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[Q] Generic Chinese Clone Devices

Ok, so I'm pretty new to this whole Android thing, but I'm not daft and know a think or two about computers and software, so I'm not a complete 'noob'...
However, to spare me the drama of trawling through thousands of pages, I have a few quick concise questions, and would appreciate concise answers.
So I bought a generic handset, branded as an Onyx Dragon though AnTuTu benchmark app tells me its a Yusu... details and specs from Chinavision.com (search Onyx Dragon).
I initially bought it because I needed a new phone (been on a Moto V3 Razr for about 6 years!) so got this cos it was cheap and looked good. Runs Froyo on what I have found to be pretty **** hardware (MT6516, advertised as 416MHz but shown to be around 207MHz, but not sure if this is main CPU or radio core...) with not a lot of RAM. I installed an 8Gb SD card to save the apps and keep as much free internal space as possible, in case the OS supports disc memory (?). The wireless is good and screen works well, but the GPS, navigation and camera are rubbish, but they are not why I bought it; I have a decent camera and I can read a map. Its definitely 'entry level' so I'm not too bothered if I brick it.
Since I got it, and seeing the many cheap 'clones' out there, I'm keen to get into them a bit more and start developing. I already rooted it with z4root, BusyBox and Superuser all installed fine. ROM Manager is running but because I don't know the actual brand I'm not yet running ClockWorkMod (doesn't show up in the list). I'm keen to install Gingerbread or maybe even CyanogenMod 7, but cannot flash the ROM without CWM. Can anyone tell me what phone 'model' I should use for this particular handset?
I can't overclock the chipset, but have been looking at other clones to play with, such as htc Incredible G11i Pro clone from etotalk.com and 'CyberStar' 3G handset with MT6573 650MHz chipset (also from Chinavision).
Does anyone have any knowledge/experience with these clones? They look great and if they work as well as the budget model I have now then there is certainly potential. Sure, they may not be as good as a genuine Galaxy or Nexus, but then the price reflects that. However, as a cheap development platform you can't really go wrong! I'd like to see faster processors and more hardware mod ability such as clocking, just to see what is possible. Anyone tried ICS on one of these? I read elsewhere that if Froyo runs ok on a cheap device then GB should be better. My friend has GB 2.3.3 on a genuine $500 Galaxy S2 and I'd love to show him up with a rooted and clocked clone running ICS for a fraction of the price!!
Well, thats not as concise as I would like, but it covers pretty much everything. One last thing though, I cannot install ES File Explorer 1.6.1, it will download from Market and attempt to install but then fail. The latest version I have is the pre-installed 1.4.2.2. I've tried everything I can think of; downloading on my Mac and copying via USB to install from Astro making sure ES is not running, failed. Tried uninstalling ES with ROM Toolbox having root access and disabled AVG, failed. Tried to launch new version from package options, failed. I have installed ES Task Manager v1.2 but cannot use all the features as it says File Explorer needs to be updated, and needless to say updating it from the prompts failed as well... Any ideas? I'm thinking a flash to GB should include the latest version (or better alternative).
Thanks all in advance!

I don't think it's possible to run ICS on such a low spec'd device. This onyx dragon runs on a 416Mhz ARM9 processor with a 200 Mhz ARM7 GPU. Even the G1 that uses a 528Mhz ARM11 CPU can't run ICS well. I would suggest that you give up on theses crappy chineses devices. If you don't have money you can find a LG Optimus One for 100 bucks on ebay and it is A LOT better than any of these chinese crap phones
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA App

For CWM, take a look at this site http://www.koushikdutta.com/2010/02/clockwork-recovery-image.html and the quote below
Don't see your phone? Email me if you want to help me get it working!
And of course, all the source can be found on Github.
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Please use the Q&A Forum for questions Thanks
Moving to Q&A

Hey all, thanks for the feedback. Basically, sure I don't want to spend a lot being a student, I don't have a lot, but I'm keen to get more out of what I can afford, hence the Chinese crap (yes it is crap but if it does what you need...) : ) just a shame I can't clock mine! Does anyone know if ANY MediaTec chips can be?
Sure, I think running ICS is a bit optimistic, but I'd still like to give GB or C-Mod a go, providing I can get CWM installed. I'd like to compile myself and even think about refining my own version, perhaps slimming down a newer version to run on low performance hardware. What's this about a special cable needed with a 3.5mm jack?
And am I right in thinking Honeycomb was only for tablets, not phones...?

droidscope said:
Hey all, thanks for the feedback. Basically, sure I don't want to spend a lot being a student, I don't have a lot, but I'm keen to get more out of what I can afford, hence the Chinese crap (yes it is crap but if it does what you need...) : ) just a shame I can't clock mine! Does anyone know if ANY MediaTec chips can be?
Sure, I think running ICS is a bit optimistic, but I'd still like to give GB or C-Mod a go, providing I can get CWM installed. I'd like to compile myself and even think about refining my own version, perhaps slimming down a newer version to run on low performance hardware. What's this about a special cable needed with a 3.5mm jack?
And am I right in thinking Honeycomb was only for tablets, not phones...?
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Yes you are right about honeycomb. As for the device. Without kernel source which will never be released due to copyright issues you may have a bit of trouble Modding it. CM only supports authentic devices and not clones as the hardware specs as you learned are faked and never true.

droidscope said:
Hey all, thanks for the feedback. Basically, sure I don't want to spend a lot being a student, I don't have a lot, but I'm keen to get more out of what I can afford, hence the Chinese crap (yes it is crap but if it does what you need...) : ) just a shame I can't clock mine! Does anyone know if ANY MediaTec chips can be?
Sure, I think running ICS is a bit optimistic, but I'd still like to give GB or C-Mod a go, providing I can get CWM installed. I'd like to compile myself and even think about refining my own version, perhaps slimming down a newer version to run on low performance hardware. What's this about a special cable needed with a 3.5mm jack?
And am I right in thinking Honeycomb was only for tablets, not phones...?
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Click to collapse
Hi droidscope,
Not all the Chinese phones are crap there are a few very capable phones now entering the market and they are catching up the bigboys rapidly.
For more info & reviews on the latest Chinese phones check over here http://www.gizchina.com/category/phones/ Try to stick with the branded chinese phones such as Zopo, ZTE, Newman etc because there is at least some support where as the direct copy/clones have no support at all. If buying try to get the phone pre rooted because some of the Chinese phone are getting more difficult to root. I would look here http://www.etotalk.com/ if buying and select the MOD ROM $4.99 for most phones then the phone will come pre rooted with working playstore language etc. They do not 1 to 1 copys although some of the phones have more than a passing look of some of the more famous brands. I have used them a few times and they have not let me down be sure to email them first to ask about stock levels though.

[Q] which rom will work on following config ?

Hi Recently purchased a tablet for which I am not able to find any custom ROM. The configuration is as follows .
processor - 1.2 Ghz Cortex A8 Dual Mali 400 2D/3D core
The model of tablet is Micromax funbook Infinity p275. I have gained the root access for the tablet but cannot find any custom ROM for it .Is there any ROM for a device that will work o this device too?
I ran the application "android system info" on the device and found the following information
CPU-ARMv7 Processor rev 2(v71)
build info-
CPU ABI-armeabi-v7a
The tablet does not have any volume rocker keys.It only have home and power keys in it and a reset button hole.
Thanks

anshulsingh said:
Hi Recently purchased a tablet for which I am not able to find any custom ROM.
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This is why I would have found out if there was support here on XDA first before purchasing. I don't understand why People buy cheap or uncommon devices then come here asking for things like ROMs or rooting.

XperienceD said:
This is why I would have found out if there was support here on XDA first before purchasing. I don't understand why People buy cheap or uncommon devices then come here asking for things like ROMs or rooting.
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because not everybody have money like you to afford the tablet they wish for, and I think that's the forum for, to ask help, nobody hit your had, and nobody will, if you won't help, so stop with those noob answers.

You can always buy a used tablet that *used to* be popular and thus has development from when it was or might still have some going on.
I would not buy such a tablet unless I planned on playing it to try to make a ROM myself - if it was even possible.
You can get a decent Android tablet with decent amounts of development for like, $100 new so I don't think it's asking that much when it comes to buying a "gadget" that's not necessary.

[Q] April 2013 Nextbook 8 SE with Amlogic Meson 6 and Jellybean

Hi,
I just acquired a Nextbook 8 SE with a manufacturing date of April 2013. It has Jellybean installed, HDMI out, and also Google Play.
There have apparently been several iterations of hardware under this same model number missing some or all of the above.
Nothing I have tried has been successful at rooting this device, including the Italian Fix, all the stuff here and at FreakTab, or Crystal Root which is the only thing I've found here that specifically calls out this processor and OS mix.
Yifang or whoever actually made this unit is doing something interesting with the signing keys, because pretty much anything I've tried via <3e> has failed verification.
I know that since this unit is only a month old and not popular that there probably hasn't been a lot of interest or work done on it, but I'd really like to root it in order to get rid of some things and change some other things.
Thanks in advance!

soinclined said:
Hi,
I just acquired a Nextbook 8 SE with a manufacturing date of April 2013. It has Jellybean installed, HDMI out, and also Google Play.
There have apparently been several iterations of hardware under this same model number missing some or all of the above.
Nothing I have tried has been successful at rooting this device, including the Italian Fix, all the stuff here and at FreakTab, or Crystal Root which is the only thing I've found here that specifically calls out this processor and OS mix.
Yifang or whoever actually made this unit is doing something interesting with the signing keys, because pretty much anything I've tried via <3e> has failed verification.
I know that since this unit is only a month old and not popular that there probably hasn't been a lot of interest or work done on it, but I'd really like to root it in order to get rid of some things and change some other things.
Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you on rooting this thing, i have scoured the internet for days trying to find information on rooting this device. I have the Nextbook Premium 8HD sells for 99 dollars USD at walmart. the chinese workaround doesnt work this devices either. *Edit* Also it has the AML8276-M6 chip and like i said earlier NOTHING in the same tablet family with the same chipset works for root with this device.

Powers16 said:
I'm with you on rooting this thing, i have scoured the internet for days trying to find information on rooting this device. I have the Nextbook Premium 8HD sells for 99 dollars USD at walmart. the chinese workaround doesnt work this devices either. *Edit* Also it has the AML8276-M6 chip and like i said earlier NOTHING in the same tablet family with the same chipset works for root with this device.
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We're going to have to go back to Walmart and buy some of these as gifts to hand around to the cool kids here in the hopes one of them breaks into it.

packaging was misleading as well, I read the barcode at walmart and it said "Google Play nextbook" and noticed the likewise of the Nexus font on the packaging. It wasn't until i got it home and inspected the box just to find the "efun" logo discreetly on the side. I am still very impressed with the packaging though, for 99 dollars the quality of the packaging was very good. The LCD screen is something that is less desirable but its not the kind of screen i would expect to have like my galaxy Tab 10.1. Overall i am happy with it but i still need root to hide its manufacture id on google play. I am unable to download most of my apps as they keep saying they are not supported.

Here ya go
I performed this process today and can confirm it works on Nextbook 8 HD. This not for Nextbook 7 or 8 SE/Premium or any other Nextbooks...
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2366829

Hi,
I have also the Nextbook Premium 8SE bought last year and have ICS installed. It's not that good as expected. I asked at Nextbook support they told me that JB is not in plans for Premium 8SE.
I've tried to get those 4.1.1 custom roms, but I cannot even install the drivers, the tablet won't even connect in flash mode with UP+DOWN buttons pressed while plugging the usb cable.
Any ideas?
Thanks!

How to root Nextbook Premium SE
Hey! I have a Next book Premium SE. I tried everything to root this crazy thing, and finally I was able to do so with a free application called kingo android root and a Windows computer. It wasn't listed in their supported devices, but it worked. You can Google it for more info. It only took about 5 minutes after I found that application. Now I am working on finding a successful ROM for this obscure tablet.

Evo Litepad 8, what tablet is this?

So i have an Evo Litepad 8 as seen here
http://www.unbox.ph/gadget/evo-litepad-8-unboxing-quad-core-aluminum-tablet-for-php5999/
I believe its similar to an "Onda" tablet. Its stuck on 4.2 and runs bad
Can i use cyanogenmod on it? How do i find out exactly what type of rebranded tablet it is? I think its probably onda but i am not sure

hi!
i have the same tablet and so far it's ok and seems to work well.

I wouldn't recommend using any other firmware on it. vanilla android is still the best when it comes to our tablets.
this isn't the same as the onda tablets. it just has the same specs. there are number of factors that make it different from other brands even if they have the same specs.

Has anyone bought generic unbranded smartphones available on ebay etc?

1) I'm hoping someone can advise pls! I'm a very light user mostly for wsapp and sometimes maps/gps when walking (no gaming and occasionally watch youtube videos) so was hoping to find something £40-£50.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M20-Pro-...var=564119885073&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
There are others I'm looking at but they don't mention anything about the processor (sometimes it'll mention the number of cores but no name)? The specs seem way better than even xiaomi phones for the same money, I know there's gonna be no support updates etc. how important is that? Couldn't I just search for a custom ROM, try to upgrade to higher android version etc? Would it be difficult/impossible to find roms for an unbranded phone?
Also I've read that there's a possibility they could just be sneaky re-brands so potentially could be getting a xiaomi etc. phone for less?
2) I'm also considering paying a bit more if unbranded is a no-go. Xiaomi Redmi 7 3GB/32GB around £100 vs Xiaomi Mi Play 4GB/64GB if it's £6 more?
I like the extra ram and storage for only £6 more but the battery seems better on R7 and larger screen

MTK devices
supashaka said:
1) I'm hoping someone can advise pls! I'm a very light user mostly for wsapp and sometimes maps/gps when walking (no gaming and occasionally watch youtube videos) so was hoping to find something £40-£50.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M20-Pro-...var=564119885073&_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649
There are others I'm looking at but they don't mention anything about the processor (sometimes it'll mention the number of cores but no name)? The specs seem way better than even xiaomi phones for the same money, I know there's gonna be no support updates etc. how important is that?
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I've seen some advertisements (on wish.com or Ali Express) for devices with no apparent name brand that mention having 10 core processors, dual sim, Android 9 and more. These are all MTK devices which pose difficulties if you want to flash a ROM into them to upgrade or change something. RCA tablets are MTK devices and I, along with many others have spent a lot of time just trying to gain access to such devices. It's been done. However, it has been more than difficult as of yet to find any compatible ROMs and these devices are extremely picky when it comes to using other ROMs. For those of us that are currently still working on it, we have yet to find anything compatible. That's not saying they are bad devices, they are actually pretty good I've had mine (the RCA Maven, Viking and Galileo) for years with little problems.

Casper Young said:
I've seen some advertisements (on wish.com or Ali Express) for devices with no apparent name brand that mention having 10 core processors, dual sim, Android 9 and more. These are all MTK devices which pose difficulties if you want to flash a ROM into them to upgrade or change something. RCA tablets are MTK devices and I, along with many others have spent a lot of time just trying to gain access to such devices. It's been done. However, it has been more than difficult as of yet to find any compatible ROMs and these devices are extremely picky when it comes to using other ROMs. For those of us that are currently still working on it, we have yet to find anything compatible. That's not saying they are bad devices, they are actually pretty good I've had mine (the RCA Maven, Viking and Galileo) for years with little problems.
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Click to collapse
Thanks for the reply. Any MTK processor devices are difficult/unlikey to have custom roms or tweak/upgrade in any way?

MTK devices
supashaka said:
Thanks for the reply. Any MTK processor devices are difficult/unlikey to have custom roms or tweak/upgrade in any way?
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Theoretically there should be, but many here would rather work on the newest devices most of which are not MTK (Media Tek). They're not built like Samsungs and if you open one up the whole motherboard is the size of today's phones or roughly one quarter the size of the tablet which could be the reason they're so cheap. The only thing I've been able to flash into mine is the original stock firmware, anything else led to bricking. And recovering from a brick is difficult the SP Flash tool is nothing like the Odin3 we use for Samsungs.

Casper Young said:
Theoretically there should be, but many here would rather work on the newest devices most of which are not MTK (Media Tek). They're not built like Samsungs and if you open one up the whole motherboard is the size of today's phones or roughly one quarter the size of the tablet which could be the reason they're so cheap. The only thing I've been able to flash into mine is the original stock firmware, anything else led to bricking. And recovering from a brick is difficult the SP Flash tool is nothing like the Odin3 we use for Samsungs.
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I have also bought uhans u300 and took a look at the Development & Support topic here, there's absolutely no way to upgrade it from Android 6.0?