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FAVI Entertainment is the latest company preparing to launch a USB stick-sized device that you can plug into a TV in order to run Android apps on a big screen. I’m starting to think there are as many different Android TV sticks as there are potential customers for these products at this point… soon everyone will be able to get their own custom model!

Anyway, there are at least three things that make the FAVI Smart Stick interesting.

1. It has a low starting price of just $49.
2. The stick ships with a custom app launcher which actually looks like it could be reasonably easy to use on a TV screen. At the very least it seems more attractive and useful than the custom launcher for the G-Box Dyno.
3. The company also offers an optional $39 remote with a thumb keyboard and a touchpad. Some folks might find this easier to use than an air mouse-style remote like the one that comes with the Diamond Multimedia AMP1000.

The FAVI Smart Stick runs Google Android 4.0. It has 802.11b/g/n WiFi, an HDMI port, USB 2.0 port, mini USB port, and a micro SD card slot.

You connect it to a TV by plugging the stick right into an HDMI port. It can support 720p or 1080p output. It draws power either from a USB port or an AC adapter. There’s also a port where you can plug in an IR receiver for use with a remote control.

The $49 model has 4GB of storage. There’s also a $79 model with 8GB of storage. Both versions will ship on October 30th.

The demo video shows popular apps such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, and MLB. The device also appears to work with the Google Play Store, which should make downloading additional apps easy.

Unfortunately the company isn’t saying anything about the processor under the hood, so it’s tough to say how the Smart Stick compares with other devices already on the market such as the MK802, UG802, CX-01, or G-Box Dyno.

via Engadget