Today I have the privilege of reviewing Freer X9, the first tablet ever on this blog! And it's a good one!
AlldoCube Freer X9 is a 8.9" Quad core (by a Mediatek chipset) powerhouse running on a high resolution screen with some great hardware
Freer X9 was sent to me to review courtesy of the good people at AlldoCube (formerly known as Cube)
What do we get in the box?
We get the bare essentials with this tablet, which is to say: X9 Tablet, User Manual, and charging/data USB-C cable
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
Looks and design
The design is pretty elegant and simple, with a metal (aluminum) back which gives it a quality look. The IPS display unit is a (very) high resolution 2560*1600 IPS screen. That means that the picture, games and video displayed are razor sharp and the display has plenty of light even for using it outside. The ports included are quite sparse, with a USB-C port (which is actually in USB 2.0 standard and not USB 3.1 as one might think) for charging and data connections, a 3.5 mm headphone port for, well, headphones, and a Micro SD / TF card slot for expanding the 64GB that the tablet arrives with. On top of those, we get two cameras - a front facing one at 5 Megapixel, and a back facing camera at a higher 13 Megapixel resolution. But more about those at the camera testing portion.
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Usage and User Interface
Freer X9 uses a vanilla version of Android 6.0 which suits me just fine. The tablet first arrived with the original Chinese firmware which makes things a bit more tricky since it's not based on the known and familiar Google ecosphere. That means no Play store, and issues with installation of some applications that rely on google foundations. However, in a few days I received and installed an "Overseas" firmware, which worked much better for my needs.
Mostly the experience with the tablet was pleasant, as the screen is sharp and of high quality. I did notice a small lack of sensitivity to touch that got me tapping more than once to get the desired result. Some small bugs also manifested as mentioned in the Issues and bugs section further ahead.
Bluetooth was tested successfully in both directions and files were sent and received between the tablet and my smart phone.
I've also transferred files from the tablet to my PC over the Wi-Fi connection on my local network.
Overall, though, I enjoyed my time with this tablet which surprised me both with it's long battery life and it's smooth operation - not to mention (again) the amazing and sharp IPS screen.
Cameras performance and quality
This tablet surprised me as it includes a 5 MP front camera (selfie camera), and a 13 MP back camera. The first set of sample photos are from the back camera, and remember - there is no flash so I didn't bother taking night shots:
The main (back) camera produces reasonable results with somewhat pale colors, but quite sharp. Auto focus was fast and seems fine. This is not a camera to replace your DSLR, but then again, no mobile device's camera is.. unless you count hybrids such as Galaxy camera (which has its own drawbacks). All in all, the tablet produces good results with the included (basic) camera app I used for this shoot. It may be improved upon with more feature rich apps such as Snap camera, or others.
Even Samsung took a while to update their tablet cameras and it's one of the under-looked parts of tablets, for some reason. It's not just the Megapixel count, but also the actual camera modules which are usually of lower grade than the ones included in most modern smartphones.
Here are a couple of shots from the front facing ("Selfie") camera:
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
As can be seen, the colors (again) are a bit pale, but the details and focus are quite sharp. I believe that for skype/video calls this camera is above average and should produce good results.
Technical Specifications
Chipset / CPU: 64Bit MTK8173 Quad Core
GPU: Power VR GX6250
Memory / Storage: 4GB DDR3 / 64GB eMMC
Display: IPS,*OGS, 10 points touch,*8.9 inch (16:10),*2560*1600 JDI*2K Screen
Cameras: Dual cameras, 5.0 MP front camera, 13.0 MP back camera with Auto focus
Wireless: 802.11 a/b/g/n, 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz
Bluetooth: 4.0
OS: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Audio Output: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Dual Speakers, Type-C USB
Battery: 3.8 V / 5500 mAh
Net weight: 366 gram
Dimension: 228 mm * 144 mm * 8.3 mm
Peripheral Interface: 1 x USB 2.0 Type C port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, Micro SD /*TF card up to 64GB
Packing Included: Cube Freer X9, USB-C charging/data cable, User Manual
Benchmarks and Testing
** All benchmarks are included in the full review HERE **
Video Playback testing (Using KODI/TV Center)
Resolution Video Format Local Playback Network (Wi-Fi) Playback
720p (1280*720) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly
1080P (1920*1080) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly
*2160P (3840*2160)HEVC (H.265) / 10Bit *Playing correctly *Playing correctly*
4K (4096*2304) AVC ([email protected]) Playing correctly Playing correctly
4K TS HEVC files HEVC (H.265) Playing correctly Playing correctly
* Video was playing fine in one of two samples locally, but over Wi-Fi (though both samples played fine) loading time was long, a small artifact was noticed at beginning of playback, and skipping ahead was unsuccessful (kodi buffer icon repeatedly filled up again and again without resuming).
The issue was specific to HEVC video and does not affect other codecs and formats tested.
Tablet run warm both during local playback and Wi-Fi playback. That is to be expected, and it did not seem to reach extreme temperatures during these tests.
Network performance
Network performance has been tested using*Speedtest.net*Internet speed measuring app, in WiFi only mode (no wired option with a tablet). My Internet connection is 500 Mbit Symmetric Fibre connection:
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
Internet speed testing does not show impressive score, but that may be due to a weaker signal reception. The video over WiFi tests I've done were in the same room as the router, and no lag was detected - meaning that distance is a big factor for this tablet. More so than for TV boxes which are stationary and contain more powerful antenna arrays.
Issues and Bugs
No root solution was available, so detailed game performance was not possible
X9 Tablet arrives with Chinese firmware which does not include google play store. New overseas firmware that does include google components required flashing via PC which is not a foolproof procedure
Antutu Video was not able to play all the videos in the sequence
Lost connection to WiFi network and could not reconnect (being asked for password again, and getting "failed to save network" message when trying) a few times. Resolved only with reboot
Apps require permissions again even after being given said permissions. For instance: camera app is asking for permission to read/write files and use camera
Gaming performance
As usual, I test three games: Angry Birds 2, Asphalt 8 Airborne, and Walking War Robots. No root solution is available, therefore I could not measure CPU or RAM usage:
Angry Birds 2, a popular 2d game. Worked smoothly and without a hitch. Load times were speedy thanks to the large amount of high-speed RAM, and no issues were detected.
Asphalt 8 Airborne*, intense 3d racing game. Game played fine with smooth frame rate and easy control.
Walking War Robots*– an online 3d robot battle game. Finally, with a touch device, I was able to play this game fully, maneuver and shoot. The game played smoothly, though the tablet did warm up as it did when testing high definition videos.
** All photos are included in the full review HERE **
Freer X9 Conclusions
Did I like it? Yes. It is the first tablet I tested, but it's a strong contender in the Arm device power race. The screen is magnificent and razor sharp, and the device is very responsive and stable.
Would I recommend it? Yes! It's a good product with solid performance 99% of the time.
To get a Purchase link, or to read the full review, including photos, benchmarks and so on, please head to my full review HERE
Do you know if the overseas firmware will pass SafetyNet? A lot of Chinese tablets just don't pass it, root or not, and I was hoping to play some Fire Emblem Heroes of Pokémon Go with it.
Could you please run a simple test like this one? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scottyab.safetynet.sample&hl=en
Where do you get the 'overseas' firmware from? I cant find it anywhere via googling around
droiduser said:
Where do you get the 'overseas' firmware from? I cant find it anywhere via googling around
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Click to collapse
You can find the link to it in my answer on disqus, on my blog full review - at the comment section
Cheers, found the comment with the link, i'll add it here incase anyone else is looking on xda...
https://pan.baidu.com/s/1c1IETMg?from=singlemessage&adapt=pc&fr=ftw
---------- Post added at 11:26 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:23 AM ----------
Oh and anyone looking to download from Baidu without installing their dodgy app and trying to create an account...
Install the Chrome extension user agent switcher made by google, change your agent type to android, and when you click the Baidu link to download it will just start the download without asking for login and app intall
Ran it. CTS profile match: false
Basic Integrity: true
PharaohsVizier said:
Do you know if the overseas firmware will pass SafetyNet? A lot of Chinese tablets just don't pass it, root or not, and I was hoping to play some Fire Emblem Heroes of Pokémon Go with it.
Could you please run a simple test like this one? https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.scottyab.safetynet.sample&hl=en
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what about WiFi passwords not saved, Wifi disconnected and apps asking permission over and over (as I read into the long version of OT review)?
Also, is the screen laminated?
brainvision said:
what about WiFi passwords not saved, Wifi disconnected and apps asking permission over and over (as I read into the long version of OT review)?
Also, is the screen laminated?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I haven't experienced the wifi password saving issue since I switched to the overseas firmware. as for the wifi disconnected, it hasn't happened since but I mostly use it to watch videos now. the permission asking still continues - in other words - there was no firmware update since the review came out. I don't know when there will be one.
The screen comes with a screen protector pre-installed.
hey, I am interested in installing it in my car so I would like to know if there is GPS, please
righi said:
hey, I am interested in installing it in my car so I would like to know if there is GPS, please
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I just tested GPS on the tablet by using Sygic Navigation, and also using GPS Status app.
The good news is, there is a GPS and it works quite well. However.. there is no compass sensor on the tablet (maybe to save money), so the apps need to rely on the GPS + accelerometer to determine direction. I don't know how much that matter, as I haven't tested it driving or on a moving vehicle as of yet. But the general answer to your question so far is: yes, it does have a GPS and it works.
mekler22 said:
I haven't experienced the wifi password saving issue since I switched to the overseas firmware. as for the wifi disconnected, it hasn't happened since but I mostly use it to watch videos now. the permission asking still continues - in other words - there was no firmware update since the review came out. I don't know when there will be one.
The screen comes with a screen protector pre-installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, I understood what you meant into your review now about WiFi..
and all apps ask for permissions over and over and over? or just system (preinstalled) once? It would be insane if all!
at last manage to download and install the firmware mentioned from previous reply.
Place in my DropBox for easy download - https://www.dropbox.com/s/33mwpob73s98krp/Freer_X9_F8K5O_20170911.zip?dl=0
hdmi output?
can you tell if usb-c port can output hdmi using proper adapter?
thanks.
millemila said:
can you tell if usb-c port can output hdmi using proper adapter?
thanks.
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I doubt it, from what ive read around its only USB 2.0 with a USB-C plug on it, so guessing it wont do any USB 3 type support like hdmi output adapters etc
Ive ordered one just for PDF magazine reading due to its screen resolution sounding pretty good and a nice handy size
Would be great if Mediatek werent assholes and allowed release of source for their chips, cause then tablets like this would be so much better with Lineage instead of some dodgy China modified ROM with who knows what spyware inbuilt for their lovely government mandate of spy on everyone...
i1fang said:
at last manage to download and install the firmware mentioned from previous reply.
Place in my DropBox for easy download - https://www.dropbox.com/s/33mwpob73s98krp/Freer_X9_F8K5O_20170911.zip?dl=0
Click to expand...
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Ahhh, this international firmware are much lousier than the China firmware in power management.
And that "Draw over other apps" bug are pain in the axx
Im sure make a massive increase in sales if they just released tablets like this fully opensource with Lineage OS available for them... really makes no sense why they release such a nice little tablet with such a buggy OS, why not just concentrate on making good hardware and leave the software to XDA
---------- Post added at 12:11 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:12 AM ----------
Any chance of someone doing a TWRP build for this? Would like to get some root going on...
Received my Freer X9 from Gearbest, they preinstalled an international ROM on it as it had playstore etc installed.
Also found Adsup Fota SPYWARE preinstalled in the rom too
As we have no root yet its impossible to remove (even that debloater tool cant seem to disable it temporarily)
Can someone please do a TWRP so this device can become less Chinese spyware controlled
You can at least disable (freeze) it, couldn't you? Cannot remember because I always rooted my devices as soon as possible so I could be wrong
Can disable it via the setting/apps (It's called Wireless update app) but it magically reenables itself after a restart, really need root badly...
hi all
has somebody tried to root this tab with "magisk manager" ??...........
Great to see that Samsung is using High end sensors even in their budget devices.
》Imx 576 sensor on the rear of Galaxy A50 :
https://pasteboard.co/I8HMVvi.jpg
》Samsung's own Iso cell sensor is used for front camera in Galaxy A50.
Checked using various Information apps like AIDA64, etc. on my Galaxy A50.
Sumedh_ said:
Great to see that Samsung is using High end sensors even in their budget devices.
》Imx 576 sensor on the rear of Galaxy A50 :
https://pasteboard.co/I8HMVvi.jpg
》Samsung's own Iso cell sensor is used for front camera in Galaxy A50.
Checked using various Information apps like AIDA64, etc. on my Galaxy A50.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea this is nothing new really i just wish they would allow us to record 4k videos in the stock camera app.
sent from a far away planet
Sensor, cpu, and storage are all 4k ready. Maybe in a future update
madd0g said:
Sensor, cpu, and storage are all 4k ready. Maybe in a future update
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Click to collapse
Yea thats what iam saying, its capable of 4k but they limited it.
sent from a far away planet
Honestly, I'd rather have 1080p 60fps then 4k - too huge videos wasting space.
madd0g said:
Honestly, I'd rather have 1080p 60fps then 4k - too huge videos wasting space.
Click to expand...
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Agree, 60fps is more useful for me than 4K. If the camera had 60fps capability, the slow motion video will be more smooth
h.d.z.z said:
Yea this is nothing new really i just wish they would allow us to record 4k videos in the stock camera app.
sent from a far away planet
Click to expand...
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No one seemed to post this info about its sensor & I'm the first one to do so, hence the post.
I doubt that they'll enable 4k, though exynos 9610 is capable of doing 4k @120fps.
Sent from a nearby planet,lol.
Sumedh_ said:
No one seemed to post this info about its sensor & I'm the first one to do so, hence the post.
I doubt that they'll enable 4k, though exynos 9610 is capable of doing 4k @120fps.
Sent from a nearby planet,lol.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Iam guessing they wont enable it because a50 is already a good deal and if it gets 4k recording at 60fps or 120fps people will probably not care about the other devices in the A series.
sent from a far away planet
madd0g said:
Sensor, cpu, and storage are all 4k ready. Maybe in a future update
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use OpenCamera and you can use 4K but I think they limited it to have a reason to sell A70
---------- Post added at 11:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------
SixPaths said:
Agree, 60fps is more useful for me than 4K. If the camera had 60fps capability, the slow motion video will be more smooth
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Click to collapse
Slow Motion are 120fps
I have a question, why there is no hdr on 25mp? Shooting 25mp on a good lighting condition really gives a sharper and more detailed shot compared to the default 12mp but the only downside is there is no hdr that results in an uglier shot.
killingfire28 said:
I have a question, why there is no hdr on 25mp? Shooting 25mp on a good lighting condition really gives a sharper and more detailed shot compared to the default 12mp but the only downside is there is no hdr that results in an uglier shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Use open camera to shoot 25mp hdr photos
sent from a far away planet
Sumedh_ said:
Great to see that Samsung is using High end sensors even in their budget devices.
》Imx 576 sensor on the rear of Galaxy A50 :
https://pasteboard.co/I8HMVvi.jpg
》Samsung's own Iso cell sensor is used for front camera in Galaxy A50.
Checked using various Information apps like AIDA64, etc. on my Galaxy A50.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
wow! i never thought it has imx576, so cool!
with custom rom and unlocked camera2 api it should make great photos!
CBET said:
wow! i never thought it has imx576, so cool!
with custom rom and unlocked camera2 api it should make great photos!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea but the challenge is to actually unlock camera2 api first.
sent from a far away planet
killingfire28 said:
I have a question, why there is no hdr on 25mp? Shooting 25mp on a good lighting condition really gives a sharper and more detailed shot compared to the default 12mp but the only downside is there is no hdr that results in an uglier shot.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hey bud, you can use hdr mode @25mp using "Open Camera".
I suggest using default non-hdr mode @25 Mp only in daylight/good light.
12 Mp hdr shots would give better images in lowlight due to pixel binning resulting in higher micron size.
Cheers !
Arnaud Créative Studios said:
Use OpenCamera and you can use 4K but I think they limited it to have a reason to sell A70
---------- Post added at 11:23 AM ---------- Previous post was at 11:15 AM ----------
Slow Motion are 120fps
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Click to collapse
The new update brings slow motion @240 fps & Super Slow mo @480 fps
Sumedh_ said:
The new update brings Super Slow motion @240 fps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Super Slow Motion is 480 fps not 240 fps
Arnaud Créative Studios said:
Super Slow Motion is 480 fps not 240 fps
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Click to collapse
Exactly !
Not very much out there on the 3d Scan capabilities. Any info available about resolution or export formats? Is it even working currently?
it is working sort of, after update it doesn't work for people and faces anymore, it's also very finicky about light, angles etc., but it can be done with patience. According to specs it supposed to be VGA and VGA should be 640x480??, but who knows in reality. It's a new tech, so I'm hoping for 3rd party apps in few months. When I did couple proper scans, it actually looked pretty good and you could probably export the data to other programs for more processing, maybe even 3D builder or 3D paint in Win10, but I haven't tried it yet. Personally I think it has potential, but it will take some time to develop software to take full advantage of it. There is also laser based distance measuring app based on TOF sensor on 10+, but again it has some limitations like max distance and reliability. Bottom line, doesn't bother anything by being there even if never used, but it could be useful in ways difficult to predict right now, so we will see.
Any update on this?
O4karitO said:
Any update on this?
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Click to collapse
I've used it with success to create a 3d scan of a vehicle part that I had mocked up, exported to obj to push/pull points, then offloaded the g code to my cnc.
That's actually quite impressive
Thanks
So I read somewhere this phone was capable of filming in 4K DCI (also called 4K Cinema, it's a little different from 4K UHD).
From the mighty Wikipedia:
In television and consumer media, 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD) is the dominant 4K standard, whereas the movie projection industry uses 4096 × 2160 (DCI 4K).
Now I bought this 5T second hand to (finally after 6 years, what a trooper!) replace my OPO and because I like to use the 4KDCI I tried to find this setting in the camera app. I flashed LineageOS 16.1, and it is not available in the camera app. So I tried OpenCamera, but still no luck.
Does this 5T really support 4K DCI? How to "unlock" it? Thanks.
Just checked. Stock camera in OOS 9.0.11 (latest available official ROM) is 4K capable with main shooter. It does film with 3840x2160. Dunno if it's that thing you're looking for.
P.S. Google camera 7.0 port also can film with that "4K" so you might be able to use it on custom ROMs too
adanoss said:
Just checked. Stock camera in OOS 9.0.11 (latest available official ROM) is 4K capable with main shooter. It does film with 3840x2160. Dunno if it's that thing you're looking for.
P.S. Google camera 7.0 port also can film with that "4K" so you might be able to use it on custom ROMs too
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From the mighty Wikipedia:
In television and consumer media, 3840 × 2160 (4K UHD) is the dominant 4K standard, whereas the movie projection industry uses 4096 × 2160 (DCI 4K).
I'll check out Google Camera if I can find it.
Sent from my OnePlus 5T using XDA Labs
-edit- Google Camera in the Play Store only shows UHD, no DCI
I guess I'm the only one using DCI... Bummer.
Sent from my OnePlus 5T using XDA Labs