I run the Antutu and Quadrant benchmarks (comparing those with my OMAP4460 Galaxy Nexus) on this 5″ MT6575 Android phone that has just gotten the latest beta Android 4 ICS firmware loaded onto it in Shenzhen China. This prototype is just pre-mass production, and the ICS software for the MediaTek MT6575 is beta for testing. Mass production and full production software may be ready by the end of this month. Check back later for more news on this phone and on the performance of ICS on MT6575 devices as I expect to have this and other MT6575 samples to do reviews of the latest MediaTek ICS performance. http://www.yooe.com.cn is selling this phone for sub-$150 when bought in bulk. The MT6575 single-core ARM Cortex-A9 with ICS support is bringing quite good performance to the cheap new Android phones coming out of China.
Category: Reviews
Sony Xperia S review by Mike Demuth
Mike Demuth @aeqx is one of the worlds top Sony fanboys, admin on the top Sony Ericsson forum (now discontinued) of se-world.info. He provides a review of this new latest high-end Sony Android Smartphone the Sony Xperia S at CeBIT 2012 in Hanover.
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- 28-minute Cyanogenmod unboxing of Sony Xperia S (armdevices.net)
28-minute Cyanogenmod unboxing of Sony Xperia S
The most technical and awesome unboxing of the new Sony Xperia S (some blogs seem to say it’s currently one of the best smartphones on the market) is done by Diogo Ferreira, one of the leaders of Cyanogenmod alternative/optimized Android development for improved Android firmwares on the Sony Android platform.
NewGadgets.de: Samsung Galaxy Nexus Hands-On
This is obviously the best phone ever released. I’ll try to get it soon so that I can test Ice Cream Sandwich and film my own video-reviews. Until then, check it out here:
Source: newgadgets.de
List of my ARM Powered devices used for video-blogging:
Andy Frame is interviewing me on ARM’s official YouTube Channel about my ARM Powered devices used for video-blogging and live video streaming from consumer electronics trade-shows.
List of devices featured in this video:
- Headmounted Display: Kopin Golden-i, OMAP3530 based, provides SVGA screen at eye-level for real-time monitoring of an IRC chat for asking better questions
- Headmounted Logitech c910 Webcam connected to the ARM Powered One Laptop Per Child XO-1.75, Marvell Armada 618 based, live-streaming the webcam video feed to http://ustream.tv (an optimal Headmounted computer, maybe Motorola’s next version, can include the webcam and Android based software to live-stream the video to any live video streaming service built-in)
- Archos 101 G9, OMAP4430/OMAP4460 1Ghz to 1.5Ghz tablet, similar specs as in the Galaxy Nexus but in a 10.1″ tablet form factor. Starts $269 unlocked no contract for 8″. This is probably my favorite high-end tablet at the moment. I’ll post my full video-review of the Archos 101 G9 in the next few days.
- Archos 70 Internet Tablet, OMAP3630 1Ghz single core, released about 13 months ago. I use this tablet every day as 7″ tablets fit in any jacket pocket. Thus I mostly use this for checking emails, web browsing, watching video, playing games, using apps when I am outside. I am looking forward to upgrade this to a dual-core 7″ tablet.
- My $87 FG8 Android Smartphone, it’s my main smartphone for the past 7 months since I found it in Shenzhen China. It supports Dual-SIM cards (so I can use my home and foreign SIM numbers at the same time, or use voice SIM and data SIM at the same time), has a decent 3.5″ capacitive touch screen, uses the wildly popular in China Mediatek MTK6516 ARM9 processor. I’m looking forward upgrading this to a Galaxy Nexus (because I am eager to try Ice Cream Sandwich) or to a newer faster 3G-capable sub-$100 Android phone.
- ZTE MF61 T-Mobile USA 4G HSPA+ Hotspot, $50 for 3GB/month pre-paid, $141 for the device, no contract.
Review: N5Zero Tablet, sub-$100 5″ capacitive Android tablet
This is my world exclusive review of the new Window88.com N5Zero Tablet. A 5″ capacitive Android tablet to be sold for less than $100 (to resellers). It’s using the Rockchip RK2918 ARM Cortex-A8 Single Core processor at 1.2Ghz, the screen resolution is 800×480, it has 512MB RAM, a MicroSD slot, between 2GB and 16GB built-in flash ROM storage (depending on the configuration, mine has 8GB), no Bluetooth, the graphics are powered by the Vivante Gc800 that does up to 57 million triangles per second and full OpenGL ES 2.0 for fully smooth Flash 10.3 (and soon Flash 11) support, it supports smoothly all the latest Android 3D games, video playback support is 1080p with all codecs but there is no HDMI output.
Most importantly, this cool 5″ capacitive tablet is being sold out of China for below $100 USD! Of course, you have to consider that the low sub-$100 price is for resellers contacting Window88.com and ordering large quantities of the tablet, perhaps 100 pieces minimum, or 500, or 1000, that is to be discussed by interested distributors with the Window88.com people. The final retail price can be a bit higher. In China this tablet is being sold for 699 renminbi on the market, that is $109. But if this tablet gets imported to Europe and the USA, expect a pricing that can be around $139 or more depending on how much margins the resellers want to take.
Rockchip claims that their RK2918 processor has a better performance than the Samsung Hummingbird in the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7″, Samsung Galaxy S1 and that it’s also faster than the Apple A4 in iPad1 and iPhone4. That is to be confirmed. Sure enough, this is by far not as fast as the newest Dual Core processors such as the one Samsung promises for the 5.3″ Samsung Galaxy Note, but consider that this Window N5Zero is to be sold to resellers at below $100 and that with software optimizations, with perhaps Ice Cream Sandwich coming, this could be fast enough for many users looking for cheap tablet value worldwide.
Read about more of the specs here: http://window88.com/chinese/pro_show.asp?pid=36&p_name=Tablet%20PC
Video-review of the NEC/Renesas based dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 533Mhz capacitive 7″ tablet from livall.cn (desert safari and camel version)
Since I know that you can’t wait for me to post more Android tablet videos, I decided to start filming my review in the desert while doing the desert safari and riding a camel, so you can further check out this cool new NEC/Renesas 533Mhz Dual-Core ARM Cortex-A9 7″ capacitive tablet that I got from livall.cn. I’ll post my full real video-review once I am back in Copenhagen later today.
You can also watch these other Qatar videos that I filmed:
1. Arrived in Qatar
2. Walking the Souq Waqif, the Corniche and checking out the Doha skyscrapers at night
3. Desert Safari with Arabian Adventure Qatar (includes a fun Video-review of the NEC/Renesas based dual-core ARM Cortex-A9 533Mhz capacitive 7″ tablet from livall.cn)
Review: $120 Hero H2000 MTK6516 Android Froyo Powered iphone4-copy
I actually found this being sold at 780 renminbi ($120) at the Shenzhen Electronics Market the day after I bought it. So the price for this is actually as low as that. Also see my video review of the similar but even cheaper $87 FG8 3.5″ capacitive MTK6515 HTC Desire clone. And my video interview with Karasnn.com the probable manufacturer of this $120 MTK6516 Hero H2000 smartphone.
Here are the specs for this cool $120 Android Powered iphone4-copy:
Hero H2000
MTK6516 ARM9 460Mhz + 250Mhz DSP
Android 2.2 Froyo
2GB Flash storage, MicroSD expansion
3.5″ HVGA Capacitive touch screen
GSM/GPRS/EDGE Dual-SIM card slots (no 3G)
WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, 3.5mm stereo heaphones, 2 Megapixel back-facing, 0.3Megapixel front-facing cameras
I bought one of my H2000 from Sinoteck for $149 (969 renminbi) at http://bysino.net a partner of http://dhgate.com (they were exhibitor at the Shenzhen Electronics Fair) and the other I bought for $131 (850 renminbi) on the Shenzhen electronics market, then finding it being sold for $120 (780 renminbi) the day after.
Best of Shenzhen: $87 Android 3.5″ capacitive phone, MTK6516 FG8
Here’s my initial video- and photo-review of this $87 Android smartphone that I found at the Shenzhen electronics market. It’s based on the ARM9 Mediatek MTK6516 processor, with Dual-SIM (GSM/GPRS/EDGE) support, Android Froyo 2.2 installed (seems smooth!), AGPS, 2Megapixel Camera, Bluetooth A2DP, the screen is a great 3.5″ capacitive touch screen, seems super! You read this right, this one now sells on the Shenzhen market for only $87 (565 Chinese Renminbi).
Here are the specs for this Mediatek MTK6516 ARM9 Based so-called FG8 Android phone:
MTK6516 ARM9 460Mhz + 260Mhz DSP (that can do certain video playback and other UI acceleration)
3.5″ Capacitive HVGA 480×320 screen
256MB RAM
Froyo Android 2.2 supported
Dual-SIM Card slots GSM Quad-band 850/900/1800/1900MHz works worldwide on GSM/GPRS/EDGA (no 3G HSDPA data speeds though)
WiFi, FM, Bluetooth A2DP, AGPS, 2Mpix Camera, Microphone, MicroSD card slot (up to 32GB), Mp4 playback support claimed, 3-4 hours talk time and 200 hours standby time claimed (I haven’t tested yet).
Here are some pictures of this awesome product (click thumbnails for the bigger photos on Google Picasaweb):
Let me know in the comments what features you would like me to test in my next videos of this device. If you can find links for realiable-looking online Shenzhen exporters for where to order, post the links to export stores in the comments, so interested people can try to order with worldwide shipping.
$95 Cortex-A9 Tablet Review, Kinstone KS-UMD070A9
World’s cheapest ARM Cortex-A9 Tablet thus far (single core), it is to be sold at $95 FOB Shenzhen, meaning for orders of at least 500 pieces. Add taxes, import, licences, profit margins and the retail price in Europe and USA may be around $149/149€.
Here are the specs:
AmLogic 8726-M ARM Cortex-A9 Single Core 800Mhz
ARM Mali-400 graphics
Android 2.2 (2.3, 3.0 updates possible, depends on Google policies)
512MB RAM
4GB Flash
7″ resistive (capacitive available for about $30 extra)
WiFi, Bluetooth, Accelerometer
1800mAh battery
USB 2 host/device connector
HDMI output with 1080p full video codecs support (maximum video bitrate to be tested later.. Do you know of online benchmarks for video playback on this AmLogic, please write in comments)
Flash 10.1, 3G Dongle, GPS (optional, requires extra module)
Find more information or contact the manufacturer at http://www.kinstone.net