Tom's Guide Verdict

Xfinity's Flex streaming box is free for Xfinity's Internet customers, but it needs more streaming apps before it can really compete with Roku and Amazon.

Pros

+
It's free!
+
Good voice search
+
Cross-app searches
+
Lets you control xFi products

Cons

-
Stiff buttons on remote
-
Limited apps

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The Xfinity Flex streaming device is free because we're paying for too many streaming subscriptions as it is already. Or to put it another way: as the old business adage says: "go to where your customers are," ... and these days they're not looking to spend more money.

Comcast, realizing that it's shedding cable subscribers but gaining broadband users by the thousands, is pivoting toward streaming. That's one reason why it's giving the Xfinity Flex streaming box to its Internet-only customers for free.

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But while the Flex has a number of good features, such as voice search and integrated smart home controls, it needs a lot more. As you'll see in this Xfinity Flex review, its incomplete selection of apps (something it continues to chip away at) will be a problem before it can compete with the likes of Roku and the Amazon Fire Stick as one of the best streaming devices.

Xfinity Flex specs

Ports: USB-C (power), HDMI (video out), Ethernet
Resolution: Up to 4K
Measurements: 5 x 5 x 1 inches
Storage: none (no DVR)

Xfinity Flex review: Price and availability

The Xfinity Flex became available in the fall of 2019. Comcast Internet customers who do not get cable TV service can receive one Flex for free. Additional boxes cost $5 each, and a household can have up to three.

Xfinity Flex review: Design

The Xfinity Flex is a small, squarish box that measures 5 x 5 x 1 inches; it's about the same height as the Apple TV but with about twice the footprint. On the back, you'll find an HDMI port, USB-C for power and an Ethernet jack if you choose to hard-wire the device to your router rather than use Wi-Fi.

The top of this gray box has a subtle design made of small, indented triangles, and the sides of the Flex are beveled. While not as flashy as the glossy, black Apple TV or Amazon Fire TV Cube, the Flex's design lends a modicum of visual interest to something you're probably not going to look at all that much.

Xfinity Flex review: Remote

The Flex uses the same X1 remote as Xfinity's current cable boxes. It's not as minimalist as something you'd get from Roku or Apple TV — this remote has a number pad, for instance — but it's probably more cost-effective for Comcast to use the same remote.

There are volume and channel rockers up top, media playback buttons below them, a D-pad in the middle and a number pad at the bottom. There's even a Record button, but it doesn't do anything.

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I don't mind the extra buttons; what I do mind is how stiff they are. It took a lot more effort to press the membrane buttons on the X1 remote than on any other remote I've used.

Xfinity Flex review: Setup

Getting the Flex up and running was easier than starting up other streaming devices I've used. After I plugged it in, the Flex automatically found and connected to my home Wi-Fi network, with no input required from me. I was expecting to at least have to type in my password. After that, it was just a matter of logging in to my respective streaming apps.

Xfinity Flex review: Interface

Pressing the Xfinity button on the remote brings up the Flex's main home page. The top two-thirds have thumbnail images of shows or movies that are currently playing, and on which channels. For example, one day, when I turned on the box, MovieMax HD was playing Quantum of Solace, HBO HD was showing Les Misérables and Epix 2 HD had No Strings Attached (hard pass on all three).

Below these rows, there's a row of icons: Free to Me, Live TV, New, Music and Today. Most of these are pretty self-explanatory, but Today is a unique addition to a streaming box. Select it, and you're presented with a number of short video clips of the day's events, divided by category: News, Sports, Entertainment, Late Night Highlights, and New & Trending on YouTube.

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Farther down the homepage, you'll find content sorted by additional categories (Genres, Popular Apps and more). At the very bottom are icons for Search, Account, Settings and Help. I feel that, of these options, Search and Help should be at the very top of the page.

Xfinity Flex review: Search

For those who don't want to scroll through lists of shows, Xfinity's voice search will prove very handy. Press and hold the mic button on the remote, and you can search by title, actor, genre and more, and the Flex will search across all of your installed apps. Within the results screen, you can also filter results by video quality (SD or HD), whether or not it's free, and if there's a video description or SAP. Voice search worked well but the results were not without their quirks. For instance, "Westerns" is not listed as a genre, and for some reason, Fifty Shades of Grey is listed as a romantic comedy.

Xfinity Flex review: Apps and content

While it has Netflix, Amazon Prime and the premium cable channels (HBO, Showtime, Epix), the biggest failing of the Flex is its extremely limited number of apps and content partners. For example, there's no Disney Plus and no AT&T TV Now, but the service added Sling TV and Spotify in the months that followed its release. CBS All Access won't be available until later in 2020. Hulu also took a little extra time to get to the Flex, but it's there now.

Flex also has both of the new streaming services on the block: HBO Max (which Roku and Fire TV still don't have) and Peacock, which it got months before everyone else.

While the Flex is a new device, the lack of some of the largest streaming services puts it at a definite disadvantage compared to Roku's and Amazon's streaming boxes.

Xfinity's Flex hasn't totally shed its cable roots. Press the Guide button on the remote, and you're treated to a traditional channel grid, which shows premium cable services (HBO, Showtime, Epix, Cinemax, Starz) as well as a few other channels, such as ESPN3, Cheddar, and the Home Shopping Network. The grid shows the channels whether you subscribe to them or not. I wish that the guide (and the Flex) could incorporate local over-the-air channels as well, similar to what you can do with the Amazon Fire TV and the Amazon Fire TV Recast.

The Flex supports 4K, as well as HDR 10 from all streaming services and Dolby Vision when streaming from Netflix.

Xfinity Flex review: Smart home controls

Xfinity's xFi app has some pretty good controls for those who use its cable modems. These features let you monitor and control who's on your network and helps protect against Internet threats.

Xfinity Flex next to Fire TV Cube — (Image credit: Xfinity)

Through the Flex interface, you can access some of these features, and if you have an Xfinity home security system, you can receive alerts through your TV and view feeds from Xfinity security cameras. It's an attractive extra feature for those who have or want a home security system. However, Amazon's Fire devices let you view feeds from a much wider range of home security cameras and video doorbells.

Xfinity Flex review: Bottom line

The Xfinity Flex is off to a good start. It is easy to set up, has a great voice search, and lets you monitor your smart home devices and home security system. But ultimately, a streaming box is only as good as the content you can stream through it.

As this Xfinity Flex review has shown, while this device has Netflix and Amazon Prime Video, that's not exactly enough when you consider the thousands of apps available on Roku and Amazon's devices. Yes, those cost as little as $30, but by comparison the Flex is far, far behind. But you can't argue with free.

Michael A. Prospero is the U.S. Editor-in-Chief for Tom’s Guide. He oversees all evergreen content and oversees the Homes, Smart Home, and Fitness/Wearables categories for the site. In his spare time, he also tests out the latest drones, electric scooters, and smart home gadgets, such as video doorbells. Before his tenure at Tom's Guide, he was the Reviews Editor for Laptop Magazine, a reporter at Fast Company, the Times of Trenton, and, many eons back, an intern at George magazine. He received his undergraduate degree from Boston College, where he worked on the campus newspaper The Heights, and then attended the Columbia University school of Journalism. When he’s not testing out the latest running watch, electric scooter, or skiing or training for a marathon, he’s probably using the latest sous vide machine, smoker, or pizza oven, to the delight — or chagrin — of his family.

5 Comments Comment from the forums

cfbcfbcfbcfbcfb

I've had two. I got one when they first came out and sent it back for four reasons, several of which still exist.

as stated, the remote buttons are very stiff. My take, they intend for this to be a remote that'll last a long time, while some other streaming box remotes are flimsy but that leads us to....
The up-arrow button is 1/100th of an inch from the 'xfinity' button that takes you back to the main screen. I thoroughly enjoyed this functionality when after typing in my netflix email address and half my password, had my finger slip on the tough to push up arrow. Fourth time (after a coffee break) was the charm.
Gross lack of 'competing' apps. This is why I sent the first one back.
HBO and the other premiums require you buy them through comcast, not use it when you're already subscribed to it. I have a 2 year paid sub to Starz, but I can't use it on the flex. Same with a few other premiums I get good deals on or have prepaid for. This was the other reason why I sent the first one back. They're trying to build yet another walled garden.
I got another one because its free and has free peacock premium, which I wouldn't have paid for ever but will take for free.

However xfinity said Peacock would be available on 4/15. Its 4/17 and its still not there.

The epitome of hilarity is that if you want to run their Stream app on your own Roku player, after its out of beta they expect you to pay $5/mo to use their streaming service on the Roku you own. Some idiot just can't let go of those monthly equipment fees.

Were they to add things like vudu, sling, philo, disney+ and allow external subs to HBO, Starz, etc this could be a roku replacement for me. For folks who only use netflix and hulu, its a nice freebie for one tv and would serve well.

However, if Comcast maintains this as a walled garden with very limited apps and keeps trying to steer everyone into their walled garden, I don't see it being much of a hit. And if you get one, make sure to save all the packaging. Cuz we all know at some point comcast will start charging a fee for it or forcing you into some kind of bundle to use it. When that happens, this one will go back as well.
Reply
Etudes

My frustrating experience with Flex: Last month I cancelled xfinity cable going to internet only. The rep was nice as can be and got the job done fairly quickly. My new bill for internet only was going to be $55 a month, absolutely no fees. I thanked her and almost as an afterthought she said "we'd like to send you a free streaming box called "Flex" and she gave a quick description of all of it's benefits. I declined but she persisted- "Nothing to lose, lots of free content, etc." So I relented and the box came almost immediately (scary fast). When I finally got the new bill (a month later) I'm greeted with a new monthly fee of $12.99 fee related to Flex (broadcast TV fee).. I called the rep last night and he was matter of fact about it as if I should have known that 'of course there would be a broadcast TV fee with flex'. A shame this is how they treat long time customers.
Reply
cfbcfbcfbcfbcfb

Etudes said:
My frustrating experience with Flex: Last month I cancelled xfinity cable going to internet only. The rep was nice as can be and got the job done fairly quickly. My new bill for internet only was going to be $55 a month, absolutely no fees. I thanked her and almost as an afterthought she said "we'd like to send you a free streaming box called "Flex" and she gave a quick description of all of it's benefits. I declined but she persisted- "Nothing to lose, lots of free content, etc." So I relented and the box came almost immediately (scary fast). When I finally got the new bill (a month later) I'm greeted with a new monthly fee of $12.99 fee related to Flex (broadcast TV fee).. I called the rep last night and he was matter of fact about it as if I should have known that 'of course there would be a broadcast TV fee with flex'. A shame this is how they treat long time customers.

LOL, they tried the same on me. I looked into adding their tv cable services to my internet only plan, and looked at their stream packages that have local channels and cloud dvr.

At the end of the day, there were more fee's than I pay per month for Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ and Starz combined, and I have an antenna and tivo.

Checked DIsh Network. Best they could do was ~$60/mo excluding regional sports fees (IIRC) for what I get with Sling @ $30.

So the folks padding things out with fees and wanting $12-15 for locals? Nope. They still don't get it.

You CAN have a service of internet + flex/stream without locals. That's what I have for $60/mo. 240Mb/s service + flex at no extra cost. You still get peacock, and theres some free content. Not much of real interest to me though.

Fun part with comcast is I've never been able to get them to give me solid actual monthly charges, always saying "it depends". Hmm, well, I don't buy anything unless I know what the price actually is.

T-Mobile said they were bringing their no cap 5G home internet to my town "soon", $50/mo. When they make that available, comcast is out of my house.
Reply
kkfam

I don't think the Flex device supports Dolby Vision. Can't even find it on their official website. Can someone confirm?
Reply
StoneFX

Etudes said:
My frustrating experience with Flex: Last month I cancelled xfinity cable going to internet only. The rep was nice as can be and got the job done fairly quickly. My new bill for internet only was going to be $55 a month, absolutely no fees. I thanked her and almost as an afterthought she said "we'd like to send you a free streaming box called "Flex" and she gave a quick description of all of it's benefits. I declined but she persisted- "Nothing to lose, lots of free content, etc." So I relented and the box came almost immediately (scary fast). When I finally got the new bill (a month later) I'm greeted with a new monthly fee of $12.99 fee related to Flex (broadcast TV fee).. I called the rep last night and he was matter of fact about it as if I should have known that 'of course there would be a broadcast TV fee with flex'. A shame this is how they treat long time customers.
You should report that to the BBB and to your state attorney general. It's completely deceptive on multiple levels if not straight up lying. They're supposed to list all fees before hand. Broadcast TV fee? For what? Their very own Flex website says you can't get broadcast TV with Flex.
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