There are loads of ways to make your life feel better. There’s exercise, cleanliness, there’s even the air that you breathe. But this Black Friday, Xiaomi has another proven way to get those feel-good chemicals firing: next-level entertainment at once-a-year prices.
Most of our modern joy comes through screens, and Xiaomi’s lineup of smart displays (plus the gear that makes old screens brilliant again) is dropping to some of its lowest prices ever. From smart TVs of varying stripes and sizes to items that’ll turn your plain old dumb tech into a MENSA member, here are the ways you can turn that entertainment drip-feed into a firehose of dopamine.
Go to the movies
The best way to fire up your entertainment consumption is to install a large new TV screen in the space you call home. Xiaomi has a solid, yet affordably-priced set of er… sets that will do the job, spanning QLED screens and Mini LED panels. Whether you’re keeping a whole family busy with Disney+, gaming, watching sports, or indulging in a selection of streaming services as and when needed, these are prime candidates for getting what you need.
Xiaomi A Pro QLED TV
From R7,999 on Takealot
Give your living room some QLED love with Xiaomi’s A Pro sets, which start from R7,999 for the 55in model and climb to R10,999 (65in) and R14,999 (75in), depending on what you need them for. No matter which of these sets you choose, you’ll find they’re all admirably suited for smarter homes with smarter users.
The A Pro lineup’s Google TV-based operating system plays nice with just about every streaming platform, while clear, bright 4K panels and their attendant 120Hz refresh rates will handle the world’s newest gaming consoles with aplomb. Dolby Audio and HDR10 come to the party as well, upskilling nearly every shred of media you decide to grace these highly affordable TVs with. Seriously, when was the last time you heard of a 75in TV for just fifteen grand?
Xiaomi S Mini LED TV
R11,999 (R14,999) on Takealot
For something even smarter, give Xiaomi’s S Mini LED TV a spin. An upped refresh rate of 144Hz and a peak brightness of 1,200 nits grace this 65in 4K beast, with 392 local dimming zones enhancing black and colour reproduction. Dolby Vision IQ and Dolby Audio are further signifiers of the premium nature of this TV set, even as the price is leaving you wondering whether it was marked wrong on the shelf (it wasn’t, it really is that affordable).
Purpose-built 4K content will obviously look best, but the combination of that refresh rate, Xiaomi’s AI processor, and Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation (MEMC) tech, combine to turn the Xiaomi S Mini LED into a screen you will want to watch your favourite team do things on on the weekend.
Gamers will be similarly hooked, even if they don’t know why the 144Hz refresh rate and QD-Mini LED tech are the best thing they can put at the other end of a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X.
Xiaomi TV Box S 3rd Gen
R1,199 (R1,399) on Takealot
If you’re already pleased with your TV screen and just want to upgrade its smart capabilities for better streaming choices, the Chinese brand’s always-excellent TV Boxes are here to make all your dreams come true. Why bother with Tizen or WebOS when you can stick Google TV into your screen at a fraction of the price of any replacement?
Google’s entertainment OS offers premium support for all but the most niche apps. The third-generation TV Box supports 4K streaming thanks to upgraded hardware, and Dolby Vision tech is along for the ride as well. For extra fun, try out the supported voice commands for those times when you really don’t want to leave the couch.
Xiaomi TV Stick Media Player
R799 (R949) on Takealot
There’s one final option for folks who need fewer features and fewer cables, and an attendant lower price tag. The hyper-compact Xiaomi TV Stick is a trusted favourite that occupies a single HDMI slot (and a USB port) at the rear of a… less intelligent TV. Couple that with a bare-bones remote control that supports voice as well as pointer search, and you’ll turn any HDMI-capable TV – heck, even a computer monitor – into a capable entertainment screen for less money than you expected.
Xiaomi’s current deals on all of its smart home tech, from smart vacuums to smart fans to smart wearables and even smart TVs, run from 1 November to 31 December. Even if you get a dodgy Christmas present or two between now and then, you can always make it up to yourself with something affordably – and brilliantly – entertaining.
