Former mobile phone giant Nokia has announced a follow up to its Android Streaming Box that was launched a couple of years back. The new model is called the Nokia Streaming Box 8010 and comes with an upgraded system-on-a-chip, more storage space and runs Android TV 11.
The box is designed to replace the Nokia Streaming Box 8000 and is built by Streamview, an Austrian company that has licensed the Nokia brand name in Europe. It’s an alternative to other Android-based streaming platforms, such as Nvidia’s Shield and the Chromecast with Google TV.
Streamview said the additional power provided by the new chip makes the Nokia Streaming Box 8010 an excellent choice for gamers. However, we’re not sure if people will agree, given that stream-based gaming has not really taken off on Android TV. The device does however provide access to Nvidia GeForce, so it may appeal to some.
"The latest version, the Nokia Streaming Box 8010, comes with an improved chipset, ideal for gaming sessions,” the company said.
Other need-to-know details include the fact it has three integrated USB ports, which is one more than the earlier model, enabling two game controllers to be hooked up. In addition, there is one HDMI 2.0 port and an Etherenet LAN connection, as well as WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0. There’s also more memory on board, with 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32 GB of eMMC Flash, the company said.
The Android TV platform will, of course, be a major selling point as it brings access to more than 7,000 applications, including Netflix, Disney+, Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV. Chromecast and Google Assistant are also built into the box.
Streamview neglected to mention anything about HDR support, but the older box supported HDR10 so we can expect that to be available at a minimum. It can display content at up to 4K resolution, if the user has a suitable TV, and Dolby Atmos surround sound is also supported.
Streamview said the Nokia Streaming Box 8010 will go on sale across Europe later this month, priced at 129 Euros.
