Today I will present the latest device for 2021 under $50, X96 X4 that will really catch your attention, whether from its modern and elegant appearance or the specifications it contains, the design here is exceptional with RGB lighting and equipped with a new generation of Amlogic S905X4 quad-core CPU which offers superior performance in all tasks and it’s powered by Android 11.0, in addition to 4GB RAM and storage capacity of up to 64GB, all this allows you to watch and enjoy thousands of movies and series in 4K resolution, so it’s time To talk about this TV Box and see if it is worth investing in and what its pros and cons.
X96 X4 TV BOX Features
- Amlogic S905X4 Quad Core ARM Cortex A55
- ARM Mali-G31 MP2
- Android 11.0
- DDR3 4GB, eMMC 32/64GB
- 2.4&5G Dual Wifi
- RGB Light and Wallpaper Changeable
- Support: AV1, H.265, 8K.24fps, 4K.60fps
Design And Build Quality
The design applied in the X96 X4 is very simple but with some elegant touches, it’s just a square black plastic box with RGB lighting around down of sides and the X96 logo, in the front, we find an LCD panel with lamps Blue LED displays the time and network status, and from the bottom, there are the ventilation holes and four rubber legs for added stability.
Moving on to the ports, what we often find in TV BOX devices includes 2* USB 2.0 ports, another USB 3.0 port, TF Card slot, AV port, SPDIF digital audio output, RJ45 Ethernet (10 / 100M), and HDMI 2.1.
Under The Hood
The SoC used in the X96 X4 is Amlogic S905X4 64-bit Quad-core ARM Cortex A55 2.0GHz, This processor is known for its good manufacturing quality at 12nm and gives you 30 percent more performance than the previous generation compared to the S905X3 found in most TV box devices. Also, It’s designed for high-performance devices and supports AV1 decoding which is now mandatory for popular streaming services.
The Mali-G31 MP2 GPU offers good performance without forgetting the 4GB RAM for greater multitasking capabilities and provides excellent results in navigating and running applications. And storage capacity, it has 2 options of 32GB or 64GB eMMC and there is a TF card slot to support expansion up to 64GB.
Connectivity Of The X96 X4
For connectivity, the X96 X4 box contains 2.4GHz / 5GHz WIFI IEEE 802.11 b / g / n / ac dual-band, the network is acceptable but not the most stable, and has a 100MB LAN port, not the best thing but its more reliable than WI-FI and provides even better data transmission. And has Bluetooth 4.2 is not the latest generation but is It works well, however, is acceptable at this price point.
Software
X96 X4 TV Box equipped with Android 11.0 to provide you with more efficient and safe operation and better compatibility with the latest apps, so better user experience.
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 that is familiar to many devices, it has a complete desktop layout for Android 11.0, On the home screen, you look at 10 shortcuts that are: Google Play, Netflix, Youtube, LED Control, APPS, My files, Miracast, KD Player, Movie Player, and Setting. which that you cannot remove them, it’s a downside since android is all about being customizable according to what the user likes and what makes him comfortable. However, has the option to customizable shortcuts bottom of the previous one, where you can add as many shortcuts as you please.
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. The overall performance is very good, we can move smoothly and quickly between menus. However, it contains Google Assistant for voice control.
Applications
Android 11 allows the installation of apps from Google Play Store (Google Play Store version for Android TV OS) and contains pre-installed apps such as Google Play, Netflix, Youtube, LED Control, APPS, My files, Miracast, KD Player, Movie Player, and Setting.
X96 X4 supports Google services and allows you to 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, or you can use a third-party store or use Google browser to search the apk app, then download and install the app you want.
You can change the customizable RGB lighting with many colors and modes that can be changed from LED control.
Note:
X96 X4 Supports OTA updates, he is necessary to solve some possible problems or upgrade the system.
X96 X4 Performance
The X96 X4 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 4K and compatibility with most programs that display video content with the ability to play games for a great experience.
Video playback
X96 X4 supports 8K 30fps video output via HDMI 2.1 port which brings you high definition viewing and fluent video playback, making it the highest resolution signal available for home movies to let you watch 4K movies smoothly, every detail of the screen is clear and with high color saturation and quality Excellent picture, no lag or stuttering, that’s the strength of this device.
X96 X4 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 don’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 box.
Nevertheless, you can still enjoy Netflix 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 high resolutions, and there are also other programs similar to Netflix.
YouTube Quality
When you go to YouTube, you can play videos on 1440P 30FPS, and this is the maximum limit to enjoy high quality without freezing and with smooth performance, although playing videos on 1080p will be more than enough. However, this box has a maximum refresh rate ranges from 40 to 60 fps on average in HD / FULL HD.
Play Games
The graphics processing in the X96 X4 is based on the Mali-G31 MP2, which offers good performance on medium games like Asphalt 8, and this is at a resolution of 1080p because at 4K the situation will be disastrous, as for powerful games like PUBG or Call of Duty you will be able to play with low settings, that is why I think that the rest of the games will not face any problems and the gameplay will be smooth for the best gaming experience.
When you put this X96 X4 under pressure its temperature can be reached 70ºC 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 fine on this box because the body has ventilation holes, which provide the necessary cooling. and you can make it even lower by using a cooling fan for this purpose.
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.
Conclusion
In general, the X96 X4 smart TV box provided good performance, especially in playing 4K videos without any problems, as for YouTube, 4K resolution may have some delay, perhaps its disadvantages are the lack of DRM for Netflix in 4K and this is normal, playing games was ok, The launcher remains fast, but it lacks a lot of things, the most important of which is the status bar and the navigation bar, However, the specifications and features were at the required level compared to a cheap TV box.
X96 X4 Price And Where To Buy
The X96 X4 TV BOX is currently available on Banggood and Aliexpress store 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 Contents
- X96 X4 TV Box
- Remote control
- HDMI cable
- Power adapter
- User manual
X96 X4 TV BOX Specifications
| CPU | Amlogic S905X4 Quad-Core ARM Cortex A55 |
| GPU | ARM Mali-G31 MP2 |
| OpenGL ES 1.1/2.0/3.2,OpenCL 2.0,Vulkan 1.1 support | |
| RAM | 4GB (2/4GB Optional) |
| ROM | 64GB (16/32/64/128GB Optional) |
| External storage | USB2.0, USB3.0 Support |
| Operating system | Android 11 |
| Multimedia | Amlogic Video Engine (AVE) with dedicated hardware decoders and encoders Support multi-video decoder up to 4x1080P@60fps |
| Supports multiple “secured” video decoding sessions and simultaneous decoding and encoding | |
| Video/Picture Decoding | |
| Supports MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, Ogg. | |
| HD JPEG,BMP,GIF,PNG,TIF | |
| Wi-Fi | Support WiFi IEEE 802.11 b / g / n / ac 2.4G and 5G |
| BT | Support BT4.X |
| Charge | DC IN(5V/2A) |
| Video output | 4K*2K UHD Output, HD 1.4/2.0 |
| IR Receiver | Remote Receiver Connect |
| Micro SD | Support |
| USB port | *1 USB3.0 *2 USB2.0 normal type |
| Ethernet | 100M Ethernet |
hello from Germany
I have such a TV box. My problem, you can not turn off the box with the remote control. It goes on again and again
Greetings
Oliver Bogner
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