This is a spec-sheet / UK listing comparison, not a hands-on bake-off. Two certified Google TV sticks keep showing up in UK “second telly” shopping lists: the Strong LEAP-AIR and the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen). Both are player hardware for official apps and licensed services. Neither is a Fire Stick. Neither is a Freely-certified live-TV puck like Netgem PLEIO or Manhattan Aero. If you want Freely’s built-in live guide without an aerial, buy a Freely device. If you want Google TV for iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4, Netflix and the rest from the Play Store, these two sticks are the honest paper comparison.
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I’m picking by use-case, not by a fake “winner” badge. Specs below come from Strong’s UK product page and Xiaomi UK’s specs page. Check Amazon listings today for live price and seller. I am not inventing prices, Wi-Fi chipset model numbers that were not published, or Freely badges these sticks do not claim.
Common ground first, so the differences are easier to hear:
- Certified Google TV sticks (HDMI dongle form)
- 4K output path with modern codecs (AV1 / HEVC-class decoding on both product lines)
- 2GB RAM and 8GB storage on current published sheets
- Google Cast, voice remote with Google Assistant, Play Store for official apps
- Wi-Fi only in the usual stick sense (no Ethernet jack on these dongles)
- Player-only lane: licensed apps and subscriptions you already pay for. No playlist packs. Illegal IPTV stays illegal.
For UK catch-up, the useful test is simple: after setup, can you install and sign into the official BBC iPlayer, ITVX, Channel 4 and Channel 5 apps from the store on your account and region? Certified Google TV helps. Device certification for each broadcaster app can still vary over time. If iPlayer is critical, confirm the app installs and plays on the stick you buy, on your TV, before you bin the packaging. Sideloading “workarounds” are not the husham path.
Strong LEAP-AIR: UK remote bias
Strong’s UK page lists the LEAP-AIR as a Google-certified HDMI stick on Android 14 / Google TV, 4K UHD, HDR10 and HDR10+, dual-band Wi-Fi up to about 1.2Gbps (Wi-Fi 5 class – manufacturer “up to” claim from Strong’s page, not a measured sofa test), Bluetooth 5.0, HDMI 2.1 with CEC, Widevine L1, Netflix and Prime Video certification called out, and a full-size “2-in-1” remote with hot keys and voice. Storage is 8GB. Dolby Atmos passthrough is in Strong’s materials; Dolby Vision is not the headline HDR path here (HDR10 / HDR10+ / HLG are).
Why I lean LEAP-AIR for some UK living rooms: Strong sells into European retail with a remote layout that feels closer to a traditional set-top zapper, and UK Amazon stock is easy to check with local returns. If you want Google TV without learning a tiny Xiaomi-style wand, and you care about a bigger remote in a household that still thinks in channel-hotkey habits, start here. Caveat: 8GB fills up if everyone installs games and kids’ apps. Uninstall what you do not use.
Skip LEAP-AIR if you need Dolby Vision for a disc-ripping myth (you should not be ripping), or if your AV receiver wants features Strong does not list. Also skip if you actually needed Freely built-in. LEAP-AIR is not marketed as a Freely streaming device – for Freely, buy a Freely device.
Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen): budget second-TV bias
Xiaomi UK’s specs page lists Google TV, 4K output, quad-core Cortex-A55, ARM G310 V2 GPU, 2GB / 8GB, Netflix / Prime Video / YouTube pre-installed, AV1 and friends, Dolby Atmos and DTS:X on the audio side, Bluetooth 5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi, HDMI plus micro-USB power, and a slim black stick with remote, power adapter and HDMI extension in the box. Xiaomi’s UK marketing also pushes Dolby Vision and HDR10+ picture, plus Wi-Fi 6 on the 2nd Gen story (again: manufacturer page claims, not a lab bake-off). That is a clear picture/audio checklist win on paper versus LEAP-AIR’s HDR10+ / Atmos passthrough framing.
Why I lean Xiaomi for a bedroom or kitchen second set: often the cheaper ticket on Amazon UK when both are in stock (confirm today’s listing), Google TV with the big-name apps pre-loaded, and Dolby Vision if your TV actually shows it. Caveats are real. Xiaomi remotes and menus are fine once you learn them, but some UK households bounce off the first-week feel. Storage is still 8GB. Wi-Fi 6 helps on a busy mesh; it does not fix a weak upstairs signal if the stick sits behind a metal TV.
Skip Xiaomi if you want a chunkier UK-style remote first, or if you have been burned by brand-support wait times and prefer Strong’s European retail path. Again: not a Freely-certified live guide device – Freely needs a Freely device.
Catch-up path, said plainly
Freely (Everyone TV) certifies specific streaming devices and Freely TVs for the integrated live-and-catch-up guide. Google TV Streamer, Fire Stick, LEAP-AIR and Xiaomi sticks are not interchangeable with that Freely badge. For day-to-day UK catch-up on these two sticks, plan on the official broadcaster apps (iPlayer, ITVX, and so on) plus whatever licensed streamers you already pay for. That is still a solid sofa setup. It is just not “Freely in a stick” marketing.
If Freely-integrated live TV is the whole point, look at Freely devices (for example Netgem PLEIO or Manhattan Aero) instead of forcing the job onto a general Google TV stick. If aggregation under Google TV recommendations is the point, LEAP-AIR or Xiaomi is the right class of toy.
Pick by use-case
- Budget second TV / spare HDMI: start with the Xiaomi TV Stick 4K (2nd Gen) · Amazon US when you want Dolby Vision on paper and a typically lower Amazon ticket. Confirm iPlayer and your must-have apps after setup. Check today’s Amazon price.
- UK remote feel / local retail comfort: start with the Strong LEAP-AIR (UK listing — no clean US match) when the full-size remote and Strong’s UK listing matter more than Xiaomi’s Vision badge. Check today’s Amazon price.
- Main living-room Freely guide: skip both – buy a Freely-certified device, or keep Freely on a Freely TV and add a stick only for extra apps.
- Need Ethernet or a bigger box: neither stick is that product. Look at a certified Google TV / Android TV box from the closer list instead.
Who should skip both
- Anyone hunting Fire Stick “free channels” myths or illegal playlist IPTV. Wrong shop.
- Anyone who needs Freely certification built into the stick.
- Anyone whose TV already runs Google TV or Freely cleanly and does not need another remote.
- Anyone who will fill 8GB in a week with games and never prune apps.
Concrete next step: open both Amazon listings, check today’s price and seller, then decide bedroom-Xiaomi or remote-first-LEAP-AIR. After delivery, install only official store apps, sign into iPlayer and your licensed streamers, and keep the packaging until catch-up actually plays on your set.
Best IPTV boxes to buy this month from Amazon
These are certified Android TV / Google TV devices for official apps and licensed services; they do not include playlists or channels; illegal IPTV is illegal. No Fire Stick, no Vega, no Fire OS.
Affiliate disclosure: amazon.co.uk links use our Associates tag (hushamcom-21). We may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Check Amazon price today. Stock and figures move. LEAP-AIR and Xiaomi are already covered above – closer picks are other certified UK tag hushamcom-21; US tag hushamcom-20.boxes only.
- Google TV Streamer 4K · Amazon US – Google’s current living-room Google TV box when you want a proper remote, official store and built-in Ethernet.
- Nokia Streaming Box 8010 (UK listing — no clean US match) – certified Android TV box if you prefer a small box over a dongle.
- MECOOL KM2 Plus Deluxe · Amazon US – certified Android TV / Google TV box for a proper HDMI living-room setup.
Who should skip these Amazon players: anyone who only needed Freely on a Freely TV they already own, or anyone expecting a stick to include illegal streams. Concrete next step: pick LEAP-AIR or Xiaomi by the use-cases above, or step up to the Google TV Streamer / a small box if you want a less dongle-shaped living-room setup.