ZTE recently launched a new 4K Ultra HD Android-based TV-Box. The best part? It’s launching in South Africa. The launch of the forgettably named B866V2K is the first time ZTE’s TV hardware has reached South African shores. ZTE is working with Ellies Electronics as the official distributor of the new Android 11 TV box.
South Africans are getting the hang of streaming
Android TV boxes in South Africa have certainly started seeing a rise in popularity over the past couple of years. As streaming services become more and more popular, so do streaming boxes. It also helps that WiFi is becoming more ubiquitous, with prices also falling. Slowly, sure, but falling nonetheless.
Netflix, YouTube, Disney+, and Amazon Prime Video are the largest streamers in South Africa. Users are looking for an ‘all-in-one’ solution for their subscriptions. Android hardware, generally, is cheaper than the next biggest competitor in the market, Apple TV – which makes it that much more appealing to South Africa’s economy.
ZTE’s B866V2K promises to fill user needs, and even adds a little more to the pot. The box supports 4K Ultra HD and is pre-loaded with Netflix, YouTube, and Prime Video. Of course, you’ll only be able to fully experience 4K Ultra HD if you have a compatible TV. Those are also cheaper than ever, so there’s a strong chance you do.
Another bonus is Google Assistant and a built-in Chromecast. Assistant allows for voice command of many of the box’s functions. Chromecast allows users to cast pretty easily from compatible devices. The box itself has an ethernet port, a USB port, an HDMI port, and an L/R audio output. There is also a controller included, which feels obvious, but needs to be said.
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On the inside, expect Wi-Fi, 5.0 Bluetooth – which is standard in most of these things. Hardware-wise, we’re looking at a quad-core ARM Cortex-A35 CPU, paired with an ARM G31 MP2 GPU with 8GB eMMC flash memory and 2GB DDR Random access memory. It’s not far off from older Cloudgate Android PCs, in terms of spec.
The B866V2K is now officially on the shelves in some of SA’s biggest retailers. Prices weren’t readily available at the time of writing (you can phone Ellies for that info), but we can speculate on the cost. It would be pushing boundaries if it costs much more than R1,10o. The popular Xiaomi Mi Box offers the same level of functionality, at a relatively low price of R1,200. Anything more for ZTE’s B866V2K would be robbery. More info can be found on ZTE’s website here.
