Velocity Tablet NIGHTMARE!!! - Upgrading, Modifying and Unlocking

Look here's the situation, I work for a company that released their own tablet and to be frank, IT NEEDS SOME SERIOUS WORK. I honestly think the developers are either novices or have very little experience in their fields. There are all kinds of compatibility issues. I've been using this site for a couple years now. I LOVE what you guys were able to help me do with my galaxies. If I can convince the company to send out a test tablet, would anyone be willing to take on this challenge? I really enjoyed the Fasty roms so if I had any type of preference I would shoot for that type of speed & stability. The current specs are as follows:
Hardware
Display LCD Panel
Resolution1280X768 Pixels
Touch Technology5-point Capacitive Touch Panel
CPUCortex A9 1.0 GHz
GPUmali400 250 MHz
DDRAMDDR3 1G
Flash8G
On board Button/KeysPower/VOL+/VOL-
Sound SystemYes
Camera FRONTYes
Camera BACKYes
MicrophoneYes
WIFI 2.4G802.11b/g/n
Media
2D PICJPEG, BMP, PNG, GIF
Video1080P
AudioMPEG, PCM, MP3, WMA, AAC, OGG, WAV
E-BookPDF/TXT/CHM/DOC/EXCEL/EPUB/RTF/FB2
Software
Operating SystemAndroid 4.0
Fireware upgradeSupport TF Card upgrade
OSD MenuMulti-Language
Connections
Micro SD slotUp to 32GB
HDMIYes
Earphone Port 3.5mm
USB PortX1 Mini USB 2.0 OTG
Power Supply
AC/DCAC 110~240V 50/60Hz; DC 5V/2.0A
Built in Battery3.7V 5000mAh
Material Parameters
Product Size218.76*143.26x12.5mm
Product WeightApprox. 1 pound
Thanks for the help. I'm a noob. I just get on here and read a lot. I don't know how to come up with anything on my own.

Related

EVO + HDMI, What can it do?

Resisted posting this in the Dev forum, but decided that since i'm not a Dev, It ought to stay in the Q&A for general discussion.
Could one really use this as a desktop PC running Android or is the HDMI connector doomed to a life of powerpoint presentations in corporate board rooms and showing phone-captured pics & video of the kids after vacation on the shiny HDTV?
Here's my logic, I want to be able to plug my evo into the USB/HDMI dock and have it function as a 'reasonable' machine for browsing the web and listening to music. We have root, so USB host, among other necessities shouldn't be an issue there.
Now, from the HDMI 1.4 spec, this thing ought to be capable of all of the following
Raw Bandwidth: 10.2 Gbit/s
Video: maximum resolution to 4K × 2K
Audio Formats: LPCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio, MPCM
Networking: HDMI Ethernet Channel, which allows for a 100 Mb/s Ethernet connection between the two HDMI connected devices;
Certainly, one would be dreaming to expect 4k x 2k video playback on this processor combination but what do you think about the HDMI Ethernet channel? With an extremely pervasive network in my home this is very interesting to me.
Maybe these features are too niche to ever actually work but the dream of a unified connector sure seems to be inching closer to reality.
bobsbobbers said:
Resisted posting this in the Dev forum, but decided that since i'm not a Dev, It ought to stay in the Q&A for general discussion.
Could one really use this as a desktop PC running Android or is the HDMI connector doomed to a life of powerpoint presentations in corporate board rooms and showing phone-captured pics & video of the kids after vacation on the shiny HDTV?
Here's my logic, I want to be able to plug my evo into the USB/HDMI dock and have it function as a 'reasonable' machine for browsing the web and listening to music. We have root, so USB host, among other necessities shouldn't be an issue there.
Now, from the HDMI 1.4 spec, this thing ought to be capable of all of the following
Raw Bandwidth: 10.2 Gbit/s
Video: maximum resolution to 4K × 2K
Audio Formats: LPCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio, MPCM
Networking: HDMI Ethernet Channel, which allows for a 100 Mb/s Ethernet connection between the two HDMI connected devices;
Certainly, one would be dreaming to expect 4k x 2k video playback on this processor combination but what do you think about the HDMI Ethernet channel? With an extremely pervasive network in my home this is very interesting to me.
Maybe these features are too niche to ever actually work but the dream of a unified connector sure seems to be inching closer to reality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Posts like this really make me appreciate just how small a world the Internet has created.
I've been hoping for the EXACT same thing as you since the first time I used my first smartphone (HTC/AT&T 3125). I said...man, this is gonna be great, I can use this to replace both my iPod AND my Game Boy. Every smartphone since, I've done that with, and inched closer to the reality of a unified device. However, there has always been the physical limitation of the screen.
Now, however, all of these phones (running Android, of course) are coming with HDMI-out, which (I would think) gives us an avenue to the larger screen. What I'm basically hoping to do is replace most of what my netbook does, with my next smartphone (EVO? Streak?), and do it on a larger display, when it is available.
In a perfect world, I would hook my device into the dock (so that I have HDMI-out, charging, and stereo speakers), and then use either a BlueTooth mouse/keyboard (not sure if the BlueTooth stack supports this type of communication), a USB mouse/keyboard (2-to-1 USB adapter into phone, hacked USB driver to facilitate input direction communication), and/or using the phone's display as an input method.
A lot of people look at me sort of oddly when I describe this but...whatever. I've seen at least a few other posts on XDA asking about display-output for the EVO via HDMI, so...I know we're not alone!
Would this maybe be better to post in the dev forum, to give developers an idea of what us non-dev-users are looking for?
^Bump. Any others have input? Will post a link over in the Dev forums to see if there is anyone else like minded...
Certainly you and I are on the same page at least.
Cyanogenmod has bluetooth hid working on the evo. I use my full size mouse and keyboard all the time but the screen is the only thing missing. They are pretty far along on being able to mirror the phone screen and I think scale it to 720p for hdtv output. If that's what you are looking for I assure you you are definitely not he only one.
daringblaze said:
Cyanogenmod has bluetooth hid working on the evo. I use my full size mouse and keyboard all the time but the screen is the only thing missing. They are pretty far along on being able to mirror the phone screen and I think scale it to 720p for hdtv output. If that's what you are looking for I assure you you are definitely not he only one.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=12050061#post12050061
hexydes said:
Would this maybe be better to post in the dev forum, to give developers an idea of what us non-dev-users are looking for?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Still no. It'd be better to perhaps PM a developer and ask.. Starting a thread like that would only get you flamed since you aren't contributing any hard evidence, a leak, port, or half baked project. Not downing it as a bad idea, just saving you some irate posts.
bobsbobbers said:
Resisted posting this in the Dev forum, but decided that since i'm not a Dev, It ought to stay in the Q&A for general discussion.
Could one really use this as a desktop PC running Android or is the HDMI connector doomed to a life of powerpoint presentations in corporate board rooms and showing phone-captured pics & video of the kids after vacation on the shiny HDTV?
Here's my logic, I want to be able to plug my evo into the USB/HDMI dock and have it function as a 'reasonable' machine for browsing the web and listening to music. We have root, so USB host, among other necessities shouldn't be an issue there.
Now, from the HDMI 1.4 spec, this thing ought to be capable of all of the following
Raw Bandwidth: 10.2 Gbit/s
Video: maximum resolution to 4K × 2K
Audio Formats: LPCM, Dolby Digital, DTS, DVD-Audio, Super Audio CD, Dolby Digital Plus, Dolby TrueHD, DTS-HD High Resolution Audio, DTS-HD Master Audio, MPCM
Networking: HDMI Ethernet Channel, which allows for a 100 Mb/s Ethernet connection between the two HDMI connected devices;
Certainly, one would be dreaming to expect 4k x 2k video playback on this processor combination but what do you think about the HDMI Ethernet channel? With an extremely pervasive network in my home this is very interesting to me.
Maybe these features are too niche to ever actually work but the dream of a unified connector sure seems to be inching closer to reality.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I could be wrong, but I don't think the mini HDMI on the evo supports 1.4 spec. Which means it cannot do internet connection over HDMI. I am going to bet it really doesn't meet 1.3 spec either. Like I said, I could be wrong.
Brainss....
Its Micro HDMI (not mini hdmi) which is HDMI 1.4 which is compatible with the mentioned above
evo + HDMI can do a lot
Bump
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Gaming Console & Desktop configs Using the Evo and HDMI mirroring
I've been using my Evo as both since late Feb.
What about Rockplayer? I just ordered the HDMI cable so I haven't been able to mess with it. I would like to be able to stream video (jw player) and see on HDMI tv. Has anyone done this? Thx.
I've been wanting to try this forever. However I've upgraded to CM7 and they don't have the mouse pointer support, so I guess I'll have to wait to see if/when it's included. I want it, but not bad enough to downgrade to CM6. Back to rockin angry birds on the 50" Plasma.
HDMwIn + Rockplayer + Tv Shows Stream = Everything you need.
RileyGrant said:
HDMwIn + Rockplayer + Tv Shows Stream = Everything you need.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My current setup is HDMI mirroring, Zimly, Flash plus Hulu, Gamer's and Desktop setups from my site, BT KB/Mouse and a BT gamepad. I also have a media server running Orb with two digital tuners tucked in a corner with 3TB of storage. Now that's everything you need and want, well except for Netflix. Oh yeh, and the semi perm. Evo CarPC with a BT volume control.
weehooherod said:
http://www.goodandevo.net/2011/03/htc-evo-4g-impersonates-motorola-atrix-4g-webtop.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's an overview to a more complete solution that I put up (check my sig or the Evo theme/app forum.
I've used rockplayer and a website called movshare mobile.
Don't tell anyone though.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

[INFO] i'm Watch hardware

I did some research on the internal hardware of the i'm Watch Android watch and found out a few things:
The CPU is probably a MCIMX233CJM4B or maybe a MCIMX233DJM4B (the latter is only spec'd for temperatures down to -10 C, which wouldn't be suitable for a watch) and come in BGA169 packages.
Since the CPU only has 32 KB SRAM, external RAM is needed (supported types are mDDR and DDR1) and can most likely be seen next to the 4 GB flash and the CPU itself in the presentation video on their site (3:42).
The CPU has many things built-in such as a resistive touch screen controller, 1.5W speaker amplifier. It also has a host of interfaces; SAIF (Serial Audio Interface) which according to the data sheet could provide hardware accelerated Bluetooth audio, I2C, 2x SSPs, 2x UARTs, JTAG and USB with host mode.
The circuits are split into 2 separate boards, maybe with the Bluetooth chip on the board opposite to the one with the CPU on it.
The SSPs are basically highly configurable serial interfaces and also natively support the SDIO interface, which in turn might enable us to hack in some cheap SDIO WiFi card (found out there's a TI 1271 chip which someone used with Android and a Beagle Board link). Reaching this connector might not be possible from either the hardware nor the software side, but I'm an optimist .
Data sheet for the CPU is available here, I'd recommend page 33 and 1411 to get your inspiration going.
TL;DR
CPU is narrowed down to 2 options
WiFi might be possible with extensive hacking
Djhg2000 said:
I did some research on the internal hardware of the i'm Watch Android watch and found out a few things:
The CPU is probably a MCIMX233CJM4B or maybe a MCIMX233DJM4B (the latter is only spec'd for temperatures down to -10 C, which wouldn't be suitable for a watch) and come in BGA169 packages.
Since the CPU only has 32 KB SRAM, external RAM is needed (supported types are mDDR and DDR1) and can most likely be seen next to the 4 GB flash and the CPU itself in the presentation video on their site (3:42).
The CPU has many things built-in such as a resistive touch screen controller, 1.5W speaker amplifier. It also has a host of interfaces; SAIF (Serial Audio Interface) which according to the data sheet could provide hardware accelerated Bluetooth audio, I2C, 2x SSPs, 2x UARTs, JTAG and USB with host mode.
The circuits are split into 2 separate boards, maybe with the Bluetooth chip on the board opposite to the one with the CPU on it.
The SSPs are basically highly configurable serial interfaces and also natively support the SDIO interface, which in turn might enable us to hack in some cheap SDIO WiFi card (found out there's a TI 1271 chip which someone used with Android and a Beagle Board link). Reaching this connector might not be possible from either the hardware nor the software side, but I'm an optimist .
Data sheet for the CPU is available here, I'd recommend page 33 and 1411 to get your inspiration going.
TL;DR
CPU is narrowed down to 2 options
WiFi might be possible with extensive hacking
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
does anybody have one?
karonatui said:
anybody know how to do it?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
huh, how to do what?
I picked one up
is there a major forum discussion somewhere for this watch?
I have one (since 3 days) and i think it is too soon for this kind of products.
The software is slow, battery should be longer than at least 5 days and bluetooth it is a technology than i never like it at all. By the way, if you try to use the i'm watch as a speaker, the quality is very poor for your calls.
on the other hand, this tecnology it is beginning and i believe future will be based on this kind of products.
C u!
santjust said:
I have one (since 3 days) and i think it is too soon for this kind of products.
The software is slow, battery should be longer than at least 5 days and bluetooth it is a technology than i never like it at all. By the way, if you try to use the i'm watch as a speaker, the quality is very poor for your calls.
on the other hand, this tecnology it is beginning and i believe future will be based on this kind of products.
C u!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
any other places where there is more talk on this watch?
it has a LOT of potential, im sure some smart folks can tweak it

In depth review of the Cube iWork 12 dual boot Z8300 convertible tablet

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Pros
Running dual operating systems, and switching from one to the other is simple.
Screen offers good viewing angles and vibrant colors.
Premium build material.
Robust keyboard connection.
Decent battery life.
Cons
Extremely slow to charge.
Very little improvement in performance compared to the Bay-trail powered tablets.
Poor cameras.
A lot heavier than the Surface 3.
Cube has attracted lots of attentions with their line of affordable 2-in-1 convertible tablets since early 2014. Now they have two lines of convertible tablets: the premium Core-M powered i-series tablets, including the Cube i7, Cube i7 CM, Cube i7 Stylus and Cube i9, and the more affordable Atom-based iWork series, such as the iWork 10, iWork 10 Ultimate, iWork 11 Stylus, and the all new iWork 12. There are some exceptions, though. The Cube i6, i10 are not premium Windows tablets like the i7 and i9, instead, they are Atom based tablets, designed mainly for basic tasks.
As confusing as Cube’s product naming is, the all new iWork 12 is definitely Atom-based. With a 12.2-inch screen and a kickstand, it bears a striking resemblance to the more premium Skylake Core M powered Cube i9. Running on an Atom Cherry Trail X5-Z8300 CPU and 64GB eMMc drive, the iWork 12 is more of an entry-level convertible than a powerhouse hybrid. The RMB1,599 ($244) price may seem low compared to similar systems such as the ASUS T100HA, but it is still a tad higher than the price of the iWork 10 Ultimate ($152.4), which rocks the same internal setup. Are the $82 extra bucks a worthy investment for more screen real estate and a kickstand, let’s find out.
Cube iWork 12 Main Specs
• OS: Windows 10 Home 64bit & Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• Display: 12.2-inch IPS, 10-point multi-touch, IGZO
• Screen Resolution: 1920 x 1200 (16:10)
• CPU: Intel Atom Cherry Trail X5-Z8300 Quad-core Processor
• CPU Frequency: 1.44GHz – 1.84GHZ
• GPU: Intel HD Graphic Gen8
• RAM / Storage: 4GB / 64GB
• Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, OTG
• Camera: 5MP back camera, 2MP front camera
• Battery: 9,000mAh
• Extend Port: USB 3.0 port, TF Card Slot, Micro USB, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Micro HDMI
• Weight & Size: 930g / 302.9*194.9*9.15mm
Packaging and Accessories
The Cube iWork 12 comes with very nice packaging. Inside the box you will find a tablet, a wall charger with a micro USB plug, an OTG adapter, a user manual and a warranty card.
Design and Build
As we mentioned above, the iWork 12 has an identical design to the Cube i9, with a 12.2-inch display dominating its front and a 2-angle kickstand on its rear. The white bezel removes the feeling of cold black technology, and the Magnalium rear side gives the tablet a premium look.
The left side plays host to a slew of ports and slots. You can find a Micro USB port, a Micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm headset jack, a Micro SD card and a full size USB 3.0 port.
The keyboard port can be found on the bottom side of the tablet.
As always, a power/standby key and a volume rocker on the top side.
The built-in kickstand can open to two different angles, satisfying the needs of using the tablet in different occasions.
Overall, this machine seems to belong in a class way above that of its price point, so kudos to Cube for continuing to provide compelling value in terms of construction. As the overall design remains quite similar to that of the i9, the weight and size are also nearly identical. The iWork 12 tips the scales at just 930g, although far from being the slimmest or lightest tablet out there, it is still quite portable by any definition.
Keyboard
The keyboard cover for the Cube iWork 12 is exactly the one designed for the more premium Cube i9, and it matches the design of the Microsoft Surface Type Cover. It is very thin, light, and won’t add much weight to the tablet.
The tablet and the keyboard clip together quickly and easily, without much force or maneuvering. When in place, it’s a solid connection which seems like it could take some punishment without breaking apart.
Like we mentioned in the review of the Cube i9, 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 this 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, unlike the Surface Type Cover, when you fold the keyboard cover around the back of the iWork 12 and the keys are still active.
Display and sound
The Cube iWork 12 rocks a 12.2-inch IPS display at the resolution of 1920*1200. The display is bright, vibrant, with wide viewing angles.
Even when compared to top offerings such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 3, the Cube iWork 12 doesn’t pale in comparison in the display department. And you can’t really tell the difference in pixel density from a normal using distance.
With that said, I did notice more reflection when compared to top Android tablets such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4, using it outdoors should be challenging.
The Cube iWork 12 has stereo speakers, placed on the left and right side of the tablet’s chassis. Sound quality is respectable for a budget tablet, but not truly remarkable. It’s not too harsh or tinny, and having stereo sound is great for watching movies. Top volume is decent, but lacks the low-end bulk and power of the best tablet speakers such as the ones on the iPads and Galaxy tablets. The 3.5mm audio jack has no problem driving our high-end headphones to an ear-splitting level, and we could hear a lot of details through the headsets.
Operating systems
You might have already noticed that I used a plurality in the heading, that’s because the iWork 12 ships with two operating systems in one machine: Windows 10 and Android 5.1, and you can switch between those two systems with only one or two taps on the touchscreen.
Unlike the iWork 11 Stylus, which runs the 32-bit version of Windows 10 and can only use 3GB of the 4GB RAM, the iWork 12 is preinstalled with the 64-bit version of Windows 10 Home and can take full advantage of every bit of the 4GB RAM built in the device.
Both the Android 5.1 and the Windows 10 are clean, with almost no third-party applications. While the Windows side takes care of the everyday business tasks, the Android side takes care of your social networking and media consumption. With access to numerous applications in Windows (those in Windows store and traditional desktop apps) and Google Play, the iWork 12 is much more versatile than any your average Android tablets or iPads.
Storage
The iWork 12 comes with a 64GB eMMc drive. Although not as lovely as the SSD used in higher-end tablets such as Cube’s very own i7 and i9, it is expected as an eMMc drive is always a standard choice for Atom-based tablets and netbooks. As the iWork 12 is running on both Android and Windows 10, the two operating systems takes up different partitions of the hard drive and don’t have shared internal storage. The Android side takes up a partition of 16GB, while the more complex and powerful Windows 10 takes up 48GB.
Fortunately, the iWork 12’s storage is expandable by a Micro SD card up to 128GB. The users can save multi-media files in the external storage, which they can visit from both Android and Windows.
Performance
The iWork 12 is powered by the latest Atom Cherry Trail X5-Z8300 processor and 4GB of RAM (DDR3 1066), and the performance is pretty predictable for an Atom-based system.
On the Android side, the iWork 12 was pretty fast and responsive to all our controls. Tasks from scrolling the home screens to running graphic-intense 3D games are all handled smoothly by the tablet. We experienced very few lags or delays while browsing image-heavy webpages, watching YouTube Videos, social networking and gaming.
We also ran some benchmarks on the Cube iWork 12. In the Antutu 6 benchmark, the slate was returned a score of 56615, and in the Geekbench 3 test, it got a score of 2093 (Multi-core). It is clear that the iWork 12’s doesn’t match the latest top Android smartphones in terms of benchmark scores, but I didn’t really feel it was by any means slow, even comparing it to my Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge.
On the Windows side, things were a little different. Lags and stutters were non-existent running applications installed from the Windows store, and you can even use several Microsoft Office applications side by side, but the tablet still struggled with heavier desktop tasks: Unzipping a compressed folder took forever, Photoshop took a long time to open, and heavy duty applications such as Corel Draw and lightroom simply wouldn’t start.
Benchmarks tell the story, too. In most of the benchmarks, the Cube iWork 12 scored way behind the Core M powered Cube i9 and the Z8700 powered Microsoft Surface 3. In fact it barely surpassed the ASUS T100, which contained the older Atom Bay-trail Z3740 processor.
The iWork 12 isn’t cut out to be a powerhouse tablet and can’t really replace your desktop PC or laptop for productivity tasks, it is more of a system designed for media consumption, social networking and light business duties.
Connectivity
A slew of ports and slots, as well as built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi give the tablet lots of connectivity options. Not only can the micro USB port used for charging, it can also be turned into a full USB 2.0 port by the stock OTG adapter to host all kinds of input and storage devices. The full USB 3.0 port can take care of high-speed data transfer between your tablet and a mobile drive, it can also charge your smartphone pretty quickly. The micro HDMI port means you can connect your tablet to a monitor or an HDTV, and Bluetooth 4.0 means you can establish wireless connections with headphones, external speakers, and input devices.
The iWork 12’s Wi-Fi connection is pretty solid, we could still stream online videos while there are a few meters and two walls between the tablet and the router.
Battery life
Unlike many other hybrids such as the ASUS T100A and Dell Venue 11 Pro, the Cube iWork 12’s keyboard doesn’t have its own battery to boost the tablet’s stamina. All charging is done using the microUSB port on the tablet part, meaning you don’t have to worry about losing a specific charge cable.
Cube claims that the Iwork 12’s 9,000mAh Li-Po battery should last for 8 hours, but we normally only got around 7 hours’ screen time doing different things with the tablet. In our standard battery rundown test, where we played a 720P video (MP4) on loop, we got 7 hours and 35 minutes’ battery life from the slate.
While the battery life of the tablet is still decent for a convertible this size, charging it can be extremely annoying. Sometimes the tablet would boot itself when we plugged in the charger, and the charging is also extremely slow. We normally needed around 6 hours to finish a full charge, and sometimes the charging got stuck at 99% for a whole hour….
Cameras
The iWork 12 has two cameras, a 2MP front-facing camera and a 5MP rear-facing cameras. The front camera is decent enough for video-chatting, but we would not suggest using it for selfie. Useless for most people, the rear camera is just there for the sake of being there, the photos it took were of extremely poor quality, and you don’t really want to use a big and heavy tablet like this to capture your daily moments, while any smartphone could do a much better job.
Summary
So who might we recommend this device to? Definitely not those who want a device to use as a main PC, but someone who already owns a powerful desktop PC and only wants a cheap netbook/tablet for light business tasks and media consumption.
We liked
The best thing about the Cube iWork 12 is its cost-efficiency. For only RMB1,599 ($244, keyboard excluded), you have a versatile, simple convertible with a stunning 12.2-inch IPS screen. The tablet does media-consumption tasks brilliantly, and can handle reasonable productivity tasks as well as most entry-level laptops. And you can easily switch from Windows to Android and the other way around on one device. Also, the build quality of the Cube iWork 12 is superior to the similarly priced ONDA and Teclast tablets.
We disliked
There was plenty to be annoyed about with the Cube iWork 12. This is fundamentally not a powerful laptop, and only a passable tablet – especially when there are alternatives for which you could pay much less money and get the same level of performance.
The excruciatingly slow charging speed and only average battery life mean this slate is going to spend a lot of every single day plugged into walls.
Both the DDR3 RAM and the eMMC are pretty slow on this device, and that’s very noticeable while the tablet’s thrown with traditional Windows desktop tasks.
Final verdict
The Cube iWork 12 is more of a system to replace your iPads or Android tablets than to use as a main personal computer. The ability to run Microsoft Office and other light desktop applications means you will always get more productivity out of this device than from an iPad or an Android tablet. For the right reason this can be a really good purchase, but since the iWork 12 is not the only dual boot tablet out there, you might want to take a look at other options before digging into your pocket.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3RWLqTrmBM
Video review here
Nobody interested in this tablet?
Nice Review
Thanks for the nice and detailed review. I'm interested in this tablet. The kickstand is a nice addition and I love the build quality of Cube. My only annoyance is the slow charging, and its making me consider getting the Chuwi H12.
Windows 10 sound?
Thanks for the review, I just received mine. I like the quality of the unit. The screen is pretty glossy, but it's still fine.
The biggest issue I'm having is sound quality in Windows 10 (3.5mm jack). Very muddy, and disappointing considering I want this for media consumption. I'm thinking it's a driver issue, since sound in Android is fine. Sound devices are:
Intel SST Audio Device (WDM)
Nuvoton SST Nau88L24 Codec Device
If anyone has input of how I can better the sound, I'm all ears!
EDIT: Turns out it was more of an issue of my Xiaomi Piston 3 headphones (which seem to be failing), my AKG ones sound good. DFX enhancer did work well however in tuning the speakers.
You should definately use "DFX Audio Enhancer". It makes every device sound like studio quality (even on android), if set up correctly. I've tested several software-based audio enhancer and this is by far the best one.
Cost: Currently 30 bucks, normally 40.
They also offer a demo, but it restricts some of the controller handles, so you can't test the full potential.
krazystuff said:
Thanks for the review, I just received mine. I like the quality of the unit. The screen is pretty glossy, but it's still fine.
The biggest issue I'm having is sound quality in Windows 10 (3.5mm jack). Very muddy, and disappointing considering I want this for media consumption. I'm thinking it's a driver issue, since sound in Android is fine. Sound devices are:
Intel SST Audio Device (WDM)
Nuvoton SST Nau88L24 Codec Device
If anyone has input of how I can better the sound, I'm all ears!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi,
Some site saids that it's support stylus some site saids no.
So somebody who have the tablet could tell me if it's support stylus ?
Regards
Marc
Grainy screen
My experience with this tablet so far.
Windows 10 really good, runs office apps no problem.
Android performance good for media consumption, eg magazines, podcasts etc.
On the down side is the display. On Android the display always seems a little fuzzy, not so sharp. This is much better in Windows quite sharp.
Unfortunately my unit has the "grainy" screen issue. Its like having a really poor quality screen protector on. Its very noticeable on whites and greys. Also the screen is highly reflective which means I have to be careful where I sit while typing.
Its a shame that the display issue impacts and otherwise very good device.
Weird, I don't notice this grainy screen issue. Looks the same as any of the other 3 screens I use. I do agree on reflections however; I am thinking about getting a tempered glass protector for the thing.
After using the thing for a month (exclusively in Windows):
- Wifi: Performance is good, except sometimes after it wakes from sleep I need to disconnect and reconnect to regain the connection. Kind of annoying, hoping a driver update will fix that.
- HDMI out: I use this for Netflix (Windows 10 app) and Kodi for local media, and both work great (only 1080p tested). No problem with getting bitstreamed audio and 23hz or 24hz output (although I need to switch it for Netflix manually, app issue). I did get an angled connector though which I realise is a mistake since now I can't charge and have the micro HDMI dongle connected at the same time.
- Chrome: Chrome is kind of sluggish, but still ok. Edge is vastly superior, but not having extensions yet lead me to live with Chrome for now. Youtube is kind of sluggish to start; I started using an extension to force MP4 instead of VP9, and haven't noticed much of a difference. Still, it is acceptable for general browsing with a few tabs.
- Battery: I'm happy with battery life, but I haven't measured it formally. With light/medium use, it lasts me 3 days. It does take long to charge, but I can live with charging it overnight every couple of days. Waking from sleep works well also.
All in all, I am happy with the unit, and it fills my niche for a portable, tablet/notebook hybrid that I can take travelling, on a plane, and carry around the house.
linux ?
thanks for your review.
we can install linux in i9.
can we install linux in iwork12?
thanks
Thanks for the lovely review. Very nice it was.
Its been around 6 months now, are you still using this tablet? How is 6 month ownership experience?
Rom/Recovery
Hi
I just received my Cube iWork12 and on turning it on noticed that it had already been turned on by GearBest so I clicked on Factory reset in Windows. it froze during the reset and now won't book. It comes up with the cube logo for about 20 seconds then restarts and does the same again. Android still boots. Does anyone know how I can fix this or where I can get am image of the Rom to restore? thanks
In case anyone is having the same problem a forum user has kindly posted it on google drive here: http://techtablets.com/forum/topic/cube-i12-firmware/
I have had this tablet for a month. No matter what I try I cannot stop play store from closing all the time. Has any one else had this problem? I have reset the tablet. closed and forced stop on play store. checked date and time +++++.
If any one has an answer to the problem I will be grateful.
My thanks in advance.
Brian
ecrivain5 said:
I have had this tablet for a month. No matter what I try I cannot stop play store from closing all the time. Has any one else had this problem? I have reset the tablet. closed and forced stop on play store. checked date and time +++++.
If any one has an answer to the problem I will be grateful.
My thanks in advance.
Brian
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Likewise here. I have tried all sorts with different Play Store APKs, based on CPU, Screen Resolution, etc but nothing works, at least not for any length of time.
I have resorted to locating and downloading the APKs of the apps I want to install and doing it that way, bypassing the Play Store altogether.
It is a real PITA. Cube seems to have forgotten this device in terms of firmware updates and support.
Which one i must choose, chuwi hi 12 or iwork 12? I need for my study, i usually use ms. Office, spss, geogebra and other small software. Which one is better? Because i plan to use this stuff for a long time.
youngred09 said:
Thanks for the nice and detailed review. I'm interested in this tablet. The kickstand is a nice addition and I love the build quality of Cube. My only annoyance is the slow charging, and its making me consider getting the Chuwi H12.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I want to know, so you re take chuwi or cube? How the performance? I still confuse to take cube or chuwi because my money limited.
how can i update android 5.1 with android 6 or higher?
---------- Post added at 12:42 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:34 PM ----------
raviemailid said:
Thanks for the lovely review. Very nice it was.
Its been around 6 months now, are you still using this tablet? How is 6 month ownership experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How can i update android 5.1 with android 6 or higher?
---------- Post added at 12:48 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:42 PM ----------
Can you tell me the easiest procedure to update android 5.1 with android 6 or higher on our iWork12 cube?
Thanks!
Does it support any pen ?
I'm delighted with this tablet, very comfortable and performing, the only flaw so far found is that there is no automatic update of the firmware that was compatible with the Android version 5.1, but to use it I need at least the Android version 6.0! Cube site does not upgrade, I contacted the company but told me to ask the retailer ..
I'm waiting for a solution! Has anyone already updated the version of Android?
Thank you
raviemailid said:
Thanks for the lovely review. Very nice it was.
Its been around 6 months now, are you still using this tablet? How is 6 month ownership experience?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Steam/GameStream StreamBox PC Build

Greetings, I'm looking to build a very barebones 4K game streaming pc for my ShieldTV. Imagine a tucked away small to medium form factor computer, powerful enough to push [email protected] but without any other bells and whistles since it will only be used for streaming games to my Shield. I wanted to start a discussion and perhaps query for a parts list that the community thinks would be appropriate for the task.
StreamBox Considerations:
[email protected] Steam/GameStream capabilities
Nvidia GTX 1070/80
bare minimum processor/ram
bare minimum ITX motherboard (no special features)
simple case or even considering an open test-bench to build it into my media console (pic coming soon)
Thanks in advance, will certainly keep a build log here as I proceed
The minimum system requirements will depend on the games you want to play. I use this machine: https://www.hpe.com/us/en/product-c.../pip.hpe-proliant-ml10-v2-server.7796450.html as as a remote game server. It's a prebuilt server system that costs less than €200,-. I swapped the original Pentium that came with it for a Xeon E3-1231v2, (overkill for most stuff, doom ran fine with the original cpu). Added disks and 16GB of ECC memory. I also installed a GTX950 because of it's low power consumption (75W, the psu is 350W). This is plenty fast for 1080p gaming but won't do 4K of course.
Apart from the disks (the machine is also a NAS) it cost me about €600 which roughly translates to $100,- (the price difference between US and europe is really horrible). The good thing is that it works like a charm.
Things to be aware of:
- the motherboard needs a soundchip/card to stream sound at all, I just installed a virtual soundcard (VB-Audio virtual cable)
- you are required to connect a mouse to the pcif the system is running Windows 10 or remote mouse control won't work
- past versions of gamestream/steam wouldn't work after connecting to the system with an RDP session. Use VNC instead.
Will the Shield TV ever do 4k Gaming? I'm not aware of that being an feature of the Tegra X1. IIRC [email protected] was the max for Game Streaming.
*Edit*
Ok so, perhaps thats how it was, but according to the new Release Notes apparently 4k Game Streaming will in fact be possible..
Steveborough said:
Greetings, I'm looking to build a very barebones 4K game streaming pc for my ShieldTV. Imagine a tucked away small to medium form factor computer, powerful enough to push [email protected] but without any other bells and whistles since it will only be used for streaming games to my Shield. I wanted to start a discussion and perhaps query for a parts list that the community thinks would be appropriate for the task.
StreamBox Considerations:
[email protected] Steam/GameStream capabilities
Nvidia GTX 1070/80
bare minimum processor/ram
bare minimum ITX motherboard (no special features)
simple case or even considering an open test-bench to build it into my media console (pic coming soon)
Thanks in advance, will certainly keep a build log here as I proceed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you want 4K60 then even a 1080 will struggle with some games.
Take a look here for inspiration: http://www.techspot.com/review/1246-ludicrous-graphics-test/
If you lower graphics then 4K60 will work fine with a 1080.
CPU's don't matter as much these days, so a Haswell i5 (4570/4590) should be fine. Probably the K version so you can overclock it in the future if needed.
Steveborough said:
Greetings, I'm looking to build a very barebones 4K game streaming pc for my ShieldTV. Imagine a tucked away small to medium form factor computer, powerful enough to push [email protected] but without any other bells and whistles since it will only be used for streaming games to my Shield. I wanted to start a discussion and perhaps query for a parts list that the community thinks would be appropriate for the task.
StreamBox Considerations:
[email protected] Steam/GameStream capabilities
Nvidia GTX 1070/80
bare minimum processor/ram
bare minimum ITX motherboard (no special features)
simple case or even considering an open test-bench to build it into my media console (pic coming soon)
Thanks in advance, will certainly keep a build log here as I proceed
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're going to need a ton of horsepower to push 4k @ 60fps, if you want anything in the graphics turned up. You'll probably need two of those cards and they are huge by the way. I'm not sure how small you will be able to get the case considering that. Normally you want a large case for air flow, but if you want it as compact as possible you will need to do water cooling, also amazing to keep the noise down. Try to find a case that is the exact same size as your MB (make it a compact MB) and then do custom water cooing with two gtx 1070s. No wifi or sound card, just use LAN (faster anyway) and no peripherals or speakers or anything. PSU takes up a lot of space too unfortunately, but at least you can get low profile ram lol.
I got it. Buy a 3500 dollar surface book lol
So after thinking about this for a few days, the plan is to build this into my TV media console as an open-air streaming rig. Here's some of the parts list in my head and a (poor quality) pic of my floating media console and 4K TV setup
mini-itx z270 motherboard
Kabylake i5 7600k
air cooler
GTX 1080
modular power supply
I plan to mount the motherboard w/ air-cooler upsidedown in the center cube of the console (imagine a cool looking heatsink suspended from the top of the center cube) and use a pci ribbon cable to put the GTX 1080 on display on the inside bottom. Will post diagrams next week, works kicking my *ss. It's rather hard to see but the console has doors on the 2 right-most squares; here's where I plan to hide a modular power supply (drilling a hole big enough for the mobo/gpu power cables) This should be amazing! Anyone think I can get Nvidia sponsorship, this would show off GameStream and the new ShieldTV (even though I have the Gen1) like nothing else I can imagine!
Looks awesome, keep posting
Btw, I did a mini-itx build to play and stream games on my TV.
Parts: http://pcpartpicker.com/b/rrHhP6

Lenovo YOGA Duet 7 (2021) review: the ultimate 2-in-1 laptop

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When it comes to 2-in-1 convertibles, the Surface Pro lineup simply had no competition. Even the 2021 iPad Pro, with its incredible Apple M1 processor and an official keyboard, still doesn’t offer the same level of productivity as its Microsoft counterpart does. Many other big brands, including Samsung, Dell, and ASUS, have also released many hybrid models over the years, yet none of them really generated enough momentum to overtake Surface Pro’s Crowne. But that may change soon, as Lenovo just released the new YOGA Duet 7 (2021), which comes with a newer Tiger Lake CPU, Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and some of the greatest features ever found on a detachable hybrid. It is bound to be a strong contender in the race.
Specs of the YOGA Duet 7 (2021)
​
Processor​Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4 Cores/8 Threads, 2.4-4.2GHz)​Display​13.0" 16:10 2K (2160 x 1350), 450 nits, 100% sRGB, pen support​Graphics​Intel Iris Xe Graphics​Storage​512GB NVMe PCI Express solid-state drive​Memory​16 GB LPDDR4x 3200MHz (soldered)​Audio​2 x Stereo Speakers (1W x 2) with Dolby Audio certification​Cameras​Front-facing 5MP
Support Windows Hello with infra-red
Rear-facing 5MP​Networking​Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, 802.11ax 2x2 Wi-Fi + Bluetooth 5.1​Ports: Left​1 x Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 40Gbps (support data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4)
1 x USB-C (support data transfer, Power Delivery 3.0)
1 x Micro SD card slot​Ports: Right​1x 3.5mm headphone/microphone combo
1 x USB-C (3.2 Gen 1, support data transfer and Always On)​Ports: Bottom​Pogo pin magnetic dock port for the Detachable Keyboard​Pen​Included Digital Pen with 4096 pressure levels​Keyboard​Detachable Keyboard with magnetic docking hinge​Touchpad​Built into Detachable Keyboard, integrated buttons​Battery​Integrated 2-Cell 42 Whr polymer​Weight​799g (tablet only); 380g (Keyboard)​Dimensions​Tablet: 297.4 x 207.4 x 9.19 mm (11.7 x 8.16 x 0.36 inches)
Folio case: 297.4 x 221.2 x 6 mm (11.7 x 8.70 x 0.23 inches)​Operating System​Windows 10 Home Edition​Microsoft Office​Office 365 included, permanent license​
Retail Package
The YOGA Duet 7 comes with very attractive packaging, the sand grey background color and accented letters give the retail box a premium look.
The YOGA Duet tablet and detachable keyboad cover are both nicely protected.
Inside the box we have also found a digital pen (even the AAA battery is included), a 65W power adapter, and some booklets.
Design and build
The YOGA Duet 7 has a magnesium alloy body that feels incredibly sturdy and high-quality in the hands. The slate grey finish of my unit is not only easy on the eyes, but it also has a lingering charm. I have never appreciated the look of a gadget for so long
We can see lots of cooling vents on the top side for hot air expulsion. The machine is actively cooled, and we can feel air wafting from the vents when it's under heavy workloads.
The front is dominated by a 13-inch IPS multi-touch display. The bezels are pretty thin all around, but the top and bottom are a little thicker than the left and right sides. That makes it possible to hold the Duet 7 as a tablet with minimal effort, without obscuring much of the screen.
The front-facing IR webcam also has a 5MP sensor that supports Windows Hello facial recognition and captures video at [email protected] That's a considerable upgrade from most consumer notebooks that get saddled with 720p sensors, and the difference was apparent in online video calls.
The left edge of the tablet sports a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, a Micro SD card slot, a 3.5mm headphone jack and a multi-function USB-C port. Both of these USB-C ports support Power Delivery 3.0 and Video output, the Thunderbolt port even has DisplayPort 1.4 built in, thus is able to output [email protected] videos.
The right edge plays host to two physical keys: a power key and a volume rocker. There’s another USB-C port for data transfer and Always-On power output.
The YOGA Duet 7 includes a kickstand, which allows you to position its screen at nearly any angle from 0° to 160°. The hinge looks sophisticated and extremely durable, and is able to take a huge amount of pressure, you don’t have to worry about wearing it out in normal everyday use.
The device is also about as portable as you can get, the tablet weighs only 799 grams, while the ultra-thin keyboard, which also serves as a screen cover when closed, weighs only 380g– you’ll be able to throw the YOGA Duet 7 into your bag without worrying. The tablet has accompanied for more than a month now. I took it to the office and back every day, and even brought it with on a business trip for a week. It has survived a variety of interesting encounters. The most concerning was an accidental drop to the ground from a coffee table, which the machine survived unscathed.
I understand that Lenovo has designed the YOGA Duet 7 to be as travel-friendly as possible, but with prolonged use the device’s lack of a USB-A port becomes a serious issue. On too many occasions I found myself wanting – but unable – to carry out basic tasks such as connecting the Duet 7 to a mouse without Bluetooth, or pulling files from a USB stick. A hub would work just fine, but you just need to always remember carrying it with you.
There’s also no fingerprint reader on board. Windows Hello works fine, but I personally would still prefer using a fingerprint as it gives me a higher sense of security than the 2D face unlock does.
Keyboard and pen
The best news is that both the pen and the magnetic keyboard cover are already included in the retail package, you don’t need to pay extra for them. The keyboard cover here magnetically connects to the tablet and protects the screen when not in use. It won’t tilt up to a more comfortable typing angle like the Surface Type Cover does, but it has a built-in battery, and is able to serve as a Bluetooth keyboard even when detached.
The fabric on the back of the keyboard cover feels very nice in hand, and is more resistant to dust and color changing than the Alcantara fabric used for the Surface Type Cover. It looks better, as well.
The keys are not only physical, well-spaced and full-sized, but are also quiet and have decent travel. They are almost as tactile as how I would like them to be. In terms of its satisfying typing experience and high-quality haptic feel, the YOGA Duet 7’s keyboard is still inferior to a ThinkPad keyboard, which is, in my humble opinion, the industry best.
The touchpad has a decent size and a good feel to each click and accurately registered my input as I navigated the desktop, it is also quick to recognize two-finger and three-finger gestures.
The included pen, which supports 4096 levels of pressure, would be ideal for digital artwork. I am not blessed with the talent of painting, but I do take handwritten notes occasionally. The YOGA Duet’s pen is responsive enough for writing, although it can feel a little slippery at times. There’s a slight amount of latency, which is not really a big issue for average consumers like myself. But if you are a digital artist who have already gotten used to the Apple Pencil and Galaxy S-pen level of instantaneousness, you might find the pen here a little unsatisfying.
The two buttons on the pen are quite tactile and responsive, and there’s also a protruding part at one end to prevent the pen from rolling off the table. But unfortunately, there isn’t a dedicated place on the tablet or the keyboard to put the pen like there is on the Surface Pro 7.
Display and sound
One of the major differences between the YOGA Duet 7 and the Surface Pro has to be the 16:10 aspect ratio of its 13-inch, 2160*1350 IPS display. This display shows smaller black bars playing videos when compared to Surface Pro’s 3:2 screen, but shows more vertical real estate than similar 16:9 displays, which equates to more of a web page or more lines of code in a text editor.
The YOGA Duet 7’s display looks clear even from extreme side angles. At 196 PPI, the screen may not be the sharpest, yet it’s still difficult to pick out single pixels. Colors look vibrant and true to life, thanks to its 100% sRGB color gamut. The display can also emit up to 450 nits, which beats the Surface Pro 7 (395 nits) and the category average (386 nits), The Dell XPS 2-in-1 7390 has an even brighter display at 600 nits.
The stereo speakers (2*1W) are tuned by Dolby Audio out of the box. The EQ curve does its best, but the speakers are generally subpar, and won’t match Lenovo’s very own Tab P11 Pro, which comes with quad 1.5W JBL speakers. There’s enough volume for online chatting and occasional YouTube videos, but music, games and movies won't sound too good. Thankfully, there is a 3.5mm headphone jack on the side.
Performance
The YOGA Duet 7 is powered by the latest Intel Core i5-1135G7 Tiger Lake CPU, coupled with 16GB Memory and 512GB NVMe SSD. Without a dedicated graphics card, the YOGA Duet is definitely not a powerhouse, but it should still offer more than enough oomph for normal everyday computing tasks such as office workloads, web surfing and high-res video playback.
As much as I dislike benchmarks, they are the easiest ways to measure the horsepower of a PC. To help you better understand the results, I’ve also listed the scores of some other 2-in-1s here for comparison.
First, we ran Maxon's latest CPU-crunching Cinebench R23 test, which is fully threaded to make use of all available processor cores and threads. Cinebench stresses the CPU rather than the GPU to render a complex image. The result is a proprietary score indicating a PC's suitability for processor-intensive workloads. The YOGA Duet scored 1331 in single-core, and 4423 in multi-core. Although these scores wouldn’t match what the Apple M1 powered Macbook Air had achieved in the same test, but they did handily beat the numbers the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 had got.
In the cross-platform Geekbench 5.4.1 CPU test, the YOGA Duet’s 1411 CPU single-core score and 4742 multi-core score still lagged far behind the snatches of the new Apple Macbook Air, but they did beat the Dell XPS 2-in-1 and the Microsoft Surface Pro 7.
PCMark simulates different real-world productivity and content-creation workflows. We use it to assess overall system performance for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheeting, web browsing, and video conferencing. 4262 is the number the Duet 7 notched in the standard PCMark 10 test.
This machine is equipped with a fast 512GB PCle NVMe SSD, readings in the CrystalDiskMark tells the story. The storage is also expandable with a MicroSD card of up to 1TB, if you are not too concerned with the read and write speeds the TF card could bring.
One of the biggest complaints about of the YOGA Duet 7’s configurations is its 16GB single-channel memory. Don’t get me wrong, 16GB is quite plentiful for any 2-in-1. The real problem is that the 16GB memory offered here is a single stick, instead of two 8GB memory sticks. This results in lower overall bandwidth and throughput speed. 3D games such as Assassins’ Creed and Fallout 4 may suffer immensely in smoothness when running on a single-channel memory. But in other games and applications, the performance difference between single-channel and dual-channel RAM may vary from subtle to unnoticeable. In the AIDA64 cache & memory benchmark, the read, write and copy speeds of the 16GB memory are not impressive, but still solid. The 85.2ns latency isn’t too bad, either.
The integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphis may not rival dedicated graphics found in gaming laptops and mainstream PCs, but it is still a huge step up from UHD 6XX GPUs. In the 3DMark Sky Diver, Fire Strike and Time Spy tests, the Duet's graphics scores are 9129, 2515 and 875 respectively.
In the real world use, the Duet 7 provides ample oomph for normal everyday computing, light media editing, and even some 3D gaming. The system didn’t slow down when I was opening a dozen webpages in Chrome at the same time, and never really left me waiting for it to process a task or command.
Editing videos in Power Director is generally smooth, filters and animations don’t take long to get applied to all layers of clips. However, I did spend 30% more time converting a 4K video on the Duet 7 than on the Xiaoxin 15 (ideapd S), which is powered by the same processor, but has dual-channel memory and a dedicated MX450 GPU.
As for multimedia entertainment, the YOGA Duet has no problem streaming 4K YouTube videos in Microsoft Edge, or decoding different formats of 4K local video clips.
The Intel Iris Xe Graphics is definitely not designed for intense 3D gaming, but it is capable of running most AAA titles in moderate settings. Fortnite was generally smooth under 720P and low visual effects, with average frame rates well above 45 FPS. League of Legends was smooth both in 720P (60 FPS) and 1080P (40-50 FPS), with visual effects set at low to medium.
Conqueror’s Blade was a different story, though. Even at 720P and low settings, frame skips could happen in intense fighting scenes. Game PP reported an average frame rates of only 23 FPS, which means that the title is playable on the Duet 7, but not all that enjoyable.
These were all the games I played on the Duet 7.
There’s an active cooling system in Duet 7’s slim body, and it is audible when the computer is under heavy workloads. Fortunately, the noise won’t be a constant distraction from what you are working on as it never gets too loud for comfort.
Battery Life
There’s a 42Whr battery under the shell, which gives the tablet 5-6 hours of screen time in mixed use. Lenovo advertised 13 hours of video playback for this machine, but that number was probably achieved with some extreme settings.
In my very own test, I set the screen brightness to 40%, which is generally ideal for indoor use, and played a 1080P video on loop for 9 hours, the YOGA Duet was left with only 2% of battery, so I believe it would be really difficult to squeeze more than 10 hours of screen time out of the machine.
The included 65W charger fills up the battery rather quickly. A full charge takes only around 2 hours, and you are able to get a healthy amount of refill during a short lunch break.
Connectivity
The Duet 7 comes with the latest WiFi6 for fast internet access, and Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting with wireless input devices, headphones and speakers.
With 3 USB-C ports on board, you are able to hook the YOGA Duet up to quite a number of external drives. The two Type-C ports on the left both support video output, which means you are able to distribute your computing tasks to two external monitors at the same time.
Verdict
While the YOGA Duet 7 (2021) may be considered to be a Surface Pro 7 alternative, there are many things that it actually does better than its pricier Microsoft counterpart: 1) The new 11th-gen Tiger Lake CPU is a lot faster. Even with the much-criticized single-channel memory, the YOGA Duet still beats the Surface Pro 7 (i5-1035G4) in almost every benchmark. 2) With a rechargeable battery inside, the magnetic keyboard cover also serves as a Bluetooth keyboard when detached. This means the Duet 7 will fit into more computing scenarios than other convertibles. 3) There is a Thunderbolt 4 port on the Duet 7 for high-speed data transfer (up to 40GB per second), [email protected] video output and fast charging. 4) The Duet 7 looks more stylish, although that may come down to personal preference.
However, there are also quite a few things that the Surface Pro 7 could do, but the YOGA Duet 7 falls short: 1) The keyboard cover won’t tilt up for a more comfortable typing angle. 2) There’s no dedicated place on the tablet or the keyboard for carrying the pen.
Still, for anyone looking for a travel-friendly 2-in-1 laptop, the YOGA Duet is the closest offering to a Surface Pro 7, and arguably one of the best choices out there.
Thanks for the very detailed review. This is a very interesting device. Can you confirm if this device has a TPM chip and eligible for windows 11 upgrade. I’m planning to pick one up soon but I read somewhere that it does not have the TPM chip.
akashsgpgi said:
Thanks for the very detailed review. This is a very interesting device. Can you confirm if this device has a TPM chip and eligible for windows 11 upgrade. I’m planning to pick one up soon but I read somewhere that it does not have the TPM chip.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately, the sad news it's does not have TPM, this new model no. is 13ITL6 which is not come with TPM and the wired thing the the previous model (named 13ML05) comes with TPM and for some reason lenovo decided to remove it in the new model !! now we should wait for Lenovo to bring it back to this model so we can put it as real alternative to Microsoft devices.
pillar.grace said:
unfortunately, the sad news it's does not have TPM, this new model no. is 13ITL6 which is not come with TPM and the wired thing the the previous model (named 13ML05) comes with TPM and for some reason lenovo decided to remove it in the new model !! now we should wait for Lenovo to bring it back to this model so we can put it as real alternative to Microsoft devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got this laptop couple of days ago. There is TPM 2.0 in this model and I'm already running Windows 11 Beta .
That's very strange. I got this day before yesterday. It's the same model - 13ITL6 with the exact same processor and ram (i5/8gb) and mine doesn't have TPM support. Can you please share your bios firmware and model number details? Mine is 82MA001VIN
suhaime said:
shiva.kakkar11 said:
That's very strange. I got this day before yesterday. It's the same model - 13ITL6 with the exact same processor and ram (i5/8gb) and mine doesn't have TPM support. Can you please share your bios firmware and model number details? Mine is 82MA001VIN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just got this laptop couple of days ago. There is TPM 2.0 in this model and I'm already running Windows 11 Beta .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
shiva.kakkar11 said:
That's very strange. I got this day before yesterday. It's the same model - 13ITL6 with the exact same processor and ram (i5/8gb) and mine doesn't have TPM support. Can you please share your bios firmware and model number details? Mine is 82MA001VIN
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
BIOS version: GPCN19WW
MTM: 82MA000XMJ
Could it be the PTT is disabled in your BIOS?
suhaime said:
BIOS version: GPCN19WW
MTM: 82MA000XMJ
Could it be the PTT is disabled in your BIOS?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's the funny part. My BIOS does not have the option for Intel PTT. I have the same firmware GPCN19WW. This is ridiculous on part of Lenovo. Possibly they have used different motherboards for the two. Could you check your make? Details of mine are attached in the pic.
I am not sure if this will work to invoke the PTT but you can try to set the password for BIOS ...
shiva.kakkar11 said:
That's the funny part. My BIOS does not have the option for Intel PTT. I have the same firmware GPCN19WW. This is ridiculous on part of Lenovo. Possibly they have used different motherboards for the two. Could you check your make? Details of mine are attached in the pic.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Seems to be the same motherboard...
suhaime said:
Seems to be the same motherboard...
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Click to collapse
Thanks mate. I tried to set a password through device guard but that didn't invoke it either.
This is really jarring. I wonder what's the reason for this? I hope it's firmware related and not an uninformed hardware revision that Lenovo undertook. Thanks for all your efforts!
It looks like windows 11 is coming to this model. check the below link.
Lenovo devices supported for upgrade to Windows 11 - Lenovo Support IN
support.lenovo.com
.
I guess PTT will be enabled by bios update from Lenovo later
shiva.kakkar11 said:
Thanks mate. I tried to set a password through device guard but that didn't invoke it either.
This is really jarring. I wonder what's the reason for this? I hope it's firmware related and not an uninformed hardware revision that Lenovo undertook. Thanks for all your efforts!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I also have the same model and don't have TPM Chipset. Also the spec sheet says the same
https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/Yoga/Yoga_Duet_7_13ITL6/Yoga_Duet_7_13ITL6_Spec.pdf
And good news is we are getting windows 11 for this model. check the link below. Yoga duet 7i(13, 06) has been listed under ideapad.
Lenovo devices supported for upgrade to Windows 11 - Lenovo Support IN
support.lenovo.com
I guess PTT will be enabled by Lenovo in Bios update later
thyagur said:
I also have the same model and don't have TPM Chipset. Also the spec sheet says the same
https://psref.lenovo.com/syspool/Sys/PDF/Yoga/Yoga_Duet_7_13ITL6/Yoga_Duet_7_13ITL6_Spec.pdf
And good news is we are getting windows 11 for this model. check the link below. Yoga duet 7i(13, 06) has been listed under ideapad.
Lenovo devices supported for upgrade to Windows 11 - Lenovo Support IN
support.lenovo.com
I guess PTT will be enabled by Lenovo in Bios update later
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I spoke to another user from Sweden who has the same issue and says that Lenovo CC there suggested they'd be releasing a firmware update once final release of W11 is near. What's strange is that they turned off firmware PTT in some markets and left it on for others. The LTE variant has it mentioned although its spec by spec similar barring the addition of an lte modem. Its really strange. They crippled an otherwise amazing machine through useless software restrictions.
shiva.kakkar11 said:
I spoke to another user from Sweden who has the same issue and says that Lenovo CC there suggested they'd be releasing a firmware update once final release of W11 is near. What's strange is that they turned off firmware PTT in some markets and left it on for others. The LTE variant has it mentioned although its spec by spec similar barring the addition of an lte modem. Its really strange. They crippled an otherwise amazing machine through useless software restrictions.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Very true.. Even I was wondering why would lenovo turn off the PTT.. i was searching for answers everywhere and after seeing official lenovo list for w11 upgrade I stopped searching. It's literally waste of time. Even Indian lenovo cc said this machine is eligible for w11. So let's wait for it.. Did u try registering in insider program?
thyagur said:
Very true.. Even I was wondering why would lenovo turn off the PTT.. i was searching for answers everywhere and after seeing official lenovo list for w11 upgrade I stopped searching. It's literally waste of time. Even Indian lenovo cc said this machine is eligible for w11. So let's wait for it.. Did u try registering in insider program?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes. I did. It says that the system doesn't meet the requirements for Windows 11. The new health checker shows TPM 2.0 is missing. Btw, check your DM. Have sent you a message.
thyagur said:
Very true.. Even I was wondering why would lenovo turn off the PTT.. i was searching for answers everywhere and after seeing official lenovo list for w11 upgrade I stopped searching. It's literally waste of time. Even Indian lenovo cc said this machine is eligible for w11. So let's wait for it.. Did u try registering in insider program?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lenovo has a new bios update GPCN20WW. Download it manually, install and in bios - press f9 to load defaults. You'll get PTT. Just got it on mine.
shiva.kakkar11 said:
Lenovo has a new bios update GPCN20WW. Download it manually, install and in bios - press f9 to load defaults. You'll get PTT. Just got it on mine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah ..I manually did it.. looks like lot of options opened up now in bios. Interestingly windows 11 insider program isn't appearing for me. How about you?
Hey all, I just got the yoga duet 7i 1135g7 8 Gb and quite rapidly I noticed that it would hang or freeze briefly at random times.
I did a quick cinebench while checking temps cpu clock and temp and noticed that my device is very quickly thermal throttling with clock speed going to 1.9 Ghz (lowest noticed during the run was 1.6 Ghz) and my score was only of around 3350, anyone else having a similar experience?
I have the feeling I suffer from a bad paste application

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