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Thanks to a new wave of 8-inch Windows 8 and Windows 10 tablets, Microsoft's flagship OS is becoming more portable and cheaper than ever. The Cube iWork 8 Ultimate is one of the latest slates to put Windows 10 in your pocket, touting the latest Intel Cherry Trail x5-Z8300 processor and a bright 1280 x 800 IPS display. But how does it compare to those Bay-Trail powered 8-inchers such as the Acer ICONIA W4 and Cube’s very own iWork 8, you will find out in this article.
Cube iWork 8 Ultimate specs:
• OS: Windows 10 Home Edition
• Display: 8-inch IPS, 5-point multi-touch, IGZO
• Screen Resolution: 1280 x 800 (16:10)
• CPU: Intel AtomCherry Trail X5-Z8300 Quad-core Processor
• CPU Frequency: 1.44GHz – 1.84GHZ
• GPU:Intel HD Graphic Gen8
• RAM / Storage: 2GB / 32GB
• Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, OTG
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n
• Camera: 2MP back camera, 2MP front camera
• Battery: 3,300mAh
• Extend Port: TF Card Slot, Micro USB Port, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
• Weight & Size: 339g / 213 x 127 x 9.8mm
Design
The first thing we noticed about the Cube iWork 8 Ultimate is how identical it is to the many other competing 8-inch Windows tablets. In fact, almost all cheap 8-inch Windows tablets look the same. You may find the Acer W4 and the Lenovo Miix 2 more stylish and one of a kind, but they do cost considerably more than the slates from less celebrated Chinese brands.
The Cube iWork 8 Ultimate sports a white bezel encased by a white rear panel with silver edges. When held vertically, the device's 2-MP front camera sits at the top, above the 8-inch touch-capacitive screen. There is no branding or button on the front of the tablet.
The slate's right edge hosts a power button and a volume switch, while the top edge plays host to a micro SD card slot, a micro USB input, a micro HDMI port, a headphone jack and a physical Home button. The iWork 8 Ultimate’s white plastic back panel has a faint texture for grip, but it's not as comfy as the Dell Venue 8 Pro's soft-touch rear.
The device's 2-MP rear camera and small speaker gate sit at the top of the back panel, while the model and some branded information are printed at the bottom.
At 339g and 9.6mm thick, this iWork 8 Ultimate is by no means the slimmest or lightest tablet out there. But for a tablet which runs full desktop Windows OS, it is still quite portable, and can be held in one hand for a relatively long period of time without causing any discomfort.
Display
Like most of the 8-inch Windows tablets on sale, the Cube iWork 8 Ultimate sports an 8-inch IPS display at the resolution of 1280 x 800px. When you translate the resolution to pixel density, you get 189PPI. In a year when our eyes have been spoiled by QHD and 4K displays on flagship smartphones, the iWork 8 Ultimate’s display may appear to be a slight disappointment.
However, in the real life use, it’s not really the case. The multicolored Live Tile interface looked crisp on the iWork 8 Ultimate's screen, as did the text of websites like CNN.com and ESPN.com. When watching the 1080p trailer for "Batman VS Superman" on the Cube iWork 8 Ultimate, the clip's intense fight scenes were colorful and clear on the Cube tablet, and remained vivid as we watched from different angles.
When it comes to brightness, the Cube iWork 8 Ultimate slightly under-delivers. Although for indoor use, you only need to tune the brightness to 30% - 40%, and 50% would be too dazzling. If you take it outdoor, you can hardly see what’s on the display even at full brightness.
Audio
The Cube iWork 8 Ultimate’s tiny speaker is clear, but far from room-filling. It was easy to hear the laughter of Wooby Goldberg on “The View”, but the song was low on bass and sounded canned at full volume. When listening to Ed Sheeran's "Don’t", it was somewhat hard to pick out the distorted guitars.
System and apps
The iWork 8 Ultimate is Cube’s first 8-inch tablet that ships with Windows 10 OS. If you are a fan of Microsoft's modern interface, you will be delighted. Some of Windows 10's features were built with diminutive tablets in mind, including smaller Live Tile sizes (to fit more on screen at once), access to the camera from the lock screen and more keyboard shortcuts.
The platform's multi-window snap mode isn't as useful here as it would be on larger-screened hardware, but it's still appealing to have a chat client open while you browse the web, or to check email while you catch up on TV shows. Most mobile platforms can't juggle multiple active apps very well (see Samsung's TouchWiz) or at all, so you'll be happy with Windows if you prefer to run more than one app at a time.
The modern Windows app ecosystem is also reasonably healthy. Although you won't find some of the famous mobile games and apps (such as Wechat and Instagram), the odds are high that there's touch-native software available to do what you want. Line, IMDB and YouTube are included in the Windows app store; you'll also find reading apps like Amazon Kindle and Flipboard, while Nokia's Here Maps provides a solid navigation option when you're on WiFi. You can even fire up VLC to play less common media formats. Just be aware that major developers like Apple, Mozilla and Valve may never support the interface; it’s highly likely that you won't get a finger-friendly version of iTunes or Steam, for instance.
These absences won't matter as much when you have full access to the traditional Windows desktop, although having this fallback isn't as ideal as it sounds. Simply put, the older interface doesn't elegantly shrink down to an 8-inch display. You'll often find yourself pressing the wrong button or obscuring a text input box with the virtual keyboard. If you expect to spend a lot of time in the classic interface on the iWork 8 Ultimate, we'd strongly suggest using a mouse and keyboard -- you'll get around considerably faster, and if you can connect the tablet to a monitor with an HDMI cable, that’s when you will get some serious productivity job done.
No matter which front end you prefer, there will be an abundance of apps from Microsoft and a wide range of third-party developers. And with the many new features (such as Cortana and Microsoft Edge) and functions (such as Windows store applications running in Windows under desktop mode) added to Windows 10, a Windows tablet is more useful and functional than ever.
Performance
The Cube iWork 8 Ultimate is powered by an Intel Atom Cherry Trail X5-Z8300 processor along with 2GB of RAM. This Cherry Trail generation CPU is based on 14nm process, and outfitted with four cores with a clock frequency from 1.44 GHz – 1.8GHz.
With 32GB of eMMC storage, the slate booted Windows 10 in just 13 seconds. This is much faster than average laptop and desktop PCs with mechanical hard disks, but slightly slower than high-end ultrabooks and tablets with Solid-state drives.
To test the iWork 8 Ultimate’s performance, we ran some famous benchmarks on the device and compared the scores to the showings of other Windows tablets. The iWork 8 Ultimate netted a 1,041 on the PCMark 8 Creative performance test, scoring higher than the original Cube iWork 8 (907), and the Acer ICONIA W4 (965). This showing is slightly below the 10.6-inch iWork 11 Stylus' score of 1,119. In the more graphics-focused 3DMark test, the iWork 8 Ultimate scored 10,263 on the 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme benchmark, surpassing the Acer ICONIA W4 (8,643) and Cube iWork 8 (8,310).
While the iWork 8 Ultimate topped most Bay-trail powered Windows tablets in terms of performance, it is by no means a powerhouse tablet PC. When we compared its benchmark scores to the snatchings of those Core-M or Core-i powered slates, we did see huge gaps.
In the real world experience, the iWork 8 Ultimate performed basic tablet functions without a hitch. Everything installed from the Windows store worked like a charm. Even when you run several of those Windows store applications in desktop mode, the iWork 8 Ultimate remained super-responsive.
The real challenge comes with running heavyweight desktop applications, including some traditional PC game titles which Atom-based device always tend to struggle with. The iWork 8 Ultimate did generally better than those Z3735F or Z3736F powered tablets, but if you are expecting the kind of visual effects and speed you get from ultrabooks and average desktop PCs, you will be disappointed.
Connectivity
The iWork 8 Ultimate offers its users a healthy slew of connectivity options. The Wi-Fi 802.11n/b/g takes good care of internet surfing, while the Bluetooth 4.0 makes it possible for the iWork 8 Ultimate to connect with external input devices and audio systems without occupying the ports.
The Micro USB port on board can also host all kinds of devices: from your mobile hard drive to your smartphone.
The Micro SD card slot can support cards up to 128GB, in case the 32GB internal storage is not enough, and the Micro HDMI port makes sharing the content on your monitor, HDTV or projector much easier.
Battery Life
The iWork 8 Ultimate has 3,300mAh Li-Po battery, which is quite small, even for an 8-incher. Unfortunately, the battery life of the slate is as disappointing as the capacity suggests.
In our standard cngadget battery rundown test, where we play a 1080P video on loop, with 50% display brightness and 50% volume from the built-in speakers, the iWork 8 Ultimate lasted only 4 hours and 29 minutes before automatic shutdown due to battery drain.
In the day to day use, the iWork 8 Ultimate also disappoints. It can barely last through a day of moderate use. For intense users, multiple charge a day is inevitable.
Cameras
Like other Windows tablets we’ve laid our hands on, the iWork 8 Ultimate have lousy cameras. The nice thing is, the front-facing camera, actually the only useful camera, is decent enough for video-chatting when there is nice lighting. The rear camera is merely just there for the sake of being there, I don’t think you would want to use it for Instagram and Facebook updates, while even the cheapest smartphone could do the job a hundred times better.
Verdict
The Cube iWork 8 Ultimate is a very capable Windows 10 tablet that packs a beautiful display into a sturdy frame. We also like that it offers a micro HDMI port, which lets you easily share content on a big screen. However, the iWork 8 Ultimate has unforgivably poor battery life, and the 2MP rear-facing camera doesn't impress, either.
Priced at only RMB499 ($78), the Cube iWork 8 Ultimate represents a lot of tablets for the money. If you're intrigued by running full desktop Windows OS on a miniature tablet, it's worth checking out. But if you don’t really need to run desktop Windows applications at all, Android tablets at this size still tend to have both higher-resolution screens and wider native app selections.
help me, please
hi guys, I have performed a clean install of win 10, then I installed the drivers and after I tried to update the drivers via windows update.
It updated firmware and after it restart my tablet, it started the installation but then it was bricked irreparably.
now I can not turn it on, it remains with black screen, only if put under charging it turns on the red light
does anyone know how to make the unbrick?
thank you
Did you find a solution? Or installed dual boot? I cant fint x64 driver for the dual boot
---------- Post added at 01:41 AM ---------- Previous post was at 01:40 AM ----------
robertoaci88 said:
hi guys, I have performed a clean install of win 10, then I installed the drivers and after I tried to update the drivers via windows update.
It updated firmware and after it restart my tablet, it started the installation but then it was bricked irreparably.
now I can not turn it on, it remains with black screen, only if put under charging it turns on the red light
does anyone know how to make the unbrick?
thank you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you find a solution? Or installed dual boot? I cant fint x64 driver for the dual boot
It's quite a nice tablet and most importantly it's very cheap. I'm considering getting one, if all the above got fixed, obviously..
Any update?
Hi. Do you have the original firmware of the device? I cant download it from the chinese server baidu
I make a video that show how to remove battery and replace heatsink if someone wants to
https://youtu.be/-DQtwcFdUhQ
I can't install kb4034660 update to this tablet.... Is there a solution for this?
Also from android screen won't turn on easily when it is too long at standby.... Is there a fix for these issues?
Related
This post is not to start a pointless "GNote is better than iPad" flame war. For what it intends to do, the iPad is an excellent product. Until I got my GNote, I was jealous of my wife's iPad 3 (maybe that's partially because I had a Thinkpad Tablet... fellow TPT owners will understand, ha ha).
I'm offering this against the myriad of scathingly bad reviews of the GNote, many of them from arguably pro-Apple sites. Consumer Reports prides itself on being an independent consumer research agency. As most of you probably know, they accept no promotional considerations for any product they test. Each review is based upon a unit/item which their staff bought 'off the shelf' at a local or online retailer, not a free unit from the vendor. And they do not sell ads, again to avoid any influence on their ratings.
So, if you want to reference a very good review for your GNote from an organization which has good credibility, here your are...
In their review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1, Consumer Reports scores the GNote as an overall 83 points out of 100, the same as the iPad 3. It is the first tablet to equal the iPad in their reports.
In the overall scoring categories of portability, ease of use, versatility, touch response, and size, the GNote and iPad were rated equivalently as 'excellent' or 'very good' in each case. Only in display rating did the iPad best the GNote, with a mark of 'excellent' to the GNote's 'very good.'
The only con ("Low") they noted was that at $500, it is at the more expensive end of the scale.
Here is the URL for the review, but you may need to login as a subscriber to access the full review. I've pasted the text from the review below the link. I've also attached a screenshot of their side-by-side scoring of the GNote vs. the iPad.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/...ung-galaxy-note-10-1-wi-fi-16-gb-99046807.htm
Consumer Reports members-restricted content said:
Reviews & Recommended - Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (Wi-Fi, 16 GB)
CR's Take
The Galaxy Note 10.1 is very innovative and fun to use. It comes with a stylus, recognizes handwriting, and can multitask, unlike other tablets. But because some of its most useful apps aren't very intuitive, expect to spend a good amount of time getting up to speed. Battery life was very long.
Highs
• 1.4 GHz 4-core processor
• Battery life longer than most
• Very good display quality
• Screen coating reduces fingerprints and makes cleaning easier.
• Voice-typing feature
• Keyboard can use "Swype" entry method
• Can be a remote control for TVs or other A-V devices
• GPS mapping
• 5-megapixel camera, higher resolution than most
• Screen uses high-durability "Gorilla glass"
• File manager preinstalled
• Full access to the Google app market
• Photos can fill entire screen height
Lows
• At $500, relatively expensive
Detailed test results
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (Wi-Fi, 16 GB) was easy to use for a wide variety of functions. It was easy to move from screen to screen using finger swipes, and to move app icons among screens. Samsung includes an enhanced user-interface. Home screens have useful custom widgets. The on-screen keyboard may be used in "Swype" mode to type by sliding between letters.
Photos can be displayed full height without interference from the navigation bar. Turning from portrait to landscape while reading a book worked well. A voice-typing feature lets you dictate emails and text documents. You can sync and transfer files to and from a PC using USB. A built-in file manager app makes it easy to transfer files from a memory card.
The display quality was very good overall. Colors were accurately reproduced, realistic, and natural-looking because they were undersaturated. The screen was among the brightest we've measured and readability in sunlight was good. Viewing angle was quite wide in landscape orientation, making it easy to view photos or video with another person. Viewing angle was quite wide in portrait orientation, making it easy to share the screen with another person.
Touch response was excellent. The capacitive touchscreen responds to a light finger touch, and allows multiple fingers to perform gesture actions. Moving objects and using finger gestures is easy and precise. Icons were easy to move and place precisely. A special coating on the screen resists fingerprints and makes cleaning easier.
This tablet has a very good set of useful features that make it convenient and versatile to use - see the "About" section for more details. There is full access to the Google app market, with a large and varied selection of apps. There is also access to a large media market through Google, for downloading movies, music and books. The tablet can send pictures, video and music to another "DLNA" (Digital Living Network Alliance) capable home entertainment device, such as a TV. You can program the tablet to act as a remote control for home entertainment products like TVs and receivers.
There are a variety of sensors to provide positional and environmental info to apps and games. These include a global positioning system (GPS) receiver to locate the user geographically and allow the use of navigation apps, an accelerometer to give motion feedback to apps, a gyroscope to give rotational feedback to apps, a magnetic compass to give directional feedback, and an ambient light sensor to reduce the screen brightness to extend battery time. There's a stylus included to enable handwriting, precise drawing, or using the tablet with gloves.
This is among the most portable tablets in the 9- to 12-inch category. Its battery life of 11.1 hours lets you use it all day without recharging. It's very slim and compact for its screen size, and at 1.3 pounds, it's a very lightweight tablet for its size.
About - Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (Wi-Fi, 16 GB)
The Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 (Wi-Fi, 16 GB) is a larger tablet computer with a 10.1-inch screen. It has a screen resolution of 1280 x 800, which is typical for its size. The rectangular screen is a better shape for videos than for photos, and it utilizes toughened Gorilla Glass for durability.
The tablet has a 1.4 GHz Samsung Exynos processor with 4 cores. It runs on the Android 4 operating system. It has 2GB memory and is available with 16 or 32GB storage. You can add an Micro SD memory card for more storage.
There is a headphone jack with a volume control, a built-in microphone, and stereo speakers. Internet connectivity is via Wi-Fi. It has a 1.9-megapixel webcam, and a 5-megapixel camera with a flash.
The tablet measures 10.3 inches long by 7.1 inches wide by 0.37 inches thick, and weighs 1.3 pounds.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
jchammerpants said:
This post is not to start a pointless "GNote is better than iPad" flame war. For what it intends to do, the iPad is an excellent product. Until I got my GNote, I was jealous of my wife's iPad 3 (maybe that's partially because I had a Thinkpad Tablet... fellow TPT owners will understand, ha ha)....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes my dear fellow, I do understand you very well, me too .
Actually Samy should pay to Lenovo for encouraging us TPT owners (by bad Android implementation) to buy GNote 10.1. Or at least to make some "switch" advertising, would be very funny.
I love the SGN10.1 from a hardware standpoint; however, much of their software (S-Note I am looking at you), doesn't seem well-thought through and half-done. Hopefully the JB OTA will improve upon this.
I suppose my biggest issue is that the things which would make S-Note truly amazing are not revolutionary or dramatic. They simply need to implement features already found in competing products as well as a few new ideas.
jchammerpants said:
I'm offering this against the myriad of scathingly bad reviews of the GNote, many of them from arguably pro-Apple sites.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The difference is that CR views things from a populist perspective. The tech media are snobs and think the masses make decisions based on CPU, GPU, and benchmarks. You'll notice CR used adjectives rather than benchmarks to describe performance. The Note's an all-around great tablet and the S-features provide a lot of real-world benefits and improve usability. When talking to non-techie's about which tablet to buy I say many of the same things to them CR wrote. And while not FHD, the Note's display is the best I've ever seen on a 10' tablet when it comes to color reproduction and accuracy. And that includes the TF700's higher res display.
I'm really getting tired of the price/value double standard that gets used by reviewers.
The cheapest current generation iPad is 16GB for $499. You can get last year's model for $399 - but you can also get a Galaxy Tab 2 10.1 for $399...
The Note 10.1 is $549 ($499 in Canada) and has 32GB of storage, which would cost $599.
Yet, for some reason, if any tablet OTHER than the iPad comes in at $500... it's too expensive. You never hear anyone call the iPad 'too expensive'.
Retina display? Fair enough - Note has Wacom digitiser.
In every other way the Note meets or exceeds the iPad's specs.
Simply put, the Note 10.1 is a better VALUE at a comparablet price than the iPad.
wolfindersteppe said:
Yes my dear fellow, I do understand you very well, me too .
Actually Samy should pay to Lenovo for encouraging us TPT owners (by bad Android implementation) to buy GNote 10.1. Or at least to make some "switch" advertising, would be very funny.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
:laugh: So true.
Huawei is chinese brand well known for almost anyone thanks to network components like routers, modems, switches...presents in our homes since the ADSL started to be something common.
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However, in the last years they have go into newer markets to avoid stay behind their competitors, and that’s how they went into the mobile market with some smartphones and tablets... Although not attracting too much attention.
In order to change that trend, they have introduced a new business line under the commercial name “Honor” which flagship is the new Honor 6. It has been presented as an independent brand from Huawei, but with the backup of having such a big brand behind, something like what we can see with Toyota and Lexus on the cars world.
The most peculiar of this new brand is that they promise high specifications but at a quite reduced prices, basing their strategy on online sales. Same technique used by low cost Asiatic manufacturers or, even first brands like Google with their Nexus.
Specifications
These are the characteristics showed on their web...
*the internal storage and memory card capacity have been improved in this new version.
There are no doubts we are facing a very powerful terminal, last generation and equipped with octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM!… Now let’s see how it performs
We see each time more and more devices with amazing HW on the paper BUT, with always or almost always the same weak points on the real using experience: screen quality and low camera definition on low light situations, even having a lot of megapixels. So go on with the review step by step.
Design
Frontal and rear part come with the 3rd generation of Gorilla Glass , connected by a plastic surface on the sides... Willing to look like metal (but not giving high quality feeling). Clean and round lines not highlighting for anything in special... Unless we mention the unavoidable similarity with the iPhone 5: same round edges, power adaptor situation or the frontal speaker.
I must say here that the finish is so smooth that I found the same issue the Nokia C7 had... It slides from the hands almost automatically.
On the front, first thing we see is that amazing 5.0” IPS (with 441ppp) with the forementioned speaker on the top together with the 5Mpx secondary camera. The tactile controls are located just below the screen. With this distribution, they have reached a quite impressive 76% ratio of screen within the total surface.
Once turned back, the 13Mpx main camera (with a Sony IMX214 sensor, 1/3.06”, f/2.0, 28mm including Total Focus and software stabilizer, HDR) and dual LED flash. Looking down, only the hands free speaker is visible. Near the center of the cover only the Honor logo to get more value.
Regarding this part of the design, I must pull the engineer’s ears for putting that rear speaker compeltely flat, in a way that when we recline the device, the sound is completely absorbed...losing quality and volume.
Interior
A Kirin 920 octa-core processor with four Cortex A15 cores running at 1,7Ghz and other four cores Cortex A7 at 1,3Ghz is beating inside this Honor 6, accompanied by a Mali T628 MP4 GPU (at 600Mhz) and as mentioned above, 3GB of RAM!
The internal memory brings us the very decent amount of 32GB, and again with the option to expand them with a microSD card, up to 64GB. Bravo for Huawei/Honor guys being able to answer a bigger storage demand.
Running, performance and autonomy
This Honor 6 presents us Android 4.4 Kitkat, customized with Emui 2.3. Sincerely it’s not enough to take advantage of the great hardware on this device, however it is already possible to update to the version 3.0 of Emui bringing interesting things to users, and specially using better the phone capabilities.
We have already seen the Sony IMX214 sensor of the main camera in many different high-end smartphones like OnePlus One, Nexus 6 or Xiaomi Mi4. Nevertheless, using the same components doesn’t mean achieving the same results...
A little subsection here to talk about the number of megapisels and the quality of the pictures taken. We all know that the iPhones (even the latest ones) still mount an 8Mpx camera, while their direct competitors have already jumped to the13Mpx or even 20Mpx. This could be translated into worse pictures or customers complaining, however the company from Cupertino has shown to followers and retractors that the software behind the camera is almost as important as the sensor used, receiving in addition a lot of praises for the quality of night pictures and the incredibly speed they are taken.
That said, it’s obvious I have found some faults to Honor 6’s camera. In the same way other (most of) low-cost smartphones in the market, we can take outstanding pictures in very good light conditions but, when the light is poor (or in the night) and we must use the flash, we find a lot of nois in the pictures due to the increase on the ISO sensibility.
Recording 1080p video at 30fps shows a good quality, and the optic stabilizer helps a lot for that purpose, in exchange to limit the camera capabilities, since we know this sensor is capable of recording at [email protected] Summarizing, the video recording is very good, although we have the impression we have been cut on the hardware benefits :-/
The stock application for the camera offer basic controls, sincerely more than enough for most of users and, if someone needs more control voer some elements...there are lots of third-party applications on Google Play.
It is not a secret that the recent selfie fever makes the secondary camera become a main character. About this one, I can only say that having 5Mps work in a similar way than the rear camera, so great results with good light, and noisy ones with low-light. Remark the included “beauty effect” filter will be quite useful when taking those selfies.
When talking about the performance on this Honor 6, the only I can say is fluid and fast on every task we charge him with: browsing (wifi, 3G or 4G), productivity (email, WPS Office,...), multimedia (HD movies without lags) or games (once more Asphalt 8 comes included and runs perfectly).
About the battery, brings 3100 mAh, more than enough for standing more than one full day with standard/intensive use.
It includes also an energy saving tool, proven quite useful with a lot of tweaks available.
And again I must give a shout to the engineers, premium range and not including the fast charge system? Please! It would be great to charge 90% of this battery in 15 minutes.
I am not following the trend of pasting screen-shots of amazing benchmarks results, like AnTuTu and others, since every smartphone today will bring very high scores and this not always mean a great user experience.
Conclusions
A very balanced terminal on every field, some initial complaints that are solved with Emui update, and surely with Lollipop.
The price of this smartphone with the new configuration (32GB ROM and up to 64GB by adding a microSD) is not even 330€, in online shops like Etotalk, including the VIP shipping via DHL (door to door). What makes of it a very interesting option
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The good
12.2-inch display with an aspect ratio of 16:10 greatly enhances experiences
Redesigned keyboard cover makes the i9 even more portable than its smaller predecessors
Cube i9 is reasonably priced, much more affordable than the Microsoft Surface Pro4
The bad
Battery life is only slightly better than the Cube i7, but still mediocre among high-end Windows tablets
Compared to last year’s i7, the i9 doesn’t offer a lot of improvement in overall performance
Cube i9 doesn’t support Wacom pen like the i7 Stylus does
Rear side of the tablet offers little resistance to scratches
The bottom line
The Cube i9 squares up to the Surface Pro with great versatility, and a stunning screen, and it’s just as good value when bought with its best peripherals. The Surface Pro 4 might look more premium and offer more options, but the i9 has enough power to get the job done – if you need a tablet for work, you won’t be disappointed with this.
Tablets for work are almost as popular as tablets for play, so it’s no surprise to see Cube at the forefront of this growing market. Last year, Cube enjoyed an enormous amount of success with the Cube i7 Series tablets, all of which were powered by the Intel Core M 5Y10c processors and could even rival the Surface Pro 3 in terms of performance and productivity. With prices even lower than the basic model of the Cherry Trail powered Surface 3 (2GB, 64GB), the Cube i7, Cube i7 Stylus and Cube i7 CM became very popular among younger consumers in China.
Striving to keep its dominance over fellow Chinese brands such as Teclast and Onda, Cube released a new flagship corporate machine – the Cube i9, and even held a grand launch event in Beijing earlier this year to promote it. The Cube i9 comes with a Skylake Core M 5-6Y30 dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD, dual-band 802.11n wireless and a stunning 12.2-inch IPS display at the resolution of 1920*1200. With specs which could even rival the Surface Pro 4, the Cube i9 is only priced at RMB2,999 ($463) in the domestic market, prices in other part of the world may vary as a result of taxation and exchange rate.
Cube i9 main specs:
• OS: Windows 10 Home Edition (64-bit)
• Screen: 12.2-inch IPS, 10-point multi-touch, IGZO
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1200 (16:10)
• CPU: Intel Skylake Core M3-6Y30
• CPU Frequency: 0.9GHz (Base clock) – 2.2GHZ (Turbo clock)
• GPU: Intel HD 515
• RAM / Storage: 4GB DDR3L / 128GB SSD
• Connection: Dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
• Camera: 5MP back camera, 2MP front camera
• Battery: 8.7V – 5,000mAh
• Ports: Micro SD Card Slot, USB 3.0 Port, USB Type C Port, 3.5mm Headset Jack, DC Charging Port
• Size: 302.9*194.9*10.5mm, Weight: 978g
Design
The i9 is very different in appearance and design to last year’s Cube i7 series tablets. As a matter of fact, it looks more like a clone of the market-leading Surface Pro 4. It even has similar overall shape and footprint, from its adjustable kickstand to its 12.2-inch screen panel. Only the finish in the back truly tells you that it is not a Surface.
The front of the tablet is dominated by a 12.2-inch IPS display. The bezel around it is much smaller compared to last year’s Cube i7. Like the Surface Pro 3 and Pro 4, the touch-sensitive Windows key are now sitting on the right edge of the display, making it easier to reach while you are holding your tablet in horizontal mode.
All the ports are hosted on the left side of the tablet. You can find a 3.5mm audio jack, a USB Type-C port, which could support HDMI output as well as USB on the go, a full USB 3.0 port, a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 128GB, and a 3.5mm DC charging port. The inclusion of a USB Type C port is interesting, and Cube claims that it costs much more than ordinary USB or Micro USB ports. As for me, I would still prefer another full USB 3.0 port and a separate Micro HDMI port than this as I don’t really want to travel with too many adapters.
There is also a 5-contact magnetic keyboard port on the bottom side of the slate.
As always, the power/standby key and the volume rocker are hosted on the top side. Both buttons feel very solid and durable.
The blue coating on the rear is the same used on the Cube i7 series tablets, which we hate as it doesn’t offer much resistance to scratches. Also, compared to the likes of iPad Pro and Surface 3, the rear side of the i9 doesn’t really give the tablet a premium feel.
The biggest difference of the i9, compared to the i7 series tablets, is the inclusion of a kickstand. I personally believe that this is a huge improvement as the tablet can now stand on your table even without the keyboard base. The kickstand can open to two different angles, the first setting (40 degrees) is ideal for typing and productivity work when the tablet is on a table, the second (80 degrees) is better for watching videos while the tablet is sitting on your lap.
Measures at 302.9*194.9*10.5mm and weighs 980g, the Cube i9 is neither a thin nor a light tablet. It is porkier than the Microsoft Surface Pro 4 (292.10 x 201.42 x 8.45mm, 766g/786g), but still more compact compared to most of the ultrabooks. As always with Cube’s high-end tablet, the build quality of the i9 is excellent. No matter how much you twist or squeeze the tablet’s chassis, there’s barely any flex to be found.
Keyboard
Another noticeable change is the redesigned keyboard cover. Unlike the heavy and solid keyboard bases for the i7 series tablets, the keyboard tailor-made for the i9 is more like the Surface Type Cover.
Once attached magnetically to the i9, the keyboard cover instantly turns the tablet into an ultrabook.
The keyboard itself is very well designed, with ideal space between different keys, it also offers decent key travel, which gives you tactile feedback when you type. And we really love the ability to set it flat against the desk or at a more keyboard-like angle. We’d always rather use a full-sized laptop keyboard, but in the absence of that the i9 Keyboard Cover is the very next best thing.
The trackpad is reasonably sized, and it has distinct left and right click zones, and supports gesture control as you would expect. Unfortunately, different from the Surface Type Cover, when you fold the keyboard cover around the back of the i9 and the keys are still active.
Display
The Cube i9 is built around a 12.2-inch full-HD IPS display. It is noticeably sharper than ordinary laptops, most of which only have a display resolution of 1366*768. A native resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixels makes for a decent pixel density of 186ppi.
The extra size makes the Cube i9 a feasible laptop. It’s a big difference from a 10in tablet with a keyboard attached. And that isn’t the only upgrade. Whereas the aspect ratio was previously 16:9, the i9 is a 16:10 device. It is more suitable for business tasks, but still quite good for media consumption.
Everything looks good on the i9’s IPS display. Photos are bright and clear, full of color and detail. Texts on the webpages are extremely crisp and unlike the PLS and AMOLED displays, colors here are very true to life. Also, the multi-touch screen is fairly responsive, too.
Windows 10
The Cube i9 runs Windows 10 Home Edition (64-bit) out of the box. Like the convertible tablet, the Windows 10 itself is also something of a hybrid, with both desktop and the Windows Store apps, touch and keyboard, the control panel and the finger-friendly PC Settings app.
On the Cube i9, as long as you’re comfortable with gestures such as swiping to open the charms bar, switching apps and closing an app you don’t want, the two fit together almost seamlessly.
Also, features such as Microsoft Edge, Cortana, Virtual Desktop and the customized placement of the start menu on the Windows 10 make the Cube i9 very convenient to use both in tablet mode and laptop mode.
Like most tablets and ultrabooks, the i9 doesn’t come with preinstalled Microsoft Office, you have to either spend money on subscribing it or you will have to use other free alternatives such as WPS Office and the Microsoft Office Mobile, which you could install from the Windows Store.
Performance
The Cube i9’s specifications are truly impressive. It comes with a sixth-generation Intel Skylake Core M3-6Y30 processor, paired with 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. Sensors include ambient light sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer. There’s also a digital compass.
In use the i9 is zippy and fast. Big applications such as Photoshop and Corel Draw run without issue, switching between image-heavy webpages is extremely smooth. Even under load and attempting multiple processes it feels exactly as fast and capable as should a PC with this powerful specification. And the benchmarks bear this out.
In the PCMark 8 benchmark the i9 managed a healthy score of 2,650, and in the Fritz Chess Benchmark test, the i9 was returned a score of 4,018. Other benchmark scores can be found in the chart above. It is obvious that, although the i9 doesn’t match most of those powerhouse laptops or desktop PCs in terms of performance, it is way above what the Atom-based tablets or netbooks when it comes to processing power. With that said, we didn’t see much improvement over last year’s i7 in most of the benchmarks. In Ludashi, Cinebench R10 CPU test and AS SSD benchmark test, the i9 even scored lower marks than the i7.
When it comes to more intense tasks such as gaming, the i9 can run all the games in the Windows Store smoothly and most of the desktop games in acceptable frame rates, but we would still not recommend anyone to buy this tablet for gaming, it is just not what this slate is designed for. Laptops with discrete graphics are still much better suited for running intense games.
Connectivity
Connectivity options abound. There is a full-size USB 3.0 port, as well as a microSD card slot that allows you to expand the i9’s storage by 128GB. A USB Type C Port which can be transformed into different ports with different adapters. For instance, you can turn it into a full USB port to host other devices, or you can turn it into a HDMI port to use a larger display. With this function, the i9 could be a laptop, tablet and desktop PC.
If you wanted to use Bluetooth peripherals you could, as the Cube i9 comes with Bluetooth 4.0. You also get dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi to surface the internet.
Battery Life
Battery life in normal use has been on par with the Cube i7, lasting me about 5 hours or so between charges. The i9 went for 7 hours and 25 minutes in our battery rundown test, where we played a 720P video with 50% display brightness and 50% volume through the speakers.
It normally takes around 5 hours to fully charge the Cube i9 with the stock 12V-2.5A charger, which is quite disappointing given that we don’t always get several hours to charge our i9. During the lunch time of a full day meeting, I charged the i9 for approximately one hour, the battery only grew around 20 percent.
Cameras
The i9 comes with two cameras – a front-facing 2MP camera and a 5MP rear camera, hardly high-end, but about what you’d expect from a laptop rather than a smartphone or tablet. The front camera is perfectly feasible to use for conference calling and Skype. But it is not going to replace a DSLR or even a low-end smartphone when it comes to capturing photos.
Summary
Like the Microsoft Surface Pro 4, the Cube i9 is a perfectly serviceable laptop, and a pretty Okay tablet. It is sufficiently thin-and-light to work as a tablet, but the large screen size – critical for laptop use – means I’d always reach for a smaller tablet for consumption purposes such as reading an e-book or watching a video. And leaving aside occasions when I am required to work without a desk, I’d always choose a full-size laptop for work purposes where possible. It’s just that little bit better.
With that said, whenever I have to go on a business trip, or vacation during which I still have to work every now and then, I would prefer bringing the Cube i9. It is almost as portable as an iPad, but offers much more productivity for business tasks. For those who need a single device to do everything but find the prices of the Surface Pro series unacceptably high, the Cube i9 could be a very well-rounded alternative.
Loved the review.
You did mention, though, that the Wifi module is Dual Band....is this actually true? In every other review I've read so far, they say it single band.
vgiozo said:
Loved the review.
You did mention, though, that the Wifi module is Dual Band....is this actually true? In every other review I've read so far, they say it single band.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, it is single-band, I made a mistake, but the new i7 Book has dual band Wi-Fi.
The Cube i7 Book has nothing to do with this review, though...so I don't understand the "but"...we weren't talking about the cube i7 Stylus even.
Dimensionally, how close is this to a Microsoft Surface Pro 3 or 4? Is it pretty much exact clone shape wise? I'm just wondering if getting a Surface Pro 3/4 protective skin would be close enough where it would work on the i9 and protect the back of it.
My Cube i9 broke after Display problems
My CUBE i9 (bought in March 2017) becam an issue after a few months.
After startup the screen remains black (no backlight, no picture), but Win10 started.
Only after switching ON/OFF about 20 times, the screen will once switch on and computer works normally after that. I kept it on for several weeks without any problem.
Unfortunately, after closing the lid and a restart, due to often ON/OFF switching Win10 "broke" and now only (when the screens turns on) a kind of DOS screen (called SHELL) appears.
I am quite desperate and have no idea how to get it repaired.
Writing Cube Service Center doesn't lead to any reply...
Do you have an idea where I can get it repaired (I live in Germany):crying:?
DOOGEE MIX - Information & Reviews - 5.5" HD | Helio P25 | 4/6GB | 64/128GB | AMOLED
DOOGEE MIX
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Specs:
Dimensions: 76.2 x 144 x 7.95 mm
Weight: 193 g
Chassis: Metal with Back Glass
SoC: MediaTek MT6757CD (Helio P25)
CPU: ARM Cortex-A53, 4x2390 MHz, Cores: 8
GPU: ARM Mali-T880 MP2 900MHz, Cores: 2
Network: 4G Cat.6 (300MBps) with VoLTE Support
RAM: 4 GB/6 GB
Storage: 64GB/128 GB
Memory cards: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC
Display: 5.5 in, 720p, AMOLED
Protection: Gorilla Glass 5
Battery: 3380mAh, Li-Polymer
OS: Android 7.0 Nougat, FreemeOS skinned.
Back Camera: 4920 × 3264 pixels (16MP), Samsung ISOCELL Sensor, with 3264 x 2448 pixels (8MP) 2nd Camera
Front Camera: 3264 x 2448 pixels (8MP)
SIM card: Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
Wi-Fi: a, b, g, n 2.4GHz/5.0GHz, dual-band, Wi-Fi Hotspot
USB: Micro-USB, 2.0
Bluetooth: 4.1
Positioning: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Other Features: Front Fingerprint Scanner, High screen-to-body ratio
Colors: Dazzle Black, Blue (two variants)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Official Website:
http://www.doogee.cc/detail/mix-series-bezel-less-smartphone/106
Development & Support:
https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/doogee-mix-development-support-t3632785
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Reviews:
My own review: Post #6 & #7
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
DISCLAIMER (spammers, be aware): all spam (e.g. adverts, news and similar) posts that might be published here will be immediately reported and removed.
WiredLeaks said:
Will this phone have a led notification light?
Do you know when it will be released?
thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Both info are unknown for now, what i can tell you is that i may receive it in June.
Does anybody know when the 128GB version will be available again?
joda77 said:
Does anybody know when the 128GB version will be available again?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They will start to distribute the 4/64 variant first, then (i guess after a while), also higher capacity ones.
Review (part 1)
Introduction
This is the DOOGEE MIX.
Hardware
Being one of the first Xiaomi Mi Mix clone released in 2017, this MIX tries to be as similar as possible (of course not equal), providing a 5.5" screen in a smaller body. Also as regards the RAM/ROM capacity, it tries to be as similar as possible, with a maximum of 6GB of RAM and 128GB of ROM. Unfortunately though it uses a Mediatek CPU, precisely the Helio P25, that isn't bad at all, but not as powerful as a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820.
Unboxing
Packaging, with a really nice look, comes with some accessories: 1x Micro-USB Cable, 1x 5V/2A USB Charger, 1x Quick Start Guide, 1x Warranty Certificate, 1x Hard Plastic Case, 1x Phone Holder (Ring), 1x SIM Card Tray Remover and the Smartphone (of course). A plastic screen protector is already applied, and an extra protector is included.
As already introduced before, the design has been copied almost entirely from the Mi Mix, but with a Metal Chassis (instead of Ceramic), a smaller overall size (being smaller the screen) and less glossy colors. The device feels solid, and the Gorilla Glass panel placed on the back makes it looking really premium.
When it comes to the size, well...this is able to beat all 5.5" inches devices released in the last few years. It is only 14.44x7.67x0.80cm, unbelieably compact, but with a weight of 198g, unfortunately feels heavy due to the small size and high weight. I guess the amount of glass increased its weight.
On the front side there almost bezel-less AMOLED Display with an overall clean look (2.5D curved) and the upper front side of the device features an Earpiece (a real one), and the Sensors hole that includes Light, Proximity and Gesture Sensors. Somehow they choose to not include a Notifcation LED, in 2017 i think this is a must have feature.
As regards the lower front side, there is the Fingerprint Scanner in the center (doesn't work as a physical button, can't be pressed), and a Front-Facing Camera that due to space issues couldn't have been placed on the upper side. There is some wasted space though.
On the back side there is the Glass Back Cover i mentioned before.
The upper rear side of the device features the Dual Camera Sensor supported by a Single-LED - Single-Tone Flashlight, and nothing else. On the lower rear side, excluding the DOOGEE logo, there isn't anything at all because the Speaker is positioned on the lower side of the device.
Device
Screen
This is the most interesting part of the device, its almost bezel-less AMOLED screen looks gorgeous, even though i don't like AMOLEDs too much (due to unreal colors). Talking about color accuracy on a AMOLED is like talking about speed for a city car. Colors look really saturated and un-real, and the white balance is a bit messed up. Someone can like it, someone might not. This is really personal.
Unfortunately due to its 720p Resolution, pixels are noticeable on camera, and sometimes also while using it. I don't understand why DOOGEE choose to include a 720p screen instead of 1080p, the Helio P25 is fast enough to handle 1080p Apps/Games.
Its light sensor supports smooth light changes with a maximum brightness of ~500lux. Great Brightness for best usage under direct-sunlight.
Viewing Angles are awesome, as we all know, AMOLEDs are the best when it comes to this.
Camera
Luckily DOOGEE choose to include a pretty good camera sensor for this device, a Samsung ISOCELL 16MP sensor with fast focus-time and good overall quality. It also supports Camera API 2 for Manual Controls such as Manual Focus, RAW Recording and so on. This is the first Mediatek Device i review with Camera2 Compatibility.
I guess the software isn't 100% ready though because the amount of noise is slighlty too high even while shooting outdoors, and sometimes the Flashlight is out-of-sync.
Here you can see an HDR-on/off comparision, plus some random extra photos.
The Blur Effect using the "Blur" option seems to work. (aka Bokeh)
Macros are probably the most detailed ones.
Indoors shoots are decent, nothing to complain about.
The flashlight isn't super powerful, being a Single-LED only, but it is still able to support the camera sensor properly, when it isn't out-of-sync of course.
As regards Video Recording, the quality and frame-rate of 1080p30 videos is OK, and it can shoot also in 2160p25 with a decent stable frame-rate.
The Front-Camera is placed on the lower front side of the device, so you need to shoot photos with the device upside-down for selfies and so on. The Quality isn't too bad, but colors look a bit washed-out.
Audio
Surprisingly, considering the small size of the device, its Speaker is powerful, with a little amount of low-frequencies and excessive distortion at maximum volume. The Earpiece though is a whole different story, due to its limited size, there is a complete lack of low-frequencies, and the volume is a bit limited.
As regards the Microphone, it is as good as the speaker, with high sensitivity and clarity. Everyone was able to hear me perfectly while in-call.
GPS
GPS Quality is perfect, with no issues at all with signal stability and accuracy. Finally Mediatek fixed the GPS on the Helio P25 considering the amount of issues present on the Helio P10.
Indoors on the left, outdoors on the right.
Telephony, Mobile Network & WiFi
Providing full european bands support (with 4G Band 20), the device was able to keep a stable connection to my 4G Network, with decent speeds (considering other devices tested in the same place) and mid-high signal.
WiFi 5GHz is supported, and connected at 121Mbps, i was able to reach almost ~60Mbps. Probably not as high as expected from the Link Speed, but still better than using the 2.4GHz connection.
Battery Life
As my usual reviewing routine, i measured the real battery capacity using an USB Tester, and it seems to be way lower than declared, ~300mAh less. (declared 3380mAh, real ~3080mAh)
Luckily, PCMark run just fine on this device even though it is running Android Nougat. Other Mediatek Devices with Nougat (and also some with Marshmallow) caused the Benchmark to stop by itself after some hours. The result is not so good unfortunately for a 3380mAh battery, but for a 3080mAh it is acceptable.
Thanks to the 2.0A charger, and the small battery, it is possible to recharge the device completely in more or less 2 hours. Maybe a Pump Express Charger would have been appreciated for even faster charging, but it is fast enough already.
Software
Unlike previous DOOGEE devices, this is the first one released with DoogeeOS (based on FreemeOS), with an ad-hoc launcher and some extra customizations. It is based on Android 7.0 Nougat (hopefully will be updated to 7.1.1 soon), with June 2017 security patches and, unfortunately, some pre-installed bloatware that can be uninstalled and/or disabled.
The UI feels smooth, i must admit not as smooth as i would have expected, but this is an early release so i can't blame DOOGEE for that. OTA Updates will gradually improve the device, just like other brands do.
Following the Mediatek line-up, also this one features MiraVision, Gestures (such as tap-to-wake) and so on...
Yes, it includes a Magnetometer/Compass and Gyroscope! Finally a device with a complete set of sensors.
No malwares detected with Malware-Bytes Anti-Malware using latest definitions.
As regards the Fingerprint Scanner management, it is as easy to manage as on all Android Nougat devices, and it is fast to unlock the device. I have to report that sometimes, after keeping the screen off for a long time, it sleeps a bit too much, requiring to turn on the screen in order to get the finger recognized.
Review (part 2)
Benchmarks
I have used 3DMark, AndroBench, Antutu Benchmark, Epic Citadel, GeekBench 4, GFXBench, PCMark (Work 2.0, Computer Vision, Storage & Work 1.0) and Vellamo to stress the device to the limit. I won’t test Games or Video Playback because there are already some related tests included in these Benchmark suites.
3DMark – Thankfully the Mali-T880MP2 is able to handle almost everything.
AndroBench – I don't know yet the eMMC brand and model, but its performance is really good.
Antutu Benchmark – I won’t say a lot about this benchmark, this isn’t as reliable as others. I’m providing this just for benchmarks lovers.
Epic Citadel – 720p Gaming on a Mali-T880MP2 = Buttery Smooth experience.
GeekBench – CPU Performance is confusing. The CPU is recognized as MT6757CH instead of MT6757T, and its performance isn't higher than a Helio P20. Software Issue? I hope so.
CPU
Compute
GFXBench – Just like on most GPUs, this benchmark struggles to run smooth. This is normal, only super high-end devices could handle this properly.
PCMark – Interesting results, being the first time i benchmark an Helio P25 i do not have any point of referral that i can use to compare these scores.
Work 2.0
Computer Vision
Storage
Work 1.0
Vellamo – Luckily Vellamo is kind enough to provide a list of devices in order to compare all scores, and the result is as good as i would have expected, excluding for the Single-Core benchmark, a bit low.
Conclusions
DOOGEE MIX, the first innovative device i have reviewed in the 2017. Clone of the Mi Mix? Not really. I would call it the little brother.
The device itself beats all previous DOOGEE devices when it comes to the design and overall price-performance ratio, and excluding the software that isn't ready yet in my opinion, i find it to be unique and balanced.
Of course it isn't perfect, due to missing the Notification LED and 720p screen, but being the first try from DOOGEE to release something 100% new and hard to engineer, i am definitely happy with the result.
Do i recommend it? It is all up to you, this is a device that has some features that some users may like and some users may not. Personally, i like everything except the AMOLED over-saturated colors, but i know lots of friends that love this kind of screens so...think on every single feature and choose if it can satisfy your requirements or not. ^^
Pros:
Outstading Design
Ergonomically Perfect
Android 7.0 Nougat with latest security patches
Camera2 API Supported for Manual Focus and RAW Capture
AMOLED screen for real blacks
Magnetometer/Compass & Gyroscope are here
Cons:
Sleepy Fingerprint Scanner
HD-only screen = Low Pixel Density
Over-Saturated screen colors (PERSONAL)
No Notification LED
Battery Capacity doesn't match the declared value (at least on my review unit)
Rating: 8.6
Packaging and Accessories: 9
Design and Materials: 10
Performance and Heat Dissipation: 9.5
Screen: 8
Camera: 9
Sound: 7.5
Battery Life: 7.5
Software: 7
OEM Support: 9
Price: 9.5
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/a3OcI
Official Website: http://www.doogee.cc/detail/mix-series-bezel-less-smartphone/106
You can buy it on many online shops. Official, and authorized, Retailers are listed in the DOOGEE website.
Awesome review. Bought one... waiting for it to arrive. I'll hope to have custom roms for it.
looks like at the end there are some benchmarks there that are not suppose to be there, namely for the xiaomi mi mix instead of doogee mix
jeffreydeleeuw said:
looks like at the end there are some benchmarks there that are not suppose to be there, namely for the xiaomi mi mix instead of doogee mix
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Some benchmarks recognize the device incorrectly unfortunately
Alberto96 said:
Some benchmarks recognize the device incorrectly unfortunately
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
ok no problem
Thank you for the good review. do you think that cistom roms will be released for this device?
Excellent job on the review Alberto. A lot of work you put into it. We're working on a TWRP now.
Our review will be coming soon.
fagin said:
Thank you for the good review. do you think that cistom roms will be released for this device?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Chinaphonearena said:
Excellent job on the review Alberto. A lot of work you put into it. We're working on a TWRP now.
Our review will be coming soon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dev. & Support thread: https://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/doogee-mix-development-support-t3632785
And the speaker sound is real stereo?
There will be a software that ix the recording video sound or is a hardware bug?
Thanks
Botandroid said:
And the speaker sound is real stereo?
There will be a software that ix the recording video sound or is a hardware bug?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1) No, single speaker on the bottom.
2) I don't have the same issue :/
While having the Mix (6GB version) for 3 days now, I wanted to share my thoughts with you:
Pro:
- Display is almost as sharp to my eyes as a 1080p (thought this would be a minus)
- Looks nice and has premium feeling
- Works OK
- Is quite speedy
- Excellent mic (people hear me very well)
- fingerprint sensor works very fine on my sample
Cons:
- Very Heavy!!!
- Camera indoors is total crap, cannot even take any photos which are sharp, it seems this one cannot even properly focus in mid to low light.
- Earpiece speaker max. loudness is less than Oneplus X, Vernee Mars or Asus, or Nexus 4 (which is the best)
- Loudspeaker is waay to silent, compared to other ones, barely usable with speakerphone setup.
- battery drains faster then my OPX (which has low reputation)
- IT's not a bezel-less design, since it's wider than my old ASUS Zenfone 2 Z00AD.
And I'm afraid no SW update will come soon (or even ever) to this one.
But - Value for money is OK.
my 2 cents.
Bluboo S1 or Maze Alpha? I'm considering cancelling my order for Maze Alpha and grab the S1 instead.
Alberto96 said:
1) No, single speaker on the bottom.
2) I don't have the same issue :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I was Cheated. I got a response from Doogee's support that the Doogee mix had stereo speakers and that there would be an update to correct the camera's sound and other errors. Mine is already on the way and should be almost to come ... if I could I cancel the purchase and buy the bluboo s1 or another of the same range. thank you
Great Review my friend
Introduction
This is the Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 Global Version.
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Hardware
This device is powered by the well-known power-friendly Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 MSM8953 (Octa 2GHz Cortex A53 and Adreno 506 GPU). In this case, with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM (a 4/64 variant is available too). This is basically the Redmi Note 4 sold officially in India, but with the addition of the 4G 800MHz (B20) band, essential for best 4G signal reception in coutries like mine where it is used.
Unboxing
Packaging comes with some accessories: 1x Micro-USB Cable, 1x 5V/2A USB Charger with EU plug, 1x Quick Start Guide, 1x Warranty Certificate (India-only), 1x SIM Card Tray Tool, and the Smartphone (of course). There isn't any case or screen protector included in the box.
Unlike the previous Redmi Note 3 Pro, this successor comes with a more premium chassis. The device feels solid, with the speaker finally positioned on the lower side near the USB port. Unfortunately though, Xiaomi choose to go with the Micro-USB port, something unexpected considering that they choose a Type-C port for the Mi Max 2 instead.
It is 15.10x7.58x0.83cm and weights 169g, impressive considering the 4000mAh built-in battery.
On the front side there is the 2.5D curved glass, something pretty common nowadays, and the upper front side of the device features a Front-Facing Camera, an Earpiece, and the Sensors hole that includes Light and Proximity Sensors. The Hall Sensor can't be noticed, but it is here. Also, an RGB Notification LED is here on the left, even though it isn't perfect since it doesn't support a complete palette of colors.
On the lower front side there is the Touch Keys area, with Multitasking, Home and Back touch buttons. All buttons are backlit, even if not too much.
On the back side there is the unibody metal chassis, with plastic bands for the top and the bottom.
The upper rear side of the device features the Camera Sensor (Sony IMX258) supported by a Dual-LED - Dual-Tone Flashlight, together with the Fingerprint Scanner.
On the lower rear side there is just the classic MI (Xiaomi) logo with nothing else since, as already mentioned before, the speaker has been moved on the bottom.
Device
Screen
There are some discussions online about the screen used on this device, some units are shipped with BOE panels, others with Tianma panels. Mine has a BOE panel and does seem to have the yellow tint someone reported. It is perfectly usable though, it will just look a bit warmer compared to another Redmi Note 4 with a Tianma screen.
Light Sensor supports ultra-smooth light changes, this is its maximum brightness.
Viewing Angles are excellent for an IPS screen, one of the best i have ever tested.
Camera
Thanks to the Sony IMX258 camera sensor, there are huge improvements compared to the predecessor. It is well-known that the number of megapixels doesn't matter too much (13MP vs 16MP), and here it is possible to have a confirm. Photos shot with the Redmi Note 4 are way better, with more realistic colors and less noise.
The Flashlight is pretty powerful, and the Dual-Tone config helps to not mess with colors even in low-light conditions.
As regards Video Recording, the camera is able to record 4K and Full-HD videos at maximum 30FPS (no 1080p60 is here), and the quality is decent, with stable frame-rate and an overall high amount of details.
Unfortunately the front-camera is pretty awful, this time the number of megapixels make the difference, since a 5MP camera sensor won't provide superb quality for selfies or video-chat.
Audio
Speaker is decent, produces a nice balanced sound, and it is loud enough. It lacks low frequencies just like the majority of all mid-range devices, but there isn't any distortion.
In-Call Quality is nearly perfect, and i say nearly because the earpiece seem to lack some low-frequencies, but the Dual Microphone config works great.
GPS
As i always say, Qualcomm devices are the best it comes it GPS Quality, and here i have the confirm. Excellent Indoors and Outdoors.
Indoors on the left, outdoors on the right.
Telephony, Mobile Network & WiFi
Being the Global Version, this Redmi Note 4 have no issues with European 4G Networks. Signal Reception is stable with pretty fast switching between 3G and 4G networks.
4G Network Speed is as good as expected, my mobile operator is not able to reach better speeds at home but, compared to other smartphones i reviewed, this is one of those who used the maximum upload bandwidth available here.
WiFi Reception is excellent, supporting 5.0GHz networks. Connected at 150MBps to my network, it is able to use all the bandwidth from my VDSL connection (70/20).
Battery Life
It is well known that, starting from the Redmi Note 3, this series has excellent battery life, able to reach almost three days for my usage. 4000mAh Battery + Snapdragon 625 = Perfect Combo for infinite battery runtime.
Here you can see some battery stats, reached almost 8h of screen-on time with a pretty heavy usage and unstable signal reception (since it isn't great here).
I won't show whether the battery capacity matches the declared value or not since it has been confirmed by everyone who already reviewed the device, and also there are no reason to not trust Xiaomi since they never lied to consumers about the hardware they use.
Something i don't like is the inability to get any Quick Charge compatibility, since Xiaomi, to reduce the cost, disabled this feature and also used hardware that would not be able to handle Quick Charge voltages. I hope they do not do the same for its successor.
Review (part 2)
Software
Just like all Xiaomi devices, the Redmi Note 4 comes with MIUI, the Xiaomi OS based on Android 7.0 Nougat (soon updated to 7.1), and we all know how the UI is and how well they take care of every single feature of the device.
Here is a good video that shows how to update the device to the latest MIUI 9 ROM and a first look of the new UI. In my opinion, i would have expected something more, there are no many new features compared to MIUI 8.
I am an Android Developer so i am not a fan of Custom UIs such as MIUI, eUI, etc... but MIUI is the only UI that i would use daily. There are many reasons for that: smoothness, feature-rich and updated. Memory Management (or LMK) struggles though to keep all apps running in background with only 3GB of RAM. I would recommend to get the 4GB variant instead, unless you are not an heavy user.
As regards the Fingerprint Scanner management, it is way better than the AOSP/Stock implementation since it gives the possibility to give a name to each finger, and also feels more polished.
Benchmarks
I have used 3DMark, AndroBench, Antutu Benchmark, Epic Citadel, GeekBench 3, GFXBench, PCMark (Work 2.0, Computer Vision, Storage & Work 1.0) and Vellamo to stress the device to the limit. I won’t test Games or Video Playback because there are already some related tests included in these Benchmark suites.
3DMark – The Adreno 506 isn't meant to be used with heavy apps, and as a result, OpenGL 3 tests struggles to get high scores.
AndroBench – Disappointing Write Performance with Great Read Performance, this is weird sincerely.
Antutu Benchmark – I won’t say a lot about this benchmark, this isn’t as reliable as others (well benchmarks are not reliable at all, imagine how bad this is). I’m providing this just for Antutu lovers.
Epic Citadel – Somehow this test seems to be well-optimized to run even at 60fps on this GPU.
GeekBench – The Cortex-A53 bottleneck is noticeable in single-core tests, but multi-core performance is rather acceptable.
CPU
Compute
GFXBench – As expected, 3D Performance varies based on the amount of load requested on the GPU, and the results vary from test to test.
PCMark – Even PCMark says the Storage test provides lower results than usual, i guess Xiaomi messed up something on the Android 7.0 Nougat release.
Work 2.0
Computer Vision
Storage
Work 1.0
Vellamo – Most tests are not able to beat the Snapdragon 800, something i would not have expected at all.
As you can notice, the Snapdragon 625 is not the best-performing CPU at all, but thanks to the optimized software, you won't even notice the lack of performance in daily tasks.
Conclusions
After having reviewed lots of Mediatek devices, i finally managed to get my hands on a proper Qualcomm device. This is definitely the best-buy for all those is search for outstanding battery life and solid performance.
OK, it may not have a great camera, neither the best screen quality, but for the price target, excluding LeEco devices that unfortunately have been abandoned due to company issues, it is impossible to find something better (correct me if i am wrong).
I can recommend it with no doubts, and consider getting the more powerful variant for the best experience.
Pros:
Stable Performance and smooth UI
Outstanding Battery Life
Decent Rear Camera
Blazing-Fast Fingerprint Scanner
Best Price/Quality Ratio
Cons:
Awful Front-Facing Camera
Lack of Performance for some apps
Missing Stereo Speakers
Screen Quality could have been better
Rating: 9.3
Packaging and Accessories: 8.5
Design and Materials: 10
Performance and Heat Dissipation: 9
Screen: 8.5
Camera: 8.5
Sound: 8.5
Battery Life: 10
Software: 10
OEM Support: 10
Price: 10
You can find full-res images (I know, Quality isn't excellent) here: http://imgur.com/a/0o5SA
Official Website: http://www.mi.com/in/note4/
Check my Social Networks to know more about reliable places where to get the device and much more, i will be posting some updates too.
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Nice one.