Android TV Boxes have increasingly gotten popular these days, especially since so many people have forgone the use of cable or satellite TV. There’s a variety of these TV boxes available in the market these days, and one product that has been touted as the “most powerful” is the Beelink GT-King.
However, is it really the most powerful TV box available? That’s what we’re going to evaluate in this article.
What’s the Beelink GT-King Android TV Box All About?
Before we truly dive into the specifics, let’s first talk about what the Beelink GT-King is exactly and how it’s any different from the other streaming devices that’s available on the market. It’s a steadily growing market, so you can be sure that it has some impressive competition. For starters, this Android-based streaming device doesn’t run on Android TV, but on stock Android 9.0 Pie. This is basically the same operating system that many Android smartphones and tablets use.
For a little bit of context, Android TV is the operating system used by Google that’s specially designed and optimized for TV screens. It’s usually used in products like Mi Box and NVIDIA Shield. Amazon actually has a similar operating system known as the Fire OS. It’s the operating system used for the company’s Firestick/Fire TV. Just like the Android TV, Amazon’s operating system is also optimized for television screens.
Because of the fact that Beelink GT-King is using the standard Android operating system and not Android TV, some people consider it to be a “generic Android TV Box.” That being said, this doesn’t mean it’s a bad product. If you don’t really use popular paid streaming services like Amazon Prime, Netflix, Hulu, etc., then the GT-King may be something you can appreciate. However, if you do use these paid services, then it’s best to stick to the Mi Box, Firestick/Fire TV, or NVIDIA Shield. The apps for those paid services usually work better on products that run on either Fire OS or Android TV.
Besides, once new Android updates get released, it’s highly unlikely that the Beelink GT-King will be receiving an update too. In other words, it will most likely be stuck in the same OS version you bought it in. On the bright side, however, generic Android TV Boxes such as this can give you value for your money because they don’t really have any license requirements from manufacturers.
Pricing
With all that out of the way, let’s talk about pricing. Beelink GT-King, which can be found and bought in online storefronts, is usually sold over $100. Now, this is quite a hefty price for a TV Box that’s not even running on the true Android TV operating system. As mentioned, the system probably won’t be receiving updates in the future as well, which can be really disappointing.
Pros
- Has a cool design and looks to have a high quality to it.
- Runs on the new Amlogic S922X, 4GB LPDDR4 RAM.
- You can enjoy 64GB worth of internal storage.
- Supports 5G WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, as well as Gigabit Ethernet.
- Doesn’t have any lag when you’re streaming.
- Supports a variety of video formats, including H.263, H.264, H.265, and HD MPEG4.
- Capable of streaming 4K videos from YouTube without having to buffer.
- Compatible with many apps and IPTV services with no issues.
- Supports 5.1 surround sound.
- Shipped with an air mouse remote control that’s incredibly responsive.
Cons
- The default launcher may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but you can replace it with your launcher of choice.
- Paid streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime don’t work so well, which is expected of most Android TV Boxes that use stock Android OS.
- The price is not that affordable.
Speed Tests
Of course, download speed is incredibly important because you’re going to have to stream large HD files. TROYPOINT conducted a series of tests using their 200 Mbps Internet service along with the 5 GHz band on their Asus AC3100 router.
The results that came up were different depending on whether the VPN was on or off. When using WiFi with VPN turned on, the download speed was 80.64 Mbps, while upload speed was 10.77 Mbps. With VPN turned off, the download speed was 101.35 Mbps, while upload speed was 20.29 Mbps.
When using Ethernet, on the other hand, TROYPOINT received different results. With VPN turned on, the download speed was at 98.39 Mbps, while upload speed was 25.35 Mbps. When the VPN was turned off, the download speed was 129.26 Mpbs, while upload speed was 25.72 Mbps.
When compared to other Android TV Boxes that utilize stock Android OS, it’s clear to see that the Beelink GT-King does a great job.
Conclusion—Is Beelink GT-King the Most Powerful TV Box?
In conclusion, we wouldn’t exactly say that the Beelink GT-King is the most powerful Android TV Box out there. There are still so many better ones in the market, such as the NVIDIA Shield, for example. However, if you don’t mind the price, the Beelink GT-King can already offer you a lot, especially if you’re looking for a TV Box running on stock Android.
Without a doubt, this TV Box is of high-quality, and can offer you a wide variety of apps and customization options.
