Ameya DalviJun 02, 2021 13:43:06 IST
Xiaomi and OnePlus just released their new 40-inch Smart TV models within a span of a week. Naturally, everyone is curious to know which of the two is better. While we haven’t received our review units yet, we thought of taking a closer look at the specifications and features of both TVs to see if either has a distinct advantage over the other. And while we were at it, we thought of letting you know about it, too. Let’s see how these two TVs stack up against each other on seven key parameters.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: Design
Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon Edition
Both TVs look almost identical from the front with their bezel-less design; they have the thinnest of bezels on three sides and a thicker bottom bezel. Interestingly, previous TV models in Xiaomi’s 4A or Horizon series and OnePlus’ Y series do not have a bezel-less design. Quite a coincidence that both companies thought of deviating from their existing designs at the same time. That’s good news for potential buyers as both models look quite good.
The alignment of the ports at the back is a little different. While OnePlus prefers to have all ports on the side, Xiaomi has some on the side and others placed at the bottom. How easily accessible the ports are is something we can confirm only after we get our hands on these TVs, but given that these are 40-inch models, accessibility shouldn’t be an issue. As of now, it seems like a tie on the aesthetics front between the Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon edition and the OnePlus TV 40Y1.
OnePlus TV 40Y1
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: Connectivity
Xiaomi has a slight edge in this department courtesy of an additional HDMI input as well as an analogue audio output. While the OnePlus TV 40Y1 has 2x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports, AV in and optical audio out, the Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon edition has 3x HDMI ports, 2x USB ports, AV in, S/PDIF out and a headphone out, thus giving you an option of plugging in an extra HDMI device and routing the audio signal to a good old speaker system with a 3.5 mm Aux-in or coaxial analogue input. On the wireless front, both TVs support single-band 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, and have Chromecast built-in. It’s advantage Xiaomi here.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: Display
Both TVs have 40-inch Full HD screens, and though neither brand has specified it, I expect them to have VA panels. There are no claims of HDR compliance, and that’s probably a good thing. Budget Full HD TVs invariably mess up HDR rendering, so it’s best to stay away from it. I cannot comment on the potential picture quality looking at the spec sheet, and we will have to wait for the review to learn more about that.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: Processing hardware and storage
Both TVs are evenly matched here as well, with both being powered by quad-core processors with Cortex A53 cores. While the Xiaomi has a Mali 450 GPU, the OnePlus TV has a Mali 470 GPU. Speaking from past experiences, I can say their real-world performance is at par. Both TVs bundle 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal storage, a chunk of which would be taken up by the Android TV OS. Yet another tie.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: Audio
Just like picture quality, one cannot really comment on what the audio output quality would be like looking at numbers and features. For the record, both TVs have a pair of stereo speakers rated at 20 Watts RMS overall. While the OnePlus TV speakers support Dolby Audio, those on the Xiaomi support DTS-HD. We can discuss audio quality for these TVs only after we get the units and test them out.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: OS and User Interface
Strangely, both brands have opted for Android TV 9.0 on these models, when version 10 has been out for a while and Xiaomi already has a couple of models running the newer OS. Given that these are budget TVs, we can overlook that for now and hope an update will arrive soon. As for the user interface, while both manufacturers give you the option of near-stock Android UI, they both have their own launchers, too.
Xiaomi has their more popular PatchWall UI that has noticeably improved over time. Content from up to 25 different OTT platforms is elegantly presented and sorted. You can simply select the content and start playing it if you are subscribed and logged into the respective platforms on the TV.
OnePlus has something similar named OxygenPlay. One can’t exactly call it a launcher or a UI, but it offers similar content aggregation features. Again, there is truly little to choose from between the two on this front.
Since both models are based on the certified Android TV platform, you get access to approximately 5,000 apps on Google’s Play Store. Apps for all major OTT platforms in India are available here except for Apple TV. Both TVs support voice commands as well, and as I mentioned earlier, there’s Chromecast built in. Long story short, all the perks of the Android TV platform are available on both models.
Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon vs OnePlus TV 40Y1: Price
The Xiaomi Mi TV 4A 40 Horizon edition is priced at Rs 23,999 with a one-year warranty, and also comes with an additional year’s warranty for the panel. The OnePlus TV 40Y1 is more affordable, priced at Rs 21,999 and getting a similar warranty. Yes, the Xiaomi TV does offer a couple of extra connectivity ports, but that does not necessarily warrant a couple of extra thousand rupees. Then again, we are yet to analyse the most important aspect of these TVs – their real-world performance. Only once we’ve tested them can we decide which of the two offers better value for money. As things stand right now, it looks like a remarkably close contest.
