A new review for new another TV Stick, TOX2 new upgrade for one of the most popular TV Box series, this device is equipped with an Allwinner H313 Quad-Core SoC and G31 MP2 GPU and help by 2GB LPDDR4 RAM and 16GB eMMC storage space is all coordinated by Android 10 and is priced under $50, However, is it a good deal now? This is what we will find out in this review.
TOX2 TV Stick Features
- Allwinner H313 Quad Core ARM Cortex A53
- Mali G31
- Android 10
- 2GB LPDDR4, 16GB eMMC
- 2.4G&5.8G Dual-Band WiFi
- Bluetooth v5.0
Design And Build Quality
The design implemented in the TOX2 is beautiful and with professional touches, however, you will not need to design anything because the TV Stick will be behind the TV, the device is a durable rectangular plastic case with good build quality that has been compressed to be closer to the lighter, with the TOX2 logo on the top.
The sides here are curved and smooth with the necessary ports and both the front and back surfaces of the device are filled with holes for ventilation, although it will be more exposed to dust, and unlike the TV Box, there is no LCD panel, so when placing the X96S behind the TV Do not forget to install the IR Line. All that’s left is just a blue LED that lights up when connected.
For connectors on the side, there are not many: 2x USB 2.0, TF cards slot, HDTV 2.0, RJ45 Ethernet port (10 / 100M), DC 5V / 2A, IR receiver, It’s disappointing not having a USB 3.0 for high speed.
Under The Hood
TOX2 TV Stick is powered by the SoC Allwinner H313 with Quad-Qore Cortex-A53 at 1.3 GHz and manufacturing quality at 28nm, which frankly is not the best thing because there are better alternatives, including the processor of the same series, H616. Regarding the GPU, it comes with a Mali-G31 that supports H.265 decoding up to 4K 60fps and OpenGL ES 3.2.
I will not say that it will be good at playing games, but at low settings, there is hope, with the help of 2GB LPDDR4 RAM good for Multitasking, however, remains at a minimum. The storage capacity has 16GB eMMC, also not the best thing, but it can be expanded with a TF card up to 64GB or linked directly to an external hard drive.
Connectivity Of The TOX2
In terms of wireless capabilities, this box has a dual-band 2.4GHz/5GHz WIFI IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac, the network is acceptable but not the most stable especially on the 2.4GHz frequency, that’s why I recommend 5GHz because it provides better quality and Faster data transfer. Also, it has a 100Mb LAN port that is better and more reliable than WI-FI and provides better data transmission. has Bluetooth 5.0 which is fast and works well.
Remote can’t navigate on some Apps, It is a common issue for almost all android tv boxes that are hard to navigate on some Apps with the remote, as these Apps are mainly provided for tablets and phones that have a touch screen. I suggest purchasing the iPazzPort mini Wireless Keyboard/Remote, It will make it much easier navigating the screen in apps that aren’t remote-control friendly.
Software
One of the strengths of the TOX2 TV Stick is that its equipped with an Android 10.0 operating system to provide you with a more efficient and secure operation, better compatibility with the latest applications, and thus better user experience, the operating system is pre-configured to access more permissions and install applications that require root activation with the ability to enable/disable.
launcher
In the beginning, it’s fast to boot up, it will not take more than a few seconds to take you directly to the launcher with no setup wizard.
The launcher is clean with a flat design, On the home screen, you look at 6 shortcuts that are: Video, My Files, My APPS, Music, Settings, Games, which that you cannot remove them, its a downside since android is all about being customizable according to what the user likes and what makes him comfortable. But, you still get an area for customizable shortcuts bottom of the previous one, where you can add as many shortcuts as you please, there also is a big and clear widget for the date and time display.
Unfortunately, What I find missing is the lack of a navigation bar and status bar for easy navigation and multitasking but, you can try an alternative application for this matter. Also, does not contain Google Assistant for the voice control function.
Applications
TOX2 supports Google services and Android 10 it allows to you install some app that is available in the play store because is not a certified Android TV box don’t get access to the full Google Play Store, has pre-installed Apps like the Chrome browser, file manager, Google Play Store, and YouTube.
Even if you do not find some of the applications that you need on Google Play, you can use a third-party store like Aptoide app store, all you have to do is search for them on Google from any browser and download them in APK format, and the matter is done. And some applications are pre-installed once updated it might not work, so we do not recommend updating it.
TOX2 TV Stick Performance
The X96Q TV Box offers you a good solution if you are a fan of series and movies and like to enjoy the highest possible resolution, then this device will give you a resolution of 2K and compatibility with most programs that display video content with the ability to play some games with a great experience.
Video Playback
X96Q Supports a 4K 30FPS video out via HDMI 2.0 port which provides you high definition viewing and fluent video playing, making it the highest resolution signal available for home movies to let you watch the 4K movie smoothly, every detail of the screen is lucidity and with high Color Saturation and excellent image quality, no latency, or stuttering, that is the power of this device.
When playing some 4k video samples from a USB Drive on a USB 2.0 port via the included Media Player, it is shown on 4k 30 FPS, it little struggled to play smoothly, however, on 2k at 30 FPS played ultra-smooth and very nice.
TOX2 Streaming Service
As it’s known, it’s not possible to watch paid services like Netflix and amazon prime in 4k because these applications requiring specific licensing, This means it won’t have the DRM support required to stream HD or 4K from Netflix or other streaming services. And this is where the strength of Android TV OS, which you cannot find in the Chinese TV Stick.
Nevertheless, you can still enjoy Netflix or Amazon Prime and all other streaming services at a smooth 480p. However, IPTV services remain one of the solutions that you will find on this tv box and support any high resolutions you want, and there are also other programs similar to Netflix for free.
YouTube Quality
When you go to YouTube, you can play videos on 2k 30FPS, and this is the maximum limit with there some problems in drops and a rise in the temperature of the device, this quality will not be the best option. And to enjoy with high quality and without freezing and with smooth performance playing videos on 1080p will be more than enough. However, this box has a maximum refresh rate ranges from 24 to 30 fps on average in HD / FULL HD.
Play Games
The TOX2 has a Mali-G31 GPU, even though it is a relatively weak GPU, tests confirm that it runs games that require little to medium graphic processing very smoothly and with no noticeable lagging. Despite the results, this TV Stick is not for gaming, and because of that, you will notice high temperatures, this will reduce its lifespan in the long run, and may also negatively affect the overall performance of this device, so I would recommend not to use it for gaming, precisely not high graphics demanding games such PUBG or Call of Duty.
When you put this TOX2 under pressure its temperature can be reached 75ºC or more, causing a performance little drop. But on normal use like watch movies, the temperature is acceptable between 55ºC – 65ºC And I find that the cooling system is unpretentious on this Stick because the body has some ventilation holes, which provide the necessary cooling of the TV Stick.
Conclusion
Finally, for watching movies and TV shows, TOX2 TV Stick will not disappoint you, But for Android games, they are not the best-recommended boxes, because the CPU is not the latest and there are new versions in the same price category, even the GPU is not very powerful.
The applications of paid streaming platforms such as Netflix, you can just play with 480p quality, This is expected on most Chinese devices. the launcher remains fast, but it lacks a lot of things, the most important of which is the status bar and the navigation bar, and unfortunately, the specifications are not up to par compared to the cheap TV box released this year in terms of RAM and space storage. So I wouldn’t say it’s the worst budget TV, but at this price, there are better alternatives.
TOX2 TV Stick Price And Where To Buy
The TOX2 TV Stick is currently available at the Aliexpress store and Banggood for a very good price So, don’t miss out on this great deal. And to view its price or buy it, you can access the offer by clicking on the store icon.
Package Include
- TOX2 TV Stick
- IR Remote Control
- HDMI Cable
- Power Adapter
- User Manual
TOX2 TV Stick Specification
| CPU | Allwinner H313 Quad Core ARM Cortex A53 |
| GPU | G31 OPenGL ES3.2 |
| RAM | LPDDR4 32bit: 2GB |
| ROM | eMMC: 16GB |
| WiFi | IEEE802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G&5.8G dual-band WiFi + Bluetooth v5.0 |
| Module | Plastic: Black Color |
| I/O | |
| 1*HDTV | 4K*2K UHD Output, HDTV 2.0A |
| 2*USB | 1* USB Host Port,1*USB Device |
| 1*RJ45 | Ethernet Interface,100MB |
| 1*TF CARD | Support 4GB/8GB/16GB/32GB/64GB |
| Peripheral Interface | 1*USB C; 2*USB2.0; 1*TF Card slot, 1*IR receiver |
| OS | Android 10.0 |
