You might’ve missed it—and that’s not your fault. Xiaomi’s second-generation TV Stick quietly dropped via an AliExpress listing, no launch fanfare, no blog post, not even a tweet. And yet, the upgrades? Actually pretty decent. It’s still a plug-and-play HDMI dongle. Same compact form factor, same bundled remote. But this time, the internals—and more importantly, the software—have been meaningfully upgraded.
Xiaomi TV Stick 2nd Gen: Google TV and Dolby Everything
The headline here is Google TV support, which replaces the old Android TV UI from the last generation. It’s a cleaner, more modern interface with smarter recommendations and a layout that’s far more intuitive. Frankly, this should’ve been there from the start.
On the hardware side, you’re getting 4K output with Dolby Vision and HDR10+. Audio gets a big boost too: Dolby Atmos and DTS:X are now supported. That’s a strong set of features for a $65 streaming stick—at least on paper.
Powering it all is a quad-core Cortex-A35 CPU, paired with an ARM G310 V2 GPU, 2GB RAM, and 8GB of onboard storage. Xiaomi claims it’s “80% faster” in day-to-day performance. We’ll see. It’s enough to comfortably stream 4K if the software optimization holds up, but multitasking or heavy app use might still expose limits.
Some Quirks, and a Few Head-Scratchers
Yes, there’s Wi-Fi 6 and HDMI 2.1—both welcome. But then… there’s micro-USB for power. In 2025. It’s baffling, especially with USB-C standard across even budget gear now. It’s not a deal-breaker, but it does make the device feel like it’s straddling two timelines.
Also: this launch wasn’t exactly global. It appeared on AliExpress first, not Xiaomi’s official channels, and there’s still no word on whether it’ll hit major markets like the US or EU officially. So, if you’re outside China, you’ll likely be importing this one—which means longer shipping, possible customs fees, and little recourse for support.
Bottom Line
If you’re in the market for a streaming stick and like what Xiaomi brings to the table, the Xiaomi TV Stick 2nd Gen is finally one worth a look. It’s not revolutionary, but it corrects the biggest misses from the first-gen model. Just know what you’re getting into. Great specs for the price, sure—but no official global launch and a few puzzling design choices keep it from being a no-brainer.
