Xiaomi launched as many as seven new products, including three new Mi TVs, during its Smart Living launch event in India. The event happened in Bangalore earlier today, and we brought you minute-by-minute live updates from the event through Twitter as well as our website. After the launch event was complete, we were able to…
Xiaomi launched as many as seven new products, including three new Mi TVs, during its Smart Living launch event in India. The event happened in Bangalore earlier today, and we brought you minute-by-minute live updates from the event through Twitter as well as our website. After the launch event was complete, we were able to get a hands-on experience with all the products the company launched today in the country.
In this article, we will explain how were our first impressions on the Mi TV 4 Pro (55), Mi TV 4A Pro (49), and the Mi TV 4C (32). All three TVs now run Android TV 8.1 Oreo-based software with Xiaomi’s PatchWall app. All of them are compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant AI-based smart voice assistants. All these TVs will also be updated to Android 9 Pie in the future. What happens to older Mi TVs, though, which were launched last year? Well, in a surprising move, Xiaomi has announced that all the previous Mi TVs that were launched in India will also receive Android TV-based PatchWall software update sometime early next year.
Starting off with the cheapest of the Mi TVs announced today, the Xiaomi Mi TV 4C Pro (32) is a 32-inch TV with partial HD resolution (1368×768 pixels). It’s a smart TV based on Google’s Android TV (8.1 Oreo) platform. Yes, you read that correctly. Xiaomi is bringing Google’s Android TV platform to its newest TVs for the Indian market. This means that you’ll get access to the Google Play Store, YouTube, Netflix, and thousands of other Android apps specifically designed for smart TVs. You also get access to Google Voice Search and Google Assistant through the remote control and a dedicated voice command button.
Unlike the Mi TV 4 (55), the Mi TV 4C Pro (32) has a thicker back. That isn’t necessarily bad, though, and as I’ve noticed during my time with pricier Xiaomi TVs with 4.9mm thin designs, they’re susceptible to panel cracks and bends. This smaller TV from the company will not have those problems. The new remote control now has an additional button which is dedicated for activating voice commands through Google Voice Search. The remote control felt cheaply built, though, compared to the remote control that comes bundled with previous generation Mi TVs in India. The software is run by an Amlogic processing chipset consisting of a 64-bit quad-core CPU and Mali-450 GPU. There are 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage.
The interface felt smooth but slightly slower. The PatchWall UI is now an app that can be launched from Android TV’s home screen. The TV is still compatible with the IR cable that Xiaomi sells separately. It looked like Netflix wasn’t still available for the TV through the Google Play Store. The TV has three HDMI ports, out of which one port is Audio Return Channel (ARC) compatible. There are two USB ports, one 3.5mm headphone out port, and an ethernet port. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.2. We wouldn’t comment on the picture quality as no one can test it in a showroom-like setup. The Mi TV 4C Pro (32) also features dual stereo speakers with 20W RMS audio output and it also has DTS-HD audio compatibility. We will have to review the TV before we can comment on its audio and video quality as well as its software features and stability.
The Mi TV 4A Pro (49), as the name suggests, features a 49-inch screen with Full HD resolution (1920×1080 pixels). It is also Xiaomi’s first Full HD TV in India with HDR video content playback capabilities. Similar to the Mi TV 4C Pro (32), the Mi TV 4A Pro (49) has a 20W stereo speaker setup and DTS-HD audio decoding compatibility. The same 64-bit quad-core Amlogic processor runs Android 8.1 Oreo-based Android TV platform on this TV. However, it is paired with 2GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The UI and the speed felt smoother and faster in comparison.
The TV’s design is exactly similar to that of the Mi TV 4 (55), featuring the 4.9mm thin top part of the screen panel. I couldn’t properly see the exact I/O ports setup on this TV, but from the looks of it, it replaces the 3.5mm headphone jack for an S-PDIF audio output. You might need a DAC to convert the digital audio output to analog audio if you wish to use external speakers with this TV. However, you can also use an audio setup that has S/PDIF audio input port. The remote control and the wireless connectivity stays similar to that of the Mi TV 4C Pro (32). It is priced at Rs. 29,999, and will be available for purchase via Amazon.in and Mi.com online stores starting 9 October 2018, at 9 PM.
The Mi TV 4 Pro (55) is a 55-inch smart TV with 4K resolution (3840×2160 pixels) and HDR compatibility. There’s a change in the audio setup. While it is compatible with DTS-HD audio decoding, it comes with a 16W stereo loudspeaker setup. It runs the same Android TV 8.1 Oreo-based software and it uses a higher-end quad-core Amlogic processor with Mali-T830 GPU. The TV has the exact same RAM, storage and wired I/O ports as that of the Mi TV 4A Pro (49), though. The TV also features dual-band WiFi b/g/n, an upgrade from the other two TVs that were launched today by the company.
This TV has a design that’s similar to that of the Mi TV 4 (55), which was launched last year, and the Mi TV 4A Pro (49), which was launched today. It features a 4.9mm-thin design with all the ports at the rear. The Mi TV 4 Pro (55) comes with a wireless remote control with a dedicated voice search button. The UI felt fast and smooth. The TV will be sold in India through Flipkart and Mi.com starting 10 October 2018 at 12 PM. It is priced at Rs. 49,999, but it’s a complimentary price for the first month, and it is set to increase after the promotional period gets over.
