Own a 1080p TV? Then the Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) is the cheapest sane way onto Google TV, at £39.99 in the UK (about $53 once converted). It isn’t a 4K box, and that’s deliberate, since Xiaomi already sells a pricier TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) for Ultra HD screens. This one’s built for budget sets and spare bedrooms.
🛒 Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen)
Price: £39.99 in the UK (About $53)
Where to Buy: Xiaomi
That focus is the whole point. You get HDR10+, a faster chip, and Google TV on a stick that costs less than a nice dinner, with no 4K tax for a screen that can’t use it. There’s one catch, though, and US buyers need to hear it before they get comfortable.
What Xiaomi changed
Xiaomi pitches this as a real generational jump, not a sticker swap. The HD (2nd Gen) runs a new hardware platform with a Mali-G31 MP2 GPU, and Xiaomi’s lab numbers claim about 38 percent more CPU muscle than the first Mi TV Stick. HDR10+ is the headline addition, so a compatible TV pulls more detail from bright highlights and dark corners. That’s rare this cheap.
One thing Xiaomi left alone: memory. You still get 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage, the same allocation as the first stick. That points to light, single-app viewing, not heavy multitasking.
Xiaomi frames the payoff as smoother operation rather than bigger spec numbers. The new chip and GPU are meant to keep Google TV fluid as apps load, switch, and stream in the background. Whether that holds on 1GB of RAM is the open question. We’ll find out.
The specs at a glance
Everything else is refreshingly plain. The software is Google TV, and video tops out at 1080p Full HD. Sound leans on Dolby Audio and DTS:X decoding, handy when you feed a soundbar. Connectivity is dual-band Wi-Fi 5 across the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, paired with a Bluetooth voice remote.
Physically, it’s tiny. At 107.4 x 30 x 14 mm and 44 grams, it vanishes behind the screen once you plug it in. There’s no Ethernet and no 4K output, so it stays a Wi-Fi, Full HD device by design.
The Google TV experience
Google TV is the real draw. Setup is quick, since you plug into an HDMI port, add power, and sign into Wi-Fi with a Google account. The home screen then blends your apps with cross-service recommendations, so Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and YouTube share one interface. Chromecast is built in, so you fling video from a phone straight to the screen.
Voice lives on the remote. Press the mic button, ask for a title or an actor, and Google Assistant searches across your apps. You can also check the weather or dim smart lights without leaving the couch. That reach is unusual at this price.
One limit is worth flagging. With 8GB of storage, you install your core apps and little else, so heavy app collectors will feel the squeeze. Streaming itself needs almost no local space, which is what this stick is built for.
HD or 4K: which stick to buy
Don’t confuse the HD model with the TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen), because the gap is real. The 4K version jumps to Ultra HD, adds Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, moves to Wi-Fi 6, and doubles the RAM to 2GB. It sells on Amazon in the US for about $72.99, a clear premium for those extras. None of that reaches a 1080p panel.
Watch this quirk, because it trips people up: the cheaper HD stick keeps an IR blaster, so its remote powers your TV on and off. The pricier 4K model drops IR completely. Score one for the budget pick.
So the pick is simple. Got a 4K TV and crave Dolby Vision? The 4K stick is worth its extra cost. Otherwise, at 1080p, this cheaper HD model is the smarter spend.
The catch for US buyers
Patience is the price of being early. Xiaomi launched the TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) through its UK and European stores first, where it’s live now at £39.99, with a wider rollout described as coming later. As of now it isn’t on Amazon US, while the TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) already is. We’ll refresh this the moment US pricing lands.
For a US buyer who won’t wait, the 4K model is the cleaner call. It ships from Amazon US today and sits in the box below. Importing the UK HD unit is possible, but you’d face a UK plug, no local warranty, and a bill in pounds. Not worth it for most.
🛒 Xiaomi TV Stick HD (2nd Gen)
Price: £39.99 in the UK (About $53)
Where to Buy: Xiaomi
Who it is for
The HD (2nd Gen) fits a bedroom TV, an aging 1080p set, or a bag for hotel screens. It won’t please anyone chasing 4K or Dolby Vision. Those viewers should grab the 4K model or a rival like the Wi-Fi 6 Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, which we covered recently. At £39.99, the math is easy.
Think of it as an appliance, not a project. It boots into familiar apps, updates itself, and asks nothing of you after the first login. Power users will want more storage and horsepower. Everyone else gets exactly enough.
Need Netflix and YouTube on a spare screen and nothing more? This handles it without fuss, much like the pocket-sized Roku Streaming Stick we praised as a travel pick. Buy it for what it is. It’s the right kind of cheap, and it knows it.
Extra Large Desk Mousepad with Brooklyn Bridge and New York City Skyline Design | XL Desk Mat Mouse pad, NYC Design, Rubber Base, Stitched Edge, Smooth Surface for Home Office, Work, Dorm, or Gaming
(as of July 13, 2026 19:13 GMT -05:00 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
