The first Freely streaming device has dropped in price, after a rival has entered the scene.
The Pleio is now available for just £99 again, with the Manhattan Aero also hitting stores.
We recently posted our exclusive "world's first" review of the Manhattan Aero 4K TV Streamer, which brings Freely to your living room for a stunningly low initial cost. But it wasn't the first Freely streaming device in the UK.
That honour went to the Pleio by Netgem – an Android TV puck that also offers the free-to-air streaming service and plenty more besides. And that has responded to the new competition by dropping back to its initial launch price.
Originally released at £99, the Pleio saw a price increase around Christmas time to £119.98, which reflected a change in strategy. Instead of paying outright for the device, you were effectively charged a £9.99 per month subscription to Pleio Extra – for additional streaming channels and cloud gaming. The box (and included game controller) in that scenario was free.
Now it seems that has been reversed – for a limited period, at least. Or, at least, a year's subscription to Pleio Extra has been discounted to £99. You'll still need to pay monthly after the 12 months are up (or cancel, and continue to access Freely for free).
What else can the Pleio Freely streaming device do?
Whatever the case, this goes back to representing great value for money. After all, the Pleio isn't just a Freely streaming device, it is a full-fledged Android TV streamer too – so has access to 100s of apps through Google Play.
It's also available right now. The Manhattan Aero is currently out of stock on Currys, and although other retailers are expected to sell it soon, it seems as popular as the Pleio did on its launch last year.
Basically, you now have choice, and at reasonable prices whichever you choose.
I'll soon be posting my full thoughts on how the two options stack up against each other, so make sure you check that out on T3. Until then, take a look at the Pleio – which is exclusive to Amazon. It's definitely worth considering at its original price point.
