Are you in the market for a brand new TV box that will be reliable and give you the best performance you have ever experienced out of an Android TV box? Are you tired of the devices that are shipping with older versions of Android and have processors that are enough to do the job?
If you answered Yes to both of these questions, then I have the perfect device for you. I have been using the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box for a few months now, and I have a lot to say about it. It has been a few years since I stopped watching TV entirely as I get most of the news from the Internet, and I am not much of an avid sports fan. So, for entertainment, I mostly watch Netflix on my computer monitor.
I recently got married, however, and I had to get a TV for my living room along with an IPTV subscription. So when the time came to buy a TV box, I did not do much research and bought the first IPTV box that I found with some good reviews on Amazon.
Unfortunately, I did not pay much mind to the specifications initially, which turned out to be a mistake. The device would lag and barely play anything at all.
I got myself a refund on that, and this time with my eyes open, I got myself the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box. Well, saddle in and get yourself a hot drink because I have a lot to say about it three months later.
What is the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box?
The first thing I need to talk about before fully diving deep into the review is the Q Plus Android 9.0 Box and why would anyone want to buy it.
The Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box is designed to give multimedia functionality to TVs that do not natively have this support. In other words, making a “Dumb” TV, a “Smart” one.
The companies selling and manufacturing these devices like the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box mainly depend on the manufacturers selling TVs and Monitors that do not have the functionality to connect to the Internet. You can buy a Monitor or a TV along with a device like this, and it is going to cost you less than buying a Smart TV.
However, Smart TV users have owned their TVs for a few years now and are now stuck on ancient operating systems that may no longer support their favorite media apps. These users also buy devices like the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box to breathe new life into their TV.
There are many Android TV boxes available in the market, and you may ask why you should buy the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box. Why not grab the first one that we find as theoretically their functionality is the same, and all they are going to do is connect to the Internet to watch some movies?
The problem with many Android boxes in the market is that most of these boxes do not consider future-proofing and upgradeability.
Many companies are selling these Android boxes with sub-par mobile Hardware and very low memory, which may get the job done for now; however, you will have to upgrade in just a few years.
The Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box is designed keeping future-proofing in mind. Keep that in mind, as I will cover why it is future-proof despite having an Android version from a couple of years ago in the later paragraphs.
So, now that you know what this device is and who it is, it is for letting us look at what we will get once we receive the device.
What is in the Box?
The Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box comes in a stylish black box with the Q Plus written in gold fonts. The package also tells us about the advertised specifications and the features of the device. Once we cut open the tape and open the box, we see that the Q Plus Android 9.0 is sitting neatly in a white wrapping on the cardboard.
I took the device out of the box, which is probably even smaller than the last Android TV box I unboxed. The Q plus TV box is a small rounded square with the Q plus logo printed on it. I appreciate the small size of this device because it does not need a lot of space.
On the back of the device, we see a few ports:
- We have a power port to connect the adapter, which is going to power the device.
- We have a USB 2.0 and a USB 3.0 port, which is a plus as it will give you better speeds while transferring data.
- We have an HDMI port along with an SD card slot.
- An Ethernet port that will let you use a wired internet connection.
- A 3.5mm Audio jack will let you use your speakers.
Moving on from the device, we find that we have some accessories after we remove the cardboard layer. The first thing we see is the adapter that is going to power this thing.
Next, we have a small remote, which I did not like, and during my time using this, I kept on losing it. Q plus needs to make better remotes for their devices. The lack of batteries in the box also does not do it any favors.
We also have an HDMI cable included which is an A+ strategy in my eyes. Every company should include them with their devices. The last thing included here is a User manual. Do not throw it away if you are someone that gets easily intimidated by new technology.
Now that we have done the unboxing of the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box let us move forward with the features that are on offer.
Key Feature Table:
| Image | |
|---|---|
| Buyers Rating | 4 out of 5 |
| Brand | Q Plus |
| Weight | 189 Grams |
| User Documentation | Yes |
| Connectivity | Ethernet, Wifi, USB, HDMI |
| Operating System | Android 9.0 |
| RAM | 4GB |
| Storage | 32 GB |
| ROM | 16 GB |
| PSU | DC 5V 2A |
| Card Reader | SD |
| USB Ports | 1xUSB 2.0, 1xUSB 3.0 |
Specifications
If you were paying attention earlier, I said that the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box has future-proofing in mind. The testament to this statement is the Operating system right in the device’s name: Android 9.0. This Android version was released a couple of years ago and will install all the apps and games for many years to come.
Many Android TV boxes come with older versions of Android, mostly 7.0, which will be outdated years before Android 9 stops receiving support.
Moving the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV is equipped with the H6 quad-core processor paired with the Mali-T720MP2 GPU. I ran an Antutu benchmark on this device which returned a score of 34000, which is more than enough for your media consumption needs. However, I would not be playing PUBG on this device.
We also have 2GB of ram, which is more than enough for this device. The Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box also has 16 GB of storage for you to store movies and games. Some of this storage is used up by the operating system.
Even though this is more than enough to ensure a smooth media consumption experience, the Q Plus TV box also has a higher-end model with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. You can go for that as well; however, the current Hardware is still more than enough.
The Q plus Android 9.0 TV box also supports various media codecs, and you will very quickly play any media file you want to play. However, that blew my mind about this device because it can handle not 4K but 6K up to 30 fps. This feature is also an aspect of future-proofing as I currently do not own a 6K TV; however, I have tested it on 4K, and all my media played exceptionally well.
Interface
With the technical specifications out of the way, let us go into the Q plus Android 9.0 TV Box user interface. Once we connect the device to our TV using the HDMI cable, we are greeted with the InterfaceInterface of the device.
The InterfaceInterface reminded me of the Windows 8 start menu. All the apps are neatly distributed in blocks. The first block is the video where we can play any video connecting to an external storage device. Next, we have a browser to surf the Internet and visit any website we want to see.
The next block has the file manager where we can browse the contents of our external media storage. The next tab belongs to Music which lets play any audio file. We also have settings where we can configure the device by connecting it to the Internet.
The Apps button on the main InterfaceInterface allows you to access the App drawer and navigate your installed apps.
Next, we have the Play store, where you can install any mobile app. The clean memory tab allows you to clear any cached data from already opened apps to make the device more snappy.
In the last file, we have pre-installed apps like Netflix, Prime Video, IMDb, and YouTube. If you lose your manual, you also have a handy “More Information” app on the main screen, which can help you navigate the device.
Hardware
The Hardware of the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box is more premium than the price you pay for it. The box is tiny and stylish in its black color.
One of the things I adored about this TV box is that it has RGB lightning all around its borders and inside its logo. The addition of RGB gives it a premium feel.
We also get a small remote with this device, and I’m not too fond of it. This remote is very tiny and is very easy to lose. The buttons are also very delicate, and I feel that they will break very easily.
The buttons on the Remote also stick when you press them. The absence of batteries in the box was also not good, and Q plus loses a few points for it as well.
The Internal Hardware of the Q Plus Android 9.0 is also worth mentioning. The Quad-core H6 CPU, along with the Mali GPU, makes light work of whatever media file you throw at it. With its ability to play up to 6K at 30 FPS, you can watch whatever content you want to watch with ease.
The Q Plus Android 9.0 is equipped with 2.4 band WiFi, which will let you connect the device with your Internet for wireless browsing. The Internet speeds are good here, and I found nothing worth complaining about here.
Pros
- A breeze to set the device up
- Android 9.0 out of the box
- 6K up to 30 fps
- The HDMI cable is included in the box
- Small unibody design
- RGB lighting
Cons
- The Remote is small, and the button sticks when pressed.
- Batteries not included
Price
Now, does the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box justify its pricing? Well, the short answer to that question is Yes! Go and buy it if you are looking for a TV box.
The long answer is also Yes, as, during my three months of use, the device has served me very well. The internal Hardware offered by the device makes playing any media file you want a great experience.
The software and the user interface are intuitive and very easy to use. My wife is not techy like myself, and she found her way around it without consulting the manual.
The Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box is an excellent bang-for-the-buck option, which will serve you very well for many years.
Conclusion
Well, that is it for the review of the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV Box. Summing up my thoughts about this device, I would like to say that when I bought this device, I was switching from a device that had left an awful taste in my mouth as it was one of the laggiest TV boxes I had ever seen.
Once I got my money back and ordered the Q Plus TV Box, I could not have been happier. This experience was what I expected when I sat down to order my first android TV box.
Even though the Hardware inside it is not a powerhouse, it does not matter as the components on offer do their job exceptionally well and will keep on doing them well for years. Netflix, Amazon Prime, and YouTube work very well, and I keep my visuals cranked up to 4K all the time. I have never experienced a frame drop in my time of using this device.
The price-to-performance ratio on this device is the epitome of bang for the buck. The inclusion of an HDMI port gives it an extra point as well.
The only qualm I have about this device is the included Remote. I hope that in the later models of this device, Q plus will offer a better remote as this one is absolutely rubbish.
However, let that not dissuade you from buying this device, and if you are looking for an Android TV box that will take care of your media consumption needs for a long time, then the Q Plus Android 9.0 TV box is a must-buy.