Chinese outfit Chuwi continues to surprise us with its eccentric products. After the jaw-dropping Aerobox (a console-styled PC that runs Windows on what look like Xbox One S components), meet the LarkBox – a device the firm presents as the world’s smallest 4K PC.
This claim is certainly debatable, as its volume (160cc) is significantly higher than PC sticks (or so called Windows 10 sticks). The dimensions of the Intel Compute Stick we reviewed in 2015 were 103 x 37 x 12mm, compared to the LarkBox’s 61 x 61 x 43mm.
However, smaller or no, we’d choose the LarkBox any day. Its Celeron N4100 processor is about three times faster than the Atom Z8350 (based on CPUBenchmark numbers) that powers most PC sticks. It also comes with significantly more resources: 6GB LPDDR4 RAM and 128GB ROM (probably eMMC).
When it comes to sheer connectivity, PC sticks are – again – no match for the LarkBox. Chuwi’s device has two USB Type-A connectors, one Type-C (for power only, but you’ll probably be able to use it with a docking station or portable battery charger), an HDMI port, a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack – plus, 802.11ac and Bluetooth 5.0 are both supported.
Chuwi hasn’t yet provided a launch date or confirmed whether the device will be available worldwide. The price is also absent, but we expect the LarkBox to cost around $250 (roughly £200/AU$390).
