amazon Fire TV Cube 2nd generation, which supports Netflix 4k as well, again you can side load other apps but they do not support Chromecast.

6) Other Android TV boxes, say those from Minix and Mecool. They may have better build quality than the generic boxes from Option 7. I will recommend those with official Android TV OS since they have Chromecast function. They do not have Netflix 4k support though. For example, you can consider Minix NEO T5 (S905X2 based) or Mecool KM3/KM1 (S905X3 based) or KM6 (S905X4 based) or KM7 (S905Y4 based). They support Chromecast.

Beelink and Ugoos can be considered as well but take note they do not seem to have devices running official Android TV OS. So you will not get Netflix 4k or Chromecast function.

7) If your budget is low, then you can consider generic no brand boxes with S905X3/S95X4 CPU running mobile version of Android. Build quality may vary and they do not support Netflix 4k or ChromeCast. They will not support Amazon Prime Video, Singtel Cast and TVB Anywhere+ either.

8) Preloaded boxes like UnblockTech Ubox with relative comprehensive live TV app UBTV. EVpad is another popular brand in this category but it is getting worse after year 2020 crackdown of its servers.

I will say to avoid them as they are considered illegal now.

9) Other preloaded boxes sold at Sim Lim Square, other shopping centres or online market place or even Facebook, most if not all are problematic and do not expect good support. Avoid them.

10) Not HW boxes but just paid IPTV subscription. Not recommended as well.

Of course there are other alternatives like smart TV from Samsung (Tizen OS), LG (Web OS) and Sony/Sharp/Philips (Android TV OS), among which Android TV OS is the smartest with more apps. Xiaomi TV China version is only recommended if you are only interested in mainland China contents. There are Global version of Xiaomi TV with Netflix 4K support as well but make sure you contact the vendor for the details.

Then there are things like Roku box which is popular in US but may not be good for use in Singapore.

 

[xiaofan]

Brand is one important factor in choosing the Generic box if you go with Option 6. Android OS version and CPU/Memory/Storage/WiFi/Ethernet/etc are important factor as well.

Avoid 1GB memory boxes in this category for new purchases.

Amlogic S905X2/X3/S905X4 based boxes, 2GB/16GB, 4GB/32GB or 4GB/64GB are common for the new S905X3/S905X4 boxes. TV stick usually uses the Y variant like the S905Y2 and S905Y4.

Google Certified box usually comes with 2GB/8GB and it is actually suffiient. Mi Box S still uses the old S905X CPU and again it is okay for general use. Mecool KM2 comes with S905X2 and it will have a bit better CPU performance and that helps to have better smoothness if you want to use 4K UI. Chromecase with Google TV is using S905D3 and that again is more powerful. Mecool KM2 Plus is using S905X4 and that of couse beats the other three and it includes AV1 HW decoder.

Amlogic S905W2 is meant for low end TV box. Avioid the old TV box based on S905W.

RK3318/RK3328 boxes are not as good compared to S905X3/S905X4. RK3566/RK3568 based TV boxes are quite new in 2022 and not yet worth buying compared to TV box using Amlogic CPU.

Amlogic S922X and Rockchip RK3399 boxes have the highest raw performance after Nvidia Shield TV but may not be worth the money as a streaming box.

Avoid Allwinner H6/H616/H313 based boxes in general because of thermal issues.

 

[xiaofan]

More info here:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/android-tv-box.5678618/page-204
If you are into Gaming, here is the reference:
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/android-gaming-box.6656756/
Xiaomi TV box discussions
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/xiaomi-android-tv-box-discussion-iii-consolidated.6175301
Nvidia Shield TV discussions
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/nvidia-shield-tv.5066924/
Google Chromecast 2020
https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/threads/chromecast-with-google-tv-2020.6384782/

 

[xiaofan]

Cheaper alternatives of offical Android TV OS and certified Netflix 4k support:

At the stated price, both of the following are good official Android TV OS boxes with Netflix 4k.

Walmart page for the Onn Android TV Box
https://www.walmart.com/ip/onn-Android-TV-UHD-Streaming-Device/636597403Review:


Walmart page for Dynalink Android TV Box
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Dynalink...-HD-Netflix-4K-Youtube/981542272?athbdg=L1700Review:


Google Chromecast 2020 may have better long term support and better build quality, but the price is higher at US$50 (around S$80+ from local online shops)

 

[xiaofan]

The Android TV box charts here can be of some reference value.
https://www.chigztech.com/charts.html
Sept 2025

			PRICES	Rating	ANTUTU	GEEKBENCH 4	GEEKBENCH 5/6	CPU
RANK		DEVICE NAME	IN GBP	100	BENCH	MULTI-CORE	MULTI-CORE	QUAD OCTA HEXA
	* Daily Driver
1		APPLE TV 4K (3rd Gen) (2022)	£149.00	95	814K	-	4812	HEXA A15 BIO
2		BUZZTV POWERSTATION 6	£249.00	89	687K	-	2293	QUAD RK3599
3		H96 MAX V58	£152.00	83	500K	-	2145	QUAD RK3588
4		H96 MAX M9	£66.00	75	331K	-	1263	QUAD RK3576
5	*	NVIDIA SHIELD TV PRO (2019)	£189.00	97	238,323	4243		QUAD TEGRA X1+
6		UGOOS AM8 PRO	£165.00	89	225,904	-	730	PENTA S928X-J
7		UGOOS SK1	£147.00	89	215,121	-	680	PENTA S928X-K
8		MINIX U8K ULTRA	£215.00	90	209,152	-	-	PENTA S928X-K
9		GOOGLE TV STREAMER 4K	£99.00	94	135,174	-	562	QUAD MT8696T
10		FIRE TV STICK 4K MAX (2ND GEN) (2023)	£69.99	90	122,030	-	540	QUAD MT8696T
11		MECOOL KM9 PRO MAX	£65.00	70	119K	-	-	QUAD REALTEK 1325
12		KINHANK G1	£50.00	87	111,528	-	526	QUAD S905X4
13		KICKPI KP1	£37.00	86	108,303	-	327	QUAD S905Y4
14		MECOOL KM2 PLUS DELUXE	£110.00	85	102,134	-	484	QUAD S905X4-J
15		ROCKTEK RT-G2 RTX-5000	£112.00	90	100,146	-	443	QUAD S905X4-K
16		H96 MAX M7	£51.00	55	67,825	-	-	QUAD RK3528

Dec 2021

											DDR4 is 3X Faster than DDR3
			PRICES	Rating	ANTUTU	GEEKBENCH 4	GEEKBENCH 5	CPU	GPU	HDD	RAM
RANK		DEVICE NAME	IN USD	5/5	BENCH	MULTI-SCORE	MULTI-SCORE	QUAD OCTA HEXA	GRAPHICS	STORAGE	DDR3/DDR4
	* Daily Driver
1		NVIDIA SHIELD TV PRO (2019)	$199.00	5	238,323	4243		QUAD TEGRA X1+	256 CORE	16GB	3GB / D3
2	*	BUZZTV XRS4900	$234.00	5	140,747	-	784	HEXA S922X	MALI G52	128GB	4GB / D4
3		FIRE TV CUBE 4K (2ND GEN)	$119.00	5	-	3965		HEXA S922Z	MALI G52	16GB	2GB / D4
4		MECOOL KM2	$75.00	4.8	49,265	2070	-	QUAD S905X2	MALI G31	8GB	2GB / D3
5		FIRE TV STICK 4K MAX (4TH GEN)	$54.00	4.7	-	2506		QUAD MT8696	PVR GE9215	8GB	2GB / D4
6		FIRE TV STICK 4K (3RD GEN)	$49.99	4.5	-	2120		QUAD MT8695	PVR GE8300	8GB	1.5GB / D4
7		DYNALINK BOX	$49.00	4.5	-	-	-	QUAD S905 Y2	MALI G31	8GB	2GB / D3
8		CHROMECAST GOOGLE TV	$59.00	4.5	36,027	-		QUAD S905D3	MALI G31	4GB	2GB / D3
9		APPLE TV 4K (2021)	$169.00	4.5	467,478	2452		HEXA A12 BIO	QUAD CORE	32GB	?
10		MECOOL KT1 (HYBRID) + TV Tuner	$79.00	4.5	89,414	-	-	QUAD S905 X4	MALI G31	16GB	2GB / D4
11		FIRE TV STICK (3RD GEN)	$39.99	4.5	-	2087		QUAD CORE	PVR GE3000	8GB	1GB / D4
12		FIRE TV STICK LITE (3RD GEN)	$29.99	4.5	-	2104		QUAD CORE	PVR GE3000	8GB	1GB / D4
13		MINIX NEO U22-XJ	$169.00	4.5	115,622	3434		HEXA S922XJ	MALI G52	32GB	4GB / D4
14		BEELINK GT KING	$118.00	4.5	108,708	3213		HEXA S922X	MALI G52	64GB	4GB / D4
15		MECOOL KM6 DELUXE	$109.00	4.5	101,529	-		QUAD S905 X4	MALI G31	64GB	4GB / D4
16		UGOOS AM6	$129.00	4.5	97,746	4,198		HEXA S922X	MALI G52	16GB	2GB / D4
17		UGOOS X3 PRO	$77.00	4.5	76,254	2,270		QUAD S905 X3	MALI G31	32GB	4GB / D4

 

[xiaofan]

The following chart is not that good for refeence as it only lists the performance.
https://tvboxstop.com/tv-box-rank-chart-2020/

 

[xiaofan]

For generic boxes, S905X4 and S905Y4 boxes will be popular in year 2022. S905X3 boxes will of course still popular as well.

Ref: S905Y4 (Quad Core A35) is a low cost counterpart of S905X4 ( Quad Core A55)
https://www.cnx-software.com/2021/0...ace-with-amlogic-s905y4-cortex-a35-processor/

 

[xiaofan]

You can compared the recommended box using the reviews below.

Mi Box S (2018)
https://androidpctv.com/review-xiaomi-mi-box-s/
Mecool KM2
https://androidpctv.com/review-mecool-km2-opinion/
Google Chromecast with Google TV (2020)
https://androidpctv.com/review-chromecast-google-tv-opinion/
Nvidia Shield TV 2019
https://androidpctv.com/review-nvidia-shield-tv-2019-opinion/
Xiaomi TV Stick 4k
https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-mi-tv-stick-4k-review/
Realme TV Stick 4k
https://androidpctv.com/realme-4k-smart-google-tv-stick-review/
FireTV Stick 4k Max
https://androidpctv.com/review-fire-tv-stick-4k-max/

 

[Matrock5]

Hi all I am using the unlock tech Ubox Gen 1 or 2 and am now looking for a replacement. Did a research here and in fb and realised gen 8 is the most suitable and locally it is selling at $268 which is v ex. Can’t really find it in TB too.

next option was the mecool km2 which I can find in TB.

 

[xiaofan]

Hi all I am using the unlock tech Ubox Gen 1 or 2 and am now looking for a replacement. Did a research here and in fb and realised gen 8 is the most suitable and locally it is selling at $268 which is v ex. Can’t really find it in TB too.
next option was the mecool km2 which I can find in TB.

Unblock Tech Ubox is illegal in China so of course you can not find it in Taobao.

It is supposed to be illegal in Singapore as well. No so sure why they can still sell in the local online market.

 

[Matrock5]

Unblock Tech Ubox is illegal in China so of course you can not find it in Taobao.

It is supposed to be illegal in Singapore as well. No so sure why they can still sell in the local online market.

I see which tv box will be a good replacement for it that I can order or purchase locally?

 

[xiaofan]

I see which tv box will be a good replacement for it that I can order or purchase locally?

Unfortunately there are no suitable replacement if you want preloaded box as they are all illegal now in Singapore.

 

[xiaofan]

Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 4K review -- this can be a good box, a powerful upgrade for the Mi Box S
Review: https://androidpctv.com/xiaomi-mi-tv-stick-4k-review/
Youtube review:

 

[xiaofan]

FireTV Stick 4K MAX is the most powerful stick type streamer from Amazon. But the ecosystem may not be as good as Google TV OS.
Review: https://androidpctv.com/review-fire-tv-stick-4k-max/

Youtube review:

 

[xiaofan]

Some benchmarks comparing Amlogic S905X4 versus S905X3 and other SOCs. Nvidia is always dominant, then Amlogic S922X-H is very powerful as well. But S905X4 and S905X3 are pretty good for use with Android TV boxes as well.
https://androidpctv.com/comparative-amlogic-s905x4/https://androidpctv.com/comparative-nvidia-tegra-x1-plus/
If you really want to buy low cost generic no brand boxes, new lower end generic box will use S905W2 chip. It should be better than the older S905W. But I think no point buying them as S905X3 generic boxes are not expensive.
https://androidpctv.com/comparative-amlogic-s905w2/

 

[xiaofan]

Realme TV Stick 4K
Something new with Certified Netflix 4k, similar to Mi TV Stick 4K, no Dolby Vision though


Comparison: Chromecast with Google TV, Mi TV Stick 4K and Realme TV Stick 4K

 

[radzkal]

hi @xiaofan, do u know if i can sideload apps into Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 4K? currently using a generic android box...

 

[xiaofan]

hi @xiaofan, do u know if i can sideload apps into Xiaomi Mi TV Stick 4K? currently using a generic android box...

I think it should be no issue to side load for normal Android TV OS devices like Mi TV Stick 4k.

Only exception is those Operator version like Starhub TV+ Box where Starhub locks the box and it is not possible to side load apps.