TOX5 Lite TV Box: The Complete Review
Looking for a budget Android box? The TOX5 Lite might be it. Let’s dive in.
What Is The TOX5 Lite TV Box?
TOX stands for Trust on X. That’s the brand. And it matters. Why? Because TOX shares the same hardware and firmware as Ugoos. So expectations are high. The TOX5 Lite is the newest release. It runs on the Amlogic S905X5M chipset. It’s the lite configuration. Therefore, it’s priced to move.
Unboxing The TOX5 Lite
First impressions count. Inside the box, you get the device itself. Plus an infrared remote. Plus an HDMI cable. Plus a 5V 2A power supply. Plus a manual. Simple. Straightforward. No surprises.
Design And Build Quality
The shell is plastic. However, it’s well ventilated. Holes sit on the base, top, and sides. This helps with heat. For ports, you get HDMI 2.1. A gigabit LAN port. A USB-C power port. One USB 3.0. One USB 2.0. And a micro SD slot. Both USB ports are black. So visually, it’s hard to tell them apart.
First Boot Experience
Setup is quick. No lengthy first-time wizard here. Instead, you’re greeted with a TOX splash screen. Then, a launcher choice appears. Quickstep or TOX launcher. Quickstep feels like mobile Android. TOX launcher suits a directional remote. Either way, navigation is smooth
TOX5 Lite Software And Firmware Features
This is where things get interesting. The TOX5 Lite runs Android 14. It’s the mobile build. As a result, you get long-press menus. Drag and drop. Split screen. A full navigation bar. Additionally, the firmware includes adaptive HDR. Screen rotation options. Auto framerate switching. Up to 12-bit color. A hardware monitor. Max performance mode. And Samba client/server support. Overall, that’s a solid feature set for this price point.
TOX5 Lite Hardware Specs Breakdown
Now let’s talk internals. The CPU is a quad-core Cortex A55. It’s clocked at 2.5GHz. It runs in 32-bit mode. The GPU is a Mali G310. It’s single-core. It supports OpenGL ES 3.2. Also Vulkan 1.3. Meanwhile, RAM sits at 2GB. Storage comes in at 32GB. That’s modest. But for casual use, it’s enough.
Wi-Fi, LAN, And Connectivity
Connectivity matters a lot for streaming boxes. The TOX5 Lite includes Wi-Fi 5 AC. Not Wi-Fi 6. Still, dual-band support is there. On 5GHz, it hit full network speed. On 2.4GHz, results were slower. Around 75 Mbps. Meanwhile, the gigabit LAN port performed excellently. It maxed out the available connection.
Streaming Performance On The TOX5 Lite
Here’s where limitations show up. On YouTube, you get 4K at 60Hz with HDR. That’s great. However, premium services tell a different story. Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, and Max are capped at 720p. Why? No Widevine L1 certification. No HDCP protection either. So keep that in mind if premium 4K streaming matters to you.
Playing Self-Hosted Media Files
For local media lovers, this box delivers more. It handles HDR10. AV1. And HLG natively. Unfortunately, Dolby Vision and HDR10+ aren’t supported. Instead, they fall back gracefully. For instance, Dolby Vision content plays as HLG. That’s a reasonable compromise, not a dealbreaker.
TOX5 Lite Audio Passthrough Support
Audio is a strong point. Surprisingly strong, actually. The TOX5 Lite passes through Dolby Atmos. Dolby Digital Plus. DTS-HD Master Audio. Dolby Surround. Dolby TrueHD. And DTS-X. Consequently, home theater fans should be pleased. Full surround sound support at this price is impressive.
Root Access And Customization
Want root? It’s easy. Out of the box, the firmware isn’t rooted. But head into device preferences. Find the superuser tab. Flip the Magisk switch. Restart. Grant permissions. Restart again. That’s it. Root access unlocked.
TOX5 Lite Gaming Performance
Gaming was a pleasant surprise. Despite only 2GB of RAM, performance held up well. Shadowgun Legends ran smoothly. Even on Ultra settings. So, casual gamers shouldn’t worry too much about the RAM limitation.
Benchmark Results For The TOX5 Lite
Numbers tell the real story. RAM copy speed reached 4472 MB/s. Storage read speed hit 238 MB/s. Write speed landed at 99 MB/s. Geekbench 5 scored 196 single-core. And 662 multi-core. Meanwhile, AnTuTu produced a combined score of 167,536. These numbers are respectable for a budget device.
Where Does The TOX5 Lite Rank?
On the comparison chart, this box lands at position 23. It earns a solid three-star rating. Not flagship territory. But for its price, that’s a fair result.
TOX5 Lite Pros And Cons
Let’s summarize. On the plus side, you get strong audio passthrough. Good gaming performance. Root access. And solid build quality. On the downside, no Dolby Vision. No HDR10+. Limited RAM. And capped premium streaming resolution. Still, at roughly $69, the value proposition is strong.
Final Verdict On The TOX5 Lite
So, should you buy it? If you want an affordable Android box with great audio support, yes. If premium 4K streaming is your priority, look elsewhere. Ultimately, the TOX5 Lite delivers where it counts for budget buyers.