Safaricom launched the Big Box in 2015 with a lot of fanfare. The product didn’t live to its expectation and even Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore later admitted that it was a failure.
Fast-forward to late 2017, the product was rebooted and this time they called it Safaricom Digital TV and Internet Box. I was very curious about the new version and I recently got a review unit to test drive and here are my thoughts on it.
Out of the box
- Safaricom Box Android Box
- Power cable
- Remote + batteries
- Audio to RCAcable
- HDMI cable
- 3 months free Showmax voucher
Specifications
- Android 7.0 Nougat
- AMlogic 905D processor
- Embedded 3G/4G SIM
- 32GB Internal storage (24 GB available)
- USB port
- HDMI port
- Wi-Fi hotspot capability
- Powered by AM logic 905D,
- Supports upto 4K video
- Supports viewing of Kenyan free to air channels
Setting up
Setting up the Safaricom Box is pretty easy. All you need is Internet and a TV. A TV with a HDMI port is ideal but if you don’t have one, you can buy an RCA to HDMI cable (bought separately) to connect the Box to your TV.
Internet access can be via Wi-Fi, ethernet cable or you can buy bundles. Bundles can be bought by dialing *400*3# from your Safaricom line. The bundles available are as follows:
- 5GB – Ksh.1,199
- 15GB – Ksh.3,199
- 30GB – Ksh.5,999
You’ll additionally need a Google account for access to the Play Store and it will also prompt you to set up the Android TV app on your phone.
Apps
The Box comes with pre-loaded apps such as Showmax, DW, Iflix, Aljazeera, AJ+, France 24 and YouTube. New customers get 3 free months of Showmax.
Loading apps is via Google Play and side-loading. The 24 GB is more than enough to handle all the apps you may need.
It’s disappointing however that it doesn’t support Netflix. In 2017, Netflix blocked access to the app, from version 5.0 upwards, to rooted and unlocked Android devices which affected many Android box devices. Older versions of the app are still working on other Android boxes but surprisingly not on the Box. Safaricom should consider an update to fix the issue.
How it works
1. OS, UX, Speed and storage
The Box handles video content very well. It was made for that of course. The UX is pretty simple and straight-forward and you can easily access the installed apps.
I however had a bit of a problem installing apps from the store because it is set to voice search and not text search. I had to search the apps from a browser and then get redirected to the store. That is something a quick update can fix.
The Internal storage is more than enough in my opinion. I stacked it with about 20 apps and downloaded some movies from Showmax and I still had about 5GB left.
2. Chrome cast
The Box comes with built-in Chrome Cast. This is cool and it allows you to stream video and audio content from your phone to the TV. I used it a lot with YouTube and I recently discovered you can stream audio from Deezer.
3. Android TV capability
Your phone can act as a remote control via the Android TV app. This comes in handy especially when you have to type something. This also means that you don’t eat to buy a keyboard as with other Android Boxes.
4. Viewing experience
The device supports upto 4K video streaming. I wasn’t able to test it to that level but I did try 1080P video streaming and it worked fine. Of course this also depends on your internet and so I’m happy that my 10Mbps Safaricom Fibre came through.
5. Free to air channels
It’s sad that we don’t have an app that aggregates all Kenyan free-to-air channels. YouTube is an option but only a few have live links there and it’s mostly around news. The Box solves this by incorporating free-to-air channels capability. All you need to do is just connect it to an aerial and you are good to go.
6. Fibre vs Bundles
The Box will of course give you a better experience with Fibre. You can access heavier content without worrying about bundles being depleted. Connecting via a cable or Wi-Fi works the same but a cable would be preferable if the router is far from the Box. I was able to stream HD content comfortably even on a 5Mbps connection but I found 10Mbps to be more stable especially for heavier content.
Bundles are not entirely bad in the absence of Fibre especially on a 4G connection. You will have to set the apps to use less data to conserve bundles. The bundles are valid for 30 days and unused bundles will only roll over to the next month if you purchase another bundle before the old one expires.
Final thoughts
I was disappointed by the lack of Netflix but even with that I was really impressed with the Safaricom Box. This iteration is way better and provides a better and localized Android Box experience. It is worth mentioning that the free-to-air channels capability is a nice touch and will go down very well especially with older customers.
I am hoping to see more visibility of Kenyan content apps like Viusasa, and even Safaricom’s own Songa, on the platform in future.
Buying it
The Safaricom Box is available for Ksh. 9,999 and Ksh. 5,999 for Safaricom Home Fibre customers. One can buy it HERE.