With the upcoming release of Kodi 17, there will be a requirement of Android 5.1 as the minimum operating system and users running Android 4.4 will be isolated to old versions of Kodi. Let’s look at the top Android 5.1 Kodi boxes available today!
November 10th: We’ve added Amazon Canada and Amazon UK links to the Kodi boxes below! Purchase safely and securely directly through the local Amazon website of your choice today when buying a new Kodi box.
Android 4.4 is almost three years old and has run its course. New features in the upcoming Kodi 17 version will require a minimum of Android 5.1 which means that support for 4.4 Android will be dropped! We have done research to find some of the top Android 5.1 Kodi boxes that will keep up able to run Kodi as flawlessly as possible.
When looking at Amazon 5.1 Kodi boxes, here is the criteria we followed:
- This is the obvious one, but we will only look at Android 5.1 Kodi boxes, which is the latest version of Android running on Kodi boxes today.
- The processor must be a minimum of Amlogic S900-series. Amlogic is the most common CPU chip used in nearly all Kodi boxes today. The 900-series has some speed improvements over the 800-series, so we won’t include any older CPUs in our search.
- The Kodi box must include a hard-wired Ethernet port. Kodi boxes limited to wi-fi are generally more unreliable for connection so we want to make sure you are covered.
- A minimum of 2GB of RAM.
- Kodi 16.0 pre-installed at the very minimum. If a box comes with Kodi 16.0, it means that it has been updated to the latest firmware and is ready to handle Kodi 17. Android boxes that are Kodi 15 or less have been on sale for an extended amount of time.
Most other features are irrelevant. Android box sellers like to throw out buzzwords like “HD”, “4K”, or “3D” to make them sound up to date or more powerful. These words don’t say anything about the quality of the hardware, since Kodi add-ons are what drive the content to your TV screen.
And with that, here is a good selection of Android 5.1 Kodi boxes for you to try out if you think it’s time to upgrade your Kodi hardware.
Android 5.1 Kodi Boxes (Amazon.com – US Customers)
- Element Ti8 (Android 6.0 box!)
- Minix Neo U1
- Zoomtak T8V
- Kekilo M9 Plus
- Rominetak Q-Box
- Nansii T95
- MyGica ATV1900AC
- Richino Q-Box
Amazon.ca – Canadian Customers
Amazon.co.uk – UK Customers
Amazon has plenty of other options as well, but this is a small collection we’ve filtered through. The large majority of Android boxes are manufactured in the exact same spot and are identical except for the brand name.
If you are willing to spend a little more or do a little more technical setup, there are two Kodi boxes options that we feel are better than the ones above:
- Asus Chromebox – The box comes pre-installed with the ChromeOS, but there is a guide here that show you how to install OpenELEC, which is an operating system optimized for Kodi. The lightweight OpenELEC OS over top of the computer-grade intel processor will give you a top-of-the-line Kodi box. Remember to snag a USB Keyboard/Mouse to go along with the Chromebox. Canadian Link. UK Link.
- NVidia Shield – So much more than just a Kodi box! Play games, install old console emulators, sync all of your controllers, and enjoy a full entertainment system. Canadian Link. UK Link.
If you know of any other Android 5.1 Kodi boxes than the ones above, let us know so that we can update the list!
