Today, smart TV is already a common part of households. However, a common problem is an operating system with limited capabilities and not always the fastest responses. Whether you own a regular smart TV or an older TV without smart features, the Android TV box will take your options to a completely different level. TV box A95X F3 Air II is no exception.
In the review, we will look at the contents of the package, the quality of processing and discuss the features of this novelty in detail.
Where to buy A95X F3 Air II?
The A95X F3 Air II TV box is already the second generation of Android TV box that we received from our partner Geekbuying. However, it currently offers the best price Banggood, but it is a Chinese warehouse. Geekbuying the TV box will deliver to you faster from German warehouse. In both cases, delivery is hassle-free and you won't pay any extra fees.
Technical specifications
| Model designation | A95X F3 Air II |
| CPU | 4-core Amlogic S905 W2 |
| GPU | Mali G31 MP2 |
| RAM | X |
| ROM | 32 GB / 64 GB |
| Formats video compression | H.264; H.265; VP9/VP6/VP8 |
| Audio formats | MPEG-1; MPEG-2 (L1 / L2 / L3); MP3; AAC-LC; HE AAC V1 / V2; APE; FLAC; OGG; AMR-NB; AMR-WB; G.711 (u / a); AMR-NB; AMR-WB; AAC-LC |
| Video format | Allwinner Video Engine (AVE) up to 4Kx2K @ 60fps |
| Supported resolutions | 4K @ 60fps - H265 / HEVC Main / Main10 profile@Level5.2 High-tier |
| 6Kx4K @ 30fps - H264 / AVC BP/MP/HP@level5.1; MVC; | |
| 4K @ 30fps - VP9; Profile 0/2 4K @ 30fps - VP6 / VP8 | |
| 1080P @ 60fps - MPEG1 / MPEG2 SP @ ML; MP @ HL | |
| 1080P @ 60fps - MPEG4 SP @ level 0 ~ 3; ASP @ level 0 ~ 5; GMC; short header format | |
| 1080P @ 60fps - AVS / AVS JIZHUN profile @ level 6.0 | |
| 1080P @ 60fps - VC-1 SP @ ML; MP @ HL; AP @ level 0 ~ 3 | |
| Photo formats | HD JPEG; BMP; gifs; PNG; TIF |
| Sound | 5.1 Surround Sound support |
| WiFi | 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz - 802.11 b / g / n / ac |
| Bluetooth | 5.0 |
| Connectivity | AND IN; DC 5V; Ethernet 10/100 Mbps; HDMI 2.1; optical port; memory card slot; 2x USB 2.0 |
| Weight | 0.350 kg |
| dimensions | 8.84 x 8.84 x 1.86 cm |
Contents of the package
The Android TV box A95X F3 Air II was delivered to us by the SPS courier in a cardboard box measuring 28.5 x 18.5 x 16.5 cm. Inside was another, smaller box measuring 20 x 12 x 5.2 cm, protected by several air cushions. The total weight of the package is only 0. 417 kg.
The product box contains the TV box itself, protected by a transparent foil, an adapter with a cable for connection to the electrical network, an HDMI cable, a remote control and a manual. The box has a dedicated folder reinforced with cardboard and the accessories are located at the bottom and next to the TV box.
We were pleasantly pleased with the quality of the packaging. All components were perfectly protected in a 100% condition against adverse handling during transport.
Quality of workmanship and design
The A95X F3 Air II TV box is very compact. Its dimensions are only 8.84 x 8.84 x 1.86 cm with a weight of 0.350 kg. In our case, we received the device in an interesting, dark purple color, which is complemented by glossy black at the top and sides. In terms of design, it is a successful product and, thanks to its compact dimensions and slim body, it does not take up much space.
The TV box is made of plastic, like most other competing devices. When pushed in the middle of the upper part, the cover folds very gently and there is a slight creak, but it is not terrible. The quality of processing is appropriate to the price, we evaluate it positively.
There is an information display in the front. On the back and left side (when viewed from the front) we find the individual ports. The underside contains four rubber feet.
The remote control is worse, but we'll talk about that later.
Stylish colored backlight
One of the attractions of the new A95X F3 Air II TV box is its backlight. It is located at the edge of the raised middle part of the top cover. It is a soft, inconspicuous strip with a slight overlap from the middle part of the cover towards the corner of the glossy, black part.
The backlight is really effective, it is colorful and you can customize it to your liking. Up to 64 different styles and color combinations are available. Here you will find completely simple, one-color backlighting, the effect of breathing, flickering, transitions between different colors and many other combinations.
Each of the combinations has three levels of brightness and 5 speed levels for moving or flashing effects. The backlight settings are made from the main screen in the system menu, after selecting the ColorLED Setting application. You can adjust the color effects for several scenes at the same time. Specifically, it is a common work with boxing, video and music.
The remote control is not the best
As we mentioned in the introduction, the remote control is not very good. It works on the principle of IR, it holds well in the hand, but the quality is weaker. It contains several basic buttons such as the standard directional buttons with a confirmation button in the middle, a button to go back one step, return to the main menu, adjust the volume and activate the mouse cursor.
The buttons are rubberized, but they are quite noisy when pressed. In particular, the directional buttons have a relatively high stroke, they are too soft, so if you need to enter your e-mail and long password using the on-screen keyboard, it will take you a while. After using the remote control for a long time, we recommend purchasing a higher quality remote control, ideally with the airmouse function.
The included controller has a button to turn on the mouse cursor, but using the directional buttons, the cursor on the screen moves very slowly, which makes its control extremely lengthy and impractical.
Sufficient power
The A95X F3 Air II TV box hides an Amlogic S905W2 processor from 2021 inside. It is a quad-core processor consisting of ARM Cortex-A35 cores. According to available information, it is manufactured using 12 nm technology and can reach a maximum frequency of 1.8 GHz.
It is complemented by a Mali-G31 MP2 graphics chip with a maximum frequency of 800 MHz and a power of 2.6 Gpix / s. It has OpenGL ES 3.2 support and can handle games like PUBG. If you know English, you can find more technical specifications and comparisons with other processors for TV boxes, for example on this page.
There are 2 memory versions of the TV box - 32 or 64 GB. Both versions have 3 GB of DDR4 RAM.
Rich connectivity
As you may have already noticed in the product photos on the page Geekbuyingu, TV box A95X F3 Air II contains a lot of ports. They are located on the back and left side of the box. Specifically, it is AV, optical S/PDIF port, LAN (RJ-45), HDMI in version 2.1, 2 x USB 2.0 and we also find a slot for microSD memory cards.
A slight downside is the support of speeds of only 10/100 Mbps network LAN port. Nowadays, we lack the possibility of 1 Gbit connection, especially due to the support of 4K video. However, the optical port is not a common feature of such TV boxes. For example, you can connect a soundbar to it.
In terms of wireless connectivity, we can find WiFi in 802.11 b / g / n / ac standards, so there is no lack of support for both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz WiFi. Bluetooth is supported in version 5.0 and of course there is also support for AirPlay and Miracast.
Android 11 environment
Many TV boxes or projectors come with the older Android operating system. Version 11 of the A95X F3 Air II is sure to please. It is not an Android TV system, but a classic Android with a customized launcher. The system is not 100% adapted to remote control, unlike standard Android TV.
The launcher, with which the environment is adapted to the TV screen, offers a similar arrangement of elements as Android TV. At the top you will find the search, the status of the internet connection and the time. In the main part of the screen, the individual applications are arranged in a grid.
At the bottom is a different view of all applications, go to settings and quick access to Internet connection settings.
Applications and installation options
The A95X F3 Air II comes with a number of pre-installed applications. We will mention at least some: YouTube, Netflix, TVMC, AirScreen, Firefox, Chrome, Gmail, FileBrowser, Miracast, Media Center, MoviePlayer, Plex, Exoplayer and more.
Most applications are used to play multimedia content. As we mentioned in one of the previous chapters, not all applications are adapted for control using the buttons on the remote control. For example, in Google Chrome, you can't change a page's URL without hovering over it. On the other hand, Firefox turns on the cursor automatically, and it's much easier to use the driver.
If you want to install other applications, there is not only the classic Google Play Store, but also the TV Store. The offer of the TV Store is very limited and we recommend using the official Play Store, where you will find all the applications that you also have available in the Play Store on your smartphone.
Unfortunately, since we don't have an Android TV here, some apps aren't displaying properly after launch, and you would need to rotate the image to use them, but we weren't able to. For a similar reason, the A95X F3 Air II TV box does not support the chromecast function, nor does it support HBO GO. Netflix can be used, but only in basic resolution, as there is a lack of official certification. If you want to use HBO GO, there is an option to install an add-on for the KODI multimedia application.
We have also tested popular applications such as Facebook, Spotify, Instagram or Skylink. Facebook and Spotify displayed correctly, but Instagram had the wrong image orientation and Skylink kept crashing.
The quality of inputs, outputs and other our experience
We used the A95X F3 Air II TV box most of the time to play movies and series via the KODI multimedia application (TVMC) with a connection to the home network via WiFi. We had absolutely no problem with 4K videos either. The HDMI output worked just as well and the picture was always excellent.
Videos can also be played via USB flash drives, for example using the pre-installed Movie Player. For example, we tried to play 4K videos with HEVC compression (h.265) from a GoPro camera, which many devices have problems with. He managed the TV box without hesitation.
We also tested the optical output, where we connected our soundbar from Samsung. We didn't notice any sound issues. Overall, the A95X F3 Air II TV box was great for playing multimedia content.
It is also possible to connect a mouse, keyboard or other remote control to the TV box. In particular, the remote control with the airmouse function takes the comfort of operation to a completely different level. We used a keyboard remote control in one, the Wechip W1, which we can only and only recommend. However, you can also use your smartphone as a controller.
Wechip W1 driver
Occasional problems with the mouse and W1 controller appeared after prolonged use without restarting the box, but they were not common and the problem was always solved by disconnecting from the mains and then turning on the TV box.
Settings menu
In the settings, you'll find a basic breakdown of customizations in categories: Network & Internet, Accounts & Login, Applications, Device Preferences, and Remote Control and Accessories.
Device preferences offer relatively limited setting options. There are far fewer options compared to Android in a regular smartphone. However, there is no lack of Slovak and Czech language, resolution settings, keyboard, HDMI CEC, storage information or even settings for developers.
A95X F3 Air II: Final Evaluation
The A95X F3 Air II TV box has the Android 11 operating system, support for native 4K resolution and powerful hardware, so you don't have to worry about jams or slow reactions. Combined with 4 GB of RAM, it offers enough power for normal use.
There is support for many video formats, a number of pre-installed applications and a stylish color backlight that you can customize.
However, there are also negatives. Because we don't have official Google support here, Android TV is missing for TVs, so not all apps you find in the Play Store will work properly. The remote control, which comes in the basic package, is not very high quality and by replacing it, you will move the comfort of operation to a much higher level.
He came to me yesterday and after the connection he started to restart himself, after 10 min. again, then several more times.
What's wrong with that? Otherwise quite a good machine.
You write in your review "However, you can also use your smartphone as a controller". I have this ordered and soul like you ask you how to do that.
Thanks!
You can use your smartphone as a remote control with the CetusPlay app.