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A couple of days ago, nVidia presented their new portable gaming device alongside one particular feature. The ability to stream PC games via cloud and from a nVidia powered PC with GFE (equipped with at least kepler Ge Force GTX 650) to any device able to have their Grid client.
This is nothing more than the evolution of what Splashtop brought (with nVidia sponsorship) on CES 2012 (confirmed by nVidia Italy itself on Facebook).
Now during the conference it was stated that the client would have reached every android device (not only Tegra ones nor Project shield) and in the next days some hands-on with different "non-shield" devices were recorded.
Finally also the one recorded on Nexus 7 landed (cortesy of Droid-Life)
here it is:
I honestly think that if there will be the option to customize controls other than the only gamepad, the Nexus 7 could be even a better device that the shield itself for this kind of gaming (even if it lacks the Tegra 4 SoC). Furthermore it will surely be a great boost for android gaming in general (thanks to the direct support of nVidia and their money / partners- compared to the influence of Splashtop Inc.). The staff of the Tegra page on FB confirmed me that Grid (that I intend in its incarnation of both LAN (via GFE) / internet streaming (via third party partners)) will have a different timetable than Project Shield, so I think we'll have the opportunity to enjoy this feature sooner than the release of Shield (maybe at the same time with the announcement of the Nexus 7 successor @ Google I/O or even sooner with an open bea :laugh
SimoxTav said:
A couple of days ago, nVidia presented their new portable gaming device alongside one particular feature. The ability to stream PC games via cloud and from a nVidia powered PC with GFE (equipped with at least kepler Ge Force GTX 650) to any device able to have their Grid client.
This is nothing more than the evolution of what Splashtop brought (with nVidia sponsorship) on CES 2012 (confirmed by nVidia Italy itself on Facebook).
Now during the conference it was stated that the client would have reached every android device (not only Tegra ones nor Project shield) and in the next days some hands-on with different "non-shield" devices were recorded.
Finally also the one recorded on Nexus 7 landed (cortesy of Droid-Life)
here it is:
I honestly think that if there will be the option to customize controls other than the only gamepad, the Nexus 7 could be even a better device that the shield itself for this kind of gaming (even if it lacks the Tegra 4 SoC). Furthermore it will surely be a great boost for android gaming in general (thanks to the direct support of nVidia and their money / partners- compared to the influence of Splashtop Inc.). The staff of the Tegra page on FB confirmed me that Grid (that I intend in its incarnation of both LAN (via GFE) / internet streaming (via third party partners)) will have a different timetable than Project Shield, so I think we'll have the opportunity to enjoy this feature sooner than the release of Shield (maybe at the same time with the announcement of the Nexus 7 successor @ Google I/O or even sooner with an open bea :laugh
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I used splashtop thd and I was able to play any game even just cause 2 just from streaming from my gaming computer. It worked perfectly fine on my N7 I don't see any reason why I would buy a device like this when I already own a device that can do the same thing.
Sent from my LG-C729 using xda app-developers app
Splashtop?
What's that?
And is OnLive working with N7?
AFAinHD said:
I used splashtop thd and I was able to play any game even just cause 2 just from streaming from my gaming computer. It worked perfectly fine on my N7 I don't see any reason why I would buy a device like this when I already own a device that can do the same thing.
Sent from my LG-C729 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Indeed, with the move from nVidia to make the technology available to all android devices, the only benefit compared to Splashtop THD is that the application will be directly supported from nVidia (that is not a startup nor currently involved with iOS).
It wasn't a topic about nVidia Shield but about nVidia Grid (that are 2 different projects with their own roadmap, simple shown together during the conference)
However Splashtop is lacking in the support of their app (several critical bugs are more than 1y old) (p.e. I had to tweak an XML profile via text editor to fix the mouse flickering issue in their app) and they have also to develop the iOS "traditional" version that it's surely more profitable for them than the THD one (in fact talking to their support center their confirmed that are short on resources to fix those bugs in short times).
Furthermore nVidia Grid will be probably free on LAN side (so potentially better than Splashtop), but it will be also available via 3G and 4G/LTE (but the service will be provided by third party owned Grid Server Farm). A feature that Splashtop simply doesn't have
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
Splashtop?
What's that?
And is OnLive working with N7?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I will semplify:
Splashtop = Remote desktop gaming via LAN streaming YOUR OWN hardware (Google Play)
Onlive (as you know) is the same thing of splashtop on the "internet" and is offered as a service with THEIR hardware (is currently in bankrupt due the expensive architecture, a technical problem solved by nVidia Grid with virtualization).
nVidia Grid will be BOTH (for the LAN side supported directly via nVidia through their Geforce Experience Program and for the "Internet" side provided by third party like Playcast)
For OnLive for N7 the device isn't officially supported, but IMHO it should work
The question is - will Grid work on N7/N10/current top tablets?
Or is it going to be Tegra 4-exclusive?
To me...YES!
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
The question is - will Grid work on N7/N10/current top tablets?
Or is it going to be Tegra 4-exclusive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Grid (for its "internet/cloud" side) for sure, was declared during the conference ((link, look from 0:24:00) and was also shown there (even if in a limited environment having the rack next to the devices and not "on the internet"). To see other devices running it there is the video in the opening post and several other hands on showing it running on N7, HTC X and LG Smart TVs.
Grid (-or whatever it's called- for its "LAN" side, basically the evolution of Splashtop THD streamer) is currently promoted only on the Shield Project page but considering that is the same H.264 compressed stream that travel from a server to a client but in a local environment, if it can works on internet, why shouldn't work on local? If what Mr Huang said ("as long as you have a mobile processor able to manage h.264 you can run grid) is true, directly from nVidia or from someone that extract the APK, we'll easily have the client.
On the server side everything is needed is a GeForce GPU (at least GTX650) and the GeForce Experience Program, so no particular gimmicks.
Seeing Splashtop THD running smoothly on N7 is enough to state that the hardware is powerful enough to handle it (as long as we're speaking on internal screen (so 720p) and i'd say up to 1080p (even if Splashtop doesn't support on its THD version). Probably 4K screens and concurrent miracast streaming to both the devices will be an exclusive for the power of T4 (and with a very good wireless repeater i'd say), but without a video output option on the N7 is not our scenario at all
I don't see much point of using 4K HDTV's with a tablet to run a gaming streaming program. It's much easier to just play on a console or connect your gaming PC to a HDTV and use it as a monitor to utilize the power potential and play graphics-heavy things like Crysis in the resolution it was meant to be played
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
I don't see much point of using 4K HDTV's with a tablet to run a gaming streaming program. It's much easier to just play on a console or connect your gaming PC to a HDTV and use it as a monitor to utilize the power potential and play graphics-heavy things like Crysis in the resolution it was meant to be played
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I completely agree. Furthermore, talking about raw numbers, accordingly to this a streaming of an H.264 720p video (in high quality)@ 30fps, takes about 6Mbit/s that is currently a bandwidth available even on a good G router (and on several mobile providers). Considering the target of 60 fps we will need a surely at least a N router to avoid hiccups during the stream. However, rising the resolution to 4k the bandwidth needed for 60fps is about 70mbit/s that is simply insane to reach completely wireless if not sitting next to the PC and the router (as always seen in all the presentations) or having a real powerful dual band router...So to me the streaming makes sense only on portable devices up to 1080p. Above there are surely other solutions
SimoxTav said:
I completely agree. Furthermore, talking about raw numbers, accordingly to this a streaming of an H.264 720p video (in high quality)@ 30fps, takes about 6Mbit/s that is currently a bandwidth available even on a good G router (and on several mobile providers). Considering the target of 60 fps we will need a surely at least a N router to avoid hiccups during the stream. However, rising the resolution to 4k the bandwidth needed for 60fps is about 70mbit/s that is simply insane to reach completely wireless if not sitting next to the PC and the router (as always seen in all the presentations) or having a real powerful dual band router...So to me the streaming makes sense only on portable devices up to 1080p. Above there are surely other solutions
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So, as I understand, to use Grid you must not only have a more or less fast Wi-Fi connection (or mobile network if it allows it), but also have a device powerful enough to decode the picture being streamed from the server/your PC, right?
I've seen a couple of vids with the above-mentioned Splashtop GamePad THD - and it runs with noticeably less framerate than it does on the PC that the app was demonstated with
It's kinda strange though, because unlike Grid and Splashtop - the OnLive required to have only a fast enough internet connection which bandwith would allow to process the stream from the server, and the technology didn't require you to have a powerful hardware, meaning that you could even run things like Battlefiled 3 with maximum quality on a 5 year old PC
So why did NVidia decie to go the other way around?
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
So, as I understand, to use Grid you must not only have a more or less fast Wi-Fi connection (or mobile network if it allows it), but also have a device powerful enough to decode the picture being streamed from the server/your PC, right?
I've seen a couple of vids with the above-mentioned Splashtop GamePad THD - and it runs with noticeably less framerate than it does on the PC that the app was demonstated with
It's kinda strange though, because unlike Grid and Splashtop - the OnLive required to have only a fast enough internet connection which bandwith would allow to process the stream from the server, and the technology didn't require you to have a powerful hardware, meaning that you could even run things like Battlefiled 3 with maximum quality on a 5 year old PC
So why did NVidia decie to go the other way around?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More or less every device today is able to manage (encode/decode) a H.264 stream so basically the "requirements" for the client device are not so strict (I'd say similar to OnLive indeed. Consider that having a compressed stream means less bandwidth used, on the other hand a decent CPU is needed to handle the task). The main difference is about that the THD version is specifically optimized to use one core of Tegra 3 just for the decoding process. Talking about the framerate of splashtop, I'll measure it somehow (I need the GF reflex but i'll try with a phone ), however I never noticed so much difference between the 2 devices (assuming that I have an intel core-i5 + GTX 670 and a DGND3700).
To be completely honest, however, I didn't even noticed a difference between the THD version and the "Splashtop 2 version on the nexus 7 (Splashtop 2 is free so is worth a try and compatible with a wide range of devices).
May I ask you to link the video you watched to see if the different framerate could be relevant to some particular environment?
SimoxTav said:
May I ask you to link the video you watched to see if the different framerate could be relevant to some particular environment?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I watched this video, the official one from Splashtop YouTube channel:
You can easily notice that even streaming a movie lacks the framerate compared to the original shown on the PC
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
I watched this video, the official one from Splashtop YouTube channel:
...cut...
You can easily notice that even streaming a movie lacks the framerate compared to the original shown on the PC
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I'd say the difference is crystal clear. Probably for Grid/Project Shield they improved their codec to grant a smoother output (nVidia Italy said something related to it on Facebook (Link)
Quanto mostrato è una evoluzione di questa tecnologia, ancora a livello prototipale, quindi purtroppo non siamo in grado di risponderti con precisione, non essendo neppure noi a conoscenza dei dettagli
Translated:
As shown is an evolution of this technology (Note: Splashtop), still at prototype level, so unfortunately we are unable to answer precisely, since neither are we aware of the details
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recorded on the fly a video for BF3, both server and client are connected via wifi (this isn't the optimal scenario but due the distance I can't move the desktop around the house). Talking about numbers there are no excuses and even on side by side comparison the difference is noticeable; however taken each one singly, the experience is IMHO enjoyable). Tomorrow I'll try with Splashtop 2 the same test (that one comes from a different developing branch, more recent than THD so maybe there will be improvements)
Video
FYI:
I used the render.drawfps call on BF3 (embedded in the engine) and FPS Meter on Android so was easy to see their framerates side by side. On PC the game is configured on Ultra with Vsync so no more than 60fps.
Does the in-game graphics setting have an influence on the framerate of the streamed picture?
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
Does the in-game graphics setting have an influence on the framerate of the streamed picture?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For this i quote what Eurogamer stated during the faceoff between OnLive and Gaikai (that should be based on Grid servers) (Source)
Improved visual quality server-side also has ramifications for video compression. Hard edges with no anti-aliasing will be harder to encode than a richer, smoother picture derived from the game running on higher graphics settings - after all, these video compressors were designed with real life footage in mind, not raw game visuals.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So better compression means lower bandwidth, however the framerate of both the stream and the server play a big role.
Basically, fewer unique frames (60FPS) means less work for the compressor to deal with when encoding the video stream. From another perspective, dropping down to 30FPS also provides double the amount of bandwidth for image quality and thus delivers overall clarity closer to the experience of gaming on local hardware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
IMO 30FPS is mostly enough, though for fast paced racing and fighting games 60FPS is a must. Especially for fightings.
I believe that if we use a game with less graphics-heavy vicuals - then the stream should be pretty smooth, right?
Like, let's say, games like Diablo II, StarCraft, WarCraft III and Trackmania/Trackmania: Sunrise should work pretty nice
Fatal1ty_18_RUS said:
IMO 30FPS is mostly enough, though for fast paced racing and fighting games 60FPS is a must. Especially for fightings.
I believe that if we use a game with less graphics-heavy vicuals - then the stream should be pretty smooth, right?
Like, let's say, games like Diablo II, StarCraft, WarCraft III and Trackmania/Trackmania: Sunrise should work pretty nice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, but more than graphics visuals details, their fast pace gameplay is the worst for this kind of technology.
However it seems that with grid the performance are clearly better
Did they specify if this was going to be a monthly subscription type deal or a pay for the games and what not like onlive?
ÜBER™ said:
Did they specify if this was going to be a monthly subscription type deal or a pay for the games and what not like onlive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't think that NVidia can afford to run a service like this (imagine how much resources they need to provide this streaming, especially in a perfect state)
Look at what happened to OnLive
So probably it's gonna be, like, 10-15$ a month or so, not too much (like if you'd rent a game from a shop like GameStop or such) and multiplied by the number of NVidia-powered devices (including phones, tablets and computers/notebooks/etc) - it's gonna bring some $$$ for the company
ÜBER™ said:
Did they specify if this was going to be a monthly subscription type deal or a pay for the games and what not like onlive?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Their GRID architecture for cloud will be sold to third parties (Playcast, Ubitus, etc) and nVidia will not provide its own service directly. However talking on the LAN side of the application, it should be promoted and supported directly by nVidia (even if for now is shown as a "Shield only" feature) but I expect to see it at least on "all" Tegra devices (due the fact that if the service can work on the cloud, make it working on LAN is surely easier.
I know this is my second but I thought it would be nice to see some variety.
This OS looks a lot like MIUI but has some different looking features and abilities. I think it would be worth looking into.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6oLUmc2iOQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Here is a downloadable simulator, if you know how to install it, to get an idea of the look and feel. Or you can simply install it in your version of Firefox web browser under "add-ons".
http://people.mozilla.org/~myk/r2d2b2g/
This is Mozilla's webpage talking about their idea on mobile OS. I think the articles actually kind of weak.
https://www.mozilla.org/en-US/firefoxos/
Hope you guys like this.
--------------------UPDATE-------------
Here's an article about the specs of the Firefox OS.
94
Mozilla reveals Firefox OS Developer Preview Phone
By Jamie Rigg posted Jan 22nd, 2013 at 6:33 AM
Mozilla said it won't be launching its own hardware to run the in-development Firefox OS when it's finished, but the company has just announced a "Developer Preview Phone" for putting the OS through its paces. It's not quite the same as the mystery device we saw sporting Firefox OS at CES, but its specs seem almost as basic. The handset will feature a 3.5-inch HVGA touchscreen and 3-megapixel camera on the outside, with a 1GHz Snapdragon S1 CPU, half a gig of RAM, 4GB of microSD-expandable storage and WiFi, 2G and 3G antennae inside. Sure, that processor isn't a beast, but an 800MHz S1 does just fine in the Lumia 610. A 1580mAh battery will keep the carrier-unlocked phone running, and Mozilla is promising OTA updates to Firefox OS to keep devs, well, up to date. At the moment, we have no idea how much the phone will cost, but the first units are expected to be available next month.
The developer handset is called the Keon, according to creator Geekphone's website, and while not mentioned in the Mozilla Hacks blog post, it appears to have a more powerful cousin called the Peak. It's got a 4.3-inch qHD screen, 8-megapixel back-facing camera (with flash) and 2-megapixel shooter round the front. A 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 CPU and larger 1800mAh battery are within, but storage, RAM and connectivity specs are the same as the smaller Keon. Mozilla may not be formally promoting this as its own dev handset, but it was still included in the picture which accompanied the announcement (see above: the Keon is in orange, the Peak in white). We're getting in contact with Mozilla to clarify, and will update you when we hear back.
A mix of IOS and MIUI iiii liiiikkkee it
I'm trying to learn java I've made a basic plugin for bukkit ( a minecraft server thing lol don't judge me ) and if anyone can help me while I take on this task like guide me through some stuff like git hub and other stuff, I will take the challenge.
Buut if some doubt me and think they can do it....go ahead.
Sent from my EVO using xda premium
Hi,
have the minix but not happy because some bugs, remote and the interface.
My main use is xbmc, will fire tv be as good or better ???
007xico said:
Hi,
have the minix but not happy because some bugs, remote and the interface.
My main use is xbmc, will fire tv be as good or better ???
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They're VERY similar. Fire TV has some bugs, some quirks, and a pretty ineffective remote. The best XBMC is probably like a ECS LIVA mini-PC or a bay trail tablet (Dell venue 8 pro) which run full Linux or Windows with much greater speed and stability. An Intel X86 build is probably going to smoke any ARM+Android implementation.
That said, the Neo X8h and FireTV are probably about even for being the best XBMC ARM devices, in my opinion.
cmdrfrog said:
They're VERY similar. Fire TV has some bugs, some quirks, and a pretty ineffective remote. The best XBMC is probably like a ECS LIVA mini-PC or a bay trail tablet (Dell venue 8 pro) which run full Linux or Windows with much greater speed and stability. An Intel X86 build is probably going to smoke any ARM+Android implementation.
That said, the Neo X8h and FireTV are probably about even for being the best XBMC ARM devices, in my opinion.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for replying.
A quick question, do i need to be rooted to have xbmc?
007xico said:
Thanks for replying.
A quick question, do i need to be rooted to have xbmc?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
nope. just need to sideload via ADB.
Root is only needed to make XBMC your default launcher at startup.
The mini x8h apparently has Mali,which is less bad than Fire TV's Qualcomm Adreno.
It also has higher standards for resolution than Fire TV. (I wish I had a mini x8h!)
Can mini x8h run Reicast without causing it to reboot?
Can it run any version of Dolphin Emulator? (It has KitKat 4.4,which means OpenGL ES 3.0 support)
retroben said:
Root is only needed to make XBMC your default launcher at startup.
The mini x8h apparently has Mali,which is less bad than Fire TV's Qualcomm Adreno.
It also has higher standards for resolution than Fire TV. (I wish I had a mini x8h!)
Can mini x8h run Reicast without causing it to reboot?
Can it run any version of Dolphin Emulator? (It has KitKat 4.4,which means OpenGL ES 3.0 support)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
actually the adreno 320 is better than the mali 450 in all tests
http://www.antutu.com/view.shtml?id=7356#2
http://kyokojap.myweb.hinet.net/gpu_gflops/
adreno 320 APQ8064T 400 MHz 86 gflops
vs
Mali-450 MP8 --- 600 MHz 71 gflops (thats if its using the best mali 450 processor)
You forget the main point.
Stability and compatibility is much better with Mali according to a Dolphin Emulator blog post.
https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2013/09/26/dolphin-emulator-and-opengl-drivers-hall-fameshame/
Qualcomm is deemed horrible while Mali is called bad,but can now actually run Dolphin Emulator because of driver workarounds.
I bought a Minix 8H and returned it 10 days later. The air mouse is a piece of junk which is what really attracted me to the unit to begin with. Their launcher is clunky and yes, you can go back to the default Android launcher, which I did. It just feels unfinished and unpolished. I know I could have customized it but I didnt pay that much for a box to re-invent the wheel.
MadFlava said:
I bought a Minix 8H and returned it 10 days later. The air mouse is a piece of junk which is what really attracted me to the unit to begin with. Their launcher is clunky and yes, you can go back to the default Android launcher, which I did. It just feels unfinished and unpolished. I know I could have customized it but I didnt pay that much for a box to re-invent the wheel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
this^^^. plus you can snag an FireTV for $85 or less while the Minix 8 is like around $120ish I believe.
Well, im right now waiting for my minix8 to be delivered, which i ordered just two days before preorder launch of the atv here in germany.
I did some research beforehand and for my main use xbmc the minix seems to be best, as they are supplied with special minix versions of xmbc featuring a better mali hardware support.
But for a dicouted prime price of just €50 i ordered an atv as well
I only wonder if i should cancel the minix order and wait a month or two for my atv batch to arrive or go with both units and sell one later.
retroben said:
You forget the main point.
Stability and compatibility is much better with Mali according to a Dolphin Emulator blog post.
https://dolphin-emu.org/blog/2013/09/26/dolphin-emulator-and-opengl-drivers-hall-fameshame/
Qualcomm is deemed horrible while Mali is called bad,but can now actually run Dolphin Emulator because of driver workarounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
well i had a rk3188, works ok but it always feels heavy and slow compared to my galaxy s2, galaxy s3 and firetv.
but i guess compatibility will be higher since mali is very widespread although i have yet to run something not compatible..
Anyone with a mini x8h please try out Dolphin and Reicast with any game like Luigi's Mansion on Dolphin,but specifically Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 on Reicast since they gave me the most trouble with reboots on my Fire TV.
I am curious if it does not reboot at all with Reicast and if Dolphin actually works since there is KitKat and OpenGL ES 3.0 support on mini x8h.
retroben said:
Anyone with a mini x8h please try out Dolphin and Reicast with any game like Luigi's Mansion on Dolphin,but specifically Sonic Adventure 1 and 2 on Reicast since they gave me the most trouble with reboots on my Fire TV.
I am curious if it does not reboot at all with Reicast and if Dolphin actually works since there is KitKat and OpenGL ES 3.0 support on mini x8h.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
hi retroben i bought a x8-h just for reicast and sa1 and sa2 run really good, no reboots only after applying beta 8 firmware and hardware guru's firmware patch. :good:
Did it have issues before patching?
Are you going to try Dolphin emulator to see if it even runs?
My Fire TV has started running at superb speed since I applied a certain UI tweak.
If you are reading this rbox,I can confirm that nothing bad has happenned since that forced GPU tweak,and I am hoping that you will tell others how to apply said tweak.
retroben said:
My Fire TV has started running at superb speed since I applied a certain UI tweak.
If you are reading this rbox,I can confirm that nothing bad has happenned since that forced GPU tweak,and I am hoping that you will tell others how to apply said tweak.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you elaborate on what the UI tweak is and does? I'm always looking for ways to improve the Fire TV experience.
Lol Rbox holding out on us
I have a MINIX X8-H, Minix Neo Z64 and the Fire TV. I have to say out of the three the Z64 is my favourite. It fixed some of the quarks that the X8-H had and is a lot more customizable than the Fire TV. I actually only use the Fire TV for games now. I just got tired of going to the systems pane to access my apps. In this regard both the Z64 and X8-H are much better. I also absolutely love the air mouse and keyboard remote, light years ahead of the Fire TV's remote. Anyway, grab the Z64, its defiantly the winner, you can also install Windows 8 or Linux, which the Fire TV can't do.
calden74 said:
I have a MINIX X8-H, Minix Neo Z64 and the Fire TV. I have to say out of the three the Z64 is my favourite. It fixed some of the quarks that the X8-H had and is a lot more customizable than the Fire TV. I actually only use the Fire TV for games now. I just got tired of going to the systems pane to access my apps. In this regard both the Z64 and X8-H are much better. I also absolutely love the air mouse and keyboard remote, light years ahead of the Fire TV's remote. Anyway, grab the Z64, its defiantly the winner, you can also install Windows 8 or Linux, which the Fire TV can't do.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, it fixed some quarks? Far enough, I'm in!
Seriously though, the Chinese boxes look tempting but their support is somewhat lacking. They move to a new model and abandon the last, bugs and all are left unfixed and you are relying on enthusiasts to make them usable. Also, look at the price difference, in Europe the Z64 is 50% more expensive than an AFTV.
the_chinaman said:
Wow, it fixed some quarks? Far enough, I'm in!
Seriously though, the Chinese boxes look tempting but their support is somewhat lacking. They move to a new model and abandon the last, bugs and all are left unfixed and you are relying on enthusiasts to make them usable. Also, look at the price difference, in Europe the Z64 is 50% more expensive than an AFTV.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes but your also getting a lot more, specifically, a customizable UI, which is, to me anyway, worth every penny. I got absolutely sick of having to go to the System menu to access my side loaded apps. There is also a plethora of ports, another area in which the Fire TV falls extremely short. Each to his own tbough but I guarantee that you'll be a lot more happier with the MINIX than the Fire TV. The Fire TV is still better than the Apple TV though, I'm actually dumbfounded as to why people by that thing, just a horribly inadequate TV set box. Oooohhh we now have HBO, says the bloggers on Apple extremist sites, yeah, well I've had it since its incarnation with my MINIX and Fire TV.
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According to StatCounter, Android OS officially overtook Windows as the world’s most popular operating system in April, 2017. While Android’s dominance in the smartphone and tablet industries grows, its market share in the desktop PC world is still less than 1%. Jide Technology, a company which was founded by three ex-Google engineers in 2014, has been working on “unlocking the potential of Android and accelerating a new age of computing”, at least that’s what their slogan says. The key to that vision is the Remix OS, an Android-based operating system designed to work like a desktop OS.
Although Jide and its Remix OS have gained quite a number of fans with products such as the Ultra Tablet and Remix Mini, many are still confused about what kind of convenience the Remix OS can really bring to their daily life. While being the most versatile Android-based tablet, the Ultra Tablet is heavier and pricier than many more competent Core-M powered Windows convertibles. The Remix Mini is compact, affordable, but powered by a low-end SoC., the performance is somewhat disappointing.
The newly released Remix X1 is designed to replace the Remix Mini, a device that did not achieve the kind of market success Jide had strived for. Will the Remix X1 bring some game-changing features that will finally make it a hit? Or is it just a regular upgrade of its predecessor? I will try to answer these questions in this review.
Package
Inside the box you will find a Mini PC, a charger with three different plugs, a remote, and a pair of dry cells.
Design and Build
Compared to the Remix Mini, the X1 looks much more like a Mini PC. It is larger, heavier, offers more ports. For some, the X1 may be less aesthetically pleasing than the Mini because it has sharper edges and more abrupt lines.
There are a slew of ports and slots on the device. The left side plays host to two full USB 2.0 ports, while the right side hosts a VGA port.
On the back side you will find a charging port, an HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, two full USB 2.0 ports as well as a 3.5mm audio jack. 4 USB outputs are definitely a nice improvement over the Mini’s 2, but unfortunately they are still USB 2.0 standard, and cannot deliver the USB 3.0 speed many of us are used to nowadays.
On the top side of the device you will find a Jide Logo and, finally, a physical power button. I have been a user of the Mini for more than a year now, and I was constantly driven mad by the invisible capacitive power button on it. It gives no feedback, the only way to know whether your touch gets registered is by looking at the screen.
Although the plastic shell does give the device a plasticky feel, the build quality is still good. It doesn’t have any ugly mold lines on its surface, and feels like it could survive some pressure and even occasional drops. Unlike the fanless design of the Remix Mini and other Android-based TV boxes, the X1 actually has a fan inside to control the temperature of the internals.
Setting it up
Like all PCs, the Remix X1 needs to be paired with a screen and input devices. You can connect the X1 with a monitor or an HDTV with a VGA or an HDMI cable, with a mouse and a keyboard in place and you are good to go.
The X1 will automatically boot itself when you plug the wall charger into a socket. Quite odd given that it already has a physical power button now. Jide claims that the auto-boot is a result of the settings of the Rockchip SoC. and is a shared by many other TV boxes running on Rockchip processors. Unlike the Mini, the X1 can support 4K resolution (3840*2160), and will offer better visuals on UHD displays.
Remix OS 3.0
At the heart of this X1 is Jide’s all new Remix OS. Just like we mentioned at the beginning of this article, the Remix OS is an Android-based operating system designed to work like a desktop OS. The version X1 ships with is the Remix 3.0, which is based on Android M (Android 6.0). Compared to the Android 5.1-based Remix 2.0, this is definitely an upgrade. However, it still lags behind the smartphone industry, as most phones are now running Android 7.0 Nougat.
For those who have never used or even heard of the Remix OS, it is definitely not your average Android experience. In fact, it looks so different that you cannot even relate it to Android until you run Android applications on it. The Remix OS 3.0 comes with 2 modes: PC mode and TV mode. In TV mode, you will get a TV BOX UI which works perfectly with the stock remote. In PC mode, you will get a UI that is designed to be worked with a mouse and a keyboard.
All apps installed from the TV Appstore will automatically show up on the TV mode UI. You can handily use the remote to open and control these applications. You can watch the latest videos on YouTube, or your favorite TV shows on Netflix and Hulu.
In PC mode, you will get a taskbar similar to the one on Windows 10. On the left side of the taskbar you will also get an icon to open the application drawer. All apps (except those exclusive to the TV mode) will show up in the app drawer and you can rank them by name, time of installation and usage. You can also click the search icon to search for the applications you have in mind.
Besides the icon of the application drawer are the three classic Android keys: Back, Home and Multi-tasking, you can use them to control the running applications. Clicking on “Back” and the OS will return to the last screen, clicking on “Home” and all running applications will be minimized (while the icons stay in the taskbar), clicking on multi-tasking and you will get the shortcuts for all running applications and the two modes which Remix OS 3.0 offers.
On the right side of the taskbar you will get many settings, including Memory-cleanup, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Input, Time and Date and Notification Center. The Memory-Cleanup shortcut will help you to close all applications running in the background (only the one app running on top will stay once you click the “Memory Cleanup” button).
The Notification Center looks like the one on Windows 10, all notifications and alerts will show up here, and applications normally shown in the pull-down menu of your smartphone UI will also be found here. Besides, you also get 5 icons, including DND mode, positioning switch, autohide the taskbar, Screenshot and Settings.
What really makes Remix OS special is its ability to run multiple apps in windows. You can browse through Emails, chat on Skype and watch a movie simultaneously. You will feel like you are using Windows 10 instead of Android.
Thanks to the keyboard shortcuts and right-click menus the Remix OS offers, the X1 feels much more productive than your average smartphones and tablets. You can copy texts from the webpages and instantly paste them into the input boxes of your Email app or social networking apps. All apps running in windows can be resized according to the user’s personal preferences.
The X1 is preinstalled with Kodi, which works as the media center. Not only does it take care of local media contents (browsing pics, playing music and videos), you can also enable add-ons to stream music and videos online.
Remix OS 3.0 also allows users to clone apps, you just need to enable it in the experimental features inside the settings. If you have multiple accounts on one social network, this feature will be extremely useful.
When it comes to real productivity tasks such as editing documents and photos, the X1 is still no match for its Windows counterparts. You can do some simple editing with applications such as WPS Office as well as Android versions of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint, but it is by no means as efficient as working on a real PC. There are far fewer things that you can do as the Android versions of Office Suites only offer some of the basic functions, and performing the same task may take much more time on the X1 than on your average Windows PCs. I tried to edit my presentation with WPS Office on the X1 once, the awkwardness and low efficiency made me dying to switch to my desktop PC.
During my 1-month of reviewing the X1, I found that I was doing media-consuming most of the time, thanks to the countless music and video streaming apps Android offers. But I did occasionally post stuff on my social media accounts. Whenever I finished watching a movie, I instantly gave my rating on IMDB. Then I took a screenshot of the IMDB page and shared it on Facebook, Wechat and Twitter. The multi-windows function of the Remix OS makes it possible for me to update all social media accounts at the exact same time.
Although Remix OS 3.0 is based on a new version of Android (Android 6.0), I didn’t really see any significant improvement from Remix 2.0. Yes, I have noticed that there is now a full-screen icon on the application running in windows mode, and that the notification center has a white background. I have also noticed some more experimental features in the settings. But none of these changes is cool enough to make my life much easier. Jide has two years to bring some game-changing features to the Remix OS, unfortunately that just didn’t happen.
Performance
The Remix X1 is powered by a Rockchip RK3368 processor, which has octa-core Cortex A53 CPU clocked at 1.2Ghz and a PowerVR G6112 GPU. Released in 2015, this SoC. is by no means one of the most powerful ARM-based processors. There is also 2GB DDR3 RAM on board to take care of multi-tasking.
Compared to the Remix Mini, the X1 is significantly faster, but it still lags behind your average Android smartphones and tablets.
Like usual, we ran some benchmarks on the X1. The Antutu benchmark returned a score of 33,992, which ranks below most entry-level smartphones.
In the Geekbench test, the X1 scored 1241, which is also nowhere near the average of mainstream smartphones and tablets.
We always say that benchmarks are one thing, real-world performance is another. Fortunately for the X1, the benchmark scores did not entirely translate into real-life usage. The X1 remained sloppy and responsive most of the time, although I did notice that installing an app took significantly longer than on my flagship smartphones. It also took more time for bigger applications and games to load on the X1. When there were too many applications running on the desktop, the system became less responsive. Personally, I think Jide should have put more RAM into the X1 to make it more capable of handling multi-tasking, since that is what Remix OS is all about.
Connectivity
The X1 offers many connectivity options. It supports 2.4GHz/5GHz dual band Wi-Fi, and the Wireless connection is very solid, as well. There’s also Bluetooth 4.0 on board to take care of local data transfer and connecting audio and input devices. Bluetooth connection is so much more stable on the X1 than on the Remix Mini. While Mini was unable to connect with some of my Bluetooth speakers placed more about 5 meters away, the X1 had no such problems.
The X1 only has 16GB internal storage, but it offers a Micro SD card slot and as many as 4 full USB 2.0 Type-A ports, making it easier for users to connect to multiple external storages. I have my 64GB Transcend Micro SD card inserted and it works like a charm. Although the USB 2.0 ports could not offer the same level of speed the USB3.X ports are able to offer, it isn’t really that noticeable when you just play videos or music from the external storages.
A VGA port and an HDMI output make it possible for users to connect the X1 with a wide range of monitors, projectors and HDTVs. But unfortunately you can't output the X1 graphics to a monitor and a TV at the same time.
Verdict
Despite its issues and imperfections, the Remix X1 is still arguably the best Android Mini PC out there. Fairly speaking, it doesn’t really have many competitions.
Although it is cool to see an Android-based device working like a desktop PC, I am still having a hard time trying to figure out which type of customers the X1 is marketing towards. According to Jide, the Remix OS will be mainly targeting business users from now on. But unfortunately, the X1 is still no match for an average Windows desktop PC or laptop when it comes to business tasks, and the number of applications which really work ideally with a mouse and a keyboard is still relatively small. For the majority of users, Android is more used for media consumption and entertainment purposes, no matter how much you make it look and feel like Windows.
The X1 is a very competent and affordable HTPC which can handily replace all Android-based TV boxes. But if you want a device that can replace your PC for productivity tasks, you won’t be satisfied with the X1.
Jide has nearly two years to make an amazing product out of the X1, but somehow they ended up releasing only a regular upgrade of the Remix Mini. There were indeed some improvements, both on the hardware and software fronts, but with only 2GB of RAM, 16GB internal storage, a dated processor and the still relatively small Remix ecosystem, the X1 just is less promising than we expected it to be.
mod edit - http://cngadget.info/2017/5930/
Good android TV but poor company reliability. They used up all the backer funds in kickstarter and never delivered product nor they have started refunding a successful campaign only to cancel it after 10 months of using the backers money to venture to a different business. Its a good product but do expect a lot of hate comments from your disgrunted backers.
They have been very unresponsive about refunds on their canceled Kickstarter. I hope someone from the industry and the tech media could reach out and ask some hard questions, because they are now uncommunicative to the people who had backed and funded their initiative. Even their superbackers ('collaborators') are left in the dark, embarrassed with eggs on their faces.
I'm one of the IO/IO+ backers and I am really sad that it had to come to this - if I understand correctly this is the IO re branded to X1 that will be available to purchase to business users. Now I really don't understand if they were going to keep the design why they couldn't honor their backers...
Yeah Jide are scammers, just look at their Kickstarter page, I will never deal them again and advise people to avoid them
Remix X1 (Remix IO)
R.I.P Jide...
BuPe said:
I'm one of the IO/IO+ backers and I am really sad that it had to come to this - if I understand correctly this is the IO re branded to X1 that will be available to purchase to business users. Now I really don't understand if they were going to keep the design why they couldn't honor their backers...
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Couldn't agree more. I backed them for the Remix Mini which is doing what I wanted. Picked up a cheap Remix Ultra Tablet on eBay which kids have fun with.
Kickstarter's reputation suffers badly when something like this happens. Had to do a a bit of chasing to eventually get my Dokicam, still waiting for my Android Da Vinci game and t-shirt. Very reluctant to back any more projects with what is being reported on line.
I still want my IO+ or X1 or whatever it is being called. If Jide are not forthcoming with refunds or the IO/IO+, the company should be blacklisted internationally.
I am not a disgruntled Jide backer; I am a ripped-off backer. After backing Jide's Kickstarter Campaigns through its Remix Tablet and Remix Mini projects, I had no idea Jide would turn around and stiff all its backers with its IO/IO+ scam. After waiting for a year for the product, being fed postponement after postponement, promised new shipping dates (and even being shown pictures of the shipping boxes...whoopee!), Jide announced that it was abandoning the project and moving to the enterprise market. Refunds would be forthcoming, they promised. But now more delays, posponements and empty promises but no refunds. And, to add insult to injury, Jide is now independently marketing a re-branded IO (look at the photo of the bottom of the x1), essentially reselling the unit I paid for and never received. This appears to be a breach of (Kickstarter) contract and criminal activity, and Jeremy Chau, David Ko, and Ben Luk are complicit. These three and Jide are sleaze, at the very least.
I'm still so salty about this. Especially after looking at these images haha, man. I'm honestly really upset because it looks awesome and this was going to be my multimedia set up in my living room, to replace the HTPC I currently use for streaming and more. I took all their surveys, provided additional feedback and opinions, and even ended up paying a bit more for the upgraded model after my initial backing. Words cannot explain how much anger I have towards Jive now. I will actively avoid all future products by them. It may sound petty, but what they did is honestly unforgivable. They've lost all respect in my eyes. And I'm still waiting for my refund of ~$120 that at this point they stole from me.
I think everything that could be said about the JIDE fiasco has been said by the other posters! This X1 Box is really the Kickstarter IO device offered to backers over a year ago. Why XDA did not mention this in the article is beyond me! XDA should mention the fact that this company has now left former backers and buyers of their previous builds behind with no support nor updates to the devices they previously bought! Surprised really, XDA should be forthcoming about this as well in their write-up!
Oh my god, I wasn't really aware that Jide had made so many people mad in their Kickstarter campaigns, which I had very little knowledge about. I bought this device in their recent tester recruitment in China. To be honest, I really had fun with the device, it is probably the best TV box I have ever used. But as a Remix Mini owner, I am also disappointed with how little progress they have made since the Mini.
One month later still no refund for my IO - just a scam called X1.
jupiter2012 said:
Oh my god, I wasn't really aware that Jide had made so many people mad in their Kickstarter campaigns, which I had very little knowledge about. I bought this device in their recent tester recruitment in China. To be honest, I really had fun with the device, it is probably the best TV box I have ever used. But as a Remix Mini owner, I am also disappointed with how little progress they have made since the Mini.
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How much did you pay for it? I also backed this device on Kickstarter, and have yet to receive a refund. I'm trying to find a TV Box that runs Remix OS 3.0, but no luck. I hate the company because of their shady practices, but I really like the OS itself, having also previously backing and receiving a Remix Mini. It's a shame that a company with such a great product, can do this to their loyal customers, and get away with it. I personally hope that they go out of business and learn a lesson...after us backers receive our refunds, of course, haha.
guy4jesuschrist said:
How much did you pay for it? I also backed this device on Kickstarter, and have yet to receive a refund. I'm trying to find a TV Box that runs Remix OS 3.0, but no luck. I hate the company because of their shady practices, but I really like the OS itself, having also previously backing and receiving a Remix Mini. It's a shame that a company with such a great product, can do this to their loyal customers, and get away with it. I personally hope that they go out of business and learn a lesson...after us backers receive our refunds, of course, haha.
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I paid RMB500 for it.
jupiter2012 said:
I paid RMB500 for it.
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Ok, not sure what currency that is, but I'll let Google help me convert it to USD, haha.
So, $74.80...and they charged us backers $99+ for one. Such pathetic crooks!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Today I have the privilege of reviewing Freer X9, the first tablet ever on this blog! And it's a good one!
AlldoCube Freer X9 is a 8.9" Quad core (by a Mediatek chipset) powerhouse running on a high resolution screen with some great hardware
Freer X9 was sent to me to review courtesy of the good people at AlldoCube (formerly known as Cube)
What do we get in the box?
We get the bare essentials with this tablet, which is to say: X9 Tablet, User Manual, and charging/data USB-C cable
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
Looks and design
The design is pretty elegant and simple, with a metal (aluminum) back which gives it a quality look. The IPS display unit is a (very) high resolution 2560*1600 IPS screen. That means that the picture, games and video displayed are razor sharp and the display has plenty of light even for using it outside. The ports included are quite sparse, with a USB-C port (which is actually in USB 2.0 standard and not USB 3.1 as one might think) for charging and data connections, a 3.5 mm headphone port for, well, headphones, and a Micro SD / TF card slot for expanding the 64GB that the tablet arrives with. On top of those, we get two cameras - a front facing one at 5 Megapixel, and a back facing camera at a higher 13 Megapixel resolution. But more about those at the camera testing portion.
*
Usage and User Interface
Freer X9 uses a vanilla version of Android 6.0 which suits me just fine. The tablet first arrived with the original Chinese firmware which makes things a bit more tricky since it's not based on the known and familiar Google ecosphere. That means no Play store, and issues with installation of some applications that rely on google foundations. However, in a few days I received and installed an "Overseas" firmware, which worked much better for my needs.
Mostly the experience with the tablet was pleasant, as the screen is sharp and of high quality. I did notice a small lack of sensitivity to touch that got me tapping more than once to get the desired result. Some small bugs also manifested as mentioned in the Issues and bugs section further ahead.
Bluetooth was tested successfully in both directions and files were sent and received between the tablet and my smart phone.
I've also transferred files from the tablet to my PC over the Wi-Fi connection on my local network.
Overall, though, I enjoyed my time with this tablet which surprised me both with it's long battery life and it's smooth operation - not to mention (again) the amazing and sharp IPS screen.
Cameras performance and quality
This tablet surprised me as it includes a 5 MP front camera (selfie camera), and a 13 MP back camera. The first set of sample photos are from the back camera, and remember - there is no flash so I didn't bother taking night shots:
The main (back) camera produces reasonable results with somewhat pale colors, but quite sharp. Auto focus was fast and seems fine. This is not a camera to replace your DSLR, but then again, no mobile device's camera is.. unless you count hybrids such as Galaxy camera (which has its own drawbacks). All in all, the tablet produces good results with the included (basic) camera app I used for this shoot. It may be improved upon with more feature rich apps such as Snap camera, or others.
Even Samsung took a while to update their tablet cameras and it's one of the under-looked parts of tablets, for some reason. It's not just the Megapixel count, but also the actual camera modules which are usually of lower grade than the ones included in most modern smartphones.
Here are a couple of shots from the front facing ("Selfie") camera:
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
As can be seen, the colors (again) are a bit pale, but the details and focus are quite sharp. I believe that for skype/video calls this camera is above average and should produce good results.
Technical Specifications
Chipset / CPU: 64Bit MTK8173 Quad Core
GPU: Power VR GX6250
Memory / Storage: 4GB DDR3 / 64GB eMMC
Display: IPS,*OGS, 10 points touch,*8.9 inch (16:10),*2560*1600 JDI*2K Screen
Cameras: Dual cameras, 5.0 MP front camera, 13.0 MP back camera with Auto focus
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
Bluetooth: 4.0
OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Audio Output: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Dual Speakers, Type-C USB
Battery: 3.8 V / 5500 mAh
Net weight: 366 gram
Dimension: 228 mm * 144 mm * 8.3 mm
Peripheral Interface: 1 x USB 2.0 Type C port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Micro SD /*TF card up to 64GB
Packing Included: Cube Freer X9, USB-C charging/data cable, User Manual
Benchmarks and Testing
** All benchmarks are included in the full review HERE **
Video Playback testing (Using KODI/TV Center)
Resolution Video Format Local Playback Network (Wi-Fi) Playback
720p (1280*720) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly
1080P (1920*1080) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly
*2160P (3840*2160)HEVC (H.265) / 10Bit *Playing correctly *Playing correctly*
4K (4096*2304) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly
4K TS HEVC files HEVC (H.265) Playing correctly Playing correctly
* Video was playing fine in one of two samples locally, but over Wi-Fi (though both samples played fine) loading time was long, a small artifact was noticed at beginning of playback, and skipping ahead was unsuccessful (kodi buffer icon repeatedly filled up again and again without resuming).
The issue was specific to HEVC video and does not affect other codecs and formats tested.
Tablet run warm both during local playback and Wi-Fi playback. That is to be expected, and it did not seem to reach extreme temperatures during these tests.
Network performance
Network performance has been tested using*Speedtest.net*Internet speed measuring app, in WiFi only mode (no wired option with a tablet). My Internet connection is 500 Mbit Symmetric Fibre connection:
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
Internet speed testing does not show impressive score, but that may be due to a weaker signal reception. The video over WiFi tests I've done were in the same room as the router, and no lag was detected - meaning that distance is a big factor for this tablet. More so than for TV boxes which are stationary and contain more powerful antenna arrays.
Issues and Bugs
No root solution was available, so detailed game performance was not possible
X9 Tablet arrives with Chinese firmware which does not include google play store. New overseas firmware that does include google components required flashing via PC which is not a foolproof procedure
Antutu Video was not able to play all the videos in the sequence
Lost connection to WiFi network and could not reconnect (being asked for password again, and getting "failed to save network" message when trying) a few times. Resolved only with reboot
Apps require permissions again even after being given said permissions. For instance: camera app is asking for permission to read/write files and use camera
Gaming performance
As usual, I test three games: Angry Birds 2, Asphalt 8 Airborne, and Walking War Robots. No root solution is available, therefore I could not measure CPU or RAM usage:
Angry Birds 2, a popular 2d game. Worked smoothly and without a hitch. Load times were speedy thanks to the large amount of high-speed RAM, and no issues were detected.
Asphalt 8 Airborne*, intense 3d racing game. Game played fine with smooth frame rate and easy control.
Walking War Robots*– an online 3d robot battle game. Finally, with a touch device, I was able to play this game fully, maneuver and shoot. The game played smoothly, though the tablet did warm up as it did when testing high definition videos.
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
Freer X9 Conclusions
Did I like it? Yes. It is the first tablet I tested, but it's a strong contender in the Arm device power race. The screen is magnificent and razor sharp, and the device is very responsive and stable.
Would I recommend it? Yes! It's a good product with solid performance 99% of the time.
To get a Purchase link, or to read the full review, including photos, benchmarks and so on, please head to my full review HERE
Do you know if the overseas firmware will pass SafetyNet? A lot of Chinese tablets just don't pass it, root or not, and I was hoping to play some Fire Emblem Heroes of Pokémon Go with it.
Could you please run a simple test like this one? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scottyab.safetynet.sample&hl=en
Where do you get the 'overseas' firmware from? I cant find it anywhere via googling around
droiduser said:
Where do you get the 'overseas' firmware from? I cant find it anywhere via googling around
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Click to collapse
You can find the link to it in my answer on disqus, on my blog full review - at the comment section
Cheers, found the comment with the link, i'll add it here incase anyone else is looking on xda...
https://pan.baidu.com/s/1c1IETMg?from=singlemessage&adapt=pc&fr=ftw
---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------
Oh and anyone looking to download from Baidu without installing their dodgy app and trying to create an account...
Install the Chrome extension user agent switcher made by google, change your agent type to android, and when you click the Baidu link to download it will just start the download without asking for login and app intall
Ran it. CTS profile match: false
Basic Integrity: true
PharaohsVizier said:
Do you know if the overseas firmware will pass SafetyNet? A lot of Chinese tablets just don't pass it, root or not, and I was hoping to play some Fire Emblem Heroes of Pokémon Go with it.
Could you please run a simple test like this one? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scottyab.safetynet.sample&hl=en
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Click to collapse
what about WiFi passwords not saved, Wifi disconnected and apps asking permission over and over (as I read into the long version of OT review)?
Also, is the screen laminated?
brainvision said:
what about WiFi passwords not saved, Wifi disconnected and apps asking permission over and over (as I read into the long version of OT review)?
Also, is the screen laminated?
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I haven't experienced the wifi password saving issue since I switched to the overseas firmware. as for the wifi disconnected, it hasn't happened since but I mostly use it to watch videos now. the permission asking still continues - in other words - there was no firmware update since the review came out. I don't know when there will be one.
The screen comes with a screen protector pre-installed.
hey, I am interested in installing it in my car so I would like to know if there is GPS, please
righi said:
hey, I am interested in installing it in my car so I would like to know if there is GPS, please
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I just tested GPS on the tablet by using Sygic Navigation, and also using GPS Status app.
The good news is, there is a GPS and it works quite well. However.. there is no compass sensor on the tablet (maybe to save money), so the apps need to rely on the GPS + accelerometer to determine direction. I don't know how much that matter, as I haven't tested it driving or on a moving vehicle as of yet. But the general answer to your question so far is: yes, it does have a GPS and it works.
mekler22 said:
I haven't experienced the wifi password saving issue since I switched to the overseas firmware. as for the wifi disconnected, it hasn't happened since but I mostly use it to watch videos now. the permission asking still continues - in other words - there was no firmware update since the review came out. I don't know when there will be one.
The screen comes with a screen protector pre-installed.
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thanks, I understood what you meant into your review now about WiFi..
and all apps ask for permissions over and over and over? or just system (preinstalled) once? It would be insane if all!
at last manage to download and install the firmware mentioned from previous reply.
Place in my DropBox for easy download - https://www.dropbox.com/s/33mwpob73s98krp/Freer_X9_F8K5O_20170911.zip?dl=0
hdmi output?
can you tell if usb-c port can output hdmi using proper adapter?
thanks.
millemila said:
can you tell if usb-c port can output hdmi using proper adapter?
thanks.
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I doubt it, from what ive read around its only USB 2.0 with a USB-C plug on it, so guessing it wont do any USB 3 type support like hdmi output adapters etc
Ive ordered one just for PDF magazine reading due to its screen resolution sounding pretty good and a nice handy size
Would be great if Mediatek werent assholes and allowed release of source for their chips, cause then tablets like this would be so much better with Lineage instead of some dodgy China modified ROM with who knows what spyware inbuilt for their lovely government mandate of spy on everyone...
i1fang said:
at last manage to download and install the firmware mentioned from previous reply.
Place in my DropBox for easy download - https://www.dropbox.com/s/33mwpob73s98krp/Freer_X9_F8K5O_20170911.zip?dl=0
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Ahhh, this international firmware are much lousier than the China firmware in power management.
And that "Draw over other apps" bug are pain in the axx
Im sure make a massive increase in sales if they just released tablets like this fully opensource with Lineage OS available for them... really makes no sense why they release such a nice little tablet with such a buggy OS, why not just concentrate on making good hardware and leave the software to XDA
---------- Post added at 12:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 AM ----------
Any chance of someone doing a TWRP build for this? Would like to get some root going on...
Received my Freer X9 from Gearbest, they preinstalled an international ROM on it as it had playstore etc installed.
Also found Adsup Fota SPYWARE preinstalled in the rom too
As we have no root yet its impossible to remove (even that debloater tool cant seem to disable it temporarily)
Can someone please do a TWRP so this device can become less Chinese spyware controlled
You can at least disable (freeze) it, couldn't you? Cannot remember because I always rooted my devices as soon as possible so I could be wrong
Can disable it via the setting/apps (It's called Wireless update app) but it magically reenables itself after a restart, really need root badly...
hi all
has somebody tried to root this tab with "magisk manager" ??...........