There are few ARM Cortex-A72 “class” mini PCs available on the market, and the only one I can think of is Amazon Fire TV 2015, powered by Mediatek MT8173 hexa-core processor, and priced decently at $99.99, but hard or expensive to source if you don’t live in the US. There will soon be one more choice, as Xiaomi has upgraded its Mi Box 3 to use Mediatek MT8693 processor with two Cortex-A72 cores, and four Cortex-A53 cores combined with PowerVR GX6250 GPU.
Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced / 2016 Edition specifications:
- SoC – Mediatek MT8693 hexa-core processor with two Cortex-A72 cores @ 2.0GHz, four Cortex-A53 cores @ 1.6 GHz, and Imagination PowerVR GX6250 GPU
- System Memory – 2GB 64-bit LPDDR3 memory
- Storage – 8GB eMMC 5.0 flash
- Video Output – HDMI 2.0 up to 4K/2160p @ 60 Hz
- Video and Audio Features – 10-bit H.265, Dolby and DTS audio
- Connectivity – 802.11ac 2×2 MIMO WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1
- USB – 2x USB 2.0 ports
- Power Supply – 12V/1.5A
- Dimensions – 100 x 100 x 25 mm
The device will run Android 5.1 operating system with Xiaomi customizations. There’s very little information about MT8693 processor, and the new Mi Box 3 TV box appears to be the first to use it, and since while Cortex-A72 core powerful they also emit a lot of heat, so a large heatsink and a fan are used inside the device.
Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Enhanced Edition will start selling for 399 CNY (about $61) on March 18 in China. Online e-retailer will likely sell it shortly after the launch, probably between $80 to $90 including shipping, but it will likely require some hacking for people outside of China at least to change the language, just like for their previous models. [Update: GeekBuying has just listed Xiaomi Mi Box 3 Pro for $85.99, with shipping scheduled for March 18] [Update 2: GearBest has it for $84.42, currently marked as out of stock, and they call it Xiaomi 3s Mi TV box]
Via AndroidPC.es and Benchlife (Chinese)
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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