Xiaomi started off as a smartphone vendor back in 2010, but the company has come a long way since its humble beginnings. Although initially dismissed by sections of the western media as an Apple wannabe, Xiaomi is today one of the largest smartphone vendors in the world, even though the last few quarters haven’t exactly gone according to plan for the company. While smartphones have remained its mainstay, Xiaomi has, of late, diversified into myriad smart home products, including smart Air-conditioners, smart bedside lamps, smart televisions and even a smart umbrella among other novelties. Most of these devices have only been launched in China, but one new product unveiled by the company earlier in the year is now all set to be launched internationally if a new report is to be believed.
Xiaomi had introduced its first Android TV set-top box back at the Google I/O in May and although not much has been heard about it since, latest reports now claim that it might very well be the device that will officially mark the company’s entry into the lucrative U.S. market. While Xiaomi is yet to give an official ETA on its first-generation Mi Box, ‘sources’ quoted by a new report from TechCrunch claim the Mi Box may well be launched in the U.S. as early as next month. While there’s no official announcement regarding the price, the report says that it will cost “less than $100”.
It’s important to point out that Xiaomi is yet to clarify its plans regarding the Mi Box, and has apparently refused to issue any statement to the press regarding the latest round of rumors. Either way, as far as the device itself is concerned, it is powered by a quad-core ARM processor and has a Mali 450 GPU. The Mi Box also comes with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of built-in storage that can be expanded via USB. There’s also a Bluetooth remote that supports voice commands to help users search for content and launch apps using their voice. The remote can also be used as a gaming controller to play games that are compatible with Android TV, although it is expected that a more advanced games controller will also become available as an optional purchase.