It’s no secret that Amazon and Roku sticks are some of the most popular gadgets for streaming movies, tuning into sports and bingeing on box sets. These devices are plugged into millions of tellies across the country but there’s now a new rival that has just arrived in the UK. As spotted by T3, Chinese technology firm Xiaomi has just released its TV Stick HD (2nd Gen) on its British store.

From the outside, it all looks very familiar, featuring a compact Fire TV-style design with an in-built HDMI connector allowing it to be plugged directly into screens.

It ships with a neat remote that includes quick keys to instantly launch popular streaming apps such as Netflix, Prime Video and YouTube.

The £39.99 price is also similar to its Amazon and Roku rivals, so you might be asking what the main difference is.

The answer is, it’s powered by Google TV, which means there’s full access to the smart Google Assistant.

Voice controls, via a button the remote, can help users find things to watch faster and there are over 10,000 apps are available to download, including games, plus users will find hundreds of free channels to watch as well. That means it’s possible to stay entertained without needing to sign up for expensive monthly subscriptions.

Android phone owners will also find it easy to stream content from their devices to their TVs thanks to Google Cast being included on the Xiaomi stick.

Other features include a fast processor under its shell, dual-band Wi-Fi for stutter-free streaming, a lightweight design and support for HDR10+ high dynamic range as well as Dolby Audio and DTS:X sound.

The only downside of this device is that’s HD only which means it’s not possible to view shows and movies in stunning 4K resolution.

If this Google-powered device sounds enticing, it’s on sale now.