Android on your TV? Xiaomi's Mi Box is rumored to do it on the cheap

Android on your TV? Xiaomi's Mi Box is rumored to do it cheap

Xiaomi's first foray into US entertainment centers may also be a cost-effective one.

The Mi Box - Xiaomi's Android TV set-top box and first big shot from the Chinese electronics maker at American markets - will retail for less than $100, sources tell TechCrunch.

With a quad-core Cortex-A53 2.0GHz processor capable of streaming 4K content at 60 frames per second - as well as play games - the Mi Box is similar in functionality to the console/set-top hybrid Nvidia Shield, but at half the cost.

Whereas the Shield runs at $199, the supposed double-digit price tag of the Mi Box appears in line with Xiaomi's reputation for pushing more power for a smaller cost, though official sources have yet to confirm pricing or availability details at this time.

That said, also rumored is that the Mi Box will hit US store shelves in early Q4 2016, which could have the device making it stateside as soon as this October.

Streaming devices aren't Xiaomi's only plan for the future. Originally starting out with smartphones, the company has recently branched out not just with Android TV, but also consumer-level camera drones.

Parker Wilhelm
Parker Wilhelm is a freelance writer for TechRadar. He likes to tinker in Photoshop and talk people's ears off about Persona 4.