This is a relatively new model and still difficult to obtain, although availability is increasing and prices are dropping.
It is a standalone smartwatch, or watch phone as I call it. It could be compared to the Neptune Pine, but is not as bulky. It can be easily detached from its wristband and mounted into accessories like a bike handlebar mount or windshield mount. Thanks to the detachability, it is quite practical as a telephone (no Knight Rider poses or arm cramp required, just slide it from the wrist and it becomes a small handheld). Unfortunately it performs not too well as a handheld telephone due to mediocre sound quality from the microphone and subpar signal reception. A headset is recommended.
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This is made for the Chinese market, the manual and the website are in Chinese only. A factory reset sets the phone to Chinese. There seems to be a variation called “AbarGoo” that might have some extra features like limited 3G, NFC, and charging contacts on the back. However, nobody has been able to find one for sale, let alone buy one. It may only have been a prototype that was never put into production.
It looks a lot like the discontinued Motorola Motoactv. My guess is that they salvaged parts of the Motoactv manufacturing line and modified them. Aside from the scratch-resistant glass top and overall looks however, this has little in common with the Motoactv.
Specs:
Android 4.2.2
MT6572 1.2GHz Cortex A7 dual-core
1GB RAM
8GB NAND
550mAh battery (built-in). Of course the sales pages mention 700mAh, which means this one has a Chinese gullibility mAh tax of 27%.
5MPixel camera (which is actually true for once!)
GPS and compass
microUSB port, micro-SIM slot
3.5mm headset jack
light sensor & accelerometers
WiFi, Bluetooth, EDGE (no 3G though).
Despite being 100% Chinese (AFAIK), this is not the average cheap rubber-and-plastic Chinese watch phone that will fall apart after half a year of usage, at least not the watch body. The hardware is really good, which warrants its higher price tag. It looks water-resistant, but is not. I reckon it can withstand minor splashes of water or even a very short dunk, but water can get inside through a tiny gap around the display. It is possible to vastly improve water-resistance by sealing this gap.
The camera (t8ev5) is impressive: true 5MP with autofocus and macro up to 5cm (pixel-level details tend to get lost in aggressive noise reduction though). The screen is also very good, the first Chinese watch phone with perfect multi-touch that I have encountered. It is a far cry from the crappy screen on e.g. the ZGPAX S5.
Bluetooth keyboards work, which I consider a must have, especially on such small device. It is a rarity on these Chinese phones.
GPS is pretty good, better than one would expect from the typical integrated MediaTek hardware.
Overall, very nice hardware aside from lack of true water resistance, as well as not so great microphone performance during calls. If you want to be understood during calls, you either have to use a headset, or follow a specific ritual as described in my more extensive review.
The software is less impressive: it runs a rather crippled Android 4.2.2. No Play store, nerfed system settings, and a limited set of mostly custom apps. Even when set to English, there still is Chinese in many places. It has an annoying bug in its theme that causes white text on white backgrounds in many dialogs, especially important ones Other nuisances are huge fonts everywhere (makes sense, because Chinese characters require a larger font), and no clock in the status bar (hey, wasn't this supposed to be a watch?)
I made a more extensive review for those interested.
Custom ROM (a.k.a. FrankenROM)
I solved the problems with the stock ROM by basically replacing it for the most part with another ROM. I started from a custom TrueSmart ROM by Dees_Troy, and combined it with parts from the stock system. I also fixed the layout problems that were in the dialer, etc.
The ROM includes a TWRP recovery image as well, based on the one for the Omate TrueSmart.
I fixed the most annoying problems, I even managed to add permanent tweaks for the poor audio, which makes handheld phone calls quite feasible. Overall this is a huge improvement over the stock ROM. Next to fixing the bugs, it provides a working Play store, multiple languages, and the other goodies one would expect from a proper Android system.
Download the custom ROM or update package (version 4) (released 2015/03/14, update 06/18: repartitioning)
Users of version FR3 can download an update package to be flashed through TWRP.
The latest download (since June 18th) includes the possibility to choose between 1GB, 1.5GB, or 2GB internal space for installing apps (of course, user partition will shrink accordingly). Existing users can rely on TWRP to repartition without losing their apps. See the README for instructions.
The download includes instructions in a README file. The ROM must be flashed through SP Flash Tools, because the F80 is sold with different ROMs that have different layouts, so I cannot just distribute only a TWRP partition and a system partition like I did with version 2. (Users of FR2 can upgrade by only flashing the ANDROID partition, see the README for details.)
I reckon this ROM will also work fine with the ‘AbarGoo’ version of this phone if it exists at all, but 3G capability will most likely be lost when flashing this ROM. After opening up the F80 however and seeing empty soldering pads, it seems very likely that the F80 was originally intended to be the AbarGoo, but it was too ambitious and they had to omit the 3G parts because they did not work. I do not think we'll see the AbarGoo anytime soon.
Many thanks to Dees_Troy, Lokifish Marz, AdamOutler, toastcfh, and kuronosan, who worked directly or indirectly on the TrueSmart ROM that I used as a basis for this ‘FrankenROM’.
I love the way it's detachable from the strap but still looks good. Waiting for a clone to buy
WHAT!?!?!??!?! :0
This is almost the exact copy of motorola MOTOACTV!!!!
Wtf
hackerse7en said:
WHAT!?!?!??!?! :0
This is almost the exact copy of motorola MOTOACTV!!!!
Wtf
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes indeed! The Chinese have done it again.
Only, this is different hardware with better specs all across the board. It is a bit bulkier (13mm thick instead of 9.6mm), but for that you get a 5MP camera and full standalone ability with a pretty good built-in speaker and mic. The only thing that seems identical is the glass top, which they probably took from the discontinued Motoactv manufacturing line. It is not a coincidence that this showed up not too long after the Motoactv was discontinued…
What is without any doubt worse though, is the software it ships with. Anyone looking for a finished ready-to-use product like the Motoactv should not buy this. But once it is flashed with a better ROM, it becomes a very capable tiny wearable smartwatch.
$299 dollars on aliexpress
all these chinese watches kinda suck....
edit: this one is also standalone and costs 1/10th
JarlSX said:
edit: this one is also standalone and costs 1/10th
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Funny that you picked that one, because it was the first watch phone I had… six years ago. People had no idea what it was back then and were pretty surprised when I told it was a telephone. Was actually pretty decent as a phone, but a thick lump when worn on the wrist, and had a prehistoric operating system.
Where did you buy it?
Where did you buy this?
KOAO said:
Where did you buy this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can get this on Taobao, or try searching the keyword abardeen on Aliexpress, the price should be around $230 or $180 ( )
KOAO said:
Where did you buy this?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Got this on AliExpress indeed, had to nag the reseller because availability seemed low at the moment. Availability seems better now. Try combinations of "F80", "watch", "abardeen", and "abargoo". There appear to be two variations, one with the "Abardeen" logo and one with "AbarGoo", the latter might have some extras like NFC, charging contacts at the rear, and limited 3G.
DrLex said:
Got this on AliExpress indeed, had to nag the reseller because availability seemed low at the moment. Availability seems better now. Try combinations of "F80", "watch", "abardeen", and "abargoo". There appear to be two variations, one with the "Abardeen" logo and one with "AbarGoo", the latter might have some extras like NFC, charging contacts at the rear, and limited 3G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dr. Lex i find this watch in Aliexpress for 179.00. In description, says that this watch can be used like a companion watch. Its true in your watch?
Interesting, good review. I would like to see a comparison to a real sports watch, but that only makes sense when BTLE is supported, which requires Android 4.3 or later. KitKat is expected for MT6572 soon, maybe MediaTek has made a better job and maybe even releases sources?
Hopefully the MT watches can cooperate, as DrLex started here.
It has some extras like FM and wired headphone I could live without. My use case is as a sports watch replacing a Garmin. I miss vibration, IP67 (even if it seems decent) and a barometer, NFC (as in the AbarGoo) and ANT+ would be a big bonus too.
A Sport Watch must be possible to operate without the screen, this at least has 4 buttons. That works OK with IpBike and an adapted Xposed Additions module: I can get multi and combo actions. (A link in Omate TrueSmart thread)
I consider giving up on my Omate TrueSmart, GPS broken which is a key feature for me.
Hm, should I wait for something better or get a TomTom with barometer instead?
arovaris said:
Dr. Lex i find this watch in Aliexpress for 179.00. In description, says that this watch can be used like a companion watch. Its true in your watch?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
With the right app like SWApp Link installed, it should work as companion (haven't tried it). In the stock ROM there is an app that is supposed to have link functionality, but it is something custom that requires an APK to be downloaded from a Chinese only website, and manually installed on the other phone. That's probably the meaning of the description on AliExpress…
DrLex said:
With the right app like SWApp Link installed, it should work as companion (haven't tried it). In the stock ROM there is an app that is supposed to have link functionality, but it is something custom that requires an APK to be downloaded from a Chinese only website, and manually installed on the other phone. That's probably the meaning of the description on AliExpress…
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please, can you make a YouTube review??
arovaris said:
Please, can you make a YouTube review??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you can wait, I won't have the opportunity to do that the next three weeks…
arovaris said:
Please, can you make a YouTube review??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There are YouTube reviews or at least presentations of SWapp Link.
The weak point is not the app but the connection between the connected devices.
The Omate TS defualt ROM did not work for me at all, the BT ROM DrLex used for the F80 should work better.
DrLex said:
If you can wait, I won't have the opportunity to do that the next three weeks…
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry, I want a f80 YouTube review.
---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:03 PM ----------
Well, buyed one. Now wait...
gerhardo said:
Interesting, good review. I would like to see a comparison to a real sports watch, but that only makes sense when BTLE is supported, which requires Android 4.3 or later. KitKat is expected for MT6572 soon,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I believe the PLUM GATOR uses a Mediatek MT6572A chipset too
And it seems that it has been already upgraded to Android 4.4 (Download link to the ROM...)
Search "Upgrade/Update Plum Gator 4.4.2 KitKat"
(I would I liked to post the link but ALL new users prevented from posting outside links in their messages)
Looking forward to see that happening on the ABARDEEN F80 too.
Bad. I buyer from a aliexpress seller but bad description. pictures are "abargoo ", but watch is abardeen, without 3g. Order cancelled.
DrLex said:
This is a relatively new model and still difficult to obtain, although availability is increasing and prices are dropping.
It is a standalone smartwatch, or watch phone as I call it. It could be compared to the Neptune Pine, but is not as bulky. It can be easily detached from its wristband and mounted into accessories like a bike handlebar mount or windshield mount. Thanks to the detachability, it is quite practical as a telephone (no Knight Rider poses or arm cramp required, just slide it from the wrist and it becomes a small handheld).
View attachment 2893181
This is made for the Chinese market, the manual and the website are in Chinese only. A factory reset sets the phone to Chinese. There seems to be a variation called “AbarGoo” that might have some extra features like limited 3G, NFC, and charging contacts on the back.
It looks a lot like the discontinued Motorola Motoactv. My guess is that they salvaged parts of the Motoactv manufacturing line and modified them. Aside from the scratch-resistant glass top and overall looks however, this has little in common with the Motoactv.
Specs:
Android 4.2.2
MT6572 1.2GHz Cortex A7 dual-core
1GB RAM
8GB NAND
700mAh battery (built-in)
5MPixel camera
GPS and compass
microUSB port, micro-SIM slot
3.5mm headset jack
light sensor & accelerometers
WiFi, Bluetooth, EDGE (no 3G though).
Despite being 100% Chinese (AFAIK), this is not the average cheap rubber-and-plastic Chinese watch phone that will fall apart after half a year of usage. The hardware is really good, which warrants its higher price tag. It looks quite water-resistant. I reckon it could withstand a short dunk, although IP67 might be a stretch.
The camera (t8ev5) is impressive: true 5MP with autofocus and macro up to 5cm (pixel-level details tend to get lost in aggressive noise reduction though). The screen is also very good, the first Chinese watch phone with perfect multi-touch that I have encountered.
Bluetooth keyboards work, which I consider a must have, especially on such small device. It is a rarity on these Chinese phones though.
GPS is pretty good, better than one would expect from the typical integrated MediaTek hardware.
Overall, very nice hardware.
The software is less impressive: it runs a rather crippled Android 4.2.2. No Play store, nerfed system settings, and a limited set of mostly custom apps. It has an annoying bug in its theme that causes white text on white backgrounds in many dialogs, especially important ones Other nuisances are huge fonts everywhere (makes sense, because Chinese characters require a larger font), and no clock in the status bar (hey, wasn't this supposed to be a watch?)
I have not managed to get TWRP working yet. Recovery partition is only 6MB which complicates things (as does my lack of knowledge about it). Any help with this would be appreciated. For now, I resort to MtkDroidTools for backups, and a slow and bloated version of SP Flash Tool for flashing.
I made a more extensive review for those interested.
Custom ROM
I solved the problems with the stock ROM by basically replacing it for the most part with another ROM. I started from a custom TrueSmart ROM by Dees_Troy, and combined it with parts from the stock system. I also fixed the layout problems that were in the dialer etc. Some small problems are left, but overall this is a huge improvement over the stock ROM. Next to fixing the bugs, it provides a working Play store, multiple languages, and the other goodies one would expect from a decent Android system.
Download the custom ROM (version 1)
The download includes instructions. Due to lack of TWRP at the moment, it is a bit kludgy to install, but it is worth it
I reckon this ROM will also work fine with the ‘AbarGoo’ version of this phone, but I guarantee nothing.
Many thanks to Dees_Troy, Lokifish Marz, AdamOutler, toastcfh, and kuronosan, who worked directly or indirectly on the TrueSmart ROM that I used as a basis for this ‘FrankenROM’.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Send me your recovery image.
arovaris said:
Bad. I buyer from a aliexpress seller but bad description. pictures are "abargoo ", but watch is abardeen, without 3g. Order cancelled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can someone kindly provide links to the cheapest one, I found $236 on AliExpress.
its ¥ 1388.00 on their site
Related
If you like my review, and want to help me make other high quality review, feel free to make a donation (to help me buy accessories or other materiel i may review)
If you wish to help me, but can't do a donation and if you are going to buy on the same site as I, you can ask me per PM a referal link. When registering through that link, you help me get coupon codes on that site, so i can order accessories and complete this review )
1. Introduction
Since Google announced the Nexus4 (LG), the entire worlds speak and write about that Phone.
Unfortunately, the Nexus4 is a rare phone.
It may be in stock in some countries, but in my country (France) it is impossible to get it for a cheap Price.
During that time other “Chinese” devices make their apparition.
These devices may be even cheaper and more powerful than the Nexus4.
At the beginning, I was thinking to replace my Galaxy Nexus with a Nexus 4, but one post on Google+, that complains about the poor camera quality and the constant out of stock status for the French play store made me change my mind.
So I turn to the xiaomi MI2, a smartphone with nearby the same characteristics as the Nexus4, witch runs into MIUI.
For these not knowing what here are the main specs :
- 2GB of RAM
- a quad core CPU at 1.5Ghz
- a 2000mAh removable battery
- a powerful 3D chip capable of running all latest android games
- a 4.3” display, with even more PPI than the iPhone5 !
- no sd slot
- Normal simcard slot
This Chinese phone, made by xiaomi ( the same that created the MIUI Rom) is sold in China for 1999 Yuans (about 245€ )
Unfortunately, xiaomi does not sell worldwide, so you need to buy this phone at other place, where it will naturally cost a little more.
We can find the 16GB version for 300€.
Other website who make even more money with this device propose it for 350-400€.
I bought this device on one of the cheapest website I found: ibuygou
If you wish to buy it there, the best advise I can give you, is to buy it using PayPal.
First the euro change is better, and second, well PayPal is secure, you have 45 days to make a complaint (for example if it was lost or damage during the order, or if you don't get the product you ordered)
I bought the 32GB version, it cost me 369€ with DHL delivery (so the same price as a 16GB Nexus 4)
One interesting thing to know: the package is very resistant, you can also find videos where two people are standing on it, without breaking it content! I tried it (without the phone in ^^) and indeed the package did not break. So the phone is ready for a long transport, nothing can happen ^^.
Because this is an import, on some country you may need to pay Taxes (it was the case in France). This cost me 14€.
Warning: it may cost a lot more, if the customs checks the content of the package.
Indeed a lot of Chinese Website declares less than the real price. This way YOU pay less taxes, and the delivery man is not attempt to lost the package for his own business ^^
In some countries, if the package is a gift, the customs may not make you pay (I never saw this for my orders, but well I may be possible ^^ )
In France, even a gift with a love message on it, needs to pay taxes. At least at DHL ^^
When I saw the package I thought: holly crap, they scam me with style :/
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But no, they didn’t, I really received an original MI2 with two gifts: a back cover and an OTG cable (that was really nice ^^ )
As you can see on the package, it is a 32GB Version (yes the phones says that too ^^ )
The phone is really protected, there is even a transparent paper with some Chinese advices on it. I guess it is for telling what the buttons does… well even without knowing Chinese I find this out ^^
Here are the charger (US/Chinese) and the USB Cable (also very well pack)
The free OTG cable gift
And here the blue back cover. I prefer the white one, but it is glossy, so you will see the fingerprints on it, and I hate that.. So in use the blue one
Here you see what it looks like from the side
The orange 2000mAh battery (you can choose the colour of replacement battery, but I don’t know why… you never see the battery of a phone ^^ )
One thing that surprised me: charging the phone, when it was turned off shows the battery percentage level. That’s cool
Don’t take care of the dust, it was only visible because of the flash from my camera. I never saw Dust on it with my eyes ^^
2 Possible weakness or strengths
a) good performances
The first owners of this phone made a lot of benchmarks. And MI2 is much better than the top selling android phone: the galaxy S3.
For info, I made a simple Antutu test, without any customisation, tweaks or overclocking. And I get more than 21 000 points
At normal use, it react really fast, there is no slowness
B) an amazing screen for a really simple usage
Some people may say that a 4.3” display is too small, I think it is the best size to be used with one hand, without needing giant hand or to do finger gymnastic
On my galaxy nexus, I could do everything with one hand, but in some cases I needed to change the phone position do everything with my thumb and in this other position, the phone is not firmly in hand, so this could be dangerous if you don’t stay focused
For the difference between 4.3 and 4.65” it is really MINIMAL. Indeed, the MI2 has all its content on 4.3”, whereas the Nexus has the soft keys in the 4.65”.
Until some rarely apps that run full screen, every app on the nexus will run on a 4.37” surface. So the Nexus has only a really small advantage of 0.07”.
Yet, the MI2 fit better in the hand, because it has less borders than the Nexus.
I went from a phone measuring 135.5x67mm to a phone that measure 125x63mm.
The MI2 is 1 cm less height and almost a half cm less wide. So some actions became easier.
The screen is also a lot better, because of the PPI value. The same image looks a lot sharper on the MI2.
C) a phone not so thin as other rivals
Another possible weakness is the thickness. Indeed the MI2 is not the thinnest of all phones. I was a bit afraid that it might be too big (it is almost as big as the bottom part of the galaxy nexus).
In the end this does not disturb me, the phone fit in the hand, and it does not looks like a BIG FAT phone. Sure with 1 or 2 mm less it would looks even more amazing, but this would be at the cost of a lower battery . Indeed the more a phone is thin, the less place is left for the battery. Less place for battery => less battery capacity.
D) MIUI
This phone is running Android, but not stock Android! It is running MIUI (a graphical change that may look a little more like iOS)
It has also a dual Boot (you need to choose it in the recovery)… So if you break you first boot, you can use the second one. I tried it, but it seams that I have some kind of conflict (maybe because system one is up to date French and system two is the default Chinese rom… maybe they both need to have the same language or version)
I admit that a always installed MIUI on my phones, so having one that came out with it was a good point for me. This phone is like a Nexus for MIUI ^^
But this is like everything, you like it or not… I can’t choose for you
Some people will say: MIUI = iOS on android, that is not true..
MIUI is a graphical evolution, with some nice features.
If you look at Android 4.2, you may noticed that Google introduced some icons in the notification bar for setting Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and so on… Most ROMS increase the ability to toggle on click or go to the settings on long click… this kind of feature exists on MIUI since android 2.3 !
3 : Testing some stuffs
On internet there are a lot of review or test for the MI2, but most of them only test the performance and nothing else . So I’ll test some useful points :
The audio
The GPS
The Camera
I’m not a specialist in these domains, but I had a few android phones (every time high end models) and I must admit, that I was never 100% happy with them
If there is ONE phone that was a real peace of crap, it was the HTC Desire HD!
The audio level is like a buzzer. The music was awful. I had a lot of trouble hearing what my contacts told me, this was even worse if you were in your car or a noisy environment.
The GPS was REALLY the worse I ever had, the precision was bad, it jumps from street to street and needed a lot time for the fix. Telling me to turn left 30 meters AFTER I should turn…
Having a high end smartphone, that is not good in these 3 points, is really not a high end one!
A) The audio
I replaced my HTC Desire HD with a Galaxy Nexus, it was better, but yet not was I was searching for.
On Galaxy Nexus you need to install a mod or software to boost the volume because it is too low by default.
The MI2 is doing A LOT better at this point. You can play a movie with volume max and the full room will hear it The GPS vocal navigation is clearly audible even in a noisy car.
There are still phones that does even better (like the Sony Ericson neo my wife uses, but this one is really too loud ^^ )
The Dolby equaliser of the MI2 has nice effects and you direct hear the difference.
Calling sound is also super clear. Even with noise you hear your contact well.
The only little weakness could be the vibrate level. I think it is a little too low.
B) the Camera
The software part surprised me, (ok I was used of the stock camera, so it was not difficult to do something that looks better). Here everything is clear and on the right place, there are a lot of settings also.
The photo and video quality on low light is a lot better than my galaxy nexus. Indeed; the
Galaxy Nexus does good pictures, but only by daylight. If it is a little dark, or if the light is artificial, the quality decreases fast.
Here are two picture of my dog (click on picture to see the full size picture)
In normal mode:
In HDR mode:
Unfortunately it is raining so I can’t test good daylight picture. I May add them later if the sun will shine again ^^
The video is also excellent. You can save 1080p videos and you can also set 90images per seconds (useful when you film something that moves)
C) the GPS
As most of the latest high-end devices, the MI2 is also compatible with Glanoss (the Russian GPS). This should help having faster and better GPS performance (indeed the more sat your phone sees, the better it can know where you are)
Testing a GPS in a house is … useless
A GPS should find it position (the fix) but also guide you right (not too early and not too late), it should not jump from one street to the other or position you in the middle of nowhere.
People saying that a GPS is amazing because it fix in less than 10 seconds in there room are noobs ! (Yes a lot of people said that the Desire HD had an amazing GPS … whereas a blind could guide you better than this phone! )
So I did a quick ride with my car to test it
I went in my car, turned the GPS and run Cygic (my software)
Fix in less than 2 seconds (my nexus needed more than 1 min, sometimes I also needed to open the window and hand it out to boost the fix time)
But as said fix alone is useless, so I told my GPS to bring me to the nearest town.
It guided me well, not a single error, every order was given on the correct time (not too early or too late).
Then I run GPS Status and GPS Test to know the signal quality and the amount of satellites.
Unfortunately, I did not succeed to do a screenshot for GPS Test ( I was still in my car needing to drive when the fire turn green )
But it find me about 10 green sat that had values between 37 and 42.
For GPS Status I succeeded doing a screenshot: we see directly that it uses a LOT of satellites (so it uses both GPS and Glanoss)
It finds about 21 sats and used between 13-15 of them.
The error precision is 3-5m, whereas my Nexus had 5-10m
If the weather change, I may test it in the forest, but I don’t like going in the forest when it is wet…
D) the OTG Cable
For every tests here, I needed to connect the USB device to the OTG cable first, and then the OTG Cable to the smartphone, other way it did not works :/
Here are some tests I did :
- FAT32 USB stick => works (I may test NTFS and Ext4 in future)
- 2.5” self powered hard drive => did not works, the phone does not give enough power
- Nikon Coolpix S3300 Camera => did not work, maybe the same issue
- USB PS3 controller => it works (the game needs to be compatible)
- USB Keyboard => it works and you can configure the keyboard layout in the menu
- USB Mice => It works a cursor appears on screen
edit from January 11 :
The 6 januray i asked ibuygou if they can make this kind of test (Xperia) :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F92CvRflk18
The support answered me than i can do this test, and if it break they will send me a new MI2.
Unfortunatly i declined the offer, i did not wish to wait for a new phone ore pay more taxes.
But to MY SURPRISE, ibuygou did this video (they also said my name in it ^^)
here is the video (warning : at the begining there is a screen protection on the phone so don't be afraid
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=84z_BIrLlp4
So I hope you find these review useful.
If there is something specific you wish me to test, just ask me
ps: sorry if there are some errors in the text, i'm French and i tried my best to do an English review as good as i could. (if corrections are needed please feel free to pm me the correction so i'll edit this post)
i really like your review.
im hoping to receive my order next week.
can you share more information about battery life, built quality of the phone
Do you use any bumper/case? Its not even gorilla glass, so i kinda afraid about that point.
also, where you order the accessories from?
I want the dark blue panel, and external batt + charger.
the only option is alibaba. but i was looking for something geographically closer so it will arrive faster
and just last mark, to make sure, it uses regular sim card, correct? like in galaxy s2, not s3 (microsim) ?
edit: I just saw you wrote this as one of the points at the start of the post. thank you for clarifying
Testing the battery is something complicated, indeed you need a given procedure that you do on more than one device, so you can compare it.
If i told you i stay 2 days you'll be happy but i may not told you, that during these two days, i didn't use the phone, so only saying that the device stay X hours/days alone without any further information is useless.
the quality is amazing, people that saw the phone (by far) will think it is an iphone5 ^^ (same formfactor)
i'm not using any case or bumper (i may plan to buy one to be sure the phone is well protected)
I don't know if it is gorilla glass or not and i really don't wish to test it, i hope it is... to be sure i may buy a screen protector, but unfortunately, i did not found something cheap right now
the accessories i have, are gift i received from the site i bought it (i gave a link on first post)
the cover was included in their december deal. The OTG cable was a surprise gift
Yes the phone use regular sim (no micro or mini sim)
you're correct about battery life,
my intention was just if it rally feels as 2000mah, comparing to your galaxy nexus, for example
but nevermind
about screen protector, look for nillkin products, i heard they're good and they have both matte and clear screen protectors.
they also have lite & full version, wheres the full has also protection for camera lens
I like the blue cover. its some sort of matte feeling?
nice review
alain57 said:
Testing the battery is something complicated, indeed you need a given procedure that you do on more than one device, so you can compare it.
If i told you i stay 2 days you'll be happy but i may not told you, that during these two days, i didn't use the phone, so only saying that the device stay X hours/days alone without any further information is useless.
the quality is amazing, people that saw the phone (by far) will think it is an iphone5 ^^ (same formfactor)
i'm not using any case or bumper (i may plan to buy one to be sure the phone is well protected)
I don't know if it is gorilla glass or not and i really don't wish to test it, i hope it is... to be sure i may buy a screen protector, but unfortunately, i did not found something cheap right now
the accessories i have, are gift i received from the site i bought it (i gave a link on first post)
the cover was included in their december deal. The OTG cable was a surprise gift
Yes the phone use regular sim (no micro or mini sim)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i like your review a lot
in fact i don't know if a screen protector is needed
on chinese xiaomi forum ( http://bbs.xiaomi.cn/thread-4506805-1-1.html ) they said that the MI2 has dragontrail glass (something like gorilla glass, maybe even better)
and when you see how this guy tested his Xperia : http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=F92CvRflk18
unfortunately, i'm not going to do this kind of test on my phone ^^
but if someone send me a MI2, i would be happy to do this test
Thanks for the review alain.
Im going to get a Xiaomi MI-2 32GB from the same site. Hopefully they wont take too long to dispatch it.
so why does xiaomi doesnt say it in the specs?
is it for real?
a lot of company does not say it for gorilla glass too
i don't understand that, for me this is a kind of information, that is as important as the CPU spec
but maybe they don't say it, to prevent people beeing mad if they get a scratch ... after all, its a protection, but it does not protect against everything ...
Bilhouse said:
Thanks for the review alain.
Im going to get a Xiaomi MI-2 32GB from the same site. Hopefully they wont take too long to dispatch it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
if you order it through my referal link that is in my review, i can get some cashback. i'll use this cashback to buy other material like a 3100mAh, screen protector, hdmi cable or what ever (if they had it on stock).
Each material i get with the cashback, will be reviewed and tested like i did for this phone ^^. So if you guys order phones with my link, i'll get stuff for less price and i promise to make a review of each material I get that way.
Kudos again, just an excellent review. Thanks once more for sharing!
Swyped from my Android/iPhone Killer
I also find there are lots of xiaomi M2 from an english Taobao
I also find there are lots of xiaomi M2 from an english taobao: BuyChina.com as follow link:
w*w.buychina.com/products?keyword=xiaomi+m2&cid=
alain57 said:
if you order it through my referal link that is in my review, i can get some cashback. i'll use this cashback to buy other material like a 3100mAh, screen protector, hdmi cable or what ever (if they had it on stock).
Each material i get with the cashback, will be reviewed and tested like i did for this phone ^^. So if you guys order phones with my link, i'll get stuff for less price and i promise to make a review of each material I get that way.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The referal link was removed. This is not the place to place links to make money.
Good job~
Sadly the MI2 does not have gorilla glass. I found out the hard way - dropped mine and now have a couple of small scratches on the screen
The good news is the screen protector film made them invisible
Watch out where to order from third party Chinese online stores. Many fake MI-2's are sold.
rattlelv said:
Sadly the MI2 does not have gorilla glass. I found out the hard way - dropped mine and now have a couple of small scratches on the screen
The good news is the screen protector film made them invisible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Methinks Gorilla Glass would not have been impervious to the drop either. Supposedly the Mi2 uses Dragontail which is as good or better than Gorilla, and as evidenced by a youtube video circulating around demonstrating Dragontail on a Sony (Ericsson?) phone, I'd have to agree.
zelendel said:
The referal link was removed. This is not the place to place links to make money.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it was not to make money, but to receive coupon codes to order MI2 accessories that would be in other review late :/
i don't get sites, that remove the link on real review... on spaming post i could unsterstand it, but on high quality reviews....
but well its true, its in the forum rules, so my mistake sorry for it
its funny that a lot of donation link are allowed, but not this kind of stuff ...
viviandress said:
I also find there are lots of xiaomi M2 from an english taobao: BuyChina.com as follow link:
w*w.buychina.com/products?keyword=xiaomi+m2&cid=
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so few messages, but still nearly all of them for this site ... kind of strange for me...
on these kind of site, they are a lot fake phones sold... some people had the same problem with aliexpress ....
so people be aware
ps: xiaomi sells it 16GB phone 1999yuans thats 320$, so if people sells it less.... there is a HUGE chance that they are fakes !
rattlelv said:
Sadly the MI2 does not have gorilla glass. I found out the hard way - dropped mine and now have a couple of small scratches on the screen
The good news is the screen protector film made them invisible
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
because it breaks does NOT mean it does not have a protection !
All galaxy S series have gorilla glass ( http://www.corninggorillaglass.com/products-with-gorilla/samsung ) and my girlfriend dropped her galaxy S and it was totaly broken..... no way to make it invisible ...
European version Unova Ironman 320x320, 1GB/8GB, 4.4 Android
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Not IP67 as stated by Umeox Mobile. The watch is completely dead.
I've had the 320x320 resolution watch for a few weeks, here are my issues:
1. As a potential sports watch I was taken aback by the bulky size and steel body weight of 121g. I'm not sure if it’s practical for sports, the sheer weight might damage or loosen the strap with time if you run a lot with it.
2. The top button did not have a same clicking feel as the bottom button.
3. I can see the glue around the side camera. see photo.
4. The charging socket is heavy, it does not stick well magnetically while charging, if you move the watch its easily comes apart. You have to hold the charger against the watch if you want to use the watch while charging.
5. Difficult to open the back cover to insert an SD card and its not recommended by Unova.
6. The OS need rooting to get to the deeper settings; most of the settings are hidden/locked.
7. Google Maps keeps crashing with location is turned on ...keeps doing it.
8. The sensors are only useful if there are apps for it.
9. With Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on battery it went from 97% to 70% in one hour, but it was on the first charge.
10. Speaker is below average, not too loud; I would depend on it as an alarm.
*** UPDATES: ***
1. AliExpress seller, $199.80 + low shipping (EU 320x320 models only) please confirm with him first.
simple1i said:
European version Unova Ironman 320x320, 1GB/8GB, 4.4 Android
** European Version only - US version will be available once Unova gets 500 orders **
Unova Ironman 320x320 resolution, 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM, IP67.
Available in grey, orange, yellow, (black available soon, ask Unova when you order)
Available directly from Unova for $200 + shipping, using Paypal. Ask them for the cheapest tracked shipping, to UK they offered me $30 shipping. :good:
Please DM (Direct Message) me for the contact email. I can't post it here. If you order its between you and them, please check your transaction carefully.
Also available on AliExpress for $299 including postage.
Specs...
320x 320 resolution. 1GB RAM, 8GB ROM, IP67.
Dimensions: 55*47*15mm
5.0MP side camera
Android 4.4
Sensors: Proximity/G-Sensor/Gyroscope/Accelerometer 6-axis/E-Compass (optional)
... see the Unova website for full specifications.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does it have 3.5 mm jack ?
and usb port?
how do you heard music?
does it have fm radio?
hackerse7en said:
does it have 3.5 mm jack ?
and usb port?
how do you heard music?
does it have fm radio?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the watch yet, unsure about the FM radio, the rest are all 'no'.
does it have 3.5 mm jack ? no
and usb port? sort of - the charging adaptor is a usb connector to connect to PC
how do you heard music? through the built in speaker or Bluetooth headphone/speaker/etc
does it have fm radio? no
CPGOD said:
does it have 3.5 mm jack ? no
and usb port? sort of - the charging adaptor is a usb connector to connect to PC
how do you heard music? through the built in speaker or Bluetooth headphone/speaker/etc
does it have fm radio? no
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the 320x320 res' model?
CPGOD said:
does it have 3.5 mm jack ? no
and usb port? sort of - the charging adaptor is a usb connector to connect to PC
how do you heard music? through the built in speaker or Bluetooth headphone/speaker/etc
does it have fm radio? no
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do you have the 320x320 res model?
Does anyone else have this model?
simple1i said:
Do you have the 320x320 res' model?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
no -160 - but the form factor is the same.
Anyone here who has this watch in use on a daily basis? I am thinking about buying this watch. So any opinions on this product here? I am wondering if you can flash a custom rum such as cyanogenmod on it?
I got this with the idea to use it as a running watch, It arrived on Wednesdays but I had to go away for a few days so only had a few hours to play with it.
I got back this afternoon and have had another few hours with it.
So here are my initial impressions.
First of all it is very big and quite heavy at 120 grams.
The screen is very good and the icons of your applications are quite clear, however with certain apps like endomondo, runkeeper and micoach when you open the app the screen either doesn't show all of the information or squashes it.
Other apps such as Facebook and YouTube etc. all work well.
I am disappointed that there is no SD Card slot because I thought that it was going to have one. After I e-mailed Unova I have been informed that there is an SD card slot but you have to take the back of the watch to reach it. In their words "we don't allow end users to open and install themselves."
I won't be using the watch as a phone and do not have a Micro sim card to test it.
The WiFi and GPS seem to function well with Endomondo and Runkeeper both getting a GPS signal in my apartment quite quickly. I haven't tested it outside yet.
The biggest problem I have is that the watch does not recognize my BT heart rate monitor. I have to use a separate app to find it which is okay but Adidas micoach won't connect and neither will Endomondo the two apps that I would have used.
Runkeeper and Wahoo fitness both do find the heart rate monitor though I haven't yet tried it running.
I haven't done a battery test yet.
Overall I am not entirely unhappy with the watch but neither am I blown away by it.
I paid $250 with shipping to France which compared to any of the Android wear watches makes it quite good value with added functionality and certainly when you compare it to some of the more specific GPS sport watches which can run up to $400+.
I have also been told that it is not very water proof so if you do decide to take the plunge be careful getting it wet.
Too Big!
Thanks Gah73 for your detailed answer. The biggest problem i see, and you said it also, in those china smartwatches (or you should better say smartphones) is the fact, that the thickness of this devices is just too high! I saw a screenshot which compared other smartwatches with the Unova Ironman and the Unova is just huge and doesn't look sexy at all (however, the hardware in it is quite sexy though ). I think i will wait for other devices which could replace a smartphone functionality wise but are not bigger then 12 mm.
@Gah73
It would be really great if you could post some photos of the watch (from the sides, from top, from the active display)!
Having spent a few more days with the watch I have to say it is growing on me.
The thickness doesn't bother me so much but the weight is very noticeable.
I have a Sony Smartwatch 3 coming this week and I will choose between them.
I will take some photos of them together but it won't be until the weekend.
I have a feeling that I will be keeping the ironman due to the limitations of the Sony.
Gah73 said:
Having spent a few more days with the watch I have to say it is growing on me.
The thickness doesn't bother me so much but the weight is very noticeable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for posting your experience. I am thinking about getting this for my wife to use when she runs. She doesn't like having to carry her phone with her.
- Is the speaker loud enough to listen to music when you run? (I suspect not)
- Have you tried pairing it with bluetooth running earphones?
- Is there any chance you could install "C25K Couch to 5K by RunDouble" and see if it is usable? (I realize that is a big request, but that is the app my wife uses and there is no point in me getting the watch if it doesn't work). I really wish there was a way to test apps on a small screen to see if they would work without having to get the device first.
It seems like if xposed works on this watch the DPI could probably be changed so that most apps could be made to work.
Thanks again for posting - it really helps those of us who are looking!
RunDouble
The speaker is surprisingingly loud but probably not loud enough to listen to music whilst running.
I have had no problem connecting BT headphones, I use Jabra sport and also have some Plantronics headphones and a Plantronics headset.
I installed the app and it worked well, I connected headphones and a BT heart rate monitor, they both worked.
An advert took up some of the screen but it was very usable I think.
I had previously changed the font size from large to small because when it was large some apps did not fit the screen very well. With it set to small the apps fit better but writing is harder to read.
Thank you very much for your answer,
i am really looking forward to some detailed photos :good:
Maybe you have some answers for my questions:
Can you switch between some different launchers?
Is it possible to root this device and install custom roms on it?
Can you install normal Google Play Store apps?
I haven't tried any different launchers.
The software is pretty good on the phone already.
There is a specific watch launcher on the play store.
You can install all apps on the phone but they might not size very well.
I couldn't log into Google music as I couldn't select my account.
I don't know of any custom ROMs for it, I read that the adidas running watch is based on Android so that would be good if it could be flashed.
Unova have an app that you can install on your phone and then you receive notifications on your watch. That works quite well.
Okay, thanks for your answers. You are really helping me on choosing the right smartwatch
Can you shoot some photos of the watch from different angles (side, top, bottom etc.)? The images on aliexpress are actually meaningless.
76387
Gah73 said:
The speaker is surprisingingly loud but probably not loud enough to listen to music whilst running.
I have had no problem connecting BT headphones, I use Jabra sport and also have some Plantronics headphones and a Plantronics headset.
I installed the app and it worked well, I connected headphones and a BT heart rate monitor, they both worked.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks - this is great information. I went ahead and ordered one - hopefully she'll like it.
Is this the same device with different branding: http://forum.xda-developers.com/omate-truesmart/general/poll-umeox-x202-kk4-4-320x320-ip68-t2882896
I think Unova is a brand name for Umeox.
SW_Tech said:
Okay, thanks for your answers. You are really helping me on choosing the right smartwatch
Can you shoot some photos of the watch from different angles (side, top, bottom etc.)? The images on aliexpress are actually meaningless.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Here are some photos.
Issues
Gah73 said:
Here are some photos.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks G. I'll let you write the good points
For those still deciding, please post number 1 for issues.
W8 is the Core-M and resolution upgrade of the pretty good, high-end Baytrail (but only 32bit OS) W3.
Available in 64GB and 128GB versions, with gold or gray coloured metal back. Price ~$460 USD (64GB) isn't terrible for supposed ~2x performance over the W3 + 2560x1600 resolution, 4GB RAM, (most likely) licensed 64bit Win8.1 'with Bing' edition + large 10,000mah battery.
3G/4G capability is unclear, with 'external 3G dongle' mentioned. Perhaps takes the same Huawei 3G UltraStick as the W3, or something else. Either way, not yet clear if the '3G dongle' is included in the pre-sale listings?
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Gold back:
Gray back:
(May 11) Currently available for pre-order, special price (supposed to go up around May 15). Keyboard seems to be included, but some conflicting reports as sellers don't have stock yet and seem to be guessing.
Known stores:
Bangood:
64GB: http://www.banggood.com/PIPO-W8-Intel-Core-M-5Y10-2_0GHz-10_1-Inch-Windows-8_1-Tablet-p-975640.html
128GB: http://www.banggood.com/PIPO-W8-Int...1-Inch-128GB-Windows-8_1-Tablet-p-975679.html
(vouchers available)
Pompmall (listing both back colours + 128GB option)
Pipo Store
Ainol-novo
Geekbuying (expensive).
Specs: (from Pipo-store):
Code:
OS: Windows 8.1
CPU: Intel Core M
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5300
RAM: 4GB DDR3L
ROM: 64GB
Screen: IPS, capacitive touch screen, G+G screen
Size: 10.1 inch; 16:10
Resolution: 2560*1600 pixels
Visible Angle: 178°
Gravity Sensor: Yes
Camera: front is 2.0 megapixels, back is 5.0 megapixels
HDMI: Support
WIFI: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: v4.0
Ethernet: USB to Ethernet
OTG: USB to OTG
USB: USB 3.0
3G: 3G Dongle
Video: 4K, MEPG 1/2/4, H.263/H2.64, RMVB, WMV/VC-1, MVC, AVS, MJPEG
Music: MP3, WMA, WAV, OGG, FLAC, ALAC, APE, AAC, AC-3
Card Extension: Support TF card
Multi-Touch: Support
Language: English, Russian and Chinese
Skype: Yes
Flash: Flash 11
HTML5: Support
Speaker: dual speaker design
Battery: 10000mAh*3.8V=38Wh
Email and Browser: Yes, built in
Earphone Interface: 3.5mm
Size: 299*179*10.8mm
Ports:
1 x USB 3.0
1 x 2.5mm DC
1 x 3.5mm earphone
1 x HDMI
1 x MicroSD
Pipo W8 Tablet Package Including:
1 x Pipo W8 Tablet
1 x USB
1 x Charger(12V,3A)
Any more word from any of the suppliers? I was torn on waiting for reviews but I miss having a tablet so I'll likely buy this on release day and hope for the best :S
NeoMatrixJR said:
Any more word from any of the suppliers? I was torn on waiting for reviews but I miss having a tablet so I'll likely buy this on release day and hope for the best :S
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No nothing and it seems nobody has stock yet. I'm in the same boat, will probably buy the 128GB from Bangood (though I'd prefer the gray back).
If you're not following the W3 thread anymore, it seems some people got a non-original W3 keyboard (or maybe unbranded sightly different ones from the factory) from Banggood. So we should ask for a picture of it before ordering.
It's the final countdown....
So, if the information given by banggood is correct this should go on sale sometime on the 15th. That means that at some time after ~ 9pm or so central time this should be available. I'm hoping they don't change the price much. Of the other core m tabs they have the onda and the cube and the teclast is also "alert me on arrival." It's interesting, I just noted that they have it looks like 3 SKUs for the i7... 64gb, 128gb, and 128gb + kbd (increasing in price). The Onda (64gb only) also comes with a keyboard. Only the Teclast and the Pipo have the > FHD screen and the teclast is listed at $669.99! I'll have my fingers crossed all day today waiting on word for this. Good luck to anyone else considering it.
dealabs i just a social site where you post deals.
the link goes to bangood. if you could edit that.
Not yet....
:crying::crying::crying:
From Banggood last night after I inquired about an update:
We are sorry to inform you that the item doesn't put on sale for now.Because the manufaturer need to debug the software. Besides, this item won't have keyboard.So sorry for that.
For the selling price, we are not very sure now. But it may be close to the selling price on our website.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I see pipo-store and pompmall haven't released this either. I hope we'll see something soon. I indicated that other sellers have said it will come with the keyboard so I'm hoping this changes from Banggood. If they keep to selling without the keyboard I may have to purchase elsewhere....
:crying::crying::crying:
Thanks @reggiexp, removed.
@NeoMatrixJR thanks for the update. Sucks though, well it's better they fix the bugs rather than letting early adopters suffer them all. Re. keyboard I don't trust anyone to know at this point until stock comes in. Hope they're wrong ...
_gl said:
thanks for the update. Sucks though, well it's better they fix the bugs rather than letting early adopters suffer them all. Re. keyboard I don't trust anyone to know at this point until stock comes in. Hope they're wrong ...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't know...depending on how bad the errors are. If it works and they don't need to make hardware changes (and I'd hope they don't at this point or we're going to be waiting a while) I'd almost rather get my tablet and update it later. But I can understand why they wouldn't want to do that. There's going to be a lot more people that would be pissed about getting a tablet with issues. But again...I'm tablet-less at the moment so I just want something. Maybe I'll step down and borrow mom's old ASUS TF101 for now....
Wow...newegg flash has the Lenovo Miix 2 11 w/ keyboard for $499. Tempting...No USB 3 and only FHD though. Core i5 & SSD though. I wonder if a 4th gen i5 > core m?
I do not see decent modern manufacturers.
I do not use closed systems, such as m$ software, since at least 1998.
And I do not recommend android system now, also, that is just can look like open system, but in really it is something like honeypot. Where, for example, google play is far enough from the greatest evil . Yep, android can even mask itself, under some independent more or less clear distributions, but in really it is the jast the same - only on new more sophisticated spiral turn.
Given the above, and that, if we even can check open code now, we can not check hardware, certainly.
Early I could choose the components for my desktop, personal computer. Now manufacturers try push me into the trap. Given, that everything is clear with the other, but what is wrong with Chinese manufacturers? Or, simply saying, if they do not preset w..s, they do not get processors from Intel?
I do not interesting in bright and meaningless advertisement pictures of new devices. Understandable, that setting open system on theme device with Intel system on a chip is more likely. But where is the video or screen pictures of device startup process? Where the first advertisement string, that must contain only one thing - that I can buy device without any preinstalled system and set some open, free, by my choice, as in past on desktop computer? Where the possibility to change parts in my personal tablet computer, as in past with desktop computers? So, it is remain now to look on ARM devices side, where some of such devices start appears.
Dear, Intel, in spite of all your contributions to the open source, where is in really good new, clear from stock devices? Dear, not only Chinese manufacturers - while all so, all this tonns of new beautifull persoanl spies may remain in your storages. I am not interesting anymore to waite, while you debug your, so called, software. I just will vote with my money .
By the way, dear, Intel, probably, in this time and exactly this will allow to say to x86 - goodbye.
NeoMatrixJR said:
I don't know...depending on how bad the errors are. If it works and they don't need to make hardware changes (and I'd hope they don't at this point or we're going to be waiting a while) I'd almost rather get my tablet and update it later.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Could be hardware issues like charging problems, drivers not working, BIOS bugs (worst-case causing bricking), screen not waking, black holes opening and swallowing our solar system, Harry Shearer quitting The Simpsons... I could do without any of those . Don't forget, you don't want to have to ship it back to China, ever.
Wow...newegg flash has the Lenovo Miix 2 11 w/ keyboard for $499. Tempting...No USB 3 and only FHD though. Core i5 & SSD though. I wonder if a 4th gen i5 > core m?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've lost count of the gens, but the benchmarks show that Core-M's are somewhere between recent dual-core i3 and i5 (sometimes even approaching the i5). At least if the thermal solution is good. Sounds a pretty good deal if it suits you (I need USB3 and don't like the 16:9 aspect).
dzp said:
I do not use closed systems, such as m$ software, since at least 1998.<snip>
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I respect your opinion (I've been Windows-only like forever). I'm not clear though how you expect to be able to change the internals of tablets. They are designed to be as slim as possible, as such they cannot easily be made modular (not impossible, but more expensive and size will suffer a little). And of course it's much simpler/cheaper to build dedicated devices. That also allows integration of various peripherals into fewer chips, again making things smaller and drivers more reliable. And I expect that also makes things like booting faster, and power consumption lower, as the whole system is built from the ground up for mobile usage, and tweaked mainly by Intel, giving likely less bugs, compatibility problems and better quality drivers then mixing and matching components from different vendors.
Sure, it would be a big bonus if you could at least change the battery easily. And maybe tablets will get more modular for some parts (eg. swap the camera out), upgrade the memory etc. But at the moment everyone wants to be as slim and lightweight as possible, that's the priority. Once the technology gets too slim, they can make things modular.
Got this from Pipo's Facebook account last night:
W8 will be shipped end of this week
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
NeoMatrixJR said:
Got this from Pipo's Facebook account last night:
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Great.
_gl said:
Great.
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Pipo store are still saying keyboard included. Replied asking about what exactly the 3G dongle is (W3 Ultrastick or something else):
"Onc eit is in stock, we will release it on our website at the first time. PIPO W8 do comes with the Pipo keyboard. Sorry but the PIPO Official has not released the PIPO W8 is not built-in 3G network, but it support 3G Dongle. You need to buy the 3G Dongle by your own."
Processors comparison.
NeoMatrixJR said:
I wonder if a 4th gen i5 > core m?
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_gl said:
I've lost count of the gens, but the benchmarks show that Core-M's are somewhere between recent dual-core i3 and i5 (sometimes even approaching the i5).
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I use cpuboss site to comparison. For example, Lenovo Miix 2 with 4th Generation Intel Core i5 4202Y vs PIPO W8 Intel Core M-5Y10, please, see in Attachment.
And do not look onto KDE, please, case it is just some tempoary machine, from I wrote now.
Modular personal computer.
_gl said:
I respect your opinion (I've been Windows-only like forever). I'm not clear though how you expect to be able to change the internals of tablets. They are designed to be as slim as possible,
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_gl, thank you for your answer. I agree with you here, certainly.
_gl said:
as such they cannot easily be made modular (not impossible, but more expensive and size will suffer a little).
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The priority in the design should not be profit at the expense of monolithic of products, but user convenience due to the modularity of products. For example, the main interesting claimed advantage of PIPO W8 can consider 10.1 Inch Retina Capacitive Screen with 2560*1600 resolution. In principle different situation, anyone could purchase a required separate screen module, motherboard module with SOC, memory module, power module and required interfaces modules. Then connect all this tougether. Of course, it is requires standardization. Which manufacturers will be resist.
_gl said:
And of course it's much simpler/cheaper to build dedicated devices. That also allows integration of various peripherals into fewer chips, again making things smaller and drivers more reliable. And I expect that also makes things like booting faster, and power consumption lower, as the whole system is built from the ground up for mobile usage, and tweaked mainly by Intel, giving likely less bugs, compatibility problems and better quality drivers then mixing and matching components from different vendors.
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Yep, you right. But you describe current situation. And creators of this sutuation is manufacturers, not customers. In really, this is not right situation. We constantly see, what it brings. Moreover, as usually, manufacturers have possibility to goes further, due customers. Everything should be the opposite. We, customers must define situation, what is more convenient for us - case we pay.
_gl said:
Sure, it would be a big bonus if you could at least change the battery easily. And maybe tablets will get more modular for some parts (eg. swap the camera out), upgrade the memory etc. But at the moment everyone wants to be as slim and lightweight as possible, that's the priority. Once the technology gets too slim, they can make things modular.
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Heh , Certainly. Agree here. Perhaps, in 10-20 years, currently estimated rather powerful computers, in size of a business card or less will not cost anything. However, the main priority already now must be not the combination, for example, of speed, size or weight, but respect from the manufacturer side for the rights of the customer by a fairly large number of criteria. Thus, the product must be honest with the customer. For example, guarantee the same privacy. With what modern manufacturers have serious problems.
Regarding modular phones, tablets - probably you know, Google working on Ara. There are exists and other simpler, for example, Click ARM One, HN1 Modules Tablet.
dzp said:
_gl,The priority in the design should not be profit at the expense of monolithic of products, but user convenience due to the modularity of products. For example, the main interesting claimed advantage of PIPO W8 can consider 10.1 Inch Retina Capacitive Screen with 2560*1600 resolution. In principle different situation, anyone could purchase a required separate screen module, motherboard module with SOC, memory module, power module and required interfaces modules. Then connect all this tougether. Of course, it is requires standardization. Which manufacturers will be resist.
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Sure, but we know what kind of compatiblity nightmare that can be on PCs. Mobile devices try to be 'simple', that's was most people want from them. Buy it, use it. Having to find drivers or figuring out why hardware A and B sometimes don't play nice together or (worst-case) bluescreen/crash doesn't really work on a phone or tablet. They just have to work and be painless/fun to use.
I agree though, a modular option would be cool and can be done. But we're in the early stages of mobile, once innovation slows down I'm sure we'll see more modularity.
Yep, you right. But you describe current situation. And creators of this sutuation is manufacturers, not customers.
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I disagree, due to most people wanting mobile things to 'just work' (which is what Apple did so brilliantly). Imagine if you had to worry about making the hardware of an iPhone work well together, nobody except power users wants this (that's why most people don't jailbreak either). I'm a desktop power-user (that's why I like the W3 and W8, as they are higher-end proper desktop-capable machines) and I run my own programs on them and customize a lot. But most people don't need that to do basic browsing and watch movies.
In really, this is not right situation. We constantly see, what it brings. Moreover, as usually, manufacturers have possibility to goes further, due customers. Everything should be the opposite. We, customers must define situation, what is more convenient for us - case we pay.
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I agree, but I think we're unfortunately in the minority. If everybody wanted modularity or ethics, we'd get it. Many people don't even care about non-replaceable batteries 'coz they plan to buy the next model before it runs out. Mobile is in the early crazy-fast stage of innovation, it will slow down and then people may want something they can upgrade, rather than sell on every time.
However, the main priority already now must be not the combination, for example, of speed, size or weight, but respect from the manufacturer side for the rights of the customer by a fairly large number of criteria. Thus, the product must be honest with the customer. For example, guarantee the same privacy. With what modern manufacturers have serious problems.
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Yes those are fair points. Right now it's just about (unfortunately) disposable technology & performance, I do hope people think more about the social and ethical implications at some point.
Regarding modular phones, tablets - probably you know, Google working on Ara. There are exists and other simpler, for example, Click ARM One, HN1 Modules Tablet.
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Yep I saw a few things about the Ara, it's a nice idea. But if it ends up costing a bit more, weighing a bit more, and maybe sightly less powerful than a closed solution, most people will pass it by (right now). Will be interesting how it turns out though.
_gl, sorry, by the way, for my slight deviations from your theme and for my english. But we have interesting discussion.
In really not only modern phones and tablets have modular construction already. But this "modularity" is just with what working manufacturer's engineers inside design centers.
_gl said:
Sure, but we know what kind of compatiblity nightmare that can be on PCs. Mobile devices try to be 'simple', that's was most people want from them.
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Yep. But personal home computers of 80's is not the same, as personal mobile devices in 2015, moreover mostly time connected with net. initially, computers was mostly designed from engeneers to engineers. Of course, this does not mean, that computers have to be complicated. But noone still does not know exactly, what means "simple" in terms of most people. Search systems and many other different systems already trying to manipulate the consciousness of people.
Major evolutionary changes make overestimate related to a personal computer. We does not know already, what information collecting from our personal devices, and how it used in most cases. More fun is, when corporations, following the wishes of "simplicity" from most people and own inner reasons, will start integrate elements of artificial intelligence into personal computer operating systems. It can be a lil less fun, for example, if onetime, some artificial joints, mounted to continue increasing longevity, suddenly will start direct legs to some not desired direction . What do w...s every moment on your personal device? What do android every moment on your personal device? We do not know in really. We does not know even, what additional blocks are integrated on chip and what purposes they are - this chips and blocks are too small . When you interact with your personal computer - is it still you with your own individuality, or already more or less changed in a certain direction person? In past and now the most important characteristics was the speed of computer. I guess, pretty soon the most important feature will be encryption strength, the force of information protection of the system, which, of course, is related with performance. In these circumstances, it is important to continually critical reevaluate, what corporations silently try to introduce, fully overestimate structure of equipment proposed for the sale, perhaps even from the law level. Something like - manufacturer not have right to releasing information equipment without fully opening its composition to be able to provide a complete check.
_gl said:
Buy it, use it. Having to find drivers or figuring out why hardware A and B sometimes don't play nice together or (worst-case) bluescreen/crash doesn't really work on a phone or tablet.
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This is not customers guilty. This is guilty of manufacturers, that in the pursuit of profit did not want to agree in standards, include software quality.
_gl said:
But we're in the early stages of mobile, once innovation slows down I'm sure we'll see more modularity.
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That's right, I agree.
_gl said:
But most people don't need that to do basic browsing and watch movies.
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Yes, but most people usually see just tip of the iceberg. They see only, what they are allowed to see. Once people are awake, but will be too late.
_gl said:
I agree, but I think we're unfortunately in the minority. If everybody wanted modularity or ethics, we'd get it. Many people don't even care about non-replaceable batteries 'coz they plan to buy the next model before it runs out. Mobile is in the early crazy-fast stage of innovation, it will slow down and then people may want something they can upgrade, rather than sell on every time.
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Yep, you totally right.
Good discussion dzp, it's good that people are looking at the bigger picture of technology.
Pipo-store replied about the 3G dongle, but said nothing useful (I guess they don't know yet):
"We will release the 3G dongle that compatiable with the PIPO W8 on our website soon. Zoe"
No confirmation if it's the same as W3 etc.
Little background
I am currently using a Huawei P8 Max and have been a fan of phablets (i.e screen size 6 inches or larger), so when I saw the Mi Mix, I definitely was intrigued. This sliver of sheer goodness fits the bill nicely. Though I still love my Huawei P8 Max (portable but massive huge screen), the only reason why I am going for the Mi Mix is the really amazing bezel-less look plus NFC (Android Pay and a few other FinTech apps that need it)
I bought the 6GB RAM, 256GB storage version. I also bought the 4GBRAM 128GB storage white version. Both from stores in Hong Kong. The latter is a gift to my significant other. They former costs HK$4780 and the latter cost $4300. The white version is much more limited in numbers and has the added benefit of hiding all your fingerprints, unlike the glossy black version, so you pay a premium for that despite the lower specs.
Notes before buying
It's good to check out the plethora of reviews (like this really good one) and videos on this phone to make sure it is right for you (do your research, duh!) Specs aside, ask yourself if these are absolute killers for you:
1) This is a Chinese phone meant to be sold in China ONLY. if you have anything against Chinese phones, MIUI (the manufacturer's overlay on the Android platform), software and interfaces, look elsewhere already.
2) Be prepared to pay a premium for this, since it's meant to be shipped to China, and not anywhere else (yet), it'll cost you a hefty penny as well as shipping unless you're getting it from Hong Kong.
3) If you are tinkerer and plan to root or mod your device, you need patience, though Xiaomi phones are known to be fairly straightforward to modify and root (if you are no tinkerer, you still get lots of customization options over the interface), you need to wait for them to grant you permission to unlock your bootloader (and there is no getting around it).
4) You need to put a case over this when you're on the go with it because this phone is slippery has heck, so if you like your devices nude but you're prone to dropping your phone (even from low heights like a meter from the ground), this might not be for you if you care about aesthetics. This phone looks great when it's without cover, but with one, it loses much of its outer appeal.
5) There is no external storage slot, thus the reason for the big allocation of internal storage even on the lower-end spec and you need to backup frequently if you don't want to lose data.
6) The camera is just average, especially the front camera. Don't expect it to compare with the higher-end shooters like those in Pixel, S7, and the like. It does an adequate job and takes really decent crisp pictures given enough light. In low-light settings, expect lots of noise and mediocre snaps. Also, if you're big on selfies, the front camera is located at the bottom of the screen, so you might need to keep tilting your phone upside down to take your usual selfie shot the way you're accustomed to.
7) The phone uses Type-C USB charger, so if you've been on micro-USB all along, be prepared to buy extra adapters/cables, good thing they come cheap, especially off Xiaomi's official site (if they ship to your country).
8) The phone does not have an in-built earpiece for projecting voice phone calls and instead uses some nifty technology called piezoelectric speaker, so if you use your phone regularly without headset and put the phone next to your ear(anywhere, even the back), you can hear the call. It works fine in my opinion, though some noted it's strong on bass and if too loud, it's audible to those in surroundings. So if you are constantly making private calls and hate headsets of any form, this is not the phone for you.
Look and feel
This is a jaw-droppingly beautiful phone, the fact that it's nearly bezel-less is going to turn heads. The black one has the advantage of making the screen look seamless towards the edge. The white one has the white ceramic trim surrounding it and this edge gives the false impression it's thicker than the black one merely for being prominent, though it's way less of a fingerprint magnet than its darker counterpart. If you are getting the black one, you would probably be wiping smudges and prints from your phone constantly.
The body is extremely slippery, if you place it on any slanted surface it will start sliding on its own. The case that comes in the box will tackle that problem, though it makes the phone significantly less pretty. Suggest you get a clear plastic one or a thin matte skin over it. The unit is definitely hefty to hold. For female users or those with smaller hands, you can easily wrap your hands around the unit, despite the large screen size. One-handed operation is also feasible by swiping the navigation bar at the bottom left or right (start from middle home button then the direction of your main hand).
The phone is known to be fragile although it's fairly understandable given the material it's built on. Unless you give it very thick protective gear, you need to keep reminding yourself to be careful with it and not to drop it. This scratch and bend test shows it's VERY resistant to scratches and bending so if you are still able to manage to scratch yours, I seriously don't think this is the right phone for you. For drops, however, that's where it's very vulnerable as you can see here. Repairs could cost an arm a leg just for the screen alone. So I don't think I need to reiterate that users must be careful handling this device!
What else is in the box
Besides the phone unit, the box comes with a matching case (black for the black version and pearly white for the white version) which is very lightweight but a tad thick. They provide ample protection for your phone. Then you get the 2-pronged adapter plus Type-C USB cable as the charging kit, and a very brief starter's guide next to a packet that contains the SIM card ejector pin/tool. That's it. There are no free earphones or anything else. I did purchase both the Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro and Mi In-Ear Headphones Pro HD and they're perfect for this phone, so try to get your hands on either pair.
Hardware, parts and insides of the phone
On top, you have 2 mics (tiny holes) and standard headphone jack. I tried different audio plugs to it and it fits securely and snugly with a satisfying soft click when it's inserted all the way. At the bottom, you get your charge/transfer port in USB-C format as well as two speaker grilles (one for the primary mic and the other is for the loudspeaker). USB-C type is, in my opinion, better than Micro-USB (they're not compatible, btw) so you do need to get extra cables if you plan on charging or transmitting files to PC in different locations. On the left is where your dual-SIM card slot is located, you can open it by pushing the ejector pin to the hole. To the right would be the power button and volume rocker.
The screen is beautiful and viewable outdoors on a sunny day even without the brightness dialled all the way to max. Compared to my Huawei P8 Max, things look crisper and colours are lusher. Though white seems more reddish (or my Huawei P8 Max's white is more blueish).
Screen, bluetooth, Wi-Fi & tethering, GPS, ultrasonic proximity sensors, NFC, and cameras all work without a hitch. I heard that hardware can sometimes fail when you're on a non-official ROM, another reason why I strongly advise against it.
This video dismantles the whole unit and shows you all the innards of the Mi Mix. You can probably tell that getting parts won't be easy, although it looks fairly uncomplicated to disassemble and reassemble.
Stock ROM
After powering on, the first thing you see after you're done going through the starter's guide of your phone is a cheesy-looking home page with HUGE icons and HUGE fonts for each application. This is MIUI, more on that later. Not too impressive or appealing at this stage, so it's good to go to Settings > About Phone to check which MIUI version / ROM you have. When I got mine, it was the Chinese Stable ROM (V8.2.2.0.MAHCNDL). This explains all the Chinese apps pre-installed. The great thing is, you can easily uninstall any of them that are not system apps.
I ran the system update to find there's one (V8.2.3.0.MAHCNDL), so I proceeded with it (I later realise it's somewhat of a mistake, new doesn't always mean better). If you have no Chinese apps and Google-related apps, commonly called gapps here (Google Installer, Play Store, Play Music, etc.), then you are likely on the Global Stable ROM. If you don't see the word "Stable" in your ROM or it's not recognisable as anything from the official site, then you're likely on a vendor or non-official ROM and it also means your bootloader is likely unlocked. This may spell trouble if you plan on using your phone's NFC for payments as most payment apps won't allow your phone to be on anything other than an official ROM and that your bootloader remains locked. Frankly, if you just need Google apps, you can still get them on either the Chinese or Global Stable ROM. I don't advise going for any other ROM if you're already on these. for security reasons. I also assume you're on MIUI going forward. I am on Global Stable ROM myself.
The difference between Chinese and Global ROM is that the former tends to be updated more frequently, have Chinese apps (meaning you need to run Google Installer APK to get all the Google goodies), and they have way more themes (though some at cost of Mi Credits) and the ability to change font (though only Chinese fonts which is not much use to the English-speaking world and everybody else). The Global ROM lags slightly behind in update frequency, but they have gapps and Xiaomi’s own Chinese bloatware removed (you can do this yourself in the Chinese ROM with basic uninstallation). However, they don’t have as many themes (but more than enough, and all of them are FREE), you also cannot download new ringtones or fonts.
If you have a very old version of a stable ROM pre-installed, simply run the system update to get the latest version. If you want to switch between China and Global ROM, try to follow this guide using recovery mode (you need the Chinese version of PC Suite for it to work (the English one doesn't unfortunately ). Do note that “V8.2.3.0.MAHCNDL” Stable China ROM was not recognised by Android Pay as an official ROM, so you need to downgrade it back. I explained in in this post. If anyone tries it and got it working then, please let me know and I’ll update this part.
MIUI 8
Xiaomi's phone is known for MIUI, their version of Android. In past iterations, I've never really heartened to MIUI. I felt it tried too hard to mimic iOS, at the cost of user-friendliness and simplicity that comes with stock Android. To my surprise, this has all changed.
The learning curve for MIUI has become much lower, and the interface is probably one of the most aesthetically pleasing I've seen. I've used Samsung, LG, Sony, Asus, Motorola, and Huawei stock ROMs, and every time, I can't help but quickly install Apex Launcher to customise the interface and eventually finding my way to fully root the phone to tweak the way stuff on my status bar looks. Not anymore. MIUI 8 is just amazing. You click on the "Themes" app and you can see that there are plenty of really great designs out there. And if you only like parts of it and parts of others, you can actually customise your theme the way you want it directly in the "Theme" app (Theme > Settings > Customize Theme). Some theme icons are actually animated, for crying out loud!
There are still some quirks, though. For example, resizing of widgets is somewhat restrictive (not all widgets can be resized, unlike in Apex launcher). Also, it's very hard to preview widgets with the MIUI, but these aren't real biggies. With a big phone, you'd also expect more real estate but things are HUGE until you change your themes but this doesn't fix the UI scale issue entirely for apps (unless Xiaomi decides to upgrade the phone OS to Android 7.0 or Nougat where UI scale can be customised).
After downloading about 90+ themes and tweaking, here is what my lock screen and home screen looks like:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
You can also find a lot of great stuff with MIUI besides customization. You can create "second space”, allowing your phone to pretty much have 2 accounts. So what happens in space one remains in space one, and what happens in space two remains in space two. You can theme each space differently, you can log into the same apps but with different logins in both spaces. This is very neat as your phone can literally be 2 devices in one body. If you don’t actually need to have an entirelly different space but need to have dual accounts on your phone, e.g. Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc., you can do so using their Dual Apps feature. There's also an inbuilt app lock, and what's special is that it hides the content of your messages in the notifications bar and locked screen notifications, but you still get the notification. All these features you can find and access by heading to the "Security" app on your phone.
Phonecalls and loudspeaker
I'm no audiophile, so let's get that out of the way first, so below is merely my impression of the phone's audio qualities.
Calls on the device are made via what Xiaomi calls "cantilever piezoelectric ceramic acoustic technology" and it works like a charm. In a nutshell, rather than a regular earpiece which would inevitably make your phone bezels much larger to accommodate it, Xiaomi's technology here converts electrical energy into mechanical energy and you capture sound through vibrations. Sounds are not muffled and if you pick up calls in a relatively quiet area, you can get audibility easily at low-to-middle volume with your ear against it. Because the technology doesn't localise sounds into the earpiece, sound transmissions vibrate throughout the phone, meaning you can listen to your call even on the back panel. In noisier environments, however, you would instinctively boost the call to higher or even max volumes, this is where your call can get loud and audible to those around you, you don't even need your ear next to the phone. The ultrasonic sensor is Xiaomi's solution for Mix's lack of the standard proximity sensor and it also works. You don't have to worry about your face mashing buttons while you're on a call. The loudspeaker is also quite good, compared to my Huawei P8 Max, music at max volumes produced less static noise or buzz on the Mix. I use Spotify, mind you, and I'm happy with it. Audiophiles might do everyone a favour by putting in their two cents so as to describe in better ways than I can how audio fares on the Mi Mix.
Camera
Here is where Mi Mix scores the lowest in most reviews. Some even think the camera is crap as it performs strikingly poor in low-light settings and does not have OIS (optical image stabiliser). Well, it's definitely not the best shooter around but it's really not as bad as people say it is, especially when there are apps that can make the camera much better such as Camera Zoom FX or Snap Camera HDR. Frankly, for those who diss on the phone mainly because of the camera, please do get yourself some other device. This is a truly well-rounded phone and I think the camera is not as bad as people say it is.
Gaming
The phone's RAM, snappy processor plus massive storage and screen size make it a good gaming device. I played Mortal Kombat X on it and it's smooth and graphics look amazing. However, the phone's body is slippery so if you are playing a game that requires you to have a good grip on the back, best to play with a case. The phone gets warm gradually where your fingerprint sensor and camera lies and above, but it cools off quickly once off the game.
Mi Account and Mi Cloud and MIUI Forum
You'd want to set up a Mi Account for phone support as well as Mi Cloud. Since my phone's storage is 256GB, I'd pay to get a backup so you don't lose everything in case your phone gets lost, stolen or bricked. I pay the HK$118/yr for extra 100GB of space on Mi Cloud which backups your contacts, messages, photos and videos, notes, recordings, and lets you find your device. You might want to get something else if you need to backup your apps.
You also can find lots of good tutorials, information and reviews in the official English MIUI forums.
You would need a Mi Account tied to your phone to unlock the bootloader in order to root or flash ROMs.
Rooting and flashing new ROMs
If you really and absolutely MUST root your phone, there are two really helpful guides here and here.
I didn't see the need to, but I applied for unlocking the bootloader. Do be warned that it's going to void warranties if you truly proceed to unlock. Online guides tell you to go here, it didn't work for me, so I had to do it via the Chinese site. After filling in the forms, all you can do is wait. I got access to it 2 days later after applying. Xiaomi will send you an SMS saying you've been granted the permission to unlock. Go back to the website here while logged into your Mi Account and click the "Unlock Now" button, and you should be able to download the unlock tool that lets you unlock your Mix's bootloader.
I'm happy with my MIX as-is without rooting it or flashing any custom ROMs on it. Would be glad to answer any questions regarding the MIX.
This thread looks like can get into Guinness, I definitely will read all of it day by day. Thanks [emoji38] [emoji106] I hope you've mentioned that how hard to find a nicely curved screen protector around.
Mi MIX
7.3.16 Epic
Thank you, i found really helpful this tread, I'm also coming from P8 max (great device by the way). I wont use the Mi mix yet. Mi mix was coming with global 8.0.8.0.0 (which I understand is not official (( ), and I really want to use the NFC Payment method, have you some advice ?
Also I hope to make a proper backup of my files, apps, passwords and settings from my P8 max. You know any reliable software for this ? or I have to do it manually?
Regards !
If I send you my phone, will you make my home and lock screen look like yours?
Konsstantine34 said:
I hope you've mentioned that how hard to find a nicely curved screen protector around.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. My spouse got a screen protector but no matter how hard the vendor tried, it's hard to apply it perfectly as the screen's got some rounded edges. I didn't get any screen protector for mine as the screen's shown to be pretty scratch-resistant and there are no screen protectors that can protect your screen from cracking if you drop it or apply blunt trauma to it.
eliasmanu said:
Thank you, i found really helpful this tread, I'm also coming from P8 max (great device by the way). I wont use the Mi mix yet. Mi mix was coming with global 8.0.8.0.0 (which I understand is not official (( ), and I really want to use the NFC Payment method, have you some advice ?
Also I hope to make a proper backup of my files, apps, passwords and settings from my P8 max. You know any reliable software for this ? or I have to do it manually?
Regards !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great to know another P8 Max fan. Can't beat that screen and so far Huawei's been a really good phone, the only thing it lacks is NFC which is a real bummer! I'm waiting for Android watches with it, but then the Mi Mix came out first and I was sold.
I am able to use NFC payment (Android Pay) no problem but you might need to unlock the bootloader and use official tools to flash the official ROM, then relock the bootloader. I've tampered with the bootloader today by unlocking it and then relocking it, and as long as you didn't install TWRP or other boot images, you should be able to lock the bootloader just fine. Android Pay still works. Instructions on how to do it are here.
As for backup, I use MyBackup Pro which is worth every penny.
bricky23 said:
If I send you my phone, will you make my home and lock screen look like yours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's really easy to do on your own IF you are on the latest global stable ROM, just try out all the different themes and you can probably get it to look exactly like mine. You might even make yours cooler than what I've got. If you've got other ROMs then afraid I can't be of much help.
wendyalison said:
Thanks for the reply. My spouse got a screen protector but no matter how hard the vendor tried, it's hard to apply it perfectly as the screen's got some rounded edges. I didn't get any screen protector for mine as the screen's shown to pretty scratch-resistant and there are no screen protectors that can protect your screen from cracking if you drop it apply blunt trauma to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, in it's first week on my hand; i've never put my device into my pocket with any other objects, nor put it anywhere like display could engage with any object. In theory it shouldn't be scratched but there were very very tiny scratches that you can see them under the sun light after clean it perfectly. I noticed it after my other 2 friends confirmed this situation [emoji106] I don't like using SP but now have to. Not even mentioning the crackz tho..
Mi MIX
7.3.16 Epic
Thanks for the nice review, I think it time for me to get one
What store in Hong Kong did you get yours from and were they in stock or did you have to wait?
I have a friend who lives there that can get me one and send it to me in Australia.
Tks
Frosty
frostywinter said:
Thanks for the nice review, I think it time for me to get one
What store in Hong Kong did you get yours from and were they in stock or did you have to wait?
I have a friend who lives there that can get me one and send it to me in Australia.
Tks
Frosty
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Click to collapse
Hi Frosty,
You need to pre-order it with a store and then head there to get it, as they're not always stocked up on overseas phones (as close as HK is to China). I suggest you ask your friend (hopefully he/she can read Chinese) to help you go to this site find a seller that is selling it at a good price and then Whatsapp them to see if they can pre-order it for you.
I bought the black one in Mong Kok, and the white one in Sham Shui Po. These 2 places tend to have a good selection of foreign phone models. Let me know if you need further help.
Does anyone here know whether there has been an MIUI Global Stable update? I am currently on 8.2.1.0(MAHMIDL). Has 8.2.2.0 come out yet for the global stable?
---------- Post added at 10:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 PM ----------
wendyalison said:
Thanks for the reply. My spouse got a screen protector but no matter how hard the vendor tried, it's hard to apply it perfectly as the screen's got some rounded edges. I didn't get any screen protector for mine as the screen's shown to be pretty scratch-resistant and there are no screen protectors that can protect your screen from cracking if you drop it or apply blunt trauma to it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I bought a screen protector from: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162394844680
But it doesn't cover the whole screen :/
wendyalison said:
Hi Frosty,
You need to pre-order it with a store and then head there to get it, as they're not always stocked up on overseas phones (as close as HK is to China). I suggest you ask your friend (hopefully he/she can read Chinese) to help you go to this site find a seller that is selling it at a good price and then Whatsapp them to see if they can pre-order it for you.
I bought the black one in Mong Kok, and the white one in Sham Shui Po. These 2 places tend to have a good selection of foreign phone models. Let me know if you need further help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK great thanks for that info - will see how my friend goes.
Also what is that lovely clock weather widget you are using - is that the stock Xiaomi one? Would love to use it.
tks
Frosty
frostywinter said:
OK great thanks for that info - will see how my friend goes.
Also what is that lovely clock weather widget you are using - is that the stock Xiaomi one? Would love to use it.
tks
Frosty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the Transparent Weather and Clock widget, it's free unless you want a lot of additional features, my favorite widget yet!
rikstar555 said:
Does anyone here know whether there has been an MIUI Global Stable update? I am currently on 8.2.1.0(MAHMIDL). Has 8.2.2.0 come out yet for the global stable?
---------- Post added at 10:07 PM ---------- Previous post was at 10:05 PM ----------
I bought a screen protector from: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/162394844680
But it doesn't cover the whole screen :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
For the ROM question, you can always check Xiaomi's ROM download page specifically for MI Mix to see what the latest global stable ROM is. Usually, the China ROM leads it by 2 iterations, so those on global can only patiently wait. Any announcements of their ROM would be in their MIUI Mi Mix English forum.
As for screen protectors, yeah, hard to find one that fits over the whole screen unfortunately. I'll be trying to get mine via T-Mall or Taobao, the Chinese ebay. Hopefully will have more luck.
if u interested can get this full coverage one... no rainbow effect and it is the best so far after i ordered a few from other sellers.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/For...otector-Ultra-Thin-Explosion/32778591332.html
how it looks like applied
nakedtoes said:
if u interested can get this full coverage one... no rainbow effect and it is the best so far after i ordered a few from other sellers.
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/For...otector-Ultra-Thin-Explosion/32778591332.html
how it looks like applied
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol, it's same one which i bought(even $10). take a look:
Also I just saw this comment under your referred product:
Mi MIX
7.3.30 Épic
Konsstantine34 said:
Lol, it's same one which i bought(even $10). take a look:
View attachment 4097876View attachment 4097877
Also I just saw this comment under your referred product: View attachment 4097879
Mi MIX
7.3.30 Épic
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah i know i bought many times from the seller and the quality getting better .. i am extremely happy with the latest purchase..
nakedtoes said:
yeah i know i bought many times from the seller and the quality getting better .. i am extremely happy with the latest purchase..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, getting better. Sometimes the rainbow thing gets disappeared.
Mi MIX
7.3.30 Épic
Is it weird that my device came on the latest Official Global ROM but with an unlocked bootloader?
jinsoku3g said:
Is it weird that my device came on the latest Official Global ROM but with an unlocked bootloader?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's likely the vendor may have tampered with the ROM , the phone shouldn't have an unlocked bootloader factory-shipped. Might want to check with your vendor.
LEMFO LES2
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"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Specs:
Chassis: Metal
SoC: MediaTek MT6580M
CPU: ARM Cortex-A7, 1300 MHz, Cores: 4
GPU: ARM Mali-400 MP1, Cores: 1
RAM: 1 GB
Storage: 16 GB
Memory cards: None
Display: 1.3 in, IPS, 360 x 360 pixels
Protection:
Battery: 450 mAh
OS: Android 5.1 (Heavily Customized)
Camera: None
SIM card: Single-SIM, Nano Size
Wi-Fi: b, g, n 2.4GHz, single-band, Wi-Fi Hotspot
USB: 2.0, Magnetic Dock
Bluetooth: 4.0 LE
Positioning: GPS, A-GPS
Other Features:
Colors: Black, Silver
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official Website:
http://www.lemfo.com/
Reviews:
My own review: Post #2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Introduction
After the well-known LES1, LEMFO decided to release a cost-friendly variant without the AMOLED screen and with a lower-res screen. This is the LEMFO LES2
Just like most entry-level chinese smartphones, also this smartwatch comes with a Mediatek MT6580M clocked at 1.3GHz, with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of RAM. No 4G connectivity is present.
Unboxing
The package contains more than expected accessories: 1x Charging Dock, 2x Micro-USB Cables (Why? xD), 1x Screwdriver, 1x Kit of extra screws, 1x Screen Protector, 1x Manual, 2x Misc. Paper and the Smartwatch (of course).
Unlike some other charging docks i have tested with other smartwatches, this one feels solid and pretty-well made. It sticks perfectly to the back of the watch and the magnet is powerful enough to keep everything in place. I would recommend to get something high and narrow where to place the dock (Apple iWatch docks would be fine) in order to avoid to stress the wristband while docked.
Design & Features
Compared to the predecessor LES1, it must be said that the design hasn't been improved, and with the lack of a 2.5D curved screen, it doesn't look better at all.
Anyway, the chassis is completely made of metal, it feels as solid as an high-quality standard watch, and the build quality is acceptable.
On the right side there are two identical keys, basically an Home/Power button and a Back button. Both keys feel a bit spongy, but i think this is related to some sort of insulation added inside in order to avoid any kind of liquid and dust intrusion.
As regards the left side, there is only the microphone.
The back features a Removable Metal Back Cover, together with an Heart-Rate Sensor, a Speaker Grill and the Magnetic Pin Connector.
Here you can see where it is possible to insert a Nano-SIM Card for Mobile Connectivity (if want to use it as an indipendent device). I would have expected some sort of plastic cover over the motherboard in order to avoid short-circuits or such, but this way it is easier to replace something inside.
As already mentioned before, the LES2 doesn't use an AMOLED screen anymore, but instead it uses an 1.3" IPS Screen with a resolution of 360x360. Don't expect superb quality or color accuracy, it is as good as a mid-range IPS screen, with a mid-high level of brightness.
The wrist-band is good and bad in the same time. It is super comfortable, soft and pretty cosy for the wrist itself, but it is the classic rubber-band that isn't dust friendly at all, meaning that it will look dirty almost everytime. Personally i would have preferred a less comfortable but more hygienic variant.
Software and Usage
This smartwatch runs an heavily customized version of Android 5.1, with November 2015 Security Patches (???), and an overall nice user-experience. There are Custom UIs available online too, but i can't mirror them here.
Here is a video where i show you all features of the UI, so i won't be describing them in the paragraph. There is no audio so don't worry, you can just enjoy the video just like it is a slideshow
Many watchfaces are pre-installed, and it is possible to install other ones directly from the watch, as shown in this other video i made (same way as before, no audio...).
Something i don't find impressive is the Android App used to sync notifications with the smartphone. The UI is pretty simple, easy to understand, but there is an huge lack of features. Basically, it handles only three features: Notifications, Find the Target (in case of loss) and File Transfer. That's it!
Even though it lacks features, it is working as should, even if sometimes gets killed in the background (probably only on Xiaomi's MIUI). Also, it is not available on the Play Store!
Talking about the Battery Life, it isn't superb either. Even without a SIM-Card inserted, with Bluetooth always-on and WiFi off, it barely reaches one day of usage, using it only for notifications and to check the time.
Conclusion
Sincerely i am a bit confused about this new model. Compared to the LES1, it is clear enough that what we get is a downgrade, but the lack of a proper sync app and a pretty limited battery life, do not convince me entirely.
Talking about the positive stuff, the design is clean, it doesn't feel fragile, and performance-wise it is just perfect, it doesn't have any lag even when stressed. This is probably the most similar experience to an Android Wear smartwatch.
Instead, talking about the negative stuff, the screen doesn't look great, battery life is limited barely reaching a day of standard usage (with no SIM-Card inserted) and the lack of a proper android app to sync watchfaces or everything else limit its usage slightly.
So, is this a smartwatch that should be considered? Maybe, if the LES1 won't be produced anymore and if this gets way cheaper than its predecessor, then yes, otherwise, keep looking at the LES1.
Pros:
Solid Chassis
Great Design
Comfortable Wrist-Band
Smooth User Interface
Cons:
Outdated Android Security Patches
Lack of Android App features
Barely sufficient Battery Life
Mediocre IPS Screen
Rating:
Packaging and Accessories: 9.5
Design and Materials: 9.5
Performance & Usage: 9.5
Screen: 7
Sound: 8
Battery Life: 6
Price: 8
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/Z5WyF
Official Website: http://www.lemfo.com/
You can buy it on many online shops. Official, and authorized, Retailers are listed in the LEMFO website.
It's very important that people understand what this is.
It is a rebadged Finow X3 +. It just has 16gb storage rather than 8gb.
It's firmware is sadly not much different apart from the same UI as the X5 Air.
The gps is flawed on the original and it will be interesting to see if is the same is true here.
The straps are prone to snap off close to the body of the watch.
The connection points for charging and data suffer very badly from corrosion from sweating.
Battery life is pretty bad and you might find that auto sync is permanently disabled in the system so that push messages are not available. At least this is true of the X5 Air.
I have suggested fixes for some of these issues but sadly they have been ignored by the manufacturer.
I am happy to be proved wrong here and I hope I am wrong - for the sake of the customers.
But until I get hold of one (if I get hold of one) please check out what I have said as I would be impressed if it is not true.
Cheers
Pablo.
Sent from my HTC 2PS6200 using Tapatalk
pablo11 said:
It is a rebadged Finow X3 +. It just has 16gb storage rather than 8gb..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah it might be possible, same OEM.
pablo11 said:
It's firmware is sadly not much different apart from the same UI as the X5 Air.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It does look identical to most Android 5.1 smartwatches, same OS basically.
pablo11 said:
The gps is flawed on the original and it will be interesting to see if is the same is true here.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine seems to work decently, at least for now.
pablo11 said:
The straps are prone to snap off close to the body of the watch.
The connection points for charging and data suffer very badly from corrosion from sweating.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
At least on mine, these issues are not present.
I'm waiting for LEMFO to release its firmware so that i can work on a Custom ROM, since it requires huge improvements.
Yes, it takes a while, normally a couple of weeks or months for the issues to materialise.
Just have a look at users experience with the X3 plus.
It is the same same watch - confirmed.
However, I still have my X3 plus and it still works but then I don't use it. I keep it for support purposes for the forum members.
Sent from my HTC 2PS6200 using Tapatalk
Alberto96 said:
I'm waiting for LEMFO to release its firmware so that i can work on a Custom ROM, since it requires huge improvements.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any word on the firmware release? I have been using the LES2 for about a week & the firmware blows. I can't even get gmail to install or most other apps for that matter. Also a lot of the settings seem to be missing that you would expect to find. A few examples are storage, users, battery.
Some app settings like google play. The background is white with the text font color being white. You can barely read the text. This is absolutely pitiful.
The firmware cannot be that different from the Finow X3 or Les1. I don't believe that these issues exist with either of those.
jadesse said:
Any word on the firmware release? I have been using the LES2 for about a week & the firmware blows. I can't even get gmail to install or most other apps for that matter. Also a lot of the settings seem to be missing that you would expect to find. A few examples are storage, users, battery.
Some app settings like google play. The background is white with the text font color being white. You can barely read the text. This is absolutely pitiful.
The firmware cannot be that different from the Finow X3 or Les1. I don't believe that these issues exist with either of those.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No single word, LEMFO doesn't reply to my request.
Is it even possible to access the official firmwares for this watch? If we ever get troubles, i can't find any rom whatsoever.
manusvieira said:
Is it even possible to access the official firmwares for this watch? If we ever get troubles, i can't find any rom whatsoever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Considering their behavior, I don't think so.
Flash a compatible rom maybe? Since many of these devices are practically equal, i dunno.
I revive my les 2 dead after trying intalling another flash rom
first of all sorry for my english but i only speak spanish, Well i tell my experience after a 2 days of attempting reviving my les 2. i tried a few roms similar like the les 1 rom but nothings works on a lot of mistakes in the attempt DR_RAM errors NAND FLASH Errors (when i boot the smartwatch only stripes in the screen and bootloop) etc... well the only slution by the moment that i found is first FORMAT with the SCATTER FILE of lemfo 1
after FLASH in DOWNLOAD mode ONLY SELECT THE PRELOADER with the same scatter file STEP 2 finally FLASH with the rom of FINOW x3 PLUS w612_X3+_160927 but untick the PRELOADER box, i guess maybe i lose the 8gb of memory extra due to download the FINOW X3 PLUS firmware but the lemfo recognized me the 16gb. I'll be testing all the features and any change I notice
This stock watchface (with flags) is amazing. Anyone can post a link to download it?
sukisux said:
first of all sorry for my english but i only speak spanish, Well i tell my experience after a 2 days of attempting reviving my les 2. i tried a few roms similar like the les 1 rom but nothings works on a lot of mistakes in the attempt DR_RAM errors NAND FLASH Errors (when i boot the smartwatch only stripes in the screen and bootloop) etc... well the only slution by the moment that i found is first FORMAT with the SCATTER FILE of lemfo 1
after FLASH in DOWNLOAD mode ONLY SELECT THE PRELOADER with the same scatter file STEP 2 finally FLASH with the rom of FINOW x3 PLUS w612_X3+_160927 but untick the PRELOADER box, i guess maybe i lose the 8gb of memory extra due to download the FINOW X3 PLUS firmware but the lemfo recognized me the 16gb. I'll be testing all the features and any change I notice
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sounds like a method, i'll be curious to see your testing results. I tried to contact LEMFO to no result. I did recieve an anwer but no firmware access. They basically said to format / restore the smartwatch -.-'
manusvieira said:
That sounds like a method, i'll be curious to see your testing results. I tried to contact LEMFO to no result. I did recieve an anwer but no firmware access. They basically said to format / restore the smartwatch -.-'
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
All works fine with the firmware of the FINOW X3+ (with this firmware it can be rooted and install the TWRP) only 2 issues the first i had to recover the IMEI with the apk MTK ENGINNER and second i lose the heart pedometer function but im not sure if its because of the root or another cause. The root and the TWRP boot works well with some versions of the FINOW Firmware but the google play works rather slow
nice work.
Do you confirm losing 8gb storage as well with that rom?
manusvieira said:
nice work.
Do you confirm losing 8gb storage as well with that rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Smartwatch still have 16gb -3gb of the rom
Can you get access online for clock faces? Did you manage to create a ROM image from stock?
Hey,
I finally got access to the official firmware of LEMFO LES2, given by LEMFO themselves. There is hope after all.
manusvieira said:
Hey,
I finally got access to the official firmware of LEMFO LES2, given by LEMFO themselves. There is hope after all.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What's the point of this post if you are not sharing it?