Recommend a bluetooth keyboard? - General Accessories

Can anyone recommend a bluetooth keyboard? This is for use with Android (running on a Hero), however as third party drivers are available which support SPP & HID I think this shouldn't impose any restrictions on choice.
I'm in the UK & willing to buy from anywhere that will ship here, though a UK or at least European source is preferred.
Not surprisingly, portability, battery life & reliability/build quality are important. Flexible solutions, such as cloth, seem to offer too poor accuracy, so I think I'm probably after a folding keyboard.
I've spent a few hours searching online, but can't find any keyboard which is still available that gets consistently good reviews. I'd rather not pay a king's ransom, but if the keyboard will last a good five years plus so that it can be used with future devices, I don't mind investing a reasonable sum. IOW, value for money is important but that doesn't mean it has to be dirt cheap.
Any suggestions?

I am using the Stowaway - ThinkOutside universal keyboard. Used it on my N95, 5800, even e71 and it also works on my HD mini so id go for that. Folds up neatly, slim, quality build.

Thanks for the response. I ended up ordering a Freedom Pro from Handtec, for about £60, four days ago. Still waiting for it atm. I'll post back here when I have it & know if it works or otherwise.
I did look for the ThinkOutside Stowaway as it gets lots of good reviews, but couldn't find it in the UK. The closest was an iGo Stowaway which claims to be the same as ThinkOutside's Stowaway Shasta for Blackberry.
BT Keyboards for mobile devices seem less popular now than they were 2-6 years ago, which I find a bit puzzling.

Related

Touch Pro II vs. Touch HD

Well, im ready to upgrade from my 3125 (which is starting to fail after 2 years) to a touch screened WinMo phone (despite several friends/co-workers trying to get me into the iphone) I was strongly for the Touch HD for a while, then the Touch Pro II was announced and i started looking into it. Its not a bad phone.
Question is, which would be better overall?
The biggest selling point for the HD is the 3.5mm audio jack (why HTC or other phone manufactures dont make this standard ill never know, given the high demand and how pretty much every phone plays music now). My 3125 does play music, and has front audio controls (which ive discovered are more of a hassle than a bonus) ive found i dont use it to play music as much as i hoped i would. This is, in majority, due to the lack of a 3.5 jack. I managed to get a Bluetooh Stereo receiver, however the sound quality is sub-par, and it creates severe lag with the phone, and so, i rarely use it.
I do sync it to my outlook, use it to update appointments, notifications and contact list (im super forgetful of events, so it helps remind me)
Now on the flip side, the biggest selling point for the Touch Pro 2 is the hard keyboard (obviously). While i messed around with a soft keyboard on an iPod Touch, and im pretty sure i could get use to it, ive read that the HD used a resistant screen, so it wouldn't be as responsive as the ipod touch/iphone. Plus it would be nice to have hardware keys for fun stuff such as playing mobile games.
Outside of those two unique features, they seem like identical smartphones. I just have a couple questions about them..
1. This may be a stupid one, but since im in the U.S. i have to ask. It looks like the Touch Pro 2 will be able to go on the AT&T network (seeing as how T-Mobile is bringing it in), but Will the Touch HD also be accepted on the AT&T network? (i do understand it will NOT do 3g. I have no plans to use the network in that fashion, and if i do, non-3g will be enough)
2. Does the Touch Pro 2 have a G sensor for screen rotation and the like? From videos ive seen, it only shows it switching the screen orientation when they pull out the keyboard. And the G-sensor is something i would like to take advantage of.
3. Do both devices use the 'standard' (i use that term loosely) mini-usb connection? (same that's on the touch pro). I ask to see if the Mini-usb connections (such as the 3.5 jack converter) will work on it. It looks like the touch pro 2 does use it, but i haven't seen the jack on the HD as of yet.
3. I know the HD doesn't have IR, does the Touch Pro 2? (not essential, but it would be fun to play around with and make a remote out of it)
4. On the Touch Pro 2, will it play Media files using the 'Straight Talk' loud speaker? Additionally, hows the sound quality of that speaker?
Now, the TP2 looks pretty nice, and very functional & business like. However im not much into business (aside from programming) and will likely not use the conference feature much, if at all. The HD is more of the multi-media phone which is more or less what i want, but i cant ignore all the features and the hard keyboard of the Touch Pro 2.
Opinions? Comments?
ALL HTC devices made in the last 2 years or so have used the extUSB connection proprietary (although the spec is in the open) to HTC. It combines Audio/video with the usb port. You can use a standard mini USB cable in this port though.
TouchHD will work on AT&T 3g.
There is an accelerometer in the Touch Pro2.
IR has been deleted from later HTC devices if I have my facts correct.
Audio is played through the speaker unless you have headphones connected.
cheers.
i also wanted the htc hd but had my reservations about no hard press buttons. now that the TP2 will soon be available i will get that for sure!!!(qwerty)!!!
I would DEFINITELY go with they touch pro 2, sure the screen is a bit smaller but hardly, and also it does ahve a g-snsor, and also I here are specs for the touch pro 2 from htc website
http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchpro2/specification.html
and heres teh specs for the hd:
http://www.htc.com/www/product/touchhd/specification.html
also a slightly higer capacity battery in the touch pro 2
I know it has the hardware keyboard, but can you still use the softkeys if you didnt want to flip out the other one?
I am leaning toward the TP2, tho it means i have to wait for IT to be released, and my 3125 is quickly falling apart. :\
I think im going to stick with AT&T tho rather than switching to T-Mobile.. Anyone have any estimates on how soon it will be available to the US (unlocked)?
I know it has the hardware keyboard, but can you still use the softkeys if you didnt want to flip out the other one?
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Definitely.
Dude go for the Touch Pro II, i currently have the HD, but i need a physical keyboad since i tend to type alot on it, mails & sms's
Th eonly up side for the HD against TPII is its 3.5 audio jack, camera and slightly bigger screen of .2''
Don't forget the HD is a much slimmer phone, its even thinner than the Diamond 2 and only a little bit thicker than the original Diamond. May not be that important to you, but if you carry your phone around with you it can make quite a difference.
I have HD and ...
I have HD myself and it works OK in US. I'm using GSM only (no 3G) as you are going to.
Both phones are quad-band GSM phones, so they will work on TMO and ATT (GSM only).
TP2 also has TV Out which HD lacks.
Previously I had HTC Wizard with slide-out kbd. If you type a lot - physical kbd is a MUST. I'm ok with soft-kbd on HD, but I do not type much. But when I chat on ICQ ... man, I miss that kbd from Wizard.
Also HD seems much thinner (at least from videos I saw). That could be a factor.
Both miss front D-Pad - it turns out - big drawback for me Too many games rely on d-pad. I mean - real games It started to change though.
Bottom line ... if you type a lot and play games a lot - get TP2. Or need TV Out. Otherwise - get HD.
Personally - I'm staying with HD.
Basically the situation is a little funny. The Touch HD, Touch Pro 2, and Touch Diamond 2, are all pretty much the same exact phone. All the hardware is the same, all software is the same, only difference is the exterior casing.
Between HD and Diamond2, I have no idea what they are trying to do. You can buy a HD and flash it to the new topaz ROM, and bam you have a touch diamond2, like out of a time machine from the future! In fact the HD casing is nicer/thinner than the Diamond2, so it's even better!
For Pro2, it's exactly a touch HD/Diamond2 + a keyboard. For this you can say it's better if you don't mind the extra thickness, it's up to you between how much you want a keyboard and how much you want a thin phone. All the small keyboards from no matter what phone I don't like, they are too small to be used seriously, if I need to seriously type, I would bring a foldable full-size BT keyboard with me in pocket. But this is my preference. If you want keyboard, get pro2, if you don't, get HD.
I don't know where diamond2 fits in, it's same as HD but worse, it's thicker and smaller screen and no headphone jack and you have to wait to buy it while HD is out now, does that make any sense?
Sate said:
Basically the situation is a little funny. The Touch HD, Touch Pro 2, and Touch Diamond 2, are all pretty much the same exact phone. All the hardware is the same, all software is the same, only difference is the exterior casing.
Between HD and Diamond2, I have no idea what they are trying to do. You can buy a HD and flash it to the new topaz ROM, and bam you have a touch diamond2, like out of a time machine from the future! In fact the HD casing is nicer/thinner than the Diamond2, so it's even better!
For Pro2, it's exactly a touch HD/Diamond2 + a keyboard. For this you can say it's better if you don't mind the extra thickness, it's up to you between how much you want a keyboard and how much you want a thin phone. All the small keyboards from no matter what phone I don't like, they are too small to be used seriously, if I need to seriously type, I would bring a foldable full-size BT keyboard with me in pocket. But this is my preference. If you want keyboard, get pro2, if you don't, get HD.
I don't know where diamond2 fits in, it's same as HD but worse, it's thicker and smaller screen and no headphone jack and you have to wait to buy it while HD is out now, does that make any sense?
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well its smaller, also its got the sharpest screen, and also its not THAT much thicker but it is smaller and I think has better battery life but I see what you mean I want the touch pro 2 but if not that then the hd
I´ll definetly take the TP2, it has a physical keyboard!!!
For me is a must
Found 2 cents in my pocket, let me add it to the mix a roo
Ok, so I battled back and forth between the Sony X1 and the HD, I live in the US and my girlfriend in the UK so she was doing the shopping and the guy at the store was telling her go for the X1 if it were him thats what he would choose. That would be great coming from a TyTnII then a Kaiser, BUT i was SOOOO sick of all of the Iphone fantards that there was no way I was gonna pass the opportunity to get a killer device that would shut them the F up so i got the HD. I worked in mobile phone sales after high school in the mid 90s so I have been around them for ages and the Motorola flip phone was the greatest thing on earth. The Touch HD is by far the greatest hand held mobile device I have ever had. Looks great, works very well and even the Iphoners were saying well I dont need to record video and and and well I can read my MRIs on my phone and play slot machines to decide where to have dinner. Umm ok shut up and go play with your little toy in your room right. All this aside, i HATED not having a keyboard/D pad. This phone was the toast of the Beverly Hills Hotel and I broke the no mobile phones on your person rule and my manager never even uttered a word. No way I was leaving that beauty in my locker right! I tried every program for keyboards and still after all that, I sold it! Shipped it out yesterday as a matter of fact, and almost cried (not really but i almost told the guy i broke it and was gonna refund his money). SO with that said when the TP2 comes out, I WILL be back to typing fast and not screwing up and taking 2 min to type Ok ill be right over, do I need to stop off and pick up condoms and vodka!
Things I will miss
The look of the phone, its cool and sleek, but I felt like it was a little cheap feeling, i like feeling that my phone can stop an assasins bullet if need be. With the HD im a dead muthasucka
The 3.5MM headphone jack, BUT there is a tiny little adaptor i found online that looks kinda cool and not long and silly looking.
WAP vs the HTML internet, but I was assured by a post on another page that with Opera Mini (geesh) i should not have any concerns with surfing the net
.2 inch larger screen. This microscopic difference is so insignificant that even that much growth on my anatomy would be un noticed right, so who cares.
Not sure if there is a stylus but I like using that at times but we shall see about that.
Anyway I guess if you couldnt tell Im leaning way towards TP2, even though there is no D pad (wtf) and i need an adaptor to use my headphones, taking less time to type emails and such is very important and that is why i have to buy!!!!
This is the link for that headset adaptor, i think its like $7
http://www.javoedge.com/reflexeshop...&pbmId=16020&gclid=CMargqeD45kCFRBbagod8z-bQg
johseph said:
Ok, so I battled back and forth between the Sony X1 and the HD, I live in the US and my girlfriend in the UK so she was doing the shopping and the guy at the store was telling her go for the X1 if it were him thats what he would choose. That would be great coming from a TyTnII then a Kaiser, BUT i was SOOOO sick of all of the Iphone fantards that there was no way I was gonna pass the opportunity to get a killer device that would shut them the F up so i got the HD. I worked in mobile phone sales after high school in the mid 90s so I have been around them for ages and the Motorola flip phone was the greatest thing on earth. The Touch HD is by far the greatest hand held mobile device I have ever had. Looks great, works very well and even the Iphoners were saying well I dont need to record video and and and well I can read my MRIs on my phone and play slot machines to decide where to have dinner. Umm ok shut up and go play with your little toy in your room right. All this aside, i HATED not having a keyboard/D pad. This phone was the toast of the Beverly Hills Hotel and I broke the no mobile phones on your person rule and my manager never even uttered a word. No way I was leaving that beauty in my locker right! I tried every program for keyboards and still after all that, I sold it! Shipped it out yesterday as a matter of fact, and almost cried (not really but i almost told the guy i broke it and was gonna refund his money). SO with that said when the TP2 comes out, I WILL be back to typing fast and not screwing up and taking 2 min to type Ok ill be right over, do I need to stop off and pick up condoms and vodka!
Things I will miss
The look of the phone, its cool and sleek, but I felt like it was a little cheap feeling, i like feeling that my phone can stop an assasins bullet if need be. With the HD im a dead muthasucka
The 3.5MM headphone jack, BUT there is a tiny little adaptor i found online that looks kinda cool and not long and silly looking.
WAP vs the HTML internet, but I was assured by a post on another page that with Opera Mini (geesh) i should not have any concerns with surfing the net
.2 inch larger screen. This microscopic difference is so insignificant that even that much growth on my anatomy would be un noticed right, so who cares.
Not sure if there is a stylus but I like using that at times but we shall see about that.
Anyway I guess if you couldnt tell Im leaning way towards TP2, even though there is no D pad (wtf) and i need an adaptor to use my headphones, taking less time to type emails and such is very important and that is why i have to buy!!!!
This is the link for that headset adaptor, i think its like $7
http://www.javoedge.com/reflexeshop...&pbmId=16020&gclid=CMargqeD45kCFRBbagod8z-bQg
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I have an adapter that's kinda like that but more of a squarish shape. Also yeah I don't think the diamond 2 is that ood of a phone comparedt to the other 2 but it is also the cheapest, but im not sure but it does have a few advantages over the diamond like battery life, size, and yeah the thickness isnt that much of a difference anyways, so it baiscally depends on how much size on a phone you will sacrafice for a bigger screen
Link278 said:
I have an adapter that's kinda like that but more of a squarish shape. Also yeah I don't think the diamond 2 is that ood of a phone comparedt to the other 2 but it is also the cheapest, but im not sure but it does have a few advantages over the diamond like battery life, size, and yeah the thickness isnt that much of a difference anyways, so it baiscally depends on how much size on a phone you will sacrafice for a bigger screen
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Yep, I am like you. I hesitated between TD2 and HD (I do not like keyboards, I do not do enough typing on my phone/pda to accept the added thickness, soft keyboard is enough for me).
I am more leaning to TD2: cheaper, smaller so more pocketable make it my number one pick over the HD (although would miss the 3.8'' screen, 3.2 is just a little bit small - my perfect device would be TD2 with a 3.4/3.5'' screen (it is possible keeping the overall size, just reducing screen borders, especially the empty space under the buttons...), and either thinner or, even better, with a larger battery...I have seen pics of the batter of the TD2 and TD1, and TD2 batter seems 2 times as large as the TD1....why is it only 1100 mAh is beyond me, by the look of it I would have expected at leat 1300-1400 mAh, it is either thinner or HTC is being conservative with its battery capacities....
3.5mm jack is a little bit annoying, but I seldom listem music on my phone anyway, so either an adapter or the included earphones would not bother me too much
I had both the Touch HD and the Xperia X1i. I love the big screen but i miss the keyboard. I would have stayed with the Xperia but the speaker sucked and I often missed calls. I'm looking to get the Touch Pro 2 as it seems to be a combination of both phones to me. i hope the speaker is as good as the Touch HD, if not better.
gkai said:
Yep, I am like you. I hesitated between TD2 and HD (I do not like keyboards, I do not do enough typing on my phone/pda to accept the added thickness, soft keyboard is enough for me).
I am more leaning to TD2: cheaper, smaller so more pocketable make it my number one pick over the HD (although would miss the 3.8'' screen, 3.2 is just a little bit small - my perfect device would be TD2 with a 3.4/3.5'' screen (it is possible keeping the overall size, just reducing screen borders, especially the empty space under the buttons...), and either thinner or, even better, with a larger battery...I have seen pics of the batter of the TD2 and TD1, and TD2 batter seems 2 times as large as the TD1....why is it only 1100 mAh is beyond me, by the look of it I would have expected at leat 1300-1400 mAh, it is either thinner or HTC is being conservative with its battery capacities....
3.5mm jack is a little bit annoying, but I seldom listem music on my phone anyway, so either an adapter or the included earphones would not bother me too much
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I think that some companies make unofficial batteries that are like 2 times the size so u might want to get one of those then
Cheeze[iT] said:
I had both the Touch HD and the Xperia X1i. I love the big screen but i miss the keyboard. I would have stayed with the Xperia but the speaker sucked and I often missed calls. I'm looking to get the Touch Pro 2 as it seems to be a combination of both phones to me. i hope the speaker is as good as the Touch HD, if not better.
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I am pretty sure it will be amazing since it has 2 speakers
Yea, the 3.5mm jack is getting to be less important over the keyboard. Mainly due to the fact that their is an adapter from the usb, and if i got the HD, i couldn't do much about the keyboard.
I know their is no D-pad, but the TP2 Does have the hard keyboard, with Arrow keys.. couldn't you use that to play games?
As far as uses? I dont know. I dont much experience using a phone with a keyboard so i couldn't say if i will use it a lot until i have it available to me. I could very likely get use to the soft keyboard, but if i had a hard keyboard, id like get use to that over the soft. My 3125 is a normal number pad so either the hard or soft would be an improvement for me.
The headphone jack, ive been thinking that i likely wouldn't use quite as much. The only time i get the opportunity to listen to music is when im either driving, or waiting on something and frankly when im out in public i dont like putting on headphones because it makes me oblivious to whats going on around me. Plus, as stated, i could easily get an adapter now that their are several available.
Even tho ill have to wait that much longer (2 more months.. meeehh) i think im falling in the TP2's direction.
Here's a cahrt comparing the features of the Touch Pro, Touch Pro 2, Diamond 2 and Touch HD: http://www.fuzemobility.com/the-titans-compared/
I thinkt he HD does very well actually...in fact if it gets a software update it may be the winner with the largest screen (it's really great to type on).

Impressions of my TP2 after a few days

Received my TP2 a few days ago, and here are some initial impressions:
GOOD:
- Good form factor; it's thicker than my HD but I find slightly thicker phones more comfortable to hold when talking rather than really thin phones.
- Beautiful screen and very responsive
- immensely improved TouchFlo...HD's touchflo was slow and not very useful, but I've actually been using the TP2's TouchFlo happily...no plans on installing MobileShell, which is something I did not expect!
- Fast...definitely much faster than the HD, and overall usability is way up (having said that, I felt the HD was perfectly usable as well in terms of speed)
- stable; no crashes yet
- web browsing; faster web browsing I've done on a WM device yet
- keyboard; nice and big and quite easy to use (although I suspect it might actually be TOO spacious for people with smaller hands)
- very good speaker and speakerphone
- excellent reception
- Chinese language support; the Hong Kong English version of the TP2 (my unit) now comes pre-loaded with Chinese recognition and input, while keeping the OS in English. I have been hoping to have this functionality for eons...
- overall build quality (minus the poorer tolerance of the screen fit; see below)
BAD:
- Heavy. It has overall larger dimensions so it doesn't feel like a brick like the original TP, but make no mistake this is not a light phone.
- gap, slightly poor tolerance in the flip out mechanism of the screen; when actually popped out and flipped, the hinge feels fine so far. It's when the screen is closed that you can sense the slight gap (as mentioned on the forum). So when I tap on the screen or type, you can sense the slight movement of the screen being pushed down. I actually thought it was the vibration feedback at first, but then realized that is was the screen's give. This could definitely annoy those who insist on excellent fit - but I don't mind so much because the fit of the rest of the unit is great, and I actually kind of like how it's almost like haptic feedback as I tap the screen. Having said that, HTC should've paid more attention to the design as the slight play with the screen really doesn't match with the rest of the phone...which is really an excellent piece of hardware and software.
- no 3.5mm headphone jack. Sure there are ways to get around this, but this should be standard on high-end phones as far as I'm concerned.
- buttons; not really bad, but given that there seems to be some extra real estate at the bottom of the unit, the buttons could have been larger. Feedback on the buttons are very good though, and MUCH better than the touch style buttons on the HD.
- in call volume still not quite as loud as I'd like.
- TouchFlo very memory intensive compared to previous versions. On the HD, the memory usage usually hovered around 43% without any running programs. On the TP2, the memory usage is generally around 63%. I haven't had any issues with slowdowns, but that's a 20% increase, which is a bit surprising. Having said that, it has not impacted the speed or running of programs for me at all so it's just something that's annoying to know, that's all.
Overall, you could probably guess that my impression with the TP2 is extremely positive. I've used so many WM phones in the past, and was ready to give up completely on the OS until the Touch HD (I could not believe how stable and usable it was after pulling half my hair out with previous WM phones including the Omnia). I was planning to play around with it and then give it away, but ended up keeping it. And now the TP2 is even better. As with a few other TP2 owners, my biggest question mark will be how the hinge holds up in the long run...a worry that really shouldn't be there for a TP2 owner given that one of the main features of the unit is the flip out keyboard. I guess time will tell. With interesting WM units on the horizon (such as the just announced Samsung Louvre), I have to say I only trust HTC's implementation - they've done the best job of overall engineering with the OS.
One question that I have for fellow TP2 owners...anyone know how to get AEButton to work with it? Can't seem to figure out which buttons are assigned to which...on the HD, the OK button referred to the back arrow button on the unit, but no so on the TP2. Would really like to get AEButton working.
Overall, TP2 along with the Nokia E71 (and HD to a an extent) has been the most pleasantly surprising phone I've used over the last year or so.
Seems like you are from Hong Kong. So my questions is where did you buy, what carrier and what plan? Just curious, that is all. Cheers!
I picked mine up at Wilson in CWB. No plan or carrier, but it's "official" goods. I traded in my CSL Touch HD...had an unlimited data plan packaged with that.
cocoaju said:
Seems like you are from Hong Kong. So my questions is where did you buy, what carrier and what plan? Just curious, that is all. Cheers!
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And the battery? Needs to be charged everyday?
tsaojam said:
BAD:
- no 3.5mm headphone jack. Sure there are ways to get around this, but this should be standard on high-end phones as far as I'm concerned.
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It's interesting about people's expectations on this. I would have said, if anything, the opposite. Should be a standard on low-end phones. High-end phones should expect high-end solutions for audio, IMHO.
ajbopp said:
It's interesting about people's expectations on this. I would have said, if anything, the opposite. Should be a standard on low-end phones. High-end phones should expect high-end solutions for audio, IMHO.
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true but 3.5mm jack is universal & just an uppgrade in headphones can make all the difference.
I agree, with the 3.5mm being old tech but one thing tho, HTC's earphones don't really fit my ears that well. Keeps on falling off... LOL. If there were more USB earphones, then I am just as happy. I am sorry to say this but the iPod earphones fits me just fine.
I also like the ear bud style earphones or the B&O earphones, they are nice too .
Shame they don't do it with the USB plugs...
tsaojam said:
I picked mine up at Wilson in CWB. No plan or carrier, but it's "official" goods. I traded in my CSL Touch HD...had an unlimited data plan packaged with that.
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I see, I got mine from Voda-Smartone. unlimited internet browsing and 100mb Data. Traded my P3600i in (at last) and only paid $3900 HKD for the phone.
I am keeping my HD which is with CSL.
I thought this phone is gonna come out on CSL but it didn't. Never mind, CSL and Smartone is the same for me, same good receptions.
Did you get an english or chinese version? If you got a english version, do you write chinese? I notice my english version is able to read chinese characters but I can't transcribe chinese words. I hate using the keyboard to write chinese words.
cocoaju said:
I see, I got mine from Voda-Smartone. unlimited internet browsing and 100mb Data. Traded my P3600i in (at last) and only paid $3900 HKD for the phone.
I am keeping my HD which is with CSL.
I thought this phone is gonna come out on CSL but it didn't. Never mind, CSL and Smartone is the same for me, same good receptions.
Did you get an english or chinese version? If you got a english version, do you write chinese? I notice my english version is able to read chinese characters but I can't transcribe chinese words. I hate using the keyboard to write chinese words.
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English version...i never input chinese, so the new English OS is perfect for me as i only need to be able to read chinese characters as well.
tsaojam said:
English version...i never input chinese, so the new English OS is perfect for me as i only need to be able to read chinese characters as well.
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I see. Same here. I read chinese only most of the time. but it's nice to have. You know what I mean.
What about GPS? What software do you use? Papago or Mapking? Never used it on HD as softwares before weren't compatible with the WVGA screen. Have you installed any?
- gap, slightly poor tolerance in the flip out mechanism of the screen; when actually popped out and flipped, the hinge feels fine so far. It's when the screen is closed that you can sense the slight gap (as mentioned on the forum). So when I tap on the screen or type, you can sense the slight movement of the screen being pushed down. I actually thought it was the vibration feedback at first, but then realized that is was the screen's give. This could definitely annoy those who insist on excellent fit - but I don't mind so much because the fit of the rest of the unit is great, and I actually kind of like how it's almost like haptic feedback as I tap the screen. Having said that, HTC should've paid more attention to the design as the slight play with the screen really doesn't match with the rest of the phone...which is really an excellent piece of hardware and software.
I suggest you to change another one. I've tried several TP2 in shop and some of them have a larger gap than the others. Finally, I picked up a TP2 with a small gap only and didn't notice any (slight) movement when I push the screen/hardware buttons.
I have been thinking about a "fix" to tighten up the phone when closed. The plastic strips on the sides of the keyboard could be a little thicker, and this would tighten up the structure?
Then how much extra have you paid? I'm thinking getting one to replace my X01HT though still in very good condition after two years service. Thanks.
tsaojam said:
I picked mine up at Wilson in CWB. No plan or carrier, but it's "official" goods. I traded in my CSL Touch HD...had an unlimited data plan packaged with that.
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desman said:
- gap, slightly poor tolerance in the flip out mechanism of the screen; when actually popped out and flipped, the hinge feels fine so far. It's when the screen is closed that you can sense the slight gap (as mentioned on the forum). So when I tap on the screen or type, you can sense the slight movement of the screen being pushed down. I actually thought it was the vibration feedback at first, but then realized that is was the screen's give. This could definitely annoy those who insist on excellent fit - but I don't mind so much because the fit of the rest of the unit is great, and I actually kind of like how it's almost like haptic feedback as I tap the screen. Having said that, HTC should've paid more attention to the design as the slight play with the screen really doesn't match with the rest of the phone...which is really an excellent piece of hardware and software.
I suggest you to change another one. I've tried several TP2 in shop and some of them have a larger gap than the others. Finally, I picked up a TP2 with a small gap only and didn't notice any (slight) movement when I push the screen/hardware buttons.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the suggestion, i know what you mean that some units have more of a gap than other models.
Having said that, I'm embarassed to say the gap on my machine isn't that bad...the movement I felt really WAS the haptic feedback...apparently even if you turn it off from TouchFlo, the vibra feedback still applies when I'm using Opera. Not sure if it's a glitch, but that's actually what it happening.
skyplay said:
Then how much extra have you paid? I'm thinking getting one to replace my X01HT though still in very good condition after two years service. Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price is standard at Wilson, how much you can get for trade in will depend on the condition of your trade-in unit.
cocoaju said:
I see. Same here. I read chinese only most of the time. but it's nice to have. You know what I mean.
What about GPS? What software do you use? Papago or Mapking? Never used it on HD as softwares before weren't compatible with the WVGA screen. Have you installed any?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, i know what you mean...i have tons of programs on my TP2 that I never use but it's nice to have...
I've only been using Google Maps. I don't think Mapking is compatiible still...have yet to find a good GPS solution that I like.
I don't think I could trade in my X01HT. I just want to know the trade-in difference between HD and TP2. Thanks.
tsaojam said:
The price is standard at Wilson, how much you can get for trade in will depend on the condition of your trade-in unit.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
tsaojam said:
yeah, i know what you mean...i have tons of programs on my TP2 that I never use but it's nice to have...
I've only been using Google Maps. I don't think Mapking is compatiible still...have yet to find a good GPS solution that I like.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have been using google maps as well, but shame there is no voice directions. I have read some users have installed MapKing R12 and it works on the HD. But just looks weird as the images get stretched.
Papago is meant to be good but haven't seen it in action before. Users on uwant.com said it works ok as well. I might check it out later.
I just tested the video capabilities and I am just amazed. I bought an 8GB Class 6 Transcend today at Wilson for under $190 HKD. Went home, inserted the card, transfered my Transformer movie xvid rip, dvd resolution. Played it on Coreplayer 1.3.2. WOW! No dropped frames, sharp pictures and all this without needing to re-encoding.
This upgrade is WELL WORTH IT from the HD. Although I still have the HD with me.
cocoaju said:
I have been using google maps as well, but shame there is no voice directions. I have read some users have installed MapKing R12 and it works on the HD. But just looks weird as the images get stretched.
Papago is meant to be good but haven't seen it in action before. Users on uwant.com said it works ok as well. I might check it out later.
I just tested the video capabilities and I am just amazed. I bought an 8GB Class 6 Transcend today at Wilson for under $190 HKD. Went home, inserted the card, transfered my Transformer movie xvid rip, dvd resolution. Played it on Coreplayer 1.3.2. WOW! No dropped frames, sharp pictures and all this without needing to re-encoding.
This upgrade is WELL WORTH IT from the HD. Although I still have the HD with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can it play .mkv's ....720p ??
vardig said:
Can it play .mkv's ....720p ??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
CorePlayer Mobile can play mkv, but not TP2 cannot play 720p files properly. Further, it is all a function of the bitrate of the movie.
You'd be well off to watch Lasse's video review on this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uONMuEeTo7A
Practical optimum resolution and bitrate for playback with CorePlayer 1.3 is 640x288 @ 1.6Mb/s for H.264 without major frame dropping. For DivX 720x322 @ 2.0Mb/s.

Full sized foldable keyboards

I am trying to find out what is out there for full sized foldable keyboards that work well. The smaller keyboards that are more commonly used with tablets and phones do not work well for me due to having large hands. I have done some research and the only one I've found thus far that I was interested in no longer appears available for purchase anywhere so I am looking for suggestions. I have heard a lot of complaints regarding the roll up keyboards so this is strictly folding ones, and if it is a full size keyboard, the smaller it folds the better. I am intending to use it with a Galaxy Note Pro tablet for programming.
That said, it can be bluetooth or full size USB as I have an adapter to convert a full sized USB plug to micro USB and have tested it with a regular keyboard. Preferably not too terribly expensive but will consider it regardless of price.
I appreciate any information or experience in this that anyone can add and thank you in advance for your constructive posts.

3D VR Glasses for Zenfone 2 ZE551ML suggestion.

Hello all,
I have became curious about this technology and wanted some feedback and recommendations on which one is best for our phone, my main use will probably be, movies and a little of gaming.
Thanks...:good:
Howdy,
I bought a cheap 20 Euro VR headset and also the Homido VR headset which cost me 80 euro and I ended up selling the Homido! simply because the screen is placed way to close and it's horribly pixilated which I was soooo disappointed about :crying:
http://www.ebay.ie/itm/Virtual-Real...roid-System-/161584765016?hash=item259f33d858
Go for something like this, not much pixelation and cheap to buy :good:
The Homido VR did have better FOV and overall was of better 3D quality due to it having nice Optics for it. I would go for something like I showed you but find something with good lenses for an overall better 3D experience ^^
Thanks for the suggestion.
I made the Google Cardboard one to see if I would like it before I invest in it and I loved it so I will be buying a more advanced pair. I saw some on Ebay that had bluetooth remote for $28 free shipping
spacecowboy618 said:
I made the Google Cardboard one to see if I would like it before I invest in it and I loved it so I will be buying a more advanced pair. I saw some on Ebay that had bluetooth remote for $28 free shipping
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got a cardboard V2 and it works very well
I picked up the View-Master goggles (like Cardboard v2 but plastic construction) when they were on sale for $20 a week (or so) ago. I'm using them with my Zenfone 2 with good results.
A couple thoughts though:
- I'd recommend Bluetooth headphones with this - the headphone cord will be pinched by the closure if you are using wired. You can also hear the built-in speakers through gaps in the case, but you lose stereo effects.
- It is a bit heavy on the nose - I find it is more comfortable pushed up higher on my face.
- They are really cool & I do recommend them.
I went through (and discarded) a few movie apps before settling on "VRTV free". Some of the others had more difficult controls and didn't seem to get the spacing right for the 3D effect (very obvious on text where it was "double vision" instead of 3D). VRTV has a virtual theater mode for 2d movies and then 180 & 360 modes for 3d files. It also has a "re-center" command which is important since I am getting some gyro drift (in fact I came here looking for some sort of calibration app).

LeVR Pro 1, first impressions

One of the main reasons for ordering LeMax2 was the availability of this VR kit.
Came just before vacations so I only had a day so far to play with it.
First off, only cardboard type functionality is supported without special drivers/software. Since I'm running CM, that software is not there: Evidently that's only available on LeTV's own app store, and that seems unavailable even with a Chinese RIM (installed 18S for a short test) unless you chance to have a Chinese phone number to register.
Also missing is support for the pass-through USB port, which mostly seems intended for headphone use. I managed using a Bluetooth headset.
So what actually works?
Well, as I said, it's a better cardboard VR by default, except that I also had to emulate the button using a Bluetooth mouse.
That gives you already quite a bit of functionality, 3D movies for starters. In terms of real VR experience I guess I'll stick to my Oculus devices, but for movies on a plane, I guess there is nothing cooler at the moment, even if the backside may be suboptimal against a headrest.
On the other hand, no VR kit is as easy to put on and off as this, especially when you wear glasses.
I saved so much on the phone, I don't mind not getting any more on this kit. But if somehow LeTV/LeEco were to make LeVR support available on the Google play store, I certainly wouldn't mind!
Lag seems quite tolerable, but there is considerable drift. From the LeTV Web site I got the impression, that that should not be the case, but most likely only with LeTV's own software, in cardboard mode drift may be unavoidable.
Again not an issue in the 'personal movie theater', which I consider the main use case until hardware has grown another two orders of magnitude on a mobile power budget.
Where did you buy it?
whymoo said:
Where did you buy it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
spemall.com, they even have the small LeMax2 model in Grey as well as pink.
abufrejoval said:
spemall.com, they even have the small LeMax2 model in Grey as well as pink.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please check your pm abufrejoval. How did you get this headset to work with other VR app beside the stock vr one?
Cardboard just works out of the box
xterminater07 said:
Please check your pm abufrejoval. How did you get this headset to work with other VR app beside the stock vr one?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well the Google Cardboard project is just bits of cardboard, two fresnel lenses and evidently some kind of "hammer", which translates an external button into a touch on the screen, the only physical interaction supported by cardboard (I use the blutooth mouse for that: I bought and tried the new Microsoft Xbox controller, which supports Blutooth, but none of the Cardboard games seem Controller enabled: Pity!)
So all I did was just to install and launch cardboard applications from the Google Play store: They can't verify if you actually have cardboard "hardware" or some other kind of lenses.
Now, I'm using Cyanogenmod which doesn't contain the VR stub application which the Indian and Chinese ROMs seem to contain. And perhaps that stub application is causing trouble in your case, because it launches whenever you connect the device.
If you don't want to switch to CM, you can simply remove the app from the phone if it's rooted and you have some kind of app-remover or Titanium Backup. Then it won't launch the stub (which evidently isn't useful outside China or without a LeEco app store) and you can use the Cardboard apps without interference. Perhaps you can also just switch away from it, I haven't really tried extensively because my son wanted his phone and I'm not going to try on my "production" phone (swapping a production ROM forth and back with full backups simply takes a while).
Phyiscally and logically LeVR Pro1 seems largely a copy of Samsung Gear VR, even if it's not a downright clone. As far as I can tell its touchpad and back-button duplicate the same thing on Samsung. But without a proper driver it's dead and with a CM ROM at least there is absolutely no reaction if you insert the phone into the headset nor will the external USB-C connector have any use, which is a real pity.
There is a good chance that won't ever change, unless LeEco were to publish driver sources for the LeVR Pro1, which I sincerely doubt. I've also tried installing the VR Setup application on top of the CM ROM (I won't run no EUI ROM for "production"), but it just crashes. Evidently it is deeply intertwined with the Chinese LeEcosystem, for which I have absolutely no interest (while LeEco has absolutely no interest in supporting users which are outside it: I believe they sell their phones below manufacturing price).
While LeEco is trying to enter the North American market, it seems to draw its baseline at the LeEco Max Pro3, which doesn't have the 2560x1440 screen (and is more expensive). They may be launching another VR headset soon, potentially with another phone which is DayDream compliant.
LeEco doesn't seem to believe in backward compatibility or long term support.
Well nor does anyone else, evidently, they only charge for it and that at least LeEco did not.
Essentially we have a super cool Cardboard and I'm happy enough with that, since I have two Oculus Rifts (DK2 and CV1) to ease the pain (actually I also have a DK1 but that's a museum piece now). It allows me to watch movies on a virtual big screen and some of the Cardboard apps are great to impress friends.
Unfortunately there is little chance it Le Max2 or LeVR Pro1 will be good enough for the new Google Day Dream base requirements, so it's basically obsolete already. Should LeEco, CM or some XDA-Developer make it Day Dram compatible anyway (without certification), I'd be happy, but I don't know if Google Day Dream will be such a great success. The fact that essentially all of today's smartphone population is already disqualified may not sit too well with potential VR enthusiasts. And at €1000 for a smart phone which isn't really any faster than the €230 LeEco Le Max 2 in base configuration, a Google Pixel XL may simply be too much of an entry price for Android VR.
Google is doing its best to kill Android while they are grasping to replace the Internet and free choice.
abufrejoval said:
spemall.com, they even have the small LeMax2 model in Grey as well as pink.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
abufrejoval said:
Well the Google Cardboard project is just bits of cardboard, two fresnel lenses and evidently some kind of "hammer", which translates an external button into a touch on the screen, the only physical interaction supported by cardboard (I use the blutooth mouse for that: I bought and tried the new Microsoft Xbox controller, which supports Blutooth, but none of the Cardboard games seem Controller enabled: Pity!)
So all I did was just to install and launch cardboard applications from the Google Play store: They can't verify if you actually have cardboard "hardware" or some other kind of lenses.
Now, I'm using Cyanogenmod which doesn't contain the VR stub application which the Indian and Chinese ROMs seem to contain. And perhaps that stub application is causing trouble in your case, because it launches whenever you connect the device.
If you don't want to switch to CM, you can simply remove the app from the phone if it's rooted and you have some kind of app-remover or Titanium Backup. Then it won't launch the stub (which evidently isn't useful outside China or without a LeEco app store) and you can use the Cardboard apps without interference. Perhaps you can also just switch away from it, I haven't really tried extensively because my son wanted his phone and I'm not going to try on my "production" phone (swapping a production ROM forth and back with full backups simply takes a while).
Phyiscally and logically LeVR Pro1 seems largely a copy of Samsung Gear VR, even if it's not a downright clone. As far as I can tell its touchpad and back-button duplicate the same thing on Samsung. But without a proper driver it's dead and with a CM ROM at least there is absolutely no reaction if you insert the phone into the headset nor will the external USB-C connector have any use, which is a real pity.
There is a good chance that won't ever change, unless LeEco were to publish driver sources for the LeVR Pro1, which I sincerely doubt. I've also tried installing the VR Setup application on top of the CM ROM (I won't run no EUI ROM for "production"), but it just crashes. Evidently it is deeply intertwined with the Chinese LeEcosystem, for which I have absolutely no interest (while LeEco has absolutely no interest in supporting users which are outside it: I believe they sell their phones below manufacturing price).
While LeEco is trying to enter the North American market, it seems to draw its baseline at the LeEco Max Pro3, which doesn't have the 2560x1440 screen (and is more expensive). They may be launching another VR headset soon, potentially with another phone which is DayDream compliant.
LeEco doesn't seem to believe in backward compatibility or long term support.
Well nor does anyone else, evidently, they only charge for it and that at least LeEco did not.
Essentially we have a super cool Cardboard and I'm happy enough with that, since I have two Oculus Rifts (DK2 and CV1) to ease the pain (actually I also have a DK1 but that's a museum piece now). It allows me to watch movies on a virtual big screen and some of the Cardboard apps are great to impress friends.
Unfortunately there is little chance it Le Max2 or LeVR Pro1 will be good enough for the new Google Day Dream base requirements, so it's basically obsolete already. Should LeEco, CM or some XDA-Developer make it Day Dram compatible anyway (without certification), I'd be happy, but I don't know if Google Day Dream will be such a great success. The fact that essentially all of today's smartphone population is already disqualified may not sit too well with potential VR enthusiasts. And at €1000 for a smart phone which isn't really any faster than the €230 LeEco Le Max 2 in base configuration, a Google Pixel XL may simply be too much of an entry price for Android VR.
Google is doing its best to kill Android while they are grasping to replace the Internet and free choice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for the great reply! I will use titanium backup to try to freeze that VR app. Also the cardboard app from google is limited as well, I don't see many contents from that app. You mentioned you installed the vr app, is it the same one as vr.letv.com? Supposedly that app should work for this headset but I don't have the instruction that came in the box. If you have that pamphlete, do you mind scaning it and uploading it through google drive or mega for me? Did you have clear resolution of your phone? The VR looks like it's 480p instead of what we're seeing 2K on the lemax 2 screen. I hated it, and I wonder if there's a way to fix it?
xterminater07 said:
Thank you for the great reply! I will use titanium backup to try to freeze that VR app. Also the cardboard app from google is limited as well, I don't see many contents from that app. You mentioned you installed the vr app, is it the same one as vr.letv.com? Supposedly that app should work for this headset but I don't have the instruction that came in the box. If you have that pamphlete, do you mind scaning it and uploading it through google drive or mega for me? Did you have clear resolution of your phone? The VR looks like it's 480p instead of what we're seeing 2K on the lemax 2 screen. I hated it, and I wonder if there's a way to fix it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome!
Well the pamphlet is all in Chinese and if you can understand and read that, there is quite a bit more material on the net than information in the pamphlet. It just tells you how to insert the phone into it and that the external USB-C connector is for your headphones (and not for charging).
Google translate helped me understand that much and I tossed it into the trash because there was nothing else beyond that.
I've watched some Chinese videos on YouTube for clues and inspiration (real-time translation still missing there), but my guess is that even within the LeTV ecosystem there isn't actually a lot of content or apps.
Actually there is a video of the LeVR Pro1 presentation on YouTube, which I find quite instructive:
Evidently LeTV's CEO Jia Yueting gave out a couple of devices to some of the most famous actors from his soaps and then instructed them to appear awed and enthusiastic at the great introduction event in spring this year.
I don't think they were such good actors after all, because my impression is that they saw nothing and totally faked it (too bad I can't find the video on YouTube for now). We may be chasing shadows...
Resolution: Cardboard content, whether it's the demos or some of the games (my personal favorite is Bandit Six), will render with the native resolution of the screen. The headset only contains lenses, the resolution comes from the device and it's 2560x1440 (minus the invisible areas) for both eyes together. It certainly looks better than the Samsung Note 3 display inside my Oculus DK2.
The iMax like video demos you get via the "Within" app for example, are recorded with a resolution far below what Le Max 2 can deliver, but there the resolution is determined by the source and the encoding, nothing Le Max 2 can do about it. They are still very impressive so I can only recommend you trying them, both for the visual stimuli (Cuban dance) and the emotional impact (Syrian refugees).
Screen refresh may not be 90Hz, the LCD not as good as Amoled but honestly I can't tell. I was quite surprised at the quality and the lack of lag for both games and iMax type videos. Perhaps I just don't move my head just as rapidly any more these days, the weight of Le Max 2 is also somewhat higher than the Oculus headsets.
There is an app called "Google Cardboard" on the Play Store. It contains a couple of demos inside but it also opens some kind of a "sub-store" containing Google selected demos and applications which can actually be purchased.
I installed most of those and purchased some of the games.
Generally if you enter "Cardboard" into the Play Store, you'll find Cardboard compatible apps (and lots of garbage).
What might be interesting to explore is some of the apps which seem to fake a Samsung Gear VR device to the Play Store and the apps themselves.
I haven't done that myself yet, but that would open up a couple more games, at least if they support mouse or controller inputs and don't depend on the Samsung touch panel in the Gear headset.
Again this isn't long term as Google seems happy to totally ignore what Samsung has done and make DayDream incompatible with everything existing today.
Requiring Vulkan API support for Nougat certification is a clear indication on how much Google cares about the installed base.
If I had any say, resources or influence, I'd make Le Max 2 and the LeVR Pro1 into some kind of a hybrid Steam Link box and MiraCast receiver.
The panel is excellent, the gyros on the phone are great the video decoding power and WiFi hardware are top notch. So using both the Max2 and VR Pro1 to project semi or fully spherical content generated on a very powerful gaming PC wirelessly onto this combo would be technically feasible with latencies acceptible to quite a lot of centent, if not to LoL world championship participants.
Well we can dream, I guess...
abufrejoval said:
You're welcome!
Well the pamphlet is all in Chinese and if you can understand and read that, there is quite a bit more material on the net than information in the pamphlet. It just tells you how to insert the phone into it and that the external USB-C connector is for your headphones (and not for charging).
Google translate helped me understand that much and I tossed it into the trash because there was nothing else beyond that.
I've watched some Chinese videos on YouTube for clues and inspiration (real-time translation still missing there), but my guess is that even within the LeTV ecosystem there isn't actually a lot of content or apps.
Actually there is a video of the LeVR Pro1 presentation on YouTube, which I find quite instructive:
Evidently LeTV's CEO Jia Yueting gave out a couple of devices to some of the most famous actors from his soaps and then instructed them to appear awed and enthusiastic at the great introduction event in spring this year.
I don't think they were such good actors after all, because my impression is that they saw nothing and totally faked it (too bad I can't find the video on YouTube for now). We may be chasing shadows...
Resolution: Cardboard content, whether it's the demos or some of the games (my personal favorite is Bandit Six), will render with the native resolution of the screen. The headset only contains lenses, the resolution comes from the device and it's 2560x1440 (minus the invisible areas) for both eyes together. It certainly looks better than the Samsung Note 3 display inside my Oculus DK2.
The iMax like video demos you get via the "Within" app for example, are recorded with a resolution far below what Le Max 2 can deliver, but there the resolution is determined by the source and the encoding, nothing Le Max 2 can do about it. They are still very impressive so I can only recommend you trying them, both for the visual stimuli (Cuban dance) and the emotional impact (Syrian refugees).
Screen refresh may not be 90Hz, the LCD not as good as Amoled but honestly I can't tell. I was quite surprised at the quality and the lack of lag for both games and iMax type videos. Perhaps I just don't move my head just as rapidly any more these days, the weight of Le Max 2 is also somewhat higher than the Oculus headsets.
There is an app called "Google Cardboard" on the Play Store. It contains a couple of demos inside but it also opens some kind of a "sub-store" containing Google selected demos and applications which can actually be purchased.
I installed most of those and purchased some of the games.
Generally if you enter "Cardboard" into the Play Store, you'll find Cardboard compatible apps (and lots of garbage).
What might be interesting to explore is some of the apps which seem to fake a Samsung Gear VR device to the Play Store and the apps themselves.
I haven't done that myself yet, but that would open up a couple more games, at least if they support mouse or controller inputs and don't depend on the Samsung touch panel in the Gear headset.
Again this isn't long term as Google seems happy to totally ignore what Samsung has done and make DayDream incompatible with everything existing today.
Requiring Vulkan API support for Nougat certification is a clear indication on how much Google cares about the installed base.
If I had any say, resources or influence, I'd make Le Max 2 and the LeVR Pro1 into some kind of a hybrid Steam Link box and MiraCast receiver.
The panel is excellent, the gyros on the phone are great the video decoding power and WiFi hardware are top notch. So using both the Max2 and VR Pro1 to project semi or fully spherical content generated on a very powerful gaming PC wirelessly onto this combo would be technically feasible with latencies acceptible to quite a lot of centent, if not to LoL world championship participants.
Well we can dream, I guess...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will switch to cyanogen once the cm14.1 is released, if it's ever releasing. For now, EUI will not let me go to any other VR contents beside the stock ones. I do like the stock ones now because it just got updated to a whole lot more contents. But to me it is still looking like 480p instead of 1080p or even 2k contents. The only way for me to ever find true 2k is by doing youtube vr but I can't access youtube vr because youtube app is not part of the stock letv vr launcher The full screen view is super super big, it makes my head hurt because it's too close to us. The theatre mode is nice but the background screws it. I wish there's a feedback function for us to tell LeEco to push full screen mode back a little so it's perfectly within one's view. They should also change the dumb background so it doesn't look like we're in a cave of some sort.
I am really interesed in getting this le vr pro 1 however I haven't found it on any website as much as I haven't tried, could you please let me know where you found it?
---------- Post added at 06:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:00 AM ----------
Ohh I have found it, but do you think is a great deal? The cost is about the $80 and what do you think about the new leeco's explorer VR that is coming? Would it work with the le max 2?
edwarddd said:
I am really interesed in getting this le vr pro 1 however I haven't found it on any website as much as I haven't tried, could you please let me know where you found it?
---------- Post added at 06:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:00 AM ----------
Ohh I have found it, but do you think is a great deal? The cost is about the $80 and what do you think about the new leeco's explorer VR that is coming? Would it work with the le max 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Explore VR is the same as the vr pro 1! Good price bc in china its about $60. I will post tutorial on how to use this VR PROPERLY soon.
It depends on what you look for
edwarddd said:
I am really interesed in getting this le vr pro 1 however I haven't found it on any website as much as I haven't tried, could you please let me know where you found it?
---------- Post added at 06:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 06:00 AM ----------
Ohh I have found it, but do you think is a great deal? The cost is about the $80 and what do you think about the new leeco's explorer VR that is coming? Would it work with the le max 2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I hear the VRExplorer is nothing but a rebrand of LeVR Pro1. If that's the case it definitely works with Le Max 2, because that's what I use.
For my old eyes (>50) high resolution screens better be big!
It's really kind of crazy but Le Max 2 packs more pixels into 5,7" than any of my desktop screens: Magnifying glasses are the only way I'll ever be able to take advantage of all that pixel-estate!
So here is what I did yesterday: I laid down on my bed, put some nice Bluetooth headphones on my ears (Sennheiser MM100), downloaded a movie and some soap episodes on Le Max, slid it into LeVR and put that on my head.
Then I launched "VU Cinema VR 3D Video Player", selected a normal cinema (not the i-max), launched the videos and 'locked the screen': That screen locking fixes video just in front of you, independent of your position, which means I can just watch those movies on a 'really big screen' lying down. Without the locking you'd be looking at the cinema's roof.
It's the most comfortable screen viewing experience you can get without mounting a really, really big screen at your ceiling and you can continue to watch on your back, both sides and perhaps even on your belly.
LeVR is extremely easy to put on and take off and no hassle with the cables. If you should fall asleep, you won't choke or hurt yourself.
Now when it comes to real VR content that is stuff *generated* at native resolution and using your head and body movement as real-time inputs, there are natural limits to the compute power of the mobile platform: It's quite fine for many things, but when it comes to eye candy, my Oculus does better.
For me the decision was simple: Even with LeVR added on top, Le Max 2 was cheaper than any competing device, so LeVR basically came for free.
It's been uphill ever since!
What a awesome response! You did encourage me to buy the le VR pro , I really want to get it, Since I have never tried the "virtual reality" and since I do not have TV, (I know it is rare but I don't have one jajaja) so I am really exited about this, I am still looking, on where I can purchase it, where have you bought it? And at what price?
Please send me a pm if possible!
spemall.com
edwarddd said:
What a awesome response! You did encourage me to buy the le VR pro , I really want to get it, Since I have never tried the "virtual reality" and since I do not have TV, (I know it is rare but I don't have one jajaja) so I am really exited about this, I am still looking, on where I can purchase it, where have you bought it? And at what price?
Please send me a pm if possible!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got it from spemall.com (https://www.spemall.com/LETV-LeVR-Pro-1-Helmet-3D-Head-Mounted-Glasses_g.html).
My impression is that spemall.com is somewhat lacking in techincal knowledge (but honest in their financial dealings), which may actually explain why they are perhaps the only ones selling to the West: The 'intended use case' is currently not supported outside China so more 'professional' shops simply won't offer LeVR.
The 'secondary' use case (luxury Google Cardboard) is not well known, but perhaps good enough for many of us.
But you should in fact be able to use any (€10-20) Google Cardboard 'hardware' with your LeMax with perhaps similar fidelity in terms of viewing or interaction quality: In terms of functionality that's all you get at the moment.
I simply enjoy the fact that it looks very cool, is easy to put on and remove even with my glasses and will survive some of the beatings it's likely to get around here.
And I can't stress enough that the entry level LeMax (4GBRAM/32GB Flash) is just a crazy cheap $240 so LeVR Pro1 is essentially for free compared to the competition.
LeVR Pro1 also works (mostly) with OnePlus 5
I've had various problems with my Le Max 2, camera autofocus on Nougat doesn't work with my 6/64 GB device (but works fine with three 4/32 GB others in the extended family) and the touch buttons started to have severe ghost touches, which made the device unusable (it naturally works just fine as I am writing this...), so I got myself a OnePlus 5 with 8/128GB to soothe the pain... and out of curiosity, I inserted that into the LeVR Pro1, to see if it would work...
I am extremely pleased to report that it does work.... mostly. First of all, because the OnePlus is a bit smaller, it fits into the headset with the protective cover mounted, which is a great bonus all on its own: Removing even the simple silicon covers (hard covers are so much worse!) always carries a certain risk of dropping the phone just when it's least protected and I have had so many encounters with Murphy, I really appreciate when he's out of my face for once. The OnePlus is only 1080p, so you'll get a little less resolution, but with movies IMHO that doesn't really matter all that much: You'll also get AMOLED, which is supposed to refresh faster, but again when your primary use case is the mobile "big screen movie theatre", perhaps you won't care, at least, when he video is catching your attention.
"Partial" mostly refers to the fact, that the touch field on the side of LeVR works, but "back" button doesn't, which can be a bit of a bother, if your application requires it. Also any "higher precision" gyro inside the headset (if that actually exists), may not actually be used, but the interal gyros of the OnePlus are pretty good, even if they may eventually get out of sync with your real orientation, depending on the apps. Missing generic support for blue tooth game controllers, such as the ones from Microsoft, is really had to excuse several major releases after the first tentative support for gaming controllers: Shame, Google!
I didn't test very deeply, because for me the headset is mostly about virtual big screen video, not about VR games: Neither the 820 nor the 835 have the power of a GTX 1080ti with a dozen of 4 GHZ cores to support it, but a VR streaming over WLAN should really be possible technically. But Nvidia, Oculus/Facebook and Qualcomm would want to own that on both ends, before they ever make it happen: Greedy, moneysuckers they are!

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