Xiaomi TV Photos Suggest Low-Cost Smartphone-Connected Sets Appearing Soon
There's a 47-inch television sitting in a factory somewhere in China that's about to be revealed to the mainland, and if it succeeds with its smartphone-connected plan of action, the United States may very well be next on its list of places to visit. What we're seeing here is a set of photos taken on a factory floor in China courtesy of microblogger "Only_Engage", the first of which was spotted by Engadget last week, of a television created by the China-based brand Xiaomi. This machine has not yet been officially announced by the company – a company that's been relatively successful thus far in creating low-cost Android devices and an Android-based set-top box for televisions of all kinds.
The television itself has a set of specifications attached to it that are far less important than the aim of the company with it. With a 47-inch display at 1080p Full HD, Dolby Digital Plus support as well as DTS support, and WLAN for internet, this television would be right at home with some of the highest-end products at Best Buy here in the United States. What Xiaomi plans to do with this television is – more than likely – to build on the success of their Millet box.
The Millet box is machine that connects to the internet and provides a unique user interface – made by Xiaomi – for users to access multiple forms of media using Android. This system is able to work with Apple's Airplay as well as standardized methods of wireless connectivity like DLNA and Miracast.
They even make special note of Miaracast being Android-friendly with an icon that uses their own iteration of the Android head with wireless beams above his head. They call this collection of wireless control and screen mirroring "M-link". Further connections between the Millet box and the unannounced Millet TV are found in the box's support of DTS and Dolby Digital Plus.
The Millet TV would likely take on the user interface presented with the Millet box and bring the whole unit in at a price that's well below the competition. As a business model that utilizes little to no profit margin from the outset, such a release would have this company relatively far off from a follow-up USA push, but you never know: it's always possible the brand's plan is entirely different from past miniature pushes to the market.