10 Best Android Boxes 2024 in the United States

Android boxes (also known as “Android TV”) are devices with the Android operating system installed, allowing you to create a home entertainment and media center in your living room. Android boxes are small and portable, and also surprisingly affordable, usually ranging around $50 or less. They give access to all sorts of TV shows and online games. But there are many more advantages. It can allow you to convert a regular TV into a “Smart TV”, giving it the capability of employing WiFi, and getting apps beyond those provided by a specific manufacturer. You’ll also be able to project content from your Smartphone or Apple phone onto a big TV screen. If you want, you’ll be able to broadcast music on your Android phone over the TV’s high-quality speakers. And you can use it for browsing the Internet--instead of sitting at a 22” computer monitor, you can lounge around on your living room sofa and click through websites on a 50” TV screen! Since the Android operating system can run on relatively inexpensive hardware, you can get computing ability equivalent to that of a computer that costs much more.

But there will be differences between different Android boxes, in terms of their internal hardware, such as hard disk, CPU, GPU, and options to expand on the device’s capabilities. It’s worthwhile investigating what the Android boxes on the market have to offer.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting an Android box. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of Android box,

• See useful tips about that particular type of Android box,

• Read reviews of different quality Android boxes, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of the best Android box, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

We can distinguish between Android boxes by looking at what they are best suited to provide. There are Android boxes that are best for gaming, and others that are best for live streaming of video and music.

• Android boxes for gaming: There are Android Boxes with special gaming features. They will come with a gaming controller and quick access to apps. An example is the NVIDIA Shield TV Streaming Player. The Android Box will allow you access to many more games for free.

NVIDIA Shield TV Streaming Player

• Android boxes for live streaming: Some Android Boxes specialize in specs and applications that allow access to cable TV programs, without having to pay cable fees. The SkyStream Two Streaming Media Player is just such a device. It will give you access to Netflix, Vudu, Amazon Prime Video, Google Play Movies and TV, YouTube, and more.

SkyStream Two Streaming Media Player

• Android boxes for TV: This would include the Amazon Fire TV Stick. The remote control is specially designed for viewing TV, where you can click through options comfortably from your couch. However, the Fire Stick will not be as convenient when going through apps as the other Android Boxes are.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

• Get wireless mini-keyboard: Android boxes will use a remote control device. But, it’s also recommended to use a wireless mini-keyboard--that will make it so much easier to use your Android box. It will also streamline doing things like web browsing and gaming. Otherwise, you’ll have to use the arrow keys on the remote control to move the cursor and select letters from the keyboard--which can take a long time!

• Bluetooth support: There are Android Boxes that have Bluetooth capability as well. If so, you can use a Bluetooth keyboard to go through the apps and other options.

• Even works with smart home devices: Once you have WiFi connectivity, you can use your Android Box to control lights, turn on security cameras in your home, control the air conditioning, and more. Some even work with Amazon’s Alexa, so you can use voice commands for all these things.

• Operating system: You’ll see that many Android Boxes now use the Android 7.1.2 version of the Android operating system. But you can get Android Boxes with the latest version, 9.0, such as the A5X Max--and the price still hovers around $50! But you can still find Android Boxes running Android 5.0, such as the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

• Hard drive: Android Boxes will have a hard drive, but don’t expect the same capacity as with your home computer. The Muxuan Android 7.1 TV Box has a 32 GB hard disk. If you want extra space for games and apps, it will take an eMMC flash card of 16, 32, or even 64 GB.

• Check what formats can it support: It’s recommended to check which file formats can your Android Box support. For example, the Supreme Deals Android A95X R2 Smart TV Box supports many video formats, music formats, and photo formats.

• Jacks: Check the outputs on an Android Box, to get a good idea of its capabilities. For example, the Bonrich TX3 Mini-Smart TV Box has a SPDIF (Sony/Philips Digital Interface audio) output, and AV (= audiovisual) output, Ethernet, and an HDMI output.

Bonrich TX3 Mini-Smart TV Box’s various ports

• Plays 4K video: There are Android Boxes that allow for 4K video--four times as many pixels as 1080p. Some, such as the NVIDIA Shield TV, are capable of 4K HDR (= High Dynamic Range).

• Getting Google downloads: An Android box will generally allow you access to downloads of Google apps and software. Apps such as Spotify, Twitter, Pinterest, Netflix, Adobe Flash Player, and more will be preinstalled on your Android box device. One very popular video and music streaming app is Kodi. Whether or not your Android Box has Kodi installed already, it’s recommended to uninstall it and download the newest version from the Google Play Store.

• Projecting phone content: Android boxes allow you Screen Mirroring: you’ll be able to show the content on your phone on your TV screen--whether you use a Smartphone or iPhone. Since the Android box gives your TV WiFi capability, you’ll have no problem uploading videos, music, or photos from your phone. Also, if you have Virtual Reality glasses, you can insert your Smartphone and let everyone else in your living room experience what you’re experiencing (even though it might get them a bit dizzy).

• TeamViewer: Another cool feature with an Android Box is the ability to remotely control someone else’s computer over a remote server. Just download the TeamViewer app, and it will allow you to add another computer to your “partner” list. You can then help someone install programs on their computer, give them a tutorial, or even print documents from their computer!

• Legal issues: Android boxes will allow you to stream of TV shows, movies, or sports events--but they may have legal issues if they allow you to circumvent having to pay for subscription material. Besides the legal aspect of access to paid content without actually paying for it, there are also disreputable dealers selling such Android devices, who sell subpar devices that don’t meet safety regulations.

• Skystream, founded in 2013, are manufacturers of Android TV boxes and are in fact the original suppliers of Android-powered media players. The company is based in Orlando, Florida.

• NVIDIA, founded in 1993, is based in Santa Clara, California. There are successful manufacturers of graphics processing units, video games, computer hardware, Android boxes, chipsets, device drivers, and more.