So, I’ve been using the Firestick 4k for a while now, and loved the new remote with
volume controls, power button and of course 4k.
But sometimes I feel, it’s lagging behind.
I mean it would be nice if I could play games and install more apps!
And my brain lit up when I saw the new the Mi Box S from the Chinese tech giant Xiaomi.
But is it any good?
How does it compare to Amazon’s FireStick 4k?
Well, let’s do an in-depth comparison between Mi box and firestick 4k, shall we?
1.
Built quality
Firestick costs around $40 on Amazon and comes with a dongle and a remote, which makes it
easier to carry around with you.
Even though it has a compact form factor, it packs a quad-core 1.7GHz CPU with 8 GB
of internal storage, which helps it carry the heavy weight easily and offer a seamless
4K HDR experience.
Mi box S, on the other hand, costs slightly more, around $60 on Walmart and comes with
a plastic matte design.
The specs are pretty much the same as the FireStick and so was the performance during
our testing which means both can play 4K content with HDR without any issue.
Yes, you can increase the storage on both the Mi Box and the FireStick by plugging in
an external flash drive, but you would need a micro USB splitter for the FireStick.
However, Mi Box doesn’t do well when you talk about portability, since it requires
you to carry around a proprietary power adapter, and an HDMI cable at all times, it’s a lot
less portable than this FireStick.
Also, the remote on the Mi box feels kind of cheap compared to the firestick.
which is a big deal, as you are going to hold is pretty much every time you are watching
tv.
Overall, although both of them are similar in terms of build quality and performance,
firestick has the advantage of portability, a better remote, and supports codec.
Score - Firestick 1, Mi box 0
2.
Apps (Prime videos/YouTube)
So, firestick won in the hardware round, but what about the software?
Fire tv stick runs a customized version of Android, which although is an acquired taste,
it’s for sure is intuitive, even for elder people.
But, if are buying it from amazon.com, you might end up seeing some ads here and there,
to make up for the cost-cutting.
Talking about the app store, firestick has the Amazon App Store, which simply put, isn’t
the best place to download apps, So, I use the Aptoide store instead, which gives me
access to pretty much every app, including Kodi. [a]
Mi box, on the other hand, has official android box certified by Google so you’ll get updates
as soon as they are released (currently it's on android 8.1).
Also, unlike Firestick (which has Amazon store), the mi box uses the Play Store which opens
doors to a lot of apps that are not available on the FireStick.
For example, you can directly download Kodi, which you had to sideload on firestick.
Now due to rivalry between Google and Amazon, you can’t play Prime videos on Mi box and
YouTube on Firestick 4k.
But both have simple workarounds.
that’s what we do here find ways to circumvent things, nothing illegal tho.
For example, I’ve sideloaded silk browser for youtube and similarly a third party to
play prime videos on mi box.
Overall talking about the interface, Firestick 4k is quite basic and parent-proof.
However, mi box gives you more freedom to try various Android Apps.
Mi box Takes the cake in this round.
Moving on.
Score - Firestick 1, Mi box 1
3.
Chromecast
Mi box comes with a chromecast, so you can directly cast your Android screen or even
content to a bigger display.
And as long as you are using chrome browser, you can also cast tabs from computers.
Firestick 4k, on the other hand, has no chromecast support.
In fact, the newer version, completely removed the half baked screen mirroring that it previously
had.
Fortunately, you can still use the airscreen app to mirror Android screen.
Heck, it even supports airplay.
But then again, it’s a third-party app, with no guarantee that it will work forever.
So, if screen mirroring is your basic requirement, mi box is an obvious winner here.
Score - Firestick 1, Mi box 2
4.
Unblock geo-restriction
Now, I use Smart DNS Proxy DNS server, on my firestick to remove geo-restriction.
And no wonder you can also change the DNS server on mi box.
And just like firestick, you can also sideload Smart DNS Proxy VPN app on mi box as well.
Since it’s not optimized for Android TV, you won’t find it in the Play Store, but
simply sideloading the APK works fine.
Although I have to say, the user experience on Android tv is much better than firestick,
where you have to use the mouse toggle app to navigate around.
[b]
Overall, when it comes to removing geo-restrictions both firetick and mi box work fine.
Although, mi box offers a slightly better user experience.
Score - Firestick 2, Mi box 3
5.
Gaming
And finally, the biggest thing that firestick lacks is - gaming.
Of course
Yes, you can play some simple games on firestick, but let’s be honest, even kids these days,
won’t play it.
But on Mi box, well, there are some pretty decent games.
tried playing a few games on play store such as Asphalt and dead trigger 2 with controller
and it worked fine.
Next thing I tried was stream link app which let’s you play stream games on your PC to
your television over WiFi, and it works better than I expected.
[c]
And that’s not all, I tried installing retroarch on mi box and damn, now I can play my fav
retro games like mario and contra.
Something that was impossible on firestick.
So, yeah, if gaming is a priority, mi box has a serious edge over firestick.
Score - Firestick 2, Mi box 4
Outro
So, which one is better?
Well, I don’t believe any device is better than the other.
Each has its own audience.
If you are someone who just wants to kick back and enjoy shows on 4k hdr with Dolby
Atmos sound, then firestick 4k makes more sense.
Especially so, if you are going to share it with your parents.
However, if you enjoy testing various apps on your tv, need a chromecast and a little
bit of gaming, then Mii box is better for you.
Or even better, skip both of them.
Pay the extra and get the Nvidia Shield TV.
It does not discriminate if your more focused in the Google or Amazon ecosphere (as the
Shield now has access to prime Video, and YouTube, but also has pretty good gaming performance.
Check out sheild video if you are into that.
As always, it’s vamsi signing off, Adios.
[a]Amazon appstore on tv also installing aptoide [b]Sideloading the vpn app on mi box
[c]Laptop in the frame while tv behind it