The MiniPCDB article about the most affordable SoC's with HDMI 2.0 (Rockchip RK3229 vs Amlogic S905) got very popular lately.
I mentioned there that a real comparison can be done after I get to test an RK3229 device and folks at Nexbox were kind enough to send their N9 for review.

You might not have heard much about Nexbox before, and that's OK, as Nexbox is a new brand.They did launch some interesting devices on the last couple of months and we covered T11 a while ago.

Nexbox N9 looks surprisingly good given the fact that I've seen it online for below $30 - a price that gets you a device with a 2016 SoC which should outperform older generation devices with similar price range. There aren't any with HDMI 2.0 and H.265 for $30 anyway.

Nexbox N9 full specs

• SoC: Rockchip RK3229
• CPU: 64bit, Quad-core Cortex A7 1.5GHz
• GPU: ARM Mali-400MP2
• RAM: 1GB DDR3
• ROM: 8GB
• LAN: 10/100M
• Wi-fi: 802.11 b/g/n
• USB: 4 x USB 2.0 host
• Audio/Video: HDMI 2.0
• OS: Android 4.4

Nexbox N9 unboxing

Most devices withing this price range come with neutral boxes, and the brand (if there is one at all) is not visible - boxes are being reused for several devices/providers.
That's not the case with Nexbox N9 however, the box clearly shows the brand and device name and the most important features of this "OTT TV box" - with "4K" written with big letters.

Opening the box, I was surprised to see that the device is actually much smaller than the box itself.

Nicely wrapped, the device is accompanied by an IR remote, an HDMI cable and DC adapter. There's also an user manual, and this one does look pretty generic and although short it's more detailed than I expected.
From the instructions manual I've learned that the IR remote also comes with a few programmable keys, which is a nice touch.

The mini PC itself looks like a standard TV box, good quality plastic with slightly rounded corners.
On top there's a a silver Nexbox logo and the model name. There are no ports on front or left side.
The right side has no less than 3 USB 2.0 ports next to the SD/MMC port (up to 32 GB can be added there).
On the back there are the usual HDMI and Ethernet ports, next to an extra USB port whic I will use for the qwerty remote. The device does also have an AV and SPDIF outputs.
There is no external wi-fi antenna.

I'll start testing the device right away and come back with a detailed review this week. So far I'm impressed with the device, hopefully I'll be as enthusiastic about it after putting it through the usual tests.