Here is an overview of some of the best Android boxes that are available right now. For the most part, the Nvidia SHIELD streaming box still leads the market in power and performance. It's been 3 years since they released their first model and as of yet, no current Android clone has been able to top the SHIELD Tegra X1's performance. Although, now we are beginning to see some Android Streaming TV boxes that are slowly creeping closer.
Android TV vs Android Boxes
There are only a few boxes being made that use the Android TV OS. The Nvidia SHIELD and Mi Box are among the few that look great from across the room while sitting on the couch using a remote control. Other Android boxes use the Android Phone OS. They work much better if you use a wireless mouse or a portable keyboard/touchpad.
Rockchip Vs Amlogic
“Rockchip” and “Amlogic” are the two types of processors used in the most popular Android clones. These are their current fastest flagship processors:
- Amlogic S912 = power, speed and longevity
- Rockchip RK3399 = newer, faster, better performance
Many people like Amlogic chipsets in their Android Media Streamers. The newest Rockchip RK3399 now comes with a Hexacore SoC which has two fast Cortex-A17 Cores and four low-power Cortex-A53 Cores.
In RK3399 Vs S912 Benchmarks the Rockchip now smokes Amlogic in overall performance. In the past, many people liked Amlogic better over Rockchip, with the latest RK3399 chipsets after seeing the latest benchmarks, this may change.
See the table below for Benchmark results between these two chipsets.
See the table below for Benchmark results between these two chipsets.
Nvidia SHIELD - Still The Most Powerful Android TV Box
Android boxes are popular because of the many apps available for watching Free TV. They are powerful enough to run Kodi without a PC,
The New 4K Fire TV Stick is a Popular Android Streamer that Runs Many Apps
Amazon Fire TV
An Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick is a low-cost way to buy an Android Box. While they are little more locked down than many of the clones, they can currently still be side loaded with any apps that are not in the Amazon Store. Learn more about the Faster Than Ever 4K Fire TV
Many people like the Fire TV because they work well with a long list of legal apps like Netflix 4K which won't work on an Android Clone.
While Fire TVs and Fire TV Sticks are not the fastest Android boxes, this honor goes to the Nvidia SHIELD and Android boxes that use a Rockchip or Amlogic chipset. They have much more powerful chipsets than what you will find in a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.
While Fire TVs and Fire TV Sticks are not the fastest Android boxes, this honor goes to the Nvidia SHIELD and Android boxes that use a Rockchip or Amlogic chipset. They have much more powerful chipsets than what you will find in a Fire TV or Fire TV Stick.
Rockchip RK3399 Vs Amlogic S912
In latest the benchmarks, here are some com comparisons between two top of the line SOCs which power many of today's top Android TV boxes.
| Higher Numbers are Faster | S912 | RK3399 | |
| 3DMark Slingshot Graphics | 603 | 781 | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm | 9715 | 12904 | |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme | 5740 | 7805 | |
| GeekBench Single Core | 480 | 1375 | |
| GeekBench Multi Core | 2177 | 2455 | |
| Antutu Score | 38901 | 74268 |
EASYTONE T95Z Plus
| Where to Buy? | Amazon |
The EASYTONE T95Z Plus is a powerful Amlogic Octa-Core S912 Android box which won't break the bank.
It comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM storage and it runs on Android 7.1 OS.
It also comes with a remote control and an awesome mini keyboard with an integrated trackpad so there is nothing else to buy. This will run Kodi and all your favorite TV apps and it costs less than a Roku Ultra.
X99 Smart TV Box
Android boxes are sold under many different brand name yet share many similarities. They often share the same chipsets and other components and the cases. It is aftermarket manufacturer support and software updates that sets them apart.
The X99 features the new Rockchip SOC and it is pretty amazing how it compares in performance to current offerings from Amlogic.
It also comes with 4GB of RAM which is nice to see finally begin creeping higher from the dismal 2GB Android boxes we've had to live with for years.
This 4K model comes with a higher end nicer looking case that features a clock right on the front. The clock is something many cord cutters miss after turning in their cable TV boxes.
The X99 features the new Rockchip SOC and it is pretty amazing how it compares in performance to current offerings from Amlogic.
It also comes with 4GB of RAM which is nice to see finally begin creeping higher from the dismal 2GB Android boxes we've had to live with for years.
This 4K model comes with a higher end nicer looking case that features a clock right on the front. The clock is something many cord cutters miss after turning in their cable TV boxes.
| Where to Buy? | Amazon |
Because this is newer hardware and a lot faster than the Amlogic S912 you will need to pay more for this box.
Honestly, for the price they are asking, it may be worth skipping this and simply buying a Nvidia SHIELD instead. Right now you can find some decent sales on a SHIELD TV box and it will still run circles around this RK3399 Rockchip box.
Plus, the SHIELD like the Amazon Fire Fire TV will work flawlessly with a wider range of legal streaming TV services. Some like Amazon Prime or Netflix 4K will not run on any Android box yet work great on a Nvidia SHIELD.
Which is the Best Android Box?
Nothing beats the Nvidia SHIELD for overall performance if you only need an inexpensive Android box for your living room. One of the Android clones that use an Amlogic S912 chipsets can offer a pretty decent alternative at a lower price point.
While Fire TVs are cheap, we don't trust that Amazon will always let users sideload apps onto their devices. At some point when they have enough market share, they could flip a switch and only let users of these devices download apps from their Amazon store which will put an end to Kodi and many other 3rd party apps which contain a ton of free TV.
With an Android TV box chances of this happening are much less and you can get often get a faster more powerful media streamer for the same price.
2019 is just getting started so be sure to save this page as we'll keep adding better and faster Android boxes throughout the year.
2019 is just getting started so be sure to save this page as we'll keep adding better and faster Android boxes throughout the year.
Android TV Guide
One of the coolest things about an Android media streamer is you can add a web browser and watch a ton of FREE TV streaming sites. This is something you can't do when using a Roku or Apple TV as they don't have web browsers on their streamers. Here is a huge list of FREE Internet Streaming sites.
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Use of third-party trademarks on this site is not intended to imply endorsement nor affiliation with respective trademark owners.
We are Not Affiliated with or Endorsed by Roku®, Apple, Google or Other Companies we may write about.
