Xfinity Flex Review

Image: Comcast 

Jump to: Bottom line | Current deals | What is Xfinity Flex? | Price and features | Xfinity Flex vs. the competition | Setup | Xfinity Flex apps | Xfinity Flex remote | Compatible devices | Our verdict | FAQ

Bottom line: Xfinity Flex is a fun, straightforward streaming box

The Xfinity Flex is a streaming device that provides an easy and free way to access movies, TV shows, YouTube videos, and music. It’s similar to the Amazon Fire TV Stick or the Roku Streaming Stick. It has premium video and sound quality and lets you tap into Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO^®, and more with a handy, voice-activated remote control.

If you’re not an Xfinity customer, you can explore all Xfinity internet plans here.

Pros: 

• Easy setup
• Excellent video and audio quality

 Cons:

• Limited app choices
• Incompatible with cloud DVR
• Tricky subscription options

Get the Flex

What is Xfinity Flex?

The Xfinity Flex is a streaming box that competes with Roku, Amazon Firestick, and Apply TV. It allows internet-only Xfinity customers to watch TV without purchasing a separate cable TV subscription. It has a grippy bottom and a cool, geometric design resembling a star-strewn galaxy. It’s small and works well whether you want to hide it or show it off as part of your entertainment system.

As far as performance, it’s basically a Little Engine That Could–style take on budget streamers. Even though it’s small, it can support 4K, UHD video quality, and Dolby Atmos surround sound. The voice-activated remote is so responsive and easy to use that it actually won an Emmy in 2017, an honor we didn’t even realize could go to remotes.

The Flex connects to Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, HBO, SHOWTIME^®, and some other cable channels. There’s also a lot of movies and live TV options built into the system that you can watch at no extra cost.

If you’re hankering for cloud DVR storage, cable TV packages, or other sophisticated features, you’ll have to level up to Xfinity’s X1 TV service or seek out another streaming box option.

Xfinity Flex features

• Size: 5.25″ x 5.25″ x 1″ 
• Video: 1080p, 4K HDR 
• Audio: Dolby Atmos; 5.1 surround sound; 2.0 stereo
• Storage: N/A

Based on Comcast’s X1 platform, the Flex supports 4K, UHD streaming so long as you have a compatible television set and a 4K Netflix subscription. It’s also compatible with multiple audio formats, including super-immersive Dolby Atmos when you run it through an A/V receiver. 

You can use the Flex remote to operate your TV. And if you’re using an xFi Gateway as your modem, then you can manage your home internet through the Flex. 

But when it comes down to it, it’s mostly a basic device. Even though you can purchase movies, TV shows, and channel subscriptions through the Flex, there are no options for downloading more apps or catching up on shows you missed with a cloud DVR.

Xfinity Flex vs. the competition

Like the Roku Streaming Stick, the Amazon Fire TV Stick, and other affordable streaming devices, the Flex comes ready to stream movies and TV in some of the finer video and audio formats. The voice controls also represent a major improvement from the way people surfed apps and channels in the olden days of just a few years ago, toggling through options and punching in searches on a numeric keypad. 

Xfinity Flex setup

In our experience, setup was simple and straightforward. We plugged it into a projector using the HDMI cable that came in the box. We then punched in the phone number connected to our internet account, and the Flex did the rest by automatically setting itself up on the Wi-Fi account.

Included equipment

• Xfinity Flex streaming box
• Voice remote
• Quick Start Guide
• HDMI cable
• USB-C power adaptor 
• 2 AA batteries  

Everything in the box

The Flex comes with the streaming box, the voice remote, an HDMI cable, and a power adaptor. (Quick Start Guide and AA batteries not pictured.)

Equipment you’ll need

• Xfinity internet subscription
• TV with HDMI port

See more details on the Flex

Xfinity Flex apps

Flex supports Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, iHeartRadio, and Pandora, offering a fairly wide breadth of TV, movie, and music streaming app options. You can also buy subscriptions through the Flex for HBO, SHOWTIME, CINEMAX^®, and MGM+™. And Hulu, STARZ^®, MLB, NBA, and several others have also committed to being available on the Flex in the near future. Hulu will be available on the Flex starting on March 19. Peacock, NBCUniversal’s new streaming service, will arrive on the Flex on April 15 and will be available as an exclusive preview until the service’s launch on July 15. 

But the Flex is internet only, meaning it doesn’t support cable TV packages or other on-demand goodies that the X1 would give you. And some of the built-in apps seem to be mostly novelties: Fancy a bit of British news? Then click to Sky News, a Comcast-owned property. Or perhaps you’d prefer the FailArmy app for videos of countless “epic fails.” 

Live TV streaming channels and services

The Xfinity Flex has limited offerings when it comes to live TV. But you can get subscriptions to a premium channel lineup from HBO and SHOWTIME: hit the Guide button on the remote, and it’ll take you to a menu of TV listings. 

However, you can’t connect the Flex with any premium TV subscriptions you already have—instead, you’ll need to cancel your HBO and reorder it through Xfinity, for example. Sounds pretty annoying. 

That said, the Flex still has some nice television options. Here’s a list of television channels and providers you can access through the Flex:

Subscription required

• HBO
• SHOWTIME
• CINEMAX
• MGM+™

Included with the Flex

• Sky News
• ESPN3
• Tubi
• Xumo
• Pluto TV (This is where you can watch 24/7 reruns of ’90s throwbacks like Baywatch and American Gladiator.) 

On-demand streaming apps

Movies and online videos are where the Flex really “flex”-es its muscles (har har). Using the voice controls, the remote lets you weave in and out of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, and Tubi, running quick searches to jump to and fro in an instant.

That means you won’t have to manually click in and out of different apps or painstakingly type in searches using the remote’s keypad. You can also rent and purchase movies from the different apps and access your purchases through the Flex.

We tested out the Flex through a 75 Mbps internet plan with an Xfinity Gateway modem, and the video quality was supersmooth when we ran it in 1080p. You’ll need faster-than-usual download speeds, 25 Mbps or higher, to run 4K.

But, overall, the Flex streams quickly and easily with no latency issues that we noticed. Indeed, we could see the mole on Robert De Niro’s right cheek perfectly when we pulled up The Irishman on Netflix.

One drawback to the Flex is that it doesn’t feature Hulu—at least not yet. According to Xfinity, several apps and streaming services will be available on the Flex soon, including Hulu, Peacock, STARZ, MLB, and NBA.

Here’s a list of streaming apps you can get on the Flex:

• Netflix
• Amazon Prime Video
• YouTube
• HBO
• Tubi
• FailArmy
• Cheddar News
• Xumo
• Pet Collective

Other apps

The Flex has a couple options for streaming music — namely Pandora and iHeartRadio, the internet radio station formerly known as Clear Channel. There’s no Spotify or SiriusXM, two of the more popular streaming services, even though they are available on Roku, Amazon Fire TV and Apple TV devices. 

But there is a channel called Ambient Moods, which draws from the iHeartRadio library to stream curated playlists based on themes like “Wake Up and Shine,” “Studying Beats,” and “Relax by the Beach.” This comes in handy for dinner parties, homework sessions, and other occasions when you’d like some tunes but don’t have the patience to curate your own listening sesh. 

The Flex also features a bunch of puzzle and trivia games, including backgammon, Tetris, and a quirky one called Knife Smash, where you toss animated knives at rotating objects. 

App and channel guide user experience

The Flex makes it easy to navigate between different streaming services and the Flex’s channel lineup. The homepage has tabs dedicated to recently watched videos, purchased movies and TV shows, new releases, and content that’s available to watch for free. You can also jump directly to either of these categories by declaring “Purchased!” or “Free to Me!” into the voice remote. 

It’s easy to get lost in the weeds while exploring the different apps and channels. The Ambient Moods stations are confusing to click out of, and the live TV options are listed on the device’s homepage and other areas in a dizzyingly diverse number of ways. There’s even a whole channel-listings interface on the Pluto TV app, which is a throwback to the days of ’90s cable. 

If navigating the Flex ever gets too confusing, the Xfinity button on the remote acts as a kind of reset button. Hit it and you’ll be taken right back to the home screen, no questions asked. 

Choose your streaming destiny.

Image: Comcast. The Flex’s homepage menu covers free content, purchased movies, live TV, and more. (Hulu and Peacock are currently unavailable on the Flex.)

Try Flex

Xfinity Flex remote

Many streamers these days tout the wonders of their voice-activated remotes, and the Flex certainly delivers in the clicker department. 

First of all, the remote looks nice—a slate gray color with rubbery plastic on top that makes it easy to hold. It also has a simplified layout, with fewer mystery buttons and more self-explanatory ones directly related to the Flex experience. 

Remote-control user experience

The centerpiece of the remote is a blue, light-up button with a microphone illustrated on it. “Old Bluey,” as we like to call it, lets you leap galaxies of streamable content in the blink of an eye. Just push the button, say out loud what you want, and Old Bluey will take you there—whether it’s Terminator II on Amazon Prime Video, Shameless on Netflix, or the viral video of the drummer guy with the flailing arms on YouTube.

The remote also makes it easy to explore the device with just opposable thumbs. The Guide button goes to the TV listings—featuring an array of HBO, SHOWTIME, and CINEMAX subscription channels. The Xfinity button returns to the home screen, which comes in handy if you find yourself lost in the mix of apps and channels. 

Ooh la la, now that’s a remote!

A remote of Emmy-winning proportions.

Compatible devices with Xfinity Flex

Here are a few useful ways to connect the Flex with other devices: 

Control your Wi-Fi network. With the Flex and an xFi Gateway modem, you can control the settings of your home Wi-Fi network. There are options to register devices, monitor who’s on the network, and schedule when different clients can sign on or off—it’s a great way to make sure Junior’s doing his homework. 

Keep your household secure. The Flex works with Comcast’s Xfinity Home package, allowing you to stream video from home security cameras and operate other smart home devices. 

Manage your electronics. The voice remote can be programmed as a universal remote for your television and A/V receiver. After agreeing to a prompt during setup, the remote will recognize the TV and connect the power and volume controls. 

Order Xfinity Flex

Xfinity Flex FAQ

What is Xfinity Flex?

Xfinity Flex is a streaming box that lets you watch movies, YouTube videos, and live TV (on certain apps and network subscriptions) with an Xfinity Internet plan. The Flex also has music, games, and ways to manage your home Wi-Fi network through the xFi Gateway router and control smart home devices with the Xfinity Home plan. 

How do I use Xfinity Flex?

You can use Xfinity Flex by plugging the Flex into your TV using the HDMI cable that comes with it and use the voice-activated remote to surf streaming apps and subscribe to channels like HBO and SHOWTIME.

Does Xfinity Flex have Hulu?

No, Xfinity Flex does not have Hulu. But Hulu will be available on the Flex in the near future, along with streaming apps for Peacock, Sling TV, CBS All Access, STARZ, MLB, and NBA.

What streaming devices work with Xfinity?

Fret not, Xfinity TV customers—your TV subscription is compatible with more than a dozen streaming devices, like Roku, Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, and Xbox One. 

Which apps are available on Xfinity Flex?

Xfinity Flex includes apps for Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, NPR One, ESPN3, Sky News, Cheddar News, FailArmy, and more.

Does Xfinity Flex have Peacock streaming TV?

Peacock, the new streaming TV service from NBCUniversal, will preview on Xfinity Flex (and Xfinity’s X1 platform) from April 15 until its official launch on July 15. Grab it today so you can start binge-watching Friends again as soon as possible.

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