Cube WP10 Review: a 7-inch Windows Phone - Device Reviews and Information

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Earlier this year, Microsoft announced that they had given up on Windows Phone. HP, HTC and many other OEMs also cancelled their plans to release phones running Windows 10 Mobile Operating System.
However, Cube, a Shenzhen based Chinese company, wouldn’t let Windows Mobile go so easily. They recently released a new 7-inch phablet called WP10, which ships with the already doomed operating system.
Specifications
OS: Windows 10 Home
Screen: 6.98-inch IPS, multi-touch capacitive panel
Display Resolution: 1280 x 720 (16:9)
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 220 (1.3GHz)
RAM / Storage: 2GB / 16GB
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0
WiFi: 2.4Ghz, WiFi hotspot
Mobile Network: GSM+WCDMA+FDD LTE
Camera: 5MP back camera, 5MP front camera
Battery: 4.35V, 2,850mAh
Ports: Micro SD Card Slot, Micro USB 2.0 Port, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, Dual SIM card slot
Size: 187.7 x 97.7 x 7.6 mm, Weight: 248g, Color: white
Design and build
The WP10 looks more like a big phone than a small tablet.
A 6.98-inch IPS panel dominates the front side, with a front-facing 5MP camera, a light sensor and an earpiece sitting above. The bezel is extremely small so the slate is not much bigger than some of the old 6-inch phones such as the SONY Xperia Z Ultra (6.44-inch) and Samsung Galaxy Mega (6.3-inch) when it comes to overall footprint.
A 5MP main camera and an LED flash can be found on the rear side of the tablet, along with some of Cube’s marketing.
All the physical keys and ports are hosted on the sides of the slate. You can find a power/standby key and a volume rocker on the right side of the late.
The left side plays host to a SIM card slot. The user can install a couple of nano SIM cards and a Micro SD card by using an SIM Tray tool.
The top side of the tablet sports a 3.5mm headphone jack, while the bottom side hosts a Micro USB port for charging and data transmission.
The WP10 is only 7.6mm thick, making it one of the thinnest tablets Cube has ever chopped out. It weighs only 248g, not much heavier than some of today’s super large phones. Thanks to its small bezel, the tablet can be hold in one hand comfortably.
Display and sound
The WP10 sports a 6.98-inch IPS display at the resolution of 1280*720px. The pixel density of the screen is 211PPI. These are not impressive numbers as we are already quite used to the 2K and 4K displays seen on today’s smartphones. But in everyday use, it is still not easy to pick out single pixels on the WP10’s display.
The color saturation and contrast are quite good, so is the clarity.
The brightness of the panel is generally okay for indoor use, but the visibility is not very good outdoors.
There are no dedicated speakers on the tablet, all sound is coming from the earpiece on the front side. The sound is tinny and small, and lacks soundstage and details, headphones or external speakers are highly recommended.
System and Apps
The Cube WP10 comes with Microsoft Windows 10 Mobile, an operating system already doomed by its developer. The Windows 10 Mobile was Microsoft’s last attempt to address the shortage of apps being developed for its smartphones and ignite consumer interest in its platform. It aimed to unify the desktop and mobile versions of Microsoft’s OS. Unfortunately for Microsoft, Windows 10 Mobile failed to help them achieve the success they wanted in the smartphone market.
At first glance, the user interface looks fairly similar to Windows 10. It retains the vibrant Live Tile homescreen of its predecessor, which is no bad thing. Live Tiles are a nifty alternative to iOS and Android’s widget and icon-heavy UIs. They make it easier to keep on top of things by offering peek views to incoming messages and alerts.
The native Outlook email tile will display the sender and subject line of the last message to enter your inbox, for example, while the Facebook app offers a peek view of your latest alert.
For those who prefer a more traditional mobile experience, the Action Center offers similar quick notification shortcuts to Google’s Android OS. It’s accessed by scrolling down from the top of the phone’s UI and features shortcuts to key options, such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and screen brightness, as well as notifications from linked social media and email accounts. As an added perk it also lets you directly respond to alerts without launching the applications.
Cortana makes a welcome a reappearance too. Microsoft’s answer to Apple’s Siri and Google’s Now voice command services, Cortana can be activated using a Live Tile on the phone’s menu screen, or directly from within certain applications. When launched you can either type or speak commands.
As well as enacting basic tasks, such as mounting web searches and opening applications, Cortana can contextually answer questions and take specific actions within apps. We regularly used her to get directions, estimate travel times and find good eateries in my area using Windows 10’s reworked Maps app. I also used her to take notes in OneNote, add entries to my calendar and draft emails while on the move.
On paper, Siri and Google Now offer similar services, but I found Cortana works better on almost every level. Her voice-recognition software is stronger and proved capable of understanding accents that have rendered Siri useless – tested with an Afrikaans-accented friend on the Lumia 950 XL. To existing Windows Phone fans, this may sound a little too much like business as usual. But, when you dive into the phone’s submenus, you realize Microsoft has made some small, but positive changes to Windows 10 Mobile’s design. The majority of the changes work to unify the look of Windows 10’s desktop and mobile versions.
The two menu screens are now identical. The Store has also been updated to resemble the desktop and Xbox Live versions. It adds a new vertical submenu with shortcuts to the app, games, music and film sections, and an enhanced spotlight feature for recommended content.
The changes may sound insignificant, but for me they’re a real positive. The move to make Windows 10 Mobile’s UI consistent with Microsoft’s desktop and Xbox software makes the OS one of the most intuitive to use on the market. However, the lack of significant change is a two-edged sword when you starting diving into most third-party applications – which haven’t benefited from the same spruce-up.
Thanks to the regulations of the Windows Store, you won’t be bothered by the advertisement inside of the applications.
When it comes to the number and quality of applications, Windows 10 Mobile is still secondary to Android and iOS. There are quite a number of popular apps you won’t find in the Microsoft App Store, and the apps which you can find on the Windows 10 mobile platform are of lower quality. These apps also lack the cool new features offered by their Android and iOS counterparts because of the woefully worse update cycles. Despite Microsoft’s earlier promise of “Universal Apps”, the situation will only get worse as they are stepping away from the Mobile Phone market.
Performance
The Cube WP10 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 220 processor clocked at 1.3GHz and 2GB RAM. It is definitely no powerhouse in a world full of Snapdragon 8XX powered Android smartphones. Although Windows 10 Mobile doesn’t necessarily need as much horse power as Android, the WP10 still lacks the kind of smoothness we normally find on top Android phones and iPhones.
Antutu Benchmark returned a score of 29,510, which ranks the W10 below most entry-level Android smartphones.
Generally speaking, the slate is smooth and responsive most of the time. But you will notice lags and stutters launching big applications or doing heavy multi-tasking. For instance, smaller games such as Plants vs Zombie and Dragon Mania Legend were extremely smooth on the WP10. But Asphalt 8 took a really long time to launch, and the frame rates were unacceptable while we were playing it. Installing several apps from Windows store with music playing in the background also caused the WP10 to go idle for a couple of times.
Connectivity
The WP10 is a large phone which offers many connectivity options. There’s 4G Phone functionalities, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS are also on board. There’s 16GB built-in eMMc drive, but the tablet also supports storage expansion with a Micro SD card.
Wi-Fi connection is solid and stable. A few meters away from the router and a wall in between I could still stream HD videos without any buffering in the middle. Bluetooth works as expected as well. Not only can I receive photos from my phone, I can also connect the WP10 to a variety of external audio systems such as my Ausdom headphones and B&O speakers.
Cameras
The WP10 comes with a 5MP selfie camera on the front and a 5MP main camera on its rear. Both cameras are quite bad.
The front-facing camera can handle the job of occasional video-chatting, but you wouldn’t really use it for selfies.
The rear camera does have features such as HDR and auto-focus, but the photos taken by it are of extremely poor quality, and it takes seconds to produce an image.
Most of us won’t use the cameras on our tablets very often as even budget smartphones can do a decent job taking photos nowadays. However, when we do use them occasionally, we would want them to work a little bit better than the ones on the WP10.
Battery Life
The WP10 is powered by a 4.35V – 2850mAh Li-Po battery, which doesn’t seem impressive but can still last the device through a whole day of moderate use. In our battery run-down test (looping a 720P video), the device lasted 4 hours and 43 minutes.
Verdict
Releasing a tablet running an operating system abandoned by its developer takes guts. It is certain that the Cube WP10 will receive no future firmware update, and the eco-system built around the OS will surely wither, too.
Priced at $119.99, the WP10 is quite affordable and offers many useful features such as Cortanna, Outlook, One Drive and Microsoft Office Mobile. But despite the brilliance of Cortanna and the many ads-free applications from the Windows Store, the WP10 is still no match for Android tablets in terms of overall functionalities, and is only appealing to those die-hard Windows fans and those who want to try something different. But the problem is: are those die-hard Windows fans really going to buy a phablet from a secondary brand they have barely heard of?
If you want a budget tablet with phone functions and individuality is on the top of your list, the WP10 might be the device for you. But if you care more about the number and quality of applications, functionalities and future upgrades, an Android tablet is still a more solid choice.

I cant find a phone number for Cube. They charged me twice for the same product. I had one reversed, and got my money back. There is a clearinghouse for Cube called GSD, for PayPal payments. If you have a phone number for Cube I would appreciate it, even if its a China number.

Related

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

Beelink GS1 TV Box Review: a Beauty and a Beast

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The GS1 is the latest release of Beelink, a brand well-known for making quality TV Boxes and mini PCs. Equipped with an Allwinner H6 SoC., it is also Beelink’s first product that supports 6K video decoding. But how does it really perform in our daily life and how does it fare against the more hyped Beelink A1 and Jide Remix IO? We will try to answer these two questions in this review.
Main Specs of the Beelink GS1
Operating System: Android 7.1
Processor: Allwinner Quad-Core Processor (4*[email protected], Mali-720MP2 GPU)
RAM: 4GB DDR3
Storage: 16GB eMMc Internal Storage, TF Card support (up to 128GB)
HDMI: HDMI 2.0a output up to [email protected] + HDMI 3D video formats
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.1
Internet Access: dual-band WiFi 2.4G / 5.8G, 1000M Gigabit Ethernet
Ports: Ethernet port*1, SPDIF Port*1, DC port*1, Micro SD card slot*1, USB 3.0 Port*1, USB 2.0 Port*1, HDMI*1.
Dimension: 96mm*96mm*16mm (L x W x H)
Weight: 190g
Chassis: Black, ABS Plastic
Retail Package: TV box*1, Remote control*1, HDMI cable*1, Power adapter*1, User manual*1
Retail Package
The GS1 arrives with very beautiful and compact packaging which also feels very high-tech.
Inside the packaging you will find a GS1 TV box, a remote, an HDMI cable, a power adapter and an English user manual.
Design
Measured at 96mm*96mm*16mm, the GS1 isn’t the smallest TV Box we have ever reviewed, that crown still belongs to the Beelink A1 (77mm*77mm*17mm).
However it still has a much smaller footprint than the likes of Jide Remix IO and the Zidoo X9s (187mm*127mm*27mm).
While lacking in size, this device still offers a slew of ports and slots. On the back side of the box you will find a SPDIF audio port, an RJ45 Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.0 port, a USB 2.0 Port and a DC port.
On the left side of the device, you will find a USB 3.0 port, and a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 128GB.
An IR receiver and an LED indicator are hosted on the front side, but they are almost invisible, only when you boot the device you will see the LED light up in blue. The tiny casing is made of white ABS plastic, which gives the device an elegant and premium look. A huge “6” (which indicates 6K video decoding) and a “Beelink logo” sit comfortably on the top side of the device.
There are some vents on the bottom side to keep the box from overheating. The 4 rubber feet are short, but still do a very good job at protecting the box from scratches.
The build quality of the GS1 is extremely good, even though the device is thin and with a plastic shell, it still feels quite sturdy.
The supplied remote is the same as the one that comes with the A1. Although with a predictably lightweight, plastic finish and limited mouse pointer functionality, it feels very well-built, and the box responds quickly to its commands and the infra-red range are acceptably long and broad.
Setting it up
Setting up the Beelink GS1 is extremely easy. Connecting it to a TV set (or projector) via HDMI, plugging in the charger and you are good to go.
System & Apps
The Beelink GS1 ships with Android 7.1 Nougat, with a tailor-made Beelink skin on top. The launcher has everything laid out beautifully and is very easy to navigate. The date and time is located at the top left with the temperature widget below. In the center of the screen you have a link to the media center, internet browser and Google Play Store, There are also shortcuts to “clear memory”, app drawer, and settings laying below. To the right is an area where users can pin their most commonly used apps. Finally at the bottom left you have shortcuts to power, volume, at the bottom right you have shortcuts to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth.
The navigation bar at the very bottom is defaulted to be hidden, but you can bring it up with a mouse. It has many virtual keys, including a back key, a home key, a recent apps key, a screenshot key, a volume- key, a volume+ key, a hide-bar key and a power key.
The GS1 doesn’t come loaded with bloatware, but there are some preinstalled apps. Besides the stock Google Play Store, Android Web Browser, Calculator and Gallery, you can also find Beelink’s very own App Store, Bee Files Explorer, Media Center and Bee Music in the app drawer.
As a TV box, the GS1 is designed mainly for media consumption, and you can find a great number of media playback apps in Google Play, including YouTube, Netflix, Kodi and Hulu. The GS1 has no problem streaming 4K videos smoothly on YouTube, and I rarely notice any hiccups playing local videos with the stock video player.
I complained about Beelink’s stock video player while reviewing the A1, but the one preinstalled on the GS1 works really fine, not only is it loaded with useful features, it is also very responsive to the remote control.
The PiP (Picture in Picture) function allows you to watch a video and do other things at the same time, but it did take me a while to figure out how to return to full-screen mode.
Running on Android 7.1 Nougat means the GS1 can also handle tasks such as E-Mails, Web-browsing, social networking and even gaming.
Like the A1 and other high-end Android-based TV boxes, the GS1 supports OTA (Over-the-Air) firmware upgrades. Beelink is known for its excellent support for its products, the A1 I had reviewed received 5 updates within just 1 month, and I am expecting nothing less from my GS1.
Performance
The Beelink GS1 is powered by an Allwinner H6 processor, which contains 4 cores of Cortex-A53 CPU and two cores of Mali-720MP GPU. There’s also 2GB RAM under the hood to handle multi-tasking. You’d probably think that the GS1 is no match for the A1 in terms of performance as the latter comes with 4GB RAM, but the benchmarks tell a different story.
In Antutu V6 benchmark test, the GS1 scored 44,207, putting it in front of the A1 (33,992) and other competitions such as the Jide Remix IO (32,981), the Zidoo X9s (33,990) and Jide Remix Mini (23,919).
In Geekbench 4 CPU test, the GS1 notched 681 in single-core, 1,703 in multi-core, and 1,247 in computing.
In the PCMark 8 Work 2.0 test, the GS1 snatched 3,393, which is on par with the scores of many entry-level smartphones. The GS1 may not be able to compete with flagship Android smartphones and tablets, but it is quite powerful by the TV box standard.
As for the real-world performance, like many other Android-based TV boxes, the GS1 is pretty smooth when we set the HDMI output at 1080P resolution. In fact it handled most tasks faster than the A1. At 4K, the GS1 was still generally smooth and responsive, but there could be stutters every now and then. The slowdown in speed became the most noticeable while opening image-heavy webpages in the stock browser, as my unit failed to finish loading a few webpages in 4K.
The GS1 is also better at decoding videos than RK33X8 powered TV boxes such as the A1 and Jide Remix IO. In the Antutu Video Tester Benchmark, the GS1 scored 952 , compatible with almost all of the video formats included in the test. The GS1 also naturally supports 6K H.265 video decoding. Although it doesn’t make much sense to play 6K videos on a device which only supports 4K output, 6K playback is a useful feature whenever you are faced with 6K clips and no other options.
Limited by the 2GB RAM, multi-tasking was challenging for the GS1. There was normally slightly more than 1GB available RAM after startup. Not many apps could stay in the background simultaneously (the OS will kill apps automatically to free memories for apps running on the screen). Also, the box became slow and less responsive when playing videos in PiP mode. For example, it took a lot longer to launch new applications. I found myself clicking the memory cleanup shortcut on the homescreen quite often, which I never felt that much compelled to do when using the Beelink A1.
Generally speaking, the Beelink GS1 performs quite well as a media playback device. In fact it is faster than the A1 when handling most tasks. The RAM is somewhat a letdown, and prevents the box from reaching its full potential as an HTPC, but it is not really a deal-breaker, as most people wouldn’t need their TV boxes to run too many applications in the background.
Connectivity
The GS1 offers a slew of connectivity options. It supports 2.4GHz/5GHz dual band Wi-Fi. Although without an exposed antenna, the GS1 still has very solid reception, it could pick up more Wi-Fi hotspots than the Remix Mini and Remix IO when the three boxes were placed right next to one another. The RJ-45 Ethernet jack can also come in handy when you want more stable connection via a network cable. There’s also Bluetooth 4.1 on board to take care of local data transfer and connecting with audio and input devices. I connected the GS1 with a pair of Bang & Olufsen Beoplay S3 speakers and they worked fine together. If Bluetooth audio transfer doesn’t offer satisfying sound, the SPDIF port supports direct wired connection with most soundbars and speakers designed for TV.
The HDMI 2.0 port on the GS1 can output videos up to [email protected], and should support most TV sets, monitors and projectors. The 2 USB ports support external USB storages of up to 4TB. The Micro SD card slot had no problem reading my 128GB Transcend card.
Verdict
I loved my experience with the Beelink GS1, although slightly let down by Beelink’s choice of putting only 2GB RAM inside of the box. Still, it has found itself as a permanent resident of my living room. It’s also great to be able to carry around a cheap and small device that can be plugged into any HDMI monitor and play all of my favorite movies and TV shows. I am certainly looking forward to what Beelink has to offer in its future products.
real life experience
Hi,
Because of your review, which I liked, I bought this GS1.
And though the looks of it are good, performance and user experience are weak.
Installing Netflix through Google Playstore is not possible. And when you succeed to install it through Beelinks own Appmarket or sideloading it, you could not scroll through the movie list, at least, not up or down. After latest firmware update of 2018-01-12, the scrolling problem is solved. Its still not possible to install or update through Google Playstore though.
Also installing other apps in Goole Playstore fails. When searching for a app it just keeps searching.... I only managed to install apps by using my app library or scrolling through suggested apps. Apptoide just works fine by the way but is not the appstore I prefer, I just want to us Playstore.
The interface is a bit laggy and it is hard to see where you are - which is the active part on your screen. You have to use both cursor keys on your remote as well as the mouse function on it to be able to fully navigate.
I think the GS1 has a lot of potential but at the moment the firmware is just not good enough.
get playstore working after updating the firmware
redbrickbernie said:
Hi,
Because of your review, which I liked, I bought this GS1.
And though the looks of it are good, performance and user experience are weak.
Installing Netflix through Google Playstore is not possible. And when you succeed to install it through Beelinks own Appmarket or sideloading it, you could not scroll through the movie list, at least, not up or down. After latest firmware update of 2018-01-12, the scrolling problem is solved. Its still not possible to install or update through Google Playstore though.
Also installing other apps in Goole Playstore fails. When searching for a app it just keeps searching.... I only managed to install apps by using my app library or scrolling through suggested apps. Apptoide just works fine by the way but is not the appstore I prefer, I just want to us Playstore.
The interface is a bit laggy and it is hard to see where you are - which is the active part on your screen. You have to use both cursor keys on your remote as well as the mouse function on it to be able to fully navigate.
I think the GS1 has a lot of potential but at the moment the firmware is just not good enough.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
just to report that to solve the google playstore issue after incremental update it is necessary to reset the box. once you do that, google playstore will work again. That was my experience.
GS1 very low quality netflix - DRM L1
I'm very disappointed! I bought and will not use because of this TVBOX (of 6k) not to run Netflix in FullHD. The quality is poor, especially on big TV. My intention was to use with Netflix on my old
52".
Only SD...480p max!!!
It would need to have DRM level 1 to Rum FullHD, but it only has level 3, ie, Netflix / Amazon only in SD
I'm already with the latest FW 106N0...
I hope Beelink solves this fast or I'll buy from another brand with DRM L1.
I was hoping to be able to use this device for powering a smart infoboard, however there's a huge flaw in the device and that is that screen rotation is completely disabled making it impractical for the use with portrait orientationed infoboards.
Found the explaination in the build.prop, "ro.sf.disablerotation=1". Too bad there's no root method available for this box as I can't change it without root or twrp/cwm recovery.
pitrus- said:
I was hoping to be able to use this device for powering a smart infoboard, however there's a huge flaw in the device and that is that screen rotation is completely disabled making it impractical for the use with portrait orientationed infoboards.
Found the explaination in the build.prop, "ro.sf.disablerotation=1". Too bad there's no root method available for this box as I can't change it without root or twrp/cwm recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This box should be pre rooted if I'm not mistaken.
Mine wasn't pre-rooted. However I contacted Bee-link about the problem, and they were kind enough to offer me a special version of the latest rom with support for portrait mode and it worked flawless using Kiosk Browser Lockdown-app from play-store. Must say I'm quite impressed by their respons. [emoji4]
Skickat från min ONEPLUS A3003 via Tapatalk
Hi,can you puth the link,I haw to, gs1 issue? Thanks
Can anyone post link to ACTUAL support for this box?
Beelink might as well be a criminal enterprise. My box now can't connect to google to sign in to play store.
Someone here should have warned wat a POS this box was.
Ratteler said:
Can anyone post link to ACTUAL support for this box?
Beelink might as well be a criminal enterprise. My box now can't connect to google to sign in to play store.
Someone here should have warned wat a POS this box was.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try contacting them directly, they do have a working website.
And from my experience excellent support. I actually got them to send me a special rom with vertical screen support for this box, this was however about one year ago so thins might have changed.
Skickat från min GM1913 via Tapatalk

In-depth review of the ABOX A4: a fine TV box, but nothing more

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The good:
Fine crafted design.
Nice build quality.
Solid media playback performance.
Useful voice control functions.
Reasonable price.
The bad:
Poor support for mouse and keyboard.
Unstable overall performance.
Most icons in the app drawer look blurry, regardless of the output resolution.
The remote doesn’t always work with smartphone apps.
No dual-band Wi-Fi (ABOX promised to add 5GHz Wi-Fi in the next batch of the A4).
GooBang Doo is a Shenzhen-based company known for making quality TV boxes, mini-PCs and projectors. The ABOX A4 TV Box, which comes with an Amlogic quad-core processor, 2GB RAM and stock Android TV UI, is one of their latest offerings.
Main Features
OS: Android 7.1.2
CPU: Quad core Cortex A53 2.0GHz 64bit
GPU: Penta-Core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750MHz
RAM: 2GB DDR3
ROM: 16GB EMMC Flash, expandable with a Micro SD card
Bluetooth: V4.0
Power Supply: DC 5V 2A
Power Indicator (LED):Blue(ON); RED(Standby status)
3D: Hardware 3D graphics acceleration
HDD file system FAT16/FAT32/NTFS
Support Subtitle: SRT/SMI/SUB/SSA/IDX+USB
High Definition video output: 4k*2k
LAN: Ethernet: 10/100M, standard RJ-45
Wireless: Support 802.11 a/b/g/n at 2.4GHz
Size: 105mm*105mm*20mm
Retail Package
The ABOX A4 comes with simple but beautiful packaging.
Besides the ABOX A4 TV box, we also found an HDMI cable, a power adapter, a remote and a user manual which is printed in English after unboxing.
Design and build
The ABOX A4 is a beauty, it is in fact one of the best-looking TV boxes I have ever tested. The design is simple and sophisticated at the same time. The jet black chassis gives the box a premium feel, and the ABOX LOGO sits comfortably on the top side of the device.
When you power on the A4, the LOGO will light up in sapphire blue, making the box look extremely high-end and futuristic.
The front side of the A4 is a digital display which shows the time, date and connection status when the device is powered on.
Despite its compact size, the A4 still offers many ports and slots. On the left side you will find 2 full size USB Type-A ports, both are of USB 2.0 standard. There is also a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 32GB.
On the back side of the device you will find a 3.5mm SPDIF audio port, RJ45 Ethernet jack, an HDMI 2.0 port, an AV port and a DC port.
There are some vents on the bottom side to keep the box from overheating. The 4 round rubber feet are quite short, but still do a very good job at protecting the box from scratches.
The build quality of the A4 is extremely solid, it feels sturdy and durable, and there are no ugly mold lines on the shell.
The supplied remote of the A4 looks far more premium than the remotes paired with Jide or Beelink TV Boxes. Although it is lightweight and made of plastic, it does have a metallic-alike finish on top to give it a high-end look. The remote also feels very well-built and robust in our hands, the buttons have reasonable travel and rebound fast.
Unlike most remotes that’s based on infra-red, The ABOX A4 remote is actually based on Bluetooth 4.0, and has a pretty long and broad control range. According to ABOX, you can use the remote to control the TV box from up to 15 meters away. In my own test, the remote has no problem sending voice commands to the box from 7-8 meters and a wall away. Also, the A4 responds quickly to the remote’s signal.
Setting up
Setting up the ABOX A4 is extremely easy. Connecting it to a TV set (or projector) via HDMI, plugging in the charger, loading two triple-A dry cells in the stock remote and you are good to go. There are some settings needed when you boot the A4 for the first time. Since it is running on Android TV UI, you are required to connect the device to the internet and login in your google account before you could use any of its functions.
System and Apps
As we mentioned earlier, the A4 runs Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, with stock Android TV UI on top. The UI is simple and easy to navigate, with a voice control icon on the top of the screen, an array of shortcuts for recommended content, notifications, and two rows of shortcuts for favorite apps. There are also shortcuts to settings, Wi-Fi, and app drawer on the bottom. The UI even offers automatic previews of content from the homescreen.
The voice control function worked like a charm, I could use it to find, launch, and control content. For example, I can ask the A4 to “launch YouTube”, then to “search for the videos about the latest match of Rafael Nadal”, and to “play the first video” with only my thumb staying on the voice button on the remote.
The TV version Play Store has been preinstalled, you can find thousands of apps optimized for a TV screen in it. The A4 also allows you to install apps you can’t find in the Play Store with the built-in apk file installer.
There are a few other preinstalled applications as well, including YouTube (TV version), YT Kids, Netflix, MX Player and ES File Browser. Most of these apps are quite useful. But if you live a region where you don’t need or can’t even get access to Netflix or YouTube services, you can always uninstall them.
Unfortunately, most icons in the app drawer look quite blurry. I initially thought it was probably due to the output display resolution, but then I realized that’s not the case since the icons always looked blurry, regardless of resolution I was using.
The lockscreen of the A4, however, looks beautiful and artistic.
Running the Android TV UI means that the A4 is designed as a TV box, and it is supposed to be used as one as well. Mice and keyboards are still supported, since it is still Android underneath, but don’t expect the experience to anywhere near it is on a Jide Remix Mini. Some TV apps and the A4’s on-screen keyboard don’t even support a mouse at all. For example, when you use your wireless keyboard to type in the words in the search box in YouTube, you cannot just press enter and then expect to get your search results, it doesn’t work like that. You can’t even use your mouse to click the “search” button on your on-screen keyboard. The only way to get the results is for you to use your remote. While the TV apps aren’t always friendly towards a mouse and a keyboard. Normal apps don’t always support the remote. Needless to say that you can’t not ways use a remote to navigate in a smartphone app which was only built for tapping with your fingers. Also, when you are in a smartphone application such as a benchmark, you cannot always expect the A4 to instantly go back to the homescreen or to the last screen by pressing the home and back button on the remote, it simply doesn’t work. I constantly found myself switching between the mouse and remote when testing the A4. Fortunately, if you only use it as a TV box and only has TV apps installed, you won’t be faced with this problem.
Like many of the modern smart TV boxes and mini PCs, the A4 supports over-the-air (OTA) upgrade. And GooBang Doo is known to keep their devices updated.
Performance
The ABOX A4 is powered by an Amlogic quad-core processor, which contains 4 cores of Cortex-A53 CPU and 5 cores of Mali-450MP GPU. There’s also 2GB RAM under the hood to handle multi-tasking. It is definitely not the cutting-edge internal setup you normally find in flagship smartphones and tablets, but it is supposed to handle TV box tasks well.
As usual, we started the performance test by running some benchmark tests on the A4. The video playback performance of the A4 is great, and it has been certified by the Antutu Video Tester Benchmark with a decent score of 875.
Only 4 clips were rated “partially supported”, most of the video clips were smooth and without issues.
In the Antutu benchmark test however, the A4 for some reason couldn’t finish the Graphics test, resulting in 0 point in GPU score. The overall score was shown as 21,360, which is definitely not the result the A4’s hardware was supposed to be returned.
In Geekbench 4, the A4 was returned 498 in single core test, 1,388 in multi-core test and 919 in computing. Those scores were nowhere near the points a modern flagship smartphone could get, and not even impressive by TV box standards.
Using a relatively old GPU ends with a low score in 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited test. So don’t expect to play graphic-intense 3D games on the A4, it won’t be able to deliver the frame rate and responsiveness needed for an enjoyable gaming experience.
Fortunately, the benchmark scores didn’t entirely translate to real-life performances, as the A4 was fast and responsive with most of the TV box tasks I threw at it. Playing high-quality videos on YouTube and other online video apps was smooth, and it didn’t run into any problem playing any of the local video files stored in my portable drive. With that said, it did struggle with more demanding tasks such as compressing a zipped file, or loading image-heavy web pages. And there could be stutters and delays if you have too many apps running in the background.
Connectivity
The A4 offers quite a number of connectivity options. It supports 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-FI at 2.4GHz. Although without an exposed antenna, the A4 still has solid reception, The RJ-45 Ethernet jack can also come in handy when you want more stable connection via a network cable. As most high-end TV boxes support dual-band Wi-Fi now, it’s really a shame for ABOX not to follow the trend. I did personally write an Email to them explaining this issue, and they replied by saying that dual-band Wi-Fi will be added to their second batch of A4. There’s also Bluetooth 4.0 on board to take care of data transfer with your mobile phones and connecting with audio and input devices. I connected the A4 with my Harman Kardon Aura Studio and they worked fine together. If Bluetooth audio transfer doesn’t offer satisfying sound, the 3.5mm SPDIF audio jack can get most speakers plugged in.
The HDMI 2.0 port on the A4 can output videos up to [email protected], and should support most TV sets, monitors and projectors. The 2 USB ports support external USB storages, and they have no problem reading my 4TB portable drive. According to ABOX, the next batch of A4 will be equipped with a USB 3.0 port and a USB 2.0 port, instead of two USB 2.0 ports we have here. The Micro SD card slot, however, can only support cards with storage no bigger than 32GB. This is a real shame since all of the other TV boxes I tested in recent years have the ability to support Micro SD cards up to at least 128GB.
Verdict
Priced at $79.99, the A4 offers a beautifully crafted design, lots of connectivity options, a simple and user-friendly UI, a nice Bluetooth remote with useful voice control functions, and it handles everyday TV box tasks with ease. If ABOX could really add dual-band Wi-Fi and a USB 3.0 port on the device as promised, it will be an easy recommendation for those who need a new TV box. But if you are expecting an HTPC that is more capable of handling more complex tasks such as social-networking, web-browsing and editing, the A4’s lack of mouse and keyboard support may be a problem. If I am to sum it up by one sentence: the A4 is a designed as a media-playback device, and it works ideally as designed, but no more.
I just found a 25% discount code for this device on Amazon, and it should be valid till the end of 2018. The price after dicount is $59.99.
Claim code: ABOX2018
The purchase link: https://www.amazon.com/GooBang-Doo-Android-Innovative-Bluetooth/dp/B07CTBJC3W
No one interested in this?
Fantastic review
Really well written and relavant review.
I can't get past the initial sign in. After logging in to my Google account, The "Prove you're not a robot" (Captcha) is partially hidden and I can not type in the correct letters. I have tried many times.
jw_randall said:
I can't get past the initial sign in. After logging in to my Google account, The "Prove you're not a robot" (Captcha) is partially hidden and I can not type in the correct letters. I have tried many times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's odd

Alldocube i7Book review: an affordable laptop powered by Intel i7 CPU

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The good
Decent performance.
Licensed Windows 10 Home.
Comfortable keyboard and high-quality touchpad.
Solid battery life.
The bad
No fingerprint reader.
No backlight for the keyboard.
Slow SATA SSD.
The Ultrabook market is ultra-competitive, as many respected PC brands all see this as a highly lucrative sector. This market section doesn’t really seem like the ideal playground for Alldocube, a Chinese brand mainly known for their affordable Android tablets, to enter. While Alldocube isn’t a total newbie in the PC industry, as they have release many low-cost Windows convertibles and laptops in the past, but all of their PCs were powered by Atom, Celeron, or Core M CPUs, never the high-end i-series SoC.. That’s why the newly released Alldocube i7Book, which comes with an Intel i7-6660U CPU and a $479.99 price tag, could be exciting.
Main Specs of the Alldocube i7Book
OS: Licensed Windows 10 Home
CPU: Intel Core i7-6660 dual-core CPU (2.4GHz-3.4GHz)
Graphics: Iris Graphics 540
RAM: 8GB DDR4 RAM
Screen: 14.1-inch IPS (1920*1080px)
Storage: 256GB M2. SSD (SATA Standard)
Ports: 3 x USB 3.0 Type A, 1 x USB 3.0 Type-C, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x HDMI 1.4 port, 1 x 3.5mm DC port.
Connectivity: 802.11ac dual-band Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
Camera: 2MP front-facing webcam
Weight: 1.35kg
Size: 322*212*16.1mm (W x D x H)
Battery: 11.4V-4500mAh (51.3Wh)
Variants, price and availability
If you are constantly bothered by the many variants of a certain model, good news here: the Alldocube i7Book comes with only one configuration. The model features a 14.1-inch FHD IPS display, an Intel Core i7-6660U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB SSD.
The laptop is priced at $479.99 and you can buy it on Banggood.com.
Retail Package
The retail package of the i7Book doesn’t stray too far from that of other Ultrabooks. Inside the box you get a KBook laptop, a power adaptor, and a user manual.
The provided 57-watt (19V-3A) power adaptor looks extremely old and bulky by 2020 standards. But fortunately, this laptop supports PD fast-charging through its type-C port. That means you can use a much more portable PD charger as its power supply. Many of the mainstream smartphones now come with 50W-65W PD-compatible chargers, which can also be used as the i7Book’s power adaptor. We are currently using the Xiaomi 10’s 65W charger with the i7Book, and it works like a charm.
Design and Build
You probably won’t have too many complaints – or accolades – about the aesthetics of the i7Book. There’s nothing wrong with the look, exactly, at least in our very typical silver color scheme. The Alldocube logo on the lid is the only real adornment, and otherwise, this is a very simply designed laptop.
The chassis of the i7Book is made of aluminum, with sand-blasting process on top. The material used here is not particularly high-quality, and even felt like plastic when we first laid hands on it. In comparison, last year’s KBook looks like a more premium device. However, the chassis of the i7Book still succinctly avoids any sharp edges or flexible structures, as these things should.
Opening it up reveals a spacious keyboard which, unfortunately, isn’t back-lit. It’s a typical island keyboard with black keys and white letters.
The feel of the keys is a little shallow, but they still press with a snappy click and that makes for a precise feel. I managed to reach my top typing speed in just a few hours’ time.
The touchpad is also very good, with plenty of size, a comfortable plastic surface, and buttons that aren’t too loud. It’s also a Microsoft Precision touchpad, meaning it provides excellent support for Windows 10’s multitouch gestures. It’s easily the equal of laptops costing a hundred dollars more.
In terms of input, that’s all you get, though. There’s no touchscreen, which is par for the budget course, and there’s no Windows 10 Hello mechanism for password-less login. That’s a bummer, but again, you must give up something to bring in a laptop at this price point.
The bezels around the 14.1-inch screen are relatively small, especially on the top, left and right. The chin is a little bigger than the one on the Huawei Matebook, with Alldocube’s branding in the middle.
Above the display there’s a 2 mega-pixel webcam. In terms of image quality, the webcam is quite basic, but it is okay for video chatting in most scenarios, just make sure there’s sufficient ambient lighting.
Unfortunately, the i7Book cannot be opened up to 180 degrees like the KBook can, the maximum angle it can open up to is approximately 135°. While this may not be a deal breaker for most consumers, it is still a little disappointing.
For an Ultrabook which focuses on thinness, the Alldocube i7Book still offers a healthy combination of I/O. The left side plays host to a DC charging port, a multi-function USB-C port which support not only PD fast charging, but also DP video output and USB 3.0-standard data transmission, an HDMI 1.4 port, and a USB 3.0 port. On the right you will find a 3.5mm headphone jack, two USB 3.0 ports, and a MicroSD card slot.
The i7Book measures 322*212*16.1mm, and weighs 1.35kg, quite compact for a laptop this size. The build quality is okay, but nothing to write home about. It’s not hard to tell that the i7Book is somewhat below the quality of the HP Elitebook 745G and Huawei Matebook 13, mainly due to the material used for the chassis. Even last year’s Alldocube KBook feels a little more robust and better built, as its case feels sturdier with less flex. However, the i7Book still doesn’t feel cheap, it just lacks the premium feel of a high-end model, which it isn’t.
Average display, but competent sound
The Alldocube i7Book rocks a 14.1-inch IPS display at the resolution of 1920*1080p. Pixel density is 157PPI. This display isn’t particularly sharp, the colors are a little bit muted, as well. It’s easy for us to notice the differences when placing the i7Book next to the Huawei Matebook 13, and Alldocube’s very own KBook, which sports a vibrant 3K display.
The brightness of this panel isn’t good, either. While it is generally good enough for indoor use, but when I brought the laptop to my office desk near an open window, where direct sunlight could shine on the screen, it was a little challenging for me to see the content even at maximum brightness.
The i7Book features stereo BOX speakers. Audio from these built-in speakers is surprisingly good, with plenty of volume without any distortion when turned all the way up. Mids and highs are strong, and there is even a hint of bass. You could easily binge YouTube using these speakers, although music and movies would definitely benefit from a good pair of headphones or external speakers. Again, this is a great result for such an inexpensive machine.
A clean version of Windows 10
The laptop runs on licensed Windows 10 Home out of the box, so it is able to run all applications like any other regular Windows PC. Fortunately, there’s no bloatware of any kind, you can easily install apps from Microsoft Store or other third-party sources.
Performance that matches the hardware
The Alldocube i7Book was powered by an Intel Core i7-6660U processor, which includes a dual-core CPU clocked at 2.4GHz, but can turbo up to 3.4GHz, and an Intel Iris Graphics 540 GPU. When you see the word “Core i7”, you would probably think this is an absolute powerhouse. Well, it might be true a few years ago, as this chipset was released in 2016, but things are different now. This Skylake i7 CPU won’t really compete with its 10th generation peers, in fact it falls short even in comparison with the 8th generation low-voltage Core i5 SoC. Yet it should still offer enough horsepower for normal day-to-day tasks in 2020. When coupled with 8GB DDR4 RAM and 256GB SSD storage, we’re curious to see how the i7Book could perform.
Benchmarks
Looking at the Cinebench R20 CPU benchmark, the i7Book scored 700. Interestingly, that falls behind the HP Elitebook 745G, which features an AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, and only beats the i3-8145U powered Huawei Matebook 13 by a small margin.
In the Fritz Chess benchmark, the i7Book notched 6317, which is a huge improvement from last year’s Alldocube Kbook, but is still lower than the score of the Huawei Matebook 13.
The PCMark 8 Home and Work Accelerated tests are designed to measure the performance of a system by simulating basic everyday computing tasks. The i7Book scored 3123 in Home Accelerated, and 4098 in Work accelerated. While these weren’t impressive numbers, they were still much higher than the scores of the Microsoft Surface Go 2, which is powered by an Intel Core M3-8100Y processor.
Without discrete graphics, it’s not hard to see that this laptop isn’t built for intense 3D gaming. We did run a few tests in the 3DMark, though, to see how the i7Book would perform. As expected, it wasn’t that great. The laptop scored 5033 in Night Raid, 4273 in Sky Diver, and 1181 in Fire Strike. In the more demanding Time Spy test, the Alldocube i7Book was returned a score of 473.
Real Life performance
In the real-world use, we get more than enough power for average computer tasks like Word processing, spreadsheets and email, and it won't get bogged down if you have a dozen tabs open in Chrome with some other applications running in the background.
Streaming video and music are no problem either, since I could play all the 4K videos in my mobile drive and even stream 8K YouTube videos in Chrome smoothly.
Heavier apps such as the Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom also work nicely, and I am not talking about just casual photo and video editing, you can even add quite a few layers and filters without experiencing stutters and delays.
In our PowerDirector test that encodes a 330MB video to H.265, the i7Book took 19 minutes to finish the production, that is significantly slower when compared to the Beelink Kaby G mini PC, which rocks an Intel Core i7-8709 processor and only took 8 minutes to finish the same task.
The 256GB SSD in the i7Book is of SATA3 standard, instead of the more celebrated NVME. That’s easily predictable for such a low-cost laptop. The performance is okay, though, as any SSD is, but if you have to compare it to NVME standard SSD used in high-end laptops, you will be disappointed. In the CrystalDiskMark test, it scored 541 megabytes per second (MB/s) in the read test and 439 MB/s second in the write test.
As mentioned earlier, the i7Book is not designed to be a gaming PC. When we tried to run Fortnite, our experience was quite disappointing. The i7Book managed a paltry 8 frames per second (FPS) at 1080p and High graphics settings, and just 5 FPS at Epic settings. Other graphics-intense games such as Crysis 3, Less demanding titles such as League of Legend, CS:GO did run smoothly on the i7Book, but there could be some frameskip in certain scenarios if you set the graphics to the highest.
When it comes to games installed from Microsoft Store, the story is completely different. The i7Book had no problem running the most graphic-intense games at maximum settings. We tired Asphalt 9:Legend, Modern Combat 5: eSports FPS and World of Wsrships, all of them ran smoothly on this laptop.
Battery Life
Alldocube packed in 51.3 watt-hours of battery into the i7Book. That’s not bad for a 14.1-inch Full HD display, but there is a power-hungry 6th Gen i7 CPU under the hood. And given the fact that Alldocube’s earlier models all disappoint in this department, we were initially quite skeptical. As it turns out, we were pleasantly surprised by the i7Book’s longevity.
In our video test that loops a local 1080P movie until the battery ran out, the Alldocube i7Book lasted for 8 hours and 31 minutes. That’s a decent score that bests most of the other models you can find in the same price range, and easily blow last year’s Kbook out of the water.
Also, in our most demanding Basemark web benchmark, the Alldocube i7Book lasted for three hours and eleven minutes. That’s not a record-breaking score, but it’s solid for the battery capacity and display size. The Huawei Matebook 13, for example, only managed around two and a half hours, while the HP Elitebook 745G only lasted 20 minutes longer than the i7Book did.
The i7Book isn’t the thinnest or lightest 14.1-inch Ultrabook around, that much is clear. But for a typical productivity worker, there’s a very good chance that you’ll be able to get in a full working day without carrying around a power adapter, and that’s quite something.
Connectivity
The Alldocube i7Book offers three USB Type-A ports, a type-C port and a MicroSD card slot. That means you will have no problem mounting multiple external storage devices and a mouse.
This laptop supports 5GHz/2.4GHz dual-band WiFi, but not the latest WiFi 6, which is somewhat disappointing for a laptop released in 2020. Reception is solid, though, as we didn’t experience any issues streaming 4K videos 10 meters and a wall way from the router. There is also Bluetooth 4.2 on board for connecting with wireless input devices, Bluetooth speakers and headphones. It would have been nice to see Bluetooth 5.0 instead of 4.2, but that’s not going to add much the overall experience.
Verdict
The Alldocube i7Book is priced at $479.99, and it’s probably the cheapest Core i7 powered laptop you can buy right now. But you have to fall within its niche to consider it, and that means being someone who’s looking for a well-priced mid-sized laptop with a matte non-touch screen, the power to handle everyday activities and a big enough battery to run for 6-8 hours unplugged. On top of those, the i7Book is also a well-built device with appealing simplistic design and a decent keyboard/trackpad. On the other hand, you’ll have to live with the rather mediocre screen and, no fingerprint reader, but this aside there’s not that much to complain about here.
Link to Banggood: https://m.banggood.com/ALLDOCUBE-i7...mds=search&act_poa=SKUF90986&cur_warehouse=CN
Hello I want to ask if there is any official numbers for screen brightness? If not, can you measure it and let me know?
chevyz07 said:
Hello I want to ask if there is any official numbers for screen brightness? If not, can you measure it and let me know?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I don't have the right equipment to measure it.

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.
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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?
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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.
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Click to collapse
Seems to be the same motherboard...
suhaime said:
Seems to be the same motherboard...
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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!
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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
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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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