Android boxes aren’t any less when compared to the built-in Android TV. They have advanced themselves with lots of features and options. Android boxes are great as it comes with Kodi built-in. This opens up endless possibilities for streaming content. Most boxes let users play compatible games in addition to streaming. Amongst a large number of boxes, MXQ Pro 4K is one most noticeable and very famous Android boxes for the home run. It is undeniably the best of Android boxes, this section reviews MXQ Pro 4K in all aspects.
What is MXQ Pro 4K
For those unaware, MXQ Pro 4K is a TV box loaded with great features to stream content and play games. It is powered by the Android operating system and comes at an affordable price. In much-refined terms, MXQ Pro 4K is a streaming box that you can use to ditch your cable TV subscription. It has been the ideal home media player that ensures smooth streaming with 4K quality. The Android box gives stable performance and also lets you play games faster.
What’s Inside MXQ Pro 4K
Upon unboxing the MXQ Pro 4K package, you will find the following.
- MXQ Pro 4K Android TV box
- IR Remote control
- HDMI cable
- External power adapter
- Audio-video cable
- User Manual
MXQ Pro 4K – Design
MXQ Pro 4K is a black box is made of durable plastic with the device name printed on its top. It is a square-shaped TV box and doesn’t look glossy or sleek. The box is lightweight upon unboxing and has an AC adapter that can be used to power devices. It measures about 5 x 5 x 10 cm and weighs about 380 grams.
On the box, you will find a standalone Ethernet port at its back with which you can connect it to the internet connection. You will find the remote with rows of buttons while a few look colored with D-pad and number pad.
MXQ Pro 4K – Specs
We have got you information with which you will better know about the hardware and software components.
Processor
The Android box runs on the Amlogic S805 or S905W Quad-core processor, and its speed can reach up to 2 GHz. It is based on Cortex A53 ARM CPU, and Penta Core Mali-450 is the graphical processing unit that comes with this Android box. Its CPU, as well as the GPU, is designed in such a way they can play videos of up to 4K.
This box has only 1GB of RAM, while its rivals come with 2GB for multi-tasking and smooth gameplay. It is one downside of the box in terms of hardware specs. Despite this fact, MXQ Pro 4K doesn’t bring any performance issues.
Storage
In terms of storage, the Android box ships with 8GB of Flash memory. Thus you can install all your favorite apps without having to worry about running out of space. With the USB port, you can connect to external USB drives and store files of larger size on it. With this box, you will also find an external card reader. Thus you will get an additional storage space of up to 32GB upon using an SD card.
MXQ Pro 4K is great with internal as well as external memory support. It makes sure that you are getting unlimited hours of entertainment.
Connectivity
With MXQ Pro 4K, you will get both WiFi and Ethernet connectivity support. Thus you shall stream contents at a much faster rate. It is a good option if you want to use it as a streaming option. You shall use the AC adapter to use it with other devices as well.
The disadvantage with the device connectivity is it lacks Bluetooth support.
Operating System
A few models have Android 5.1.1, while some others have Android 6.0 and the latest models feature Android 7.1. This is slightly an older version of Android OS as most of its rivals are spotted with Android 8.0 and above. However, you can upgrade its OS if needed. Check our guide on how to update MXQ Pro to its latest firmware.
While it comes with Kodi pre-installed, you can install some other streaming apps as well.
Interface
Undoubtedly, this Android TV box is easy-to-setup and requires no time. However, it still lags behind in user-interface. With a larger menu and icons, a lot of users found the box to be not very appealing. Nevertheless, the users can upgrade the interface of the box with the help of a launcher.
Hence you need to spare some valuable device space to make its interface look beautiful.
MXQ Pro 4K Android TV box – Performance
We have tested MXQ Pro 4K’s performance in terms of video, audio, gaming, and Kodi.
Since it has a Quad-core processor, it doesn’t show any performance issues like buffering or loading. It will let you experience high-quality content if you have a high-speed internet connection. The box is highly responsive even after hours of streaming. It failed to bring in issues like freezing, hanging, or stopping abruptly, and it even hasn’t brought heat issues.
Since it has the Kodi app installed by default, the box lets you stream almost anything. Kodi has been a considerably low-cost option than the cable subscription. With the uninterrupted internet, this Android box has given the best of 4K and HD quality videos. It is found to support a wide range of video formats like AVI, MKV, MPEG, VOB, WMV, etc.
In the same way, there are no issues found with audio quality as well. The box extended its support to different audio formats like AAC, WMA, OGG, FLAC, etc.
We found MXQ Pro 4K to slightly lag behind when it comes to gaming. Rather, it showed great performance while streaming. With the absence of Bluetooth connectivity, controlling the gameplay seems to be the toughest thing ever. The remote controller will fail to let the users get the best of gaming.
For now, the only considerable way to take advantage of gaming is by using a keyboard or mouse pad. Just by connecting it to the Type A USB port it has at its back, you shall make the best moves on your games.
MXQ Pro 4K Price
The Android TV Box costs $23 in the USA, ₹ 1100 in India, and may vary based on your country.
Setup MXQ Pro 4K Android TV Box
Connect the HDMI cable to both the MXQ Pro 4K and the TV. Then, connect the power supply to the box. Now, turn on your TV and choose the correct HDMI output to get the MXQ Pro 4K. Follow the on-screen instruction to choose the language, country, account, and more. When the setup is done, you will get the MXQ Pro home screen. If you want, you can also connect the keyboard, mouse, or any other game controller to the device.
Pros and Cons of MXQ Pro 4K
Like any device, this Android box has its flaws and strengths. The same is discussed in short in the section below.
Pros
- Integration of Kodi is great
- Supports up to 4K resolution
- Affordable price
- It hadn’t brought many issues
- No video buffering or lagging
- Easy to set up and use
- Multiple languages support
Cons
- Lacks Bluetooth support
- Not an attractive user-interface
- Controlling gameplay requires external devices
- Low RAM
Verdict
Despite few flaws, the device works great in terms of storage, speed, video quality, etc. The addition of Kodi is a great advantage, and thus, you will never run out of content at any time. This Android box does the work for every penny you pay for it. In this review, we covered everything you need to know about MXQ Pro 4K. If low RAM is bothering you, you can buy Firestick or Roku.