Xiaomi has confirmed that it will soon be launching its own Mi TV Stick, an HDMI device to bring smart streaming to your television.

The device was briefly teased during the German launch of the Redmi Note 9, where Christian Klaus, senior PR and communications manager for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, from Xiaomi introduced the presentation. 

The Mi TV Stick was highlighted as something to look forward to - alongside what looks like the Mi Band 5 - but few details were given, except that it would be a simple and easy approach to TV. 

That sounds like it's lining up to be a competitor to devices like the Roku Premiere or the Amazon Fire TV Stick.

What we can tell from the image on screen is that it's a fairly typical pairing of HDMI dongle and remote, both compact in nature. The remote gives away a few more details with a Google Assistant button towards the top and Netflix and Amazon Video buttons beneath the D pad.

That's all we know right now: we don't know if this is part of Google's rumoured rebranding of Android TV and it might be that this device launches with a refreshed Google TV offering, bringing all those streaming services to your television. The controls certainly look like they are going to be running Android in some form.

Being showcased in Germany suggests, at least, that it's going to be getting a wide release and if Xiaomi has lined up all the content partners it needs, then it could be a compelling option for making your TV smart.

The most appealing things might be the price, but the key things we don't know is what standards it will support - 4K? Dolby Vision? - and exactly what the operating system will be.

As it stands, it doesn't look like we'll have long to wait, but as we've heard from many working in the TV market before, Xiaomi needs to make sure it has access to all the local TV services for all regions or it won't get off the ground.

Roku Premiere (2018)

WalmartAmazon