Description
What this Formuler Z10 listing is
This is the Formuler Z10 Android set top box sold with a particular accessory bundle: the box, an infrared remote, an HDMI cable and a power cable, plus an Artronix backlit air remote keyboard and a magnetic car mount thrown in by the reseller.
Before the specification, a warning that matters more than any feature. There are at least four Formuler Z10 listings in circulation with near identical names and different contents. This site alone carries the Z10 NEO with single band wireless and 4 GB of storage, the Z10 SE, and a second dual band Z10 bundle that differs from this one only in which accessories are included. The product names do not distinguish them. Read the specification, not the title.
The specification for this unit is: output resolution 4K at 3840 by 2160, 2 GB of DDR memory at 2400 MHz, 8 GB of eMMC storage, Android 10, dual band 2×2 AC wireless, Bluetooth 5.0 and a 100 Mbps Ethernet port. The chassis is 94 mm across and 16 mm thick, in black. Ports are one power input, one USB 3.0, one HDMI output and one LAN socket. Packed weight is 1.59 pounds.
The air remote keyboard is the reason to pick this bundle
The differentiator here is the Artronix backlit air remote keyboard. An air remote works by motion, so pointing it moves a cursor on screen, and the reverse side carries a full keyboard. Backlighting means it is usable in a dark room, which is where a television remote actually gets used.
This matters more on Android boxes than on certified television platforms. Android interfaces frequently present controls designed for a touchscreen or a mouse, and a four way directional pad is a poor substitute. Entering a password, searching for content or navigating a settings menu with a standard remote is slow work. A pointer and a keyboard turn that from a chore into a normal interaction.
The listing does not state the keyboard’s connection type, its battery arrangement or whether it uses a USB receiver, which would occupy the box’s single USB 3.0 port. That last point is worth checking, because the USB port is also the only route to external storage.
Networking, storage and the platform
Dual band 2×2 AC wireless is the meaningful specification. The 5 GHz band is far less congested than 2.4 GHz and carries a sustained 4K stream with more headroom, and the 2×2 designation means two transmit and two receive chains for better throughput on a capable router.
Ethernet is rated at 100 Mbps rather than gigabit. For streaming that is rarely a constraint, since a 4K stream from a mainstream service typically sits well under 50 Mbps, but it does slow large file transfers across a local network. Anyone moving a media library around will notice it, and a box such as the Ugoos AM6B Plus with gigabit Ethernet is the better answer for that job.
Eight gigabytes of internal storage is limited once Android and the preinstalled software have taken their share. This listing does not mention a microSD slot, so external storage means the USB 3.0 port. USB 3.0 rather than 2.0 is a real advantage for playing high bitrate files off a drive.
The platform is Android 10, which was already several releases behind current Android when this bundle was listed in May 2022. Older Android releases stop receiving security patches and gradually lose app compatibility as developers raise minimum requirements. More broadly, which streaming services and apps work on any Android box is decided by the service providers rather than by Formuler, and changes over the life of the hardware. No app list can be promised for the lifetime of a device in this category.
The car mount, again
As with the other Z10 bundle, the magnetic car mount is the odd inclusion. The Z10 has no battery, needs mains power and requires a network connection. A mount will hold it behind a headrest, but powering it and connecting it in a vehicle are problems the bundle does not address. Treat it as packaging rather than a feature.
Highlights
- Android 10 with 2 GB of RAM and 8 GB of eMMC storage.
- 4K output at 3840 by 2160.
- Dual band 2×2 AC wireless plus Bluetooth 5.0.
- USB 3.0 port for high bitrate playback from an external drive.
- 100 Mbps Ethernet for a wired connection.
- Artronix backlit air remote keyboard included, a genuine usability upgrade.
- Slim 94 mm chassis at 16 mm thick.
Things To Consider
- Four near identical Formuler Z10 listings exist with different specifications. Verify RAM, storage and wireless before ordering.
- Android 10 is several releases old. Expect shrinking app compatibility and no current security patches.
- 8 GB of storage fills quickly.
- Ethernet is 100 Mbps, not gigabit.
- No microSD slot is mentioned, so external storage depends on the single USB port, which the air remote receiver may occupy.
- The listing does not state the air remote’s connection type or battery arrangement.
- Dimensions conflict between sources: 94 mm by 16 mm from Formuler against 3.7 by 3.7 by 0.63 inches in the attribute table, with the 1.59 pound weight covering the packed bundle.
- The magnetic car mount has no practical use with a mains powered set top box.
- App and service availability on Android boxes is controlled by the service providers and changes over time.
Who it suits
Among the Formuler Z10 bundles, this is the one to choose if navigation matters. The dual band radio and USB 3.0 put it ahead of the NEO on specification, and the backlit air remote keyboard is the single accessory that most improves daily use of an Android box. For someone playing local files and using a handful of apps, it is a sensible package.
It is not the right box for a buyer who needs a current, supported Android platform, generous internal storage or gigabit networking. Those buyers should compare newer hardware across the streaming media players category before committing to a 2022 bundle running a 2018 operating system.
