Xiaomi has launched its F2 Series of 4K TVs in the UK, complete with inbuilt Amazon Fire TV and early bird prices.
You might know Xiaomi for its phones, tablets or other gadgets and although its TVs have been around for years, they’ve been only sporadically available in the UK. Now the F2 range is getting a proper launch on Amazon with sizes up to 55in at budget prices.
The main lure here, as well as the prices, is that the F2 comes with Amazon’s Fire TV software built in, meaning you don’t need to buy a Fire TV Stick or Cube to get access to various streaming and catch-up services.
These include Netflix, Disney+, YouTube, BBC iPlayer, ITV Hub, All 4, Now and, of course, Amazon Prime Video. There’s also a voice remote so you can use Alexa to do things like change channels, launch apps, search for content and control smart devices around your home.
Xiaomi is going up against JVC, which also makes cheap Fire TV sets, as well as Hisense’s Roku powered smart TVs.
The Xiaomi F2 comes in 43-, 50- and 55in sizes, all offering a 4K Ultra HD resolution. It’s 60Hz with MEMC (Motion Estimation, Motion Compensation) for “true-to-life viewing experiences”. There’s HDR10 support and 90% of the P3 colour spectrum.
On the audio side, there’s DTS-Virtual:X, Dolby Audio, DTS-HD and Apple Airplay support and sound is delivered by two 12W speakers. The F2 offers a metal ‘frameless’ design, keeping bezels to a minimum.
Despite the lack of a 120Hz refresh rate, you still get HDMI 2.1 with ALLM (auto low latency mode) with the F2 able to go as low as 6ms, depending on what size you buy.
“This is Xiaomi’s first smart TV series with Fire TV sold in Amazon UK, providing our users with a high-quality content experience and the intelligence of Alexa to deliver a truly smart TV experience”, said Steven Gong, Country Manager for Xiaomi UK & Ireland.
You can buy the Xiaomi F2 now with prices for the 43-, 50- and 55in sizes at £339, £379 and £429. Those are available until the end of 6 June when they will jump to £399, £449 and £499.
Check out our chart of the best budget TVs.