Xiaomi's Smart Mi TV 2S Is Almost Ridiculously Thin
It seems that the "thinnest" craze from smartphones have now infected smart TVs. Trying to make display panels seemingly disappear into our living room walls, manufacturers have started to squeeze their TVs to almost insane sizes. The latest to do so is Xiaomi, who has just outed its Mi TV 2S, barely half a year since it launched the Mi TV 2. This latest model crams a 4K resolution display, an Android-based MIUI TV OS, and Xiaomi's own sound system into a 9.9 mm frame.
Actually, despite Xiaomi's boast, its Mi TV 2S isn't the thinnest smart TV around. That title, at least for now, belongs to Sony and its X900C and X910C Android TV series, boasting of a 5.08 mm profile. For now, we could just grant Xiaomi second place. That 9.9 mm thickness, which it compares to its own Mi Pad tablet and Mi 4 smartphone, is, however, only for the display frame itself. As with Sony's, the chassis for the TV's electronics jut out on the back. Regardless, Xiaomi is quite proud of its design, enough to even quote the late Steve Jobs in explaining why it took great pains to make design the backside well when no one gets to see it.
"When you're a carpenter making a beautiful chest of drawers, you're not going to use a piece of plywood on the back, even though it faces the wall and nobody will ever see it. You'll know it's there, so you're going to use a beautiful piece of wood on the back. For you to sleep well at night, the aesthetic, the quality, has to be carried all the way through."
The Mi TV 2S adds color options to the aluminum frame for a bit of flair and to supposedly appeal to a younger, more fashion-conscious generation, presuming that generation can afford to buy smart TVs themselves.
As for the display itself, the 48-inch screen employs Samsung's True 4K Display technology. Somewhat ironically, Xiaomi then later claims to surpass Samsung, as well as Sony and Sharp, in areas of clarity, color saturation, and contrast. With colors specifically, it advertises support for more than 85 percent of the NTSC standard. All without light leaking out from the backlight module.
Of course, the Mi TV 2S is more than just a TV. It's a smart one. Although not directly based from Android TV, the MIUI TV interface that runs on it is based on Android 5.0. This is powered by a 32-bit Cortex-A17 quad-core processor from MStar. RAM is at 2 GB, which should be sufficient for most uses, even gaming, while internal storage is at 8 GB. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 are supported.
The Xiaomi MI TV 2S launches on July 28 with a price tag of 2,999 RMB, roughly $490. There is also a Cinema/Theatre Edition available that comes with a separate soundbar and subwoofer sound system equipped with Dolby Sound technology. This one costs 3,999 RMB or $645.
SOURCE: Xiaomi