Versus TouchTab 8DC Review : Do not buy - General Topics

The tablet it'self is initially impressive. The textured back gives a nice grippy feel and overall impressions are that it's a good value-for-money tablet.
Jelly bean / 16GB storage / 1GB ram / IPS screen / Mini-SD / Mini-HDMI / Google Play Store
A few bits of bloatware - Angry birds etc. But basically stock Jelly bean
For £139 its seems quite reasonable.
However, after a few days the screen had failed, so back to Currys it went.
Then it went again. This time I worked out what the problem is. You can turn the brightness of the screen down to pitch black. When in this state you cannot then make the screen bright again. It's effectively useless.
I was talked through re-flashing the device by versus and it worked again.
I contacted them again to ask how this bug was going to be fixed - There doesnt seem to be an OTA updater for jelly bean (you have to use a USB cable and RockChip flashtool) and I was told
"The option to reduce the brightness down to zero is not a fault its an option. As long as you don't reduce the brightness to zero you should be fine"
This is totally unacceptable for any tablet, budget or not. It's not an "option" to disable your tablet. It's an outright bug.
Since then I have found the tablet in this state, without me touching the brightness, three times. So there is obviously something else which sets the brightness to zero.
TL : DR
Do not buy! It has a bug which disables the tablet, which Versus refuse to admit is a bug.

RedMist said:
The tablet it'self is initially impressive. The textured back gives a nice grippy feel and overall impressions are that it's a good value-for-money tablet.
Jelly bean / 16GB storage / 1GB ram / IPS screen / Mini-SD / Mini-HDMI / Google Play Store
A few bits of bloatware - Angry birds etc. But basically stock Jelly bean
For £139 its seems quite reasonable.
However, after a few days the screen had failed, so back to Currys it went.
Then it went again. This time I worked out what the problem is. You can turn the brightness of the screen down to pitch black. When in this state you cannot then make the screen bright again. It's effectively useless.
I was talked through re-flashing the device by versus and it worked again.
I contacted them again to ask how this bug was going to be fixed - There doesnt seem to be an OTA updater for jelly bean (you have to use a USB cable and RockChip flashtool) and I was told
"The option to reduce the brightness down to zero is not a fault its an option. As long as you don't reduce the brightness to zero you should be fine"
This is totally unacceptable for any tablet, budget or not. It's not an "option" to disable your tablet. It's an outright bug.
Since then I have found the tablet in this state, without me touching the brightness, three times. So there is obviously something else which sets the brightness to zero.
TL : DR
Do not buy! It has a bug which disables the tablet, which Versus refuse to admit is a bug.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry this is not a bug and can be easily reset if set to low. It was also solved with a ota update that it also can do when you state it can not. This was a very unfair post. Posted this a bit late though but people should know this was an unfair post!

arnookie said:
Sorry this is not a bug and can be easily reset if set to low. It was also solved with a ota update that it also can do when you state it can not. This was a very unfair post. Posted this a bit late though but people should know this was an unfair post!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Firstly, there was no easy way to reset this. You HAD to reflash to reset.
Secondly, at the time of writing there was no firmware that fixed this issue.
Lastly, at the time of writing there was no OTA. There was not even a "Check for updates" in the settings. When this bug was reported, it had to be done via a download from Versus and connecting up via USB cable. Maybe the update included an OTA option. /Shrugs
If it "wasn't a bug" why did they fix it? BTW, I was probably the very first person in the UK to install this fix.

Related

Is your TF700 a keeper?

I've seen a few hit or miss issues that have been coming to light since the release of the TF700 infinity. On some devices, it seems to work and on others, not as well or not at all. From this, it seemed quite necessary to have a thread to identify the issues that others may encounter and for what they should check to know if they have a "good device" or whether it should be returned. Please let me know if their are any items that should be related to this list. If you wish to discuss your tablet's attributes (both good and bad) further, Pretoriano80 has made such a thread: [Infinity issues/defects/good features] Share your issues, defects or best features
Make sure you charge your tablet before using! Explanation in point 3.
Also, do not update past 9.4.5.26 during these tests if you want to use NVFlash!
1- Does your device have good build quality?
Some people have found that there are scratches on the device, frame's bent, the display is poorly set, the ports may be improperly mounted or other such things. It is recommended that if you encounter any of these that you return the device to get another one since you paid a lot of money for a "good" device. The tablet might click at corners, some of the backlight might bleed through around the edges of the display, or maybe show a slight but often not serious protrusion of the screen from the device. It's up to you to judge whether the extremity of this occurrence on your device are serious enough to warrant a return depending on your definition of "quality".
A possible test for "light bleed" is to take a picture from the camera in either a dark room or the camera lens covered (objective is to take a "black" photo). Open the image in the gallery app and turn up the brightness on the device. In this fashion you should be able to notice any "severe" cases of light bleed like this. If the light bleed is little and only noticeable during startup, then it's probably nothing to worry about.
2- Does your device have haptic feedback? (Does it vibrate properly?)
When you turn on and off your device, it should vibrate. This vibration will be subtle like the feeling of a working electrical appliance and not like a console joystick. If it doesn't, then it probably is defective. There are various methods to getting some type of jiggle out of the tablet if you want a more extensive test. One example is to add such feedback to your on-screen keyboard via Settings -> Language & Input. I'll just go over the basic "Android Keyboard". Select the sliders button next to the keyboard, look for "vibrate on keypress", put a little check next to that, then go into "advanced settings". By default, these vibrations are set to 1ms which is a duration too short to provide any feedback. Adjust the "Keypress vibration duration settings" to something like 100ms in order to ensure that the buzz happens. Finally, verify that your default keyboard is set to the "Android Keyboard" and then open up something like SuperNote where you can type. You should have some buzzing upon every keypress. When done with this test, just go back into the keyboard settings and disable the "vibrate on keypress".
3- Is your battery life ~9 hours in power-saving mode or ~6 hours in balanced mode?
Some people have noticed that they either never reach this amount or never come close to it. This is kind of an expected behavior since on the first page of the instructions manual (you did read the manual, right?) it mentions this:
"Fully charge the battery up to eight hours for the first-time use. The battery reaches its maximum capacity after one full charging and discharging cycle." Therefore, one is supposed to charge the battery for up to an 8 hour period prior to use and then discharge the battery (until ~10% or so). You may encounter a variant of this concerning "a few cycles" but still, right after tearing the plastic off the box like a rapid child at Christmas, ensure that you just plug it in and forget about it for 8 hours (or until the charging light turns off). Otherwise, it can have a lasting negative impact on battery life.
More information about Li-ion can be found here.
4- Does the GPS work?
The TF700 shares a few things with the TF201 Prime (which had notoriously bad wireless, including Wifi communication, Bluetooth, and GPS). Some owners of the Prime didn't remember to check GPS even when everything else worked and later needed to get a Dongle. Ergo, why I put it here high on the list. I believe many of the issues dealing with hardware and software have been addressed by ASUS so if your GPS doesn't work, try updating (not past 9.4.5.26!) the device or send it back since it might be hardware related. Make sure that when testing, you have the "find location via wifi" option turned off if using Maps. Otherwise, test with a tool from Google Play Store like GPS Status or GPS Test. Note: testing may involve going outside and dancing with the device as the first connection is often the most difficult to get.
When GPS is working, you should see a little circle with a blinking dot inside in the lower right-hand corner. Sometimes, the dot might not blink and can seem to influence how well GPS programs work. Its a strange thing but with a simple solution (from myself encountering it on both the TF300 and the TF700): just open the notifications bar and close it again. The dot should be blinking. If not, try actually turning off and then turning back on the GPS via the notifications bar.
5- Does mini-HDMI work?
Though not necessarily a tendency of faults in the infinity, it is important to check all the offered functionality of the device prior to making it a permanent fixture in your life. Remember that if you don't have a friend with a mini-HDMI cable, Walmart (and many other stores) will accept returns provided they are within a particular time period. Feel free to use this return policy to test your device.
6- Can you watch video/youtube/netflix/etc while using a bluetooth headset?
Some people have noticed that there is a huge decrease in speed when watching a video while using a bluetooth headset for audio. The cause of this is unknown and the only explanation we know of is "because wifi and bluetooth share the same antenna". This seems plausible except that many other devices also use the same antenna for both functionalities yet do not display this behavior. Due to the underlying fact we do not know whether it is software or hardware related, it is advisable to return the product.
7- Does the headphone jack work?
Just for thoroughness and ease-of-testing, plug in a set of ear buds and make sure you hear sound. Some have complained that the quality is mediocre due to a humming noise but that the noise is negligible. If the noise is too pronounced, there still is the mounted speaker and if point 6's test was successful, bluetooth is still an option.
8- Does your device feel quick to respond? If not, are you on firmware version .26?
It has been widely noted that version .26 of the firmware made the tablet very snappy. This also helped the device to recognize more microSD cards but also caused problems with NTFS-formatted drives. If you aren't getting the response you want, try upgrading to .26 (not beyond that). Additionally, if your microSD card is NTFS, you may want to reformat it (backup whatever you want to keep first) to FAT32 or exFAT until the issues with NTFS are ironed out. This point also concerns point 9 further down.
9- Can you receive OTA updates? (This should be fixed since Aug 7)
Provided that you are on version .21 or .22, you should be able to receive updates from ASUS for your device via the "About Tablet" option in settings. If you cannot, this might be indicative of another issue which has yet to be identified. You can apply updates without OTA via these methods:
(easiest way)[HOW TO]Tired to wait the .26 with WW TF700 device?
(another way)*** Firmware News & Alternative Install Methods*** Ver. 9.4.5.26 27/07
(requires root)[HOWTO] Manually updating firmware using "dlpkgfile" download via Asus FOTA server
(requires unlocked bootloader)[HowTo] Restore Stock Recovery and Install .26 OTA Manually with Unlocked Bootloader
(requires unlocked bootloader and TWRP custom recovery)[CWM] Repackaged OTA update 9.4.5.26 US/WW versions
Make sure you do not update past 9.4.5.26 if you want to use NVFlash!
10- (Only if this is important to you and then only if you are willing to forego any ASUS warranty) Can you unlock the bootloader? (This should be fixed since Aug 7)
Bonus Warning: ASUS has noted that using their bootloader unlocker will void your warranty and all OTA updates for your device will cease. However, without this unlocking, you will not be able to run custom ROMs nor will you be able to use NVFlash to make your device brick-proof.
[Device is unlocked][Video Added] Bootloader Unlock Tool Released [25.7.2012]
If you are still within your store's "grace period", you may want to try this out to verify if your device will ever be able to run non-ASUS android systems. There's no way of knowing at this moment if the bootloader unlocker will work on your device without actually trying to unlock it. If it does not work, it might be due to their service being unavailable, your serial number might not yet be in their database of devices for the unlock to succeed, your device serial number internally might not match your external serial number (on the sticker), or the problem might be something else entirely. Many of those whose bootloader would not unlock did not receive OTAs either so this shares the "issue which has yet to be identified" from point 9.
If you can give your tab a :good: to all of these points, then you have a good device! Congratulations! :highfive:
Maybe check out these threads next:
[INDEX]-[Updated -25 July 2012]-ASUS INFINITY TF700 - INDEX THREAD-DEVELOPMENT-PART#1
[RESOURCES] How to Root, Unlock, ROMs, Recovery, Tips & more [VIDEO TUTORIALS]
1.Yes
2.Yes
3.Yes
4.didn't try that yet
5.yes
6.yes
7.I don't care
Sent from my GNexus
Yep, mines a keeper.
Build quality is acceptable .. (I own an ipad also) ...I'm going to say 80% the build quality of the ipad. It does OTA and manual updates just fine. Headphone jack works. Has slight click if you press the screen by the speaker ...but only noticable because I read here that it clicks if you press by the speaker . Speed, temps, light bleed, battery life ....all as expected ...not perfect but perfectly acceptable. I am enjoying the tablet, and have no major complaints. I can only assume it will get better with JB when it comes out.
The ipad is more polished, faster, easier to use ....but not by a huge margin. And I make allowance for the immaturity of android tablets and the OS compared to ipad and iOS. I think the trade off is worth it for the additional control... and eventual rooting of the device.
Price ....hmmmm... perhaps a bit high compared to the ipad.... about $75 less would have been nice ....but it's basically a toy for me so I can't complain too much. And part of the whole thing is I wanted a tablet....and I wanted to support the Android market so it would stand a better chance at competing with the ipad... because honestly I think Andriod is the future of tablets ...not iOS.
I'd say the single disappointment is ....I bought the tablet to watch motorcycle racing videos from MotoGP.com, which I pay about $120 US a year to be a member ..... guess what...the tablet will not play the archived videos from this site ....it will stream live video fine, it will play all other "current" content fine...but will not play the archived videos ...... my iPad plays them just fine. I'm in contact with MotoGP.com trying to solve the problem ...but it's not a new problem ....its across the Asus tablet line.
Still.... I enjoy the TF700T, and think it's a good product ....although perhaps should be offered at a bit more of a discount compared to the iPad ....for now.
I have no regrets.
JohnnyB
ray3andrei said:
1.Yes
2.Yes
3.Yes
4.didn't try that yet
5.yes
6.yes
7.I don't care
Sent from my GNexus
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just want to mention these numbers are apt to change due to new things becoming evident as community use increases.
dataway said:
I'd say the single disappointment is ....I bought the tablet to watch motorcycle racing videos from MotoGP.com, which I pay about $120 US a year to be a member ..... guess what...the tablet will not play the archived videos from this site ....it will stream live video fine, it will play all other "current" content fine...but will not play the archived videos ...... my iPad plays them just fine. I'm in contact with MotoGP.com trying to solve the problem ...but it's not a new problem ....its across the Asus tablet line.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This thread is really just supposed to be a developing checklist for people to verify their tablets since it seems that not all problems are experienced by all users and some problems are more extreme than others. That being noted, how did you try to access said videos? Is there a specific program or application you are required to use? Did you try other such programs from the Play store? Since you are paying for your access, I doubt it would be something that a non-member would be able to assist much.
Yes it is a keeper
Plays HD content flawlessly
The GPS is sooper dup on the road
The WIFI sensitivity is exceptional
Can be viewed outside easily
I really like the hotspot tethering performance also
Pretty much a sweet package
I use it a lot around the house to help me with DIY project info...
1- Does your device have good build quality?
10/10, clicks a a little but IDGTF.
2- Does the GPS work?
Yes.jfif
3- Does mini-HDMI work?
Never tested, never will.
4- Can you watch video/youtube/netflix/etc while using a bluetooth headset?
>2012
>bluetooth headphones
ISHYGDDT
5- Does the headphone jack work?
Yes, makes beeping rarely when I start videos.
6- Does your device feel quick to respond? If not, are you on firmware version .26?
Yes, like butter. I still want jelly Bean though.
7- Is your battery life ~9 hours in power-saving mode or ~6 hours in balanced mode?
6 hours in balanced, yes. Never go to power saving because lag.
8- Can you receive OTA updates?
No, bootloader unlocked.
9- (Only if this is important to you and then only if you are willing to forego any ASUS warranty) Can you unlock the bootloader?
Already did
The only issue I've really had with my device after upgrading to .26 is occasional lock-ups. One lock-up concerned me enough to feel a need to return the device. The screen filled with vertical (if holding landscape) white bars. Has anyone else experienced such issues?
I haven't tested the HDMI yet. And other then the inability to OTA or unlock everything is working perfectly on the latest build
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app
funtapaz said:
The only issue I've really had with my device after upgrading to .26 is occasional lock-ups. One lock-up concerned me enough to feel a need to return the device. The screen filled with vertical (if holding landscape) white bars. Has anyone else experienced such issues?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My friend found one at Best Buy here in NJ. I told him to return it (not exchange) because of the amount of light bleed alone. He was not able to update it, and it just kept crashing on him which made it almost impossible to use. He's going to try hard reset it again to see if any of that helps.
1- Does your device have good build quality?
Mine is perfect.
2- Does the GPS work?
GPS so far works great without using the AGPS to assist.
3- Does mini-HDMI work?
Have a cable from my Prime, both worked flawlessly as does my Bionic.
4- Can you watch video/youtube/netflix/etc while using a bluetooth headset?
Funny thing it does drop from about 20 Mbps to about 3Mbps down, but that won't change no matter how far from the router. The upload is 4Mbps on both no matter how far from the router. It's not the dual antenna that's the problem, it's that they both use one controller chip for the two.
5- Does the headphone jack work?
No problems on mine.
6- Does your device feel quick to respond? If not, are you on firmware version .26?
Was definitely laggy on .21, on .26 MUCH better especially in performance mode. I'm excited for JB.
7- Is your battery life ~9 hours in power-saving mode or ~6 hours in balanced mode?
I charged about 4 hrs till green/fully charged. Funny thing is you can't overcharge these new batteries now and days. They are set to auto stop charging once full (that's the benefit of them now) So I have never "overcharged" because it's not possible. That being said I did a full charge, and am working on the first full depletion to recharge. I'm at 62% and that's 3 days later lol. I have been using it light/moderate the past few days. At least 3.5 hrs of Netflix streaming, setting it up, and not turning it off overnight. We'll see but so far so good and Ifinitely (like that ) better than my Prime.
8- Can you receive OTA updates?
Not OTA, manual worked just fine
Good list, thanks. Mine has passed all of these so far but the headphone test. I forgot that one. I guess I'll give it a shot tonight.
" "Fully charge the battery up to eight hours for the first-time use. The battery reaches its maximum capacity after one full charging and discharging cycle.""
It says" upto 8 hours" It doesn't mean you NEED the full 8 hours. Once you go green and are 100% fully charged, the charger shuts down on its own so not to overheat the battery. The "upto 8 hours" is for folks charging their device via USB on their PC - - which can take up to 8 hours to getting that full charge.
I just got mine yesterday, and while I haven't had time to test either HDMI or full battery cycle (though it's doing pretty well so far) all else is wonderful. Great screen, OTA update to build 26, great wifi and gps, headphones work fine. Sound out of headphones and BT headset is actually great. I do have a millisecond lag with BT audio and watching streaming video, but I could actually live with it, it's not that bad.
This one is definitely a keeper.
I have a quick question while I'm checking my tablet, which arrived yesterday... my screen is uniform across the edge, no creaking or inconsistencies, but the entire surface is raised, or at least isn't flush like my previous Prime. Is that normal? Anyone have a completely flushed screen on their 700? Thanks.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app
androidxen said:
I have a quick question while I'm checking my tablet, which arrived yesterday... my screen is uniform across the edge, no creaking or inconsistencies, but the entire surface is raised, or at least isn't flush like my previous Prime. Is that normal? Anyone have a completely flushed screen on their 700? Thanks.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My Gorilla glass has about a quarter inch beveled edge going all the way around
xRevilatioNx said:
My Gorilla glass has about a quarter inch beveled edge going all the way around
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I guess the screen is higher due to the hardware improvements from the Prime. Good to know, just wanted to be cautious.
Sent from my Incredible 2 using xda app-developers app
xRevilatioNx said:
My Gorilla glass has about a quarter inch beveled edge going all the way around
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here - more like 1/16th inch, maybe?
Mine looks perfect, but if I press a bit harder on the screen (you won't do this with normal usage) I get a hissing noice which sound like air is escaping from between the screen. At that moment I can see deformations on the screen. I have read other people do have the same issue, but wondering if this is normal (so all TF700 have it?) or if I should exchange. Any advice?
I have one really big scratch on the dockingstation. Going back to the store tomorrow to get another one.
Added xRevilatioNx's and neo1738's clarification regarding initial battery charge and the green charging light turning off.
Yeah, I agree with you that the new batteries can't be overcharged in the literal sense. It was merely to emphasize the fact that a "full charge" is necessary to receive optimum life out of the device's battery. We don't really know what type of charge existed on the device prior to our receipt, so it's best (or in a worse case scenario) just to charge it for the 8 hours regardless of the status of the light. Does it make a difference if it's 8 hours or until the green light turns off? Probably not. But for the Android neophytes just getting their hands on a tablet for the 1st or 2nd time, I think that my explanation is still applicable and satisfactory to provide a perspective easy to understand and beneficial to the consumer. Thanks for the detailed clarification though.
Received my champagne gold today and doesn't seem to be any issues at all. No light bleed, WiFi and bluetooth are perfect, and no I/O issues (updated as soon as I turned on the device). Seeing as the champagne golds seem to have come latter in the production cycle, it seems they are improving their processes slowly but surely.

[Q] Would you buy Asus Transformer TF700 today or something else with the same money?

Hi,
I want to buy my first tablet and I am looking for something with 9-10 inches screen and sure android based. So far I decided that the Asus Transformer TF700 is the answer for me (the 32 GB version) I am wondering whether there are other potential good tablets with the same price tag or this is the best one can get in this price range.
Thanks.
Right now I would wait if I could reconsider. See if nexus coming with a bigger tablet.
This isn't a horrible tablet yet there are serious issues and Asus seems like neglected us
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using XDA Premium HD app
legolas.w said:
Hi,
I want to buy my first tablet and I am looking for something with 9-10 inches screen and sure android based. So far I decided that the Asus Transformer TF700 is the answer for me (the 32 GB version) I am wondering whether there are other potential good tablets with the same price tag or this is the best one can get in this price range.
Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would buy it again. We've got some great ICS and Jelly Bean custom roms (some are a work in process, but almost there--good enough to be my daily driver) and the official JB update is coming soon. I guess ASUS quality assurance leaves something to be desired, but my tablet and dock are great and I'm very happy with the Infinity.
2 weeks in to owning it and i would buy it again. I have not noticed any physical problems with my device.
I kinda wish i would have tried a 7" so that it was easier to carry around at times. I still think that I would want to have this device in the end. I love the I/O connections(kinda slow) but very helpful when I am shooting video with a bunch of GoPros outdoors. Now i don't have a carry a full sized laptop just to manage the files.
Sadly, I returned my third TF700 back to Amazon yesterday. Between the loosely mounted screen, the poor wifi reception (despite being a few feet from the router) and the multiple-times-per-day reboots due to icon disappearances and crashes, I couldn't justify keeping it.
With that said, I have every intention of buying it again once JB is officially released for it. The tablet display is gorgeous and I love the overall weight and form factor. I could have lived with the slight display mounting issue but I couldn't get around how laggy and crash-prone it was.
I have JB on my Galaxy Nexus and the performance is stellar and given what I've read from TF700 owners who have added a custom JB ROM to their tablets, I am confident that once an official ASUS build is released, most/all of the software problems will be resolved. Right?
Ehhh...
I'd buy again.
Probably try to get a champagne one and 64gb...of course the money would be more.
I really want to get another Acer A700 because the price tag on that tab is steadily dropping.
brianmatiash said:
Sadly, I returned my third TF700 back to Amazon yesterday. Between the loosely mounted screen, the poor wifi reception (despite being a few feet from the router) and the multiple-times-per-day reboots due to icon disappearances and crashes, I couldn't justify keeping it.
With that said, I have every intention of buying it again once JB is officially released for it. The tablet display is gorgeous and I love the overall weight and form factor. I could have lived with the slight display mounting issue but I couldn't get around how laggy and crash-prone it was.
I have JB on my Galaxy Nexus and the performance is stellar and given what I've read from TF700 owners who have added a custom JB ROM to their tablets, I am confident that once an official ASUS build is released, most/all of the software problems will be resolved. Right?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's looking good. We're just at the beginning of that road, but there's a lot that can be done. Better luck next time!
As it stands right now, I suggest you should hold on to your money, Asus tf700 is a big disappointment for me. I was so excited about this table, and now NO ONE in my family wants to use it. The only thing good about this table is the high resolution screen, but maybe this's the issue, the O/S is not optimized for this kind of resolution? who knows? Anyway If you really like this table, wait until they released Jelly Been and check back to this forum to see it indeed Jelly Bean will addressed all the issues. Don't listen to the people that claimed they love their tables, maybe a few out there claimed that have a perfect one? but the odds will go against you. Not worth 600$ the way it works right now.
I'd buy again -- love the connectivity, love the screen -- lots of storage space. Furthermore, I have few issues with mine, and the keyboard dock is the absolute hammer for me -- typing and an extra battery. Seals the deal!
I love it, and would still buy it
I would still buy it also.
There are only four things that annoy me so far:
- It takes a few seconds for the keyboard to initialize, so you have to wait a few seconds with enter the code
- Tegra 3 seems to have a little strugle with handling 1920x1200, especially compared with CM10 (JB) on my Galaxy S2
- Android interface, especially in 3rd party apps is not yet tailored to use with a keyboard
- USB and SD going in to sleep together with the system, so I cannot charge my phone via micro-USB and it has to re-initialize SD every time (I like to have a setting for this)
Judging on what an improvement going from ICS to JB (CM9 --> CM10) made for my SGS2 I expect most of these issues to be resolved in the future with updated software, so I'm not woried.
What I absolutely love:
- The size as a small laptop and the detachable 'screen', and using the touchscreen (it draws attention when commuting in the train ), the aways-on just like a phone
- That it doesn't get hot - at all (unlike my Galaxy S2)
- Brightness of the screen, and it's resolution
- The good battery life when used in conjuction with the dock (which is how I use it 95% of the time)
I really don't like saying this because I have had very good results with Asus products I have purchased over the years. I would, buy a Samsung or a Toshiba. I am thinking about returning it again and just doing this and having it over with once and for all. I know they aren't as nice as the Asus but I sit here everyday and watch my wife do everything SHE wants to do on her Toshiba AT105-T1032 while she simultaneously laughs at me plodding along on my quad core super tablet. Opps, gotta go now she wants to see who's will boot up first from power off. I loose everytime, man I'm getting tired of doing the dishes every night
rikc said:
There are only four things that annoy me so far:
- It takes a few seconds for the keyboard to initialize, so you have to wait a few seconds with enter the code
- Tegra 3 seems to have a little strugle with handling 1920x1200, especially compared with CM10 (JB) on my Galaxy S2
- Android interface, especially in 3rd party apps is not yet tailored to use with a keyboard
- USB and SD going in to sleep together with the system, so I cannot charge my phone via micro-USB and it has to re-initialize SD every time (I like to have a setting for this)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
FYI - there is a "solution" to problems 1 & 4: If you want to be able to use the keyboard instantly after turning in on and keep your USB port on the dock active when the TF700 is in standby, you can do that by disabling the "Mobile Dock Battery Saving" mode in Settings->Asus customized settings. Just make sure you back out of the settings screen in order to make the setting "take effect". This will also allow you to wake your TF700 with the keyboard dock (instead of using the power button).
The downside is that your TF700 will never enter "deep sleep", so your battery will drain faster in standby mode...
I just tested this and was able to charge my Nexus 7 from from TF700, even in standby mode.
So, there already is a setting for this....
Regarding the keyboard, I've yet to have any issues with the keyboard in third party apps - could you please elaborate?
Hope this helps.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
I love my infinity, the keyboard dock is just what i wanted
The IO issues of tegra3, poor Asus customer support, Bad warrenty coverage (everything is CID), and high fail rate make me sad tho...
Would i buy another one? Not likely. I'd prolly stick with the galaxy tab 2, Samsung may not update as quickly howeverits very easy to flash custom kernels and roms and loooots of options there.
If only we could get the Asus tablet with Samsung level QA and workmanship. Lots of people bash how "plastic" Sammy devices feel but i have yet to have one fall apart on me
Yeah, I think that Asus was more concerned with form over function with the TF700 - they were so worried about being the thinnest and lightest tablet (along with being nice looking) that they were just too hard to actually build!
We'll see how things go in the future, especially with Jelly Bean, but I just get the feeling that the TF700 isn't going to stand the test of time. Hopefully, I'm wrong.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Had my TF700 64gb 5 weeks and yes would buy again, very good screen as I use outdoors mostly in very bright light 7inch would just not be big enough for me. Had the occassional reboot but so much better with a cold reboot once a week thanks to the advice on this forum.
No loose screen or noticable light bleed, wifi connection in comparison with my Samsung Gio is just as good if not a little better.
I did not buy the model with the keyboard dock as it was not available at the time of purchase and still a little nervouse about getting one due to the screen crack issue but have invested in the Anker Archos3 battery which is great if you are out for a full day and need that extra bit of battery power.
This is my first tablet but have used an android phone before, did not want to go down the Apple route seems to be more of a fashionable item to buy going back to the ipod days and that sort of thing always puts me off.
There are always going to be problems with an early adoption of any device so far I am a happy user.
jtrosky said:
FYI - there is a "solution" to problems 1 & 4: If you want to be able to use the keyboard instantly after turning in on and keep your USB port on the dock active when the TF700 is in standby, you can do that by disabling the "Mobile Dock Battery Saving" mode in Settings->Asus customized settings. Just make sure you back out of the settings screen in order to make the setting "take effect". This will also allow you to wake your TF700 with the keyboard dock (instead of using the power button).
The downside is that your TF700 will never enter "deep sleep", so your battery will drain faster in standby mode...
I just tested this and was able to charge my Nexus 7 from from TF700, even in standby mode.
So, there already is a setting for this....
Regarding the keyboard, I've yet to have any issues with the keyboard in third party apps - could you please elaborate?
Hope this helps.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually that was one of the first things I did Because I use my tranformer as a PC replacement. I didn't want to push the unlock button every time. The SD-card still powers off in this mode when the screen is of and there is the delay when typing in in a password or code from the keyboard.
I've btw done a lot of optimizing by now on the stock rom -for which you need root access - Disabled a great bunch of programs, see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1897099. Also I now disabled some more programs, replaced the stock launcher with a lightweight alternative (Holo launcher HD), and replaced all media related programs (Gallery, Google Play Music, Videoplayer) with lightweight alternatives (Quickgallery, Clean player, BSplayer which serves as a youtube substitute as well). This allows you to disable the media storage process alltogether. This appears to take a great load of the Infinity's shoulders and it now is starting the feel and behave like a state-of-the-art PC system in terms of speed and input response BTW Office Suite let's you use the cursor keys and shift keys in it's spreadsheet editor and is not laggy unlike it's competitors when using this input method (Quickoffice, for which I still had a licence and Polaris which is preinstalled). Also Dolphin Browser beta is not laggy when typing from the keyboard like Firefox Beta, next to that it allows you to use the scroll wheel on a external mouse and seems to perform better on a optimized system than FF beta (which was my prefered solution when I still had my system less optimized).
rikc said:
Actually that was one of the first things I did Because I use my tranformer as a PC replacement. I didn't want to push the unlock button every time. The SD-card still powers off in this mode when the screen is of and there is the delay when typing in in a password or code from the keyboard.
I've btw done a lot of optimizing by now on the stock rom -for which you need root access - Disabled a great bunch of programs, see http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1897099. Also I now disabled some more programs, replaced the stock launcher with a lightweight alternative (Holo launcher HD), and replaced all media related programs (Gallery, Google Play Music, Videoplayer) with lightweight alternatives (Quickgallery, Clean player, BSplayer which serves as a youtube substitute as well). This allows you to disable the media storage process alltogether. This appears to take a great load of the Infinity's shoulders and it now is starting the feel and behave like a state-of-the-art PC system in terms of speed and input response BTW Office Suite let's you use the cursor keys and shift keys in it's spreadsheet editor and is not laggy unlike it's competitors when using this input method (Quickoffice, for which I still had a licence and Polaris which is preinstalled). Also Dolphin Browser beta is not laggy when typing from the keyboard like Firefox Beta, next to that it allows you to use the scroll wheel on a external mouse and seems to perform better on a optimized system than FF beta (which was my prefered solution when I still had my system less optimized).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm, I'm a little confused now - the OP stated that your USB port won't charge your phone, yet you say that you have already disabled the "Mobile Dock Power Save Mode"? Or are you saying that you disabled that *after* posting the original post? Like I said, even in standby, I can still charge USB devices with that mode disabled...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
jtrosky said:
Hmm, I'm a little confused now - the OP stated that your USB port won't charge your phone, yet you say that you have already disabled the "Mobile Dock Power Save Mode"? Or are you saying that you disabled that *after* posting the original post? Like I said, even in standby, I can still charge USB devices with that mode disabled...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
In my situation:
- Screen on: It charges my phone over microusb
- Screen of: nope
Also a sd-card in the docking station is remounted every time the screen goes on.
Mobile battery switching mode is de-selected.
When it's enabled the keyboard can also not wake the tablet, have to use the power button on the tablet itself then.
rikc said:
In my situation:
- Screen on: It charges my phone over microusb
- Screen of: nope
Also a sd-card in the docking station is remounted every time the screen goes on.
Mobile battery switching mode is de-selected.
When it's enabled the keyboard can also not wake the tablet, have to use the power button on the tablet itself then.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Strange - that's how mine acted before disabling the mobile dock battery saving mode, but after disabling it,my tablet will continue to change my devices even when screen is off and I can wake my table my simply touching the trackpad (even if it's disabled). You may want to try enabling and re-disabling the battery saving mode, making sure to exit setting after each change....
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using Tapatalk 2

[Q] TF300 glitches? Advice please

My mother in law has a TF300 that has been really glitchy, so much so that it was basically unusable (the 4.2 update seems to have made it better, but still not perfect).
Her biggest issue has been sporadic touchscreen non-responsiveness. She thinks that this might be worse when connected to the internet (some app working in the background/updating?). Today she also had it where she couldn't use the screen while connected to the keyboard, but when she disconnected the keyboard it started working again, but that may have been a fluke.
In addition, there are times when it will act as if you've pressed an on screen button, even though your hand was nowhere near said button (almost like a ghosting effect on a keyboard, when the computer is running slow)
I've got the tablet with me for a few hours and I'd like to help her get it to the point where it's working normal again. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated.
Almost as soon as I mentioned the on screen buttons, it started acting up.
Sent from my YP-G70 using xda app-developers app
Did it just start or has it been doing it since day 1? Go to settings, then Backup & Reset under Language & Input and do a Factory data reset.
That's the fist step in finding the problem. Bad side she will loose all saved data so save it to a pc.
4.2.1 update rolling out
hmm is that a galaxy player 5.0
I can't remember how long it's been giving her issues, but it has been a while. Multiple factory resets haven't fixed it. In the time I've been tinkering with it I've disabled some of the bloatware and turned off Auto Updates from the Play Store, so we'll see if those help in any way.
I've also noticed that the notification bar keeps getting stuck (either up or down). It looks like rotating it helps fix that, but still that's less than ideal...
Ah, the joys of being tech support :silly:
I've got it hooked up to my laptop in an attempt to use LogCat to help debug, but I'm not sure if I'm seeing anything consistent enough to label it as the cause of her troubles. Still, a resource available if anyone knows what I should be looking for there.
R3Z4545 said:
hmm is that a galaxy player 5.0
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, yes it is
If it's under warranty then send it back. Hopefully she hasn't had it over a year.
If it were mine it would've already been in the mail. Since its not unlocked and factory reset aren't working there's not much else that can be done without voiding the warranty.
Sent from my LG-LG855 using Xparent SkyBlue Tapatalk 2
is there a screen protector on it?
My TF300 always the same thing whenever there was background IO, even with Android 4.1.
Turning off the useless syncing and auto Play Store updates do help.
Also check to see if the storage has been filled. IO performance is also decreased by having a relatively filled flash.
So having disabled the Auto Updates from Google Play seems to have made a world of difference. I'm surprised background IO took so much out of the tablet, since it's running on a quad core, but oh well. Thanks for the suggestions everyone!

Pipo M6 RK3188 16GB Review

Hey guys, I just received my Pipo M6 today so I thought I'd offer my experience so far. Keep in mind that I am coming from an iPad mini and my daily driver is a HTC One X running Cyanogenmod 10.1.
Build Quality:
TBH, I was hoping for something a little better after reading some user reviews. It's still quite good overall but there's just a few too many seams and the edges are a little rough at certain points. Nothing major but it just feels like a made and designed in China product. It doesn't bother me so much though since I won't notice it after putting it in a case.
I was glad to find that underneath the temporary screen protector which comes with all new products these days, there was another one underneath it which means you won't need to bother with putting on one yourself.
Screen:
VERY pretty. Viewing angles are good and colours really pop. Brightness level is amazing and will surely be sufficient even if you are in the dessert. In terms of resolution, you can set it to HD mode or Normal which requires a restart. I couldn't really notice any differences although I might if I had another one sitting side by side. Only thing is, I used both AnTuTu and Android System Info to find out the resolution and there seem to be some discrepancies.
Under HD Mode, both apps reported a resolution of 1536x1952 with 320dpi. Now that's still within Retina level territory but they were advertising 2048x1536. Not a huge difference I know but still a little annoying.
At Normal Mode, AnTuTu reported 1600x1128 and Android System info reported 1200x1528. Not sure why the two differed but the difference is negligible when you do the math.
User Interface:
As you may know, you have the choice of using the standard Jelly Bean interface or the special Pipo interface which makes everything look a bit like Windows 8. I chose to go with the latter. Everything is quite smooth although perhaps not quite as flawless as my iPad mini but with Android devices, I've come to accept that.
I really like where they're going with this interface although there are some definite rough edges. It comes preloaded with 5 home screens labeled: Home, Media, Apps, Office and Web. These can not be removed. Within each, there are some widgets which corresponds to their respective headings. These widgets cannot be changed or removed. The other objects that cannot be changed or removed are the boxes ala Windows 8 which are predetermined to be either editable shortcuts or folders. I find this a bit annoying because sometimes I don't need so many folders and would prefer to just launch an app immediately when I tap it. You can add more homescreens and name them how you like but you can't change their colour or the types of boxes they contain. Overall, it all looks very nice but needs to be more customisable.
Performance:
I haven't had a chance to install any games yet but so far the "feel" of the device seems very solid. I do have a problem when trying to install N.O.V.A. 3, i can't even find it in the Google Play Store. After finding it through Google, it says that my device cannot support it. I don't get it. My One X can install this game and it's far below the specs of the M6. If anyone can let me know why this is, I can install it and let you know how it performs.
Battery Life:
When I opened the box, it was already switched on and showed that it had been running on battery for about 28 hours (so it was probably opened by customs since it was posted out a week ago). Since then I've had the screen almost constantly on doing various things for the last 5 hours and it still has 40% juice left. Pretty good then!
Conclusion:
Overall, I'm quite happy. It has some small niggles but then it was pretty cheap. For the people who are worried that the RK3188 can't handle a retina display, I think you can relax. Everything runs smoothly enough. Plus, if you really prefer a lower resolution, you can change it in the settings to conserve battery life and increase performance. It beats having an M7, M8 or M9 purely because they have much smaller batteries. The 2x5000 mAh battery in the M6 was designed for the retina screen so if you use the normal resolution, it would wipe the competition clean.
MarcusJKX said:
Only thing is, I used both AnTuTu and Android System Info to find out the resolution and there seem to be some discrepancies.
Under HD Mode, both apps reported a resolution of 1536x1952 with 320dpi. Now that's still within Retina level territory but they were advertising 2048x1536. Not a huge difference I know but still a little annoying.
At Normal Mode, AnTuTu reported 1600x1128 and Android System info reported 1200x1528. Not sure why the two differed but the difference is negligible when you do the math.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is normal. Physically, the screen resolution is 2048x1536. The bottom of the screen is allocated for soft buttons, hence you get smaller vertical resolution available to apps.
Do a test - change the tablet orientation, and check the resolution again.
Thank you for this comprehensive review. I myself also own a M6 3g and can mostly agree with your points. I myself think the build quality is quite good. No gaps or loose buttons.
Sent from my JB 4.2.2 powered HTC Desire using Tapatalk
pulsar124 said:
This is normal. Physically, the screen resolution is 2048x1536. The bottom of the screen is allocated for soft buttons, hence you get smaller vertical resolution available to apps.
Do a test - change the tablet orientation, and check the resolution again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ahh i see, that makes sense. I never owned a device without physical or capacitive buttons so it didn't occur to me.
andbroe said:
Thank you for this comprehensive review. I myself also own a M6 3g and can mostly agree with your points. I myself think the build quality is quite good. No gaps or loose buttons.
Sent from my JB 4.2.2 powered HTC Desire using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah I think it's also not bad. I wouldn't really call them gaps, but the seam that runs around the edge of the device definitely doesn't look consistent on my machine; some parts look a tiny fraction wider than the rest. Maybe you had better luck. bBy the way, do you have any idea why the Google Play Store won't let me download N.O.V.A. 3? I'm sure the specs are enough since even my HTC One X running a Tegra 3 can download it. Only thing I can think off is that the internal storage doesn't have enough space but then shouldn't it download into the NAND Flash? I have plenty of space there.
UPDATE: Been spending some more time with it. I am liking it less now that it's frozen up twice (both times requiring a hard reset by sticking a little needle in the small hole next to the back camera - didn't lose anything though). Also, I have a few apps that force the tablet into a vertical orientation and every time, they would force it into an upside down position (where the power button would be on the bottom as well as the front camera). I guess this indicates that the tablet's natural position is contrary to its physical design. I find this quite annoying to be honest and should hopefully be easily fixable with a firmware update. I hope they get on it! God I wish I can install Cyanogenmod on this.
MarcusJKX said:
God I wish I can install Cyanogenmod on this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1
About the freezing. It happened also to me. Once even during a cold boot! But I am confident it is only a software problem. Maybe one day, when some of the excellent developers of XDA - developer take care of this baby we will get Cyanogenmod.
For the meantime I run RileyROM 1.2 (rooted and cleaned up, based on latest ROM from Pipo) and that works quite good.
See you
andbroe said:
+1
About the freezing. It happened also to me. Once even during a cold boot! But I am confident it is only a software problem. Maybe one day, when some of the excellent developers of XDA - developer take care of this baby we will get Cyanogenmod.
For the meantime I run RileyROM 1.2 (rooted and cleaned up, based on latest ROM from Pipo) and that works quite good.
See you
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the tip! So you didn't encounter any more problems after installing this rom?
MarcusJKX said:
Thanks for the tip! So you didn't encounter any more problems after installing this rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Another m6 user here also with a one x...
I also had the few freezes but since stopping using chrome, which runs like a dog anyway on this, it hasn't done it. Mines rooted and using the late June firmware. Only issue I've had other than that is a battery hiccup where it went from 65% to 13% in minutes and then back to 65% when the charger was plugged in. I have since ran it dead charged to 100% and calibrated the battery. The battery also doesn't have the correct MV reported
Other than that fast smooth even in retina mode and decent build. Can't find a hw 4k player yet tho like the a31
Steve
5teve said:
Another m6 user here also with a one x...
I also had the few freezes but since stopping using chrome, which runs like a dog anyway on this, it hasn't done it. Mines rooted and using the late June firmware. Only issue I've had other than that is a battery hiccup where it went from 65% to 13% in minutes and then back to 65% when the charger was plugged in. I have since ran it dead charged to 100% and calibrated the battery. The battery also doesn't have the correct MV reported
Other than that fast smooth even in retina mode and decent build. Can't find a hw 4k player yet tho like the a31
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah the first time it froze on me, I was also using Chrome. Can't remember what I was doing the second time. Anyways, I'm using the default browser now which suits me fine. Whats the difference between that and chrome anyway? i dont think ive had any issues with the battery although it did go from 14% to 4% awfully quick earlier. What do you mean the battery doesnt have the correct MV? Do you mean its not 10,000 mAh as advertised? How do you check that by the way?
I've been testing the more recent chinese builds (#17 is the latest one I've used) and have had no issues with Chrome or games. They apparently use the new Rockchip SDK 2.0, but I'm hoping we'll see these integrate the latest Mali drivers in the future. You can find the latest releases (currently #20) here http://pan.baidu.com/share/home?uk=1946954351 and if you don't want it in chinese, you should use the Rockchipfirmware kitchen to debloat and modify it. There are no changelogs included with these ROMs though, so you'll be flying blind.
MarcusJKX said:
Yeah the first time it froze on me, I was also using Chrome. Can't remember what I was doing the second time. Anyways, I'm using the default browser now which suits me fine. Whats the difference between that and chrome anyway? i dont think ive had any issues with the battery although it did go from 14% to 4% awfully quick earlier. What do you mean the battery doesnt have the correct MV? Do you mean its not 10,000 mAh as advertised? How do you check that by the way?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On mine which is on the SDK2 firmware - there is a big difference with chrome and the stock browsers - chrome is massively laggy, freezes, stutters and is generally rubbish. Stock browser is fast and smooth. The only issue I have is not being able to scroll down on translated pages (htcmania) but change of orientation solves that..
regarding the mV issue, I am using GSam battery monitor and it reports the voltage as being 7mV
Steve
matnl said:
I've been testing the more recent chinese builds (#17 is the latest one I've used) and have had no issues with Chrome or games. They apparently use the new Rockchip SDK 2.0, but I'm hoping we'll see these integrate the latest Mali drivers in the future. You can find the latest releases (currently #20) here http://pan.baidu.com/share/home?uk=1946954351 and if you don't want it in chinese, you should use the Rockchipfirmware kitchen to debloat and modify it. There are no changelogs included with these ROMs though, so you'll be flying blind.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm that all sounds a bit too complicated for me. I went through quite a bit of trouble trying to put Cyanogenmod on my One X even with so many instructions available out there. Dont know if I can handle installing a ROM on a device that's not so commonly supported.
5teve said:
regarding the mV issue, I am using GSam battery monitor and it reports the voltage as being 7mV
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hmm well when I use Android System Info, it says my battery is 8mV. Does that mean its 8000mAh? If so then I'm gonna be a bitnpissed coz the whole reason chose the M6 over the M7 was because the battery. I actually prefer a slightly smaller tablet.
MarcusJKX said:
Hmm that all sounds a bit too complicated for me. I went through quite a bit of trouble trying to put Cyanogenmod on my One X even with so many instructions available out there. Dont know if I can handle installing a ROM on a device that's not so commonly supported.
Hmm well when I use Android System Info, it says my battery is 8mV. Does that mean its 8000mAh? If so then I'm gonna be a bitnpissed coz the whole reason chose the M6 over the M7 was because the battery. I actually prefer a slightly smaller tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No voltage and current are different. eg a USB port outputs 5v (5000mV) at 500mA (or 0.5A)
Updating firmware on this is easy.. you use software on the PC to upload and flash.. the only panic I had was a very very long boot time the first time while it updates, I thought I had broken it. I was surprised how painless it was.
Thanks
Steve
5teve said:
No voltage and current are different. eg a USB port outputs 5v (5000mV) at 500mA (or 0.5A)
Updating firmware on this is easy.. you use software on the PC to upload and flash.. the only panic I had was a very very long boot time the first time while it updates, I thought I had broken it. I was surprised how painless it was.
Thanks
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well I think I can flash it since they provided the instructions themselves and I found some other instructions online but when matnl mentioned debloating and modifying the ROM to make it English, that worried me. Do you think it's really worth it? Did u notice a big performance increase?
MarcusJKX said:
Well I think I can flash it since they provided the instructions themselves and I found some other instructions online but when matnl mentioned debloating and modifying the ROM to make it English, that worried me. Do you think it's really worth it? Did u notice a big performance increase?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine was supplied with the pre SDK2 firmware, and it was a big difference going to the SDK2.0 firmware. I didnt debloat at all, I installed the one that said english, it booted in chinese, so i had to work my way through to changing the language to english. On first boot i opted for standard jellybean launcher and then installed apex for a bit of customisability. there didnt look like too much in the way of chinese apps and bloat?
Rooting was easy as there is a batch file on Htcmania that does it for you.
Steve
5teve said:
Mine was supplied with the pre SDK2 firmware, and it was a big difference going to the SDK2.0 firmware. I didnt debloat at all, I installed the one that said english, it booted in chinese, so i had to work my way through to changing the language to english. On first boot i opted for standard jellybean launcher and then installed apex for a bit of customisability. there didnt look like too much in the way of chinese apps and bloat?
Rooting was easy as there is a batch file on Htcmania that does it for you.
Steve
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just did the debloat bit because otherwise you're stuck with apps in chinese which are difficult to remove. But as Steve said, it's fairly simple to figure out how to switch the UI to english or anything you like once you've installed the ROM. Like Steve, I also use Apex Launcher rather than the Pipo one.
Another thing I did was use a different parameter file so that I have 4GB of user space rather than the standard 2GB. But this probably is beyond the scope of this thread.
matnl said:
I just did the debloat bit because otherwise you're stuck with apps in chinese which are difficult to remove. But as Steve said, it's fairly simple to figure out how to switch the UI to english or anything you like once you've installed the ROM. Like Steve, I also use Apex Launcher rather than the Pipo one.
Another thing I did was use a different parameter file so that I have 4GB of user space rather than the standard 2GB. But this probably is beyond the scope of this thread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alright, my M6 froze again today whilst using Pulse so I think I've had enough. I'm gonna try to flash it with a rom. A couple of questions first. How can I check which SDK I'm on? It says my Kernel version is 3.0.36+ from June 25th. Does that mean I'm on SDK2.0 already since it's the latest?
Anyways, I don't wanna bother anyone here with writing out a full instructional so can someone please just confirm that all I need to do is follow this guide: http://www.freak-tab.de/rrileypm/First Time User Guide_pr0_rev5.pdf Of course, instead of using the RileyROM 1.2, I will use the M6 4.2.2 #20 from http://pan.baidu.com/share/home?uk=1946954351 . Also, why are there two files with the same name there? One uploaded on the 13th and one on the 15th of July? Thanks alot guys!
i already posted this to other threads
i bought my pipo m6 a week ago.. so far so bad!.. first off, i got a dirt INSIDE the screen, i was forced to remove the screen guard to see if its not a dirt in between the screen and the screen guard. unfortunately its inside the screen so there's no way of removing it without opening the whole system.. 2nd, im experiencing lags and forced close, QUAD CORE? 2GB RAM? what the!! my friends dual core phone is much better! mine doesnt even have to many apps yet. 3rd, i tried to play 1080 movies, mp4, it lags and crashes at me. aside from all this disappointing experience PIPO luncher form time to time force closes. another worse experience is that i experience FREEZE UP. the whole system froze while browsing facebook, for 20 minutes, all hardware buttons, touchscreen are not responding. i was forced to reset it via the little whole at the back of the device....i already updated to the 6/26 firmware release... but still getting the same issues. battery was good YES. but performance was disappointing. NOT TO MENTION the other users who comment about the SPEAKER! GOD! speaker sucks! based on a video i watched it was loud! but my SONY NEO V is way better! i hope that there is a FIRMWARE FIX to all this! except ofcourse about the screen dirt.. i was expecting to much about the new processor (QUAD CORE, better the DUAL CORE, RIGHT???), the ram but was getting to much frustration. the only GREAT thing about this device is the RETINA SCREEN, not including the DIRT of course, the the BATTERY!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
SquallDNA said:
i already posted this to other threads
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can understand your frustration. I've experienced everything you mentioned except for the dirt (although I do have a small black smudge underneath the glass near the right speaker). I'm really starting to regret getting this thing (especially with news of the Nexus 2 7" coming out soon at a possibly cheaper price point). I'm really hoping installing something like the RileyROM 1.2 will help fix these issues.
MarcusJKX said:
I can understand your frustration. I've experienced everything you mentioned except for the dirt (although I do have a small black smudge underneath the glass near the right speaker). I'm really starting to regret getting this thing (especially with news of the Nexus 2 7" coming out soon at a possibly cheaper price point). I'm really hoping installing something like the RileyROM 1.2 will help fix these issues.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i hope so too. thanks
SquallDNA said:
i hope so too. thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I just flashed the RileyROM 1.2. They were right, it really was very easy. I'm in the process of restoring everything. I'll report back with my impressions on the performance later.

[RANT] - Lollipop is not great, but tolerable

I was very excited to see this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/ver...w-to-update-to-g900voc4-5-0-keeproot-t3068546
So, I pushed ahead thinking that Lollipop has already been in the wild long enough, surely the initial kinks like WiFi drops and battery hogging have been resolved. No such luck, and after doing it, it looks like I'm going to have to do this:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2784880
Lollipop is horrible. My phone no longer does one of the most basic things that's been around since the G1: Go (the F) to sleep! Seriously?!?!
Here are my other problems:
-Phone doesn't sleep on its own if timeout set for longer than 30 seconds (and even then, it's not reliable)
-WiFi doesn't reconnect after sleep (when sleep even happens, which is only when I push the button to force it). I have to toggle WiFi off/on to reconnect.
-Battery drain is pretty bad. My first month with the S5 had me barely even thinking about charging. Now, with Lollipop, I feel like I'm back on my old HTC MyTouch!
-The silly way they implemented the lockscreen. Here's my problem: I can ONLY use Settings > Sound and Notification > While locked with the option "Do not show notifications". Why? Any other setting blocks the Owner Information (Settings > Lock screen > Owner Information). If I don't, and if I'm unfortunate enough to have lost my phone, yet fortunate enough to have it found by a good samaritan, I better hope I haven't miss any calls or received any messages in the meantime. This one REALLY GRINDS MY GEARS because it's a horribly-implemented Feature ... at least the others are unintended bugs, but somebody had to give this one the green light.
-I can't adjust the icon sizes anymore. There used to be a choice of large or small icons.
-Oh, and for some bonehead reason, Samsung decided their stock ROM wouldn't have the Lollipop built-in flashlight icon.
-Another intentional feature that I can't disable: the phone keeps a history of recent activity that persists through reboots. YUCK! Why can I not disable this?!?! Again, another bonehead call that somebody had to green-light, without even considering the possibility that I might want to turn it off!
-All the UI "polishing" and improvements don't mean a thing to me, I want it to work.
I found all of the above in less than 24 hours on Lollipop! I might lose my s**t entirely if I keep it for much longer.
Here is my take on why:
Google and Apple are in a heated race to the top. They wrongly assume that what will set each apart from one another is almost entirely dependent on what a few bloggers say about some hot new feature. The paradigm appears to be something like: "Who cares if millions of loyal subscribers lose functionality when we want 100 people to have this one obscure and half-baked feature?"
Latest != Greatest
-----
EDIT:
I've had a change of heart on this. It's not too bad, I just needed to adjust a few settings and live with the other issues.
I too do not like the lolli. Bad battery life, and for some reason the Heart rate monitor led turns on whenever anything is within a half inch of it. I just can't figure that out, but it sucks the battery like a red led vampire!
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium HD app
Tldnr
Don't start a thread just to complain
Lmfao when I saw that link and clicked it, I actually had that same thread opened moments before opening this thread because I, too, am having to go back to KitKat. I laughed for a good 20 seconds. Lollipop is freaking terrible at the moment. Zero customization and Google + Samsung are forcing too much garbage on us without giving any bit of customization.
mygraine said:
I too do not like the lolli. Bad battery life, and for some reason the Heart rate monitor led turns on whenever anything is within a half inch of it. I just can't figure that out, but it sucks the battery like a red led vampire!
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Premium HD app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Heart rate monitor thing was fixed in OC4 I think, but if it still goes off a factory reset will fix it.
Agree
OP, I agree with you. It probably is the first version without the definitely improvement overall for users. It is risky to upgrade and troublesome if it didn't work out well on your devices. Wish Android 5.1 could be better than Kitkat overall.
I have absolutely no problems with the lollipop. I always had it stock from the start and just let the OTAs take over on their own. Have you tried even rebooting into recovery and wipe cache? Even though it's not a custom recovery you can still do that, also even when you dirty flash nightlies that's something that's good practice. My wife's phone had similar issues that I wasn't experiencing, until I did that to her phone and now she's having no problems. Now the general annoyances of how Samsung implemented ****, I understand, it's stupid with not having native flashlight, tethering is annoying having to use foxfi, and the lockscreen.. bleh. But other than that, everything is actually working like it is supposed to
Chiming in, Yes it's bad.
I have two lines with Verizon, both with S5 phones on them. Great device, its actually the first Android phone I've had that I did not do anything with beyond the out of the box experience. That changed when Lollipop was pushed via OTA, the most prominent issue I experienced on both of my S5s is general responsiveness issues, simple things like switching apps or launching apps sometimes would leave me with a white screen for between 5-10 seconds, an eternity especially when the device was lighting fast on 4.4.4 Kitkat. I followed every suggestion from wiping the device in Android, Wiping in recovery, wiping cache, all of these with only marginal improvements. It really is a shame that Google / Samsung did not do a bit better quality assurance on this build before it was pushed out to carriers and ultimately peoples devices. It says something that other carriers skipped 5.0 and that very rapidly 5.1 surfaced on Newer devices / Nexus devices.
As of last night both of my phones are Odin'd back to 4.4.4 and its like having a brand new phone. Sure, there might not be as much polish, but there are no features I will die without having. The only one that I can say I do miss is the feature where the device will disable the lock screen when your smart watch or home WiFi is connected.
Here's to hoping that Google eventually gets Android 5 right in the optimization department and that Samsung picks it up for the S5, and that Verizon gets it ready for OTA before I am ready to move on to a new device. Not interested in the S6 at all for its sealed nature for storage and battery, but that's for another thread on a different day.
-Nate
I Have to agree. I've given it several chances to perform to expectations but it just fails.... ( insert sad puppy face here ) no matter what I have tried it just under-performs and the biggest thing is the horrible battery life. Sooooo yeah like most of the other commentators in this thread, I'm moving back to 4.4.4......
Unfortunately/fortunately, I have found most of my battery issues were solved with a factory reset. I'm more frustrated that Samsung seems to having issues with Android Auto.
ldeveraux said:
Tldnr
Don't start a thread just to complain
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Observations, not complaints. Getting these points out in the open is an essential stepping stone to getting them fixed. Maybe, just maybe, a Producteer or architect at Google has read this by now so they know what to improve next time. Problems cannot be solved until they are defined.
---
UPDATE:
The issue with the screen not sleeping was actually related to the "Show CPU Usage" setting in the app "OS Monitor". I've used that for years on previous Android version with no problems. In Lollipop, it must be disabled.
CaptainRewind said:
Observations, not complaints. Getting these points out in the open is an essential stepping stone to getting them fixed. Maybe, just maybe, a Producteer or architect at Google has read this by now so they know what to improve next time. Problems cannot be solved until they are defined.
---
UPDATE:
The issue with the screen not sleeping was actually related to the "Show CPU Usage" setting in the app "OS Monitor". I've used that for years on previous Android version with no problems. In Lollipop, it must be disabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, go start a petition, just like the bootloader guys, see how far it got them? No one from google reads your complaint threads and regrets their work...
ldeveraux said:
Yeah, go start a petition, just like the bootloader guys, see how far it got them? No one from google reads your complaint threads and regrets their work...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah, I guess that was wishful thinking.
In any case, it seems this thread was a complete waste of time. It made me feel better at the time, but looking back on it and the purpose of this site, it doesn't add any value or help anyone modify their phone. Not only that, one of my primary reasons for the OP was the screen lock issues which turned out to be an app, not the Android version.
So, I stand corrected. Live and learn. Enough said.
My wife would never let me root her phone ever. After this update either I find a way to go back a few with root or it goes against the wall. Looks like I have to start reading and figure out how to do this.
Lol I love how you described it. Sometimes you have to vent. Lol
CaptainRewind said:
UPDATE:
The issue with the screen not sleeping was actually related to the "Show CPU Usage" setting in the app "OS Monitor". I've used that for years on previous Android version with no problems. In Lollipop, it must be disabled.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to share where this app is?
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Free mobile app
dk-v1 said:
Care to share where this app is?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This is the one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eolwral.osmonitor&hl=en
It's a great app, but something about it staying active in the Notification Bar keeps the screen awake. I still use the app, just can't keep the notification active in Lollipop.
And in case it isn't obvious, even though I still have my concerns about Lollipop, I never did go about the procedure of downgrading. It looks like a risky procedure, and I don't want to trip Knox, or worse, have a brick.
CaptainRewind said:
This is the one:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.eolwral.osmonitor&hl=en
It's a great app, but something about it staying active in the Notification Bar keeps the screen awake. I still use the app, just can't keep the notification active in Lollipop.
And in case it isn't obvious, even though I still have my concerns about Lollipop, I never did go about the procedure of downgrading. It looks like a risky procedure, and I don't want to trip Knox, or worse, have a brick.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, so it's not a stock app. I am still having poor battery life and overheating issues.
Sent from my SM-G900V using XDA Free mobile app

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