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Hi guys,
Im looking to buy my first ever tablet but im having trouble choosing. I'm a university engineer student and need a tablet that can take notes(alot of typing), browse the web(flash must have), remote access desktop back home (must have) and possible play few games( nothing fancy). I had a laptop(windows 7) but it was big, heavy and ended up breaking when I was rushing from class to class. That's why I'm looking for a smaller tablet. I want to stay away from laptops and try something new (android). I do have a windows desktop at home, so i dont really need another windows laptop. My budget is about 400-700 Max.
After doing some Googling I found:
Asus transformer infinity tf700t (with dock)
Samsung galaxy note 10.1 (probably will buy a dock for it)
Windows surface (has cover/dock)
Ipad 2 (don't really like apple products because there is no customization to it, but still considering)
So far I'm looking at the Asus tf700t because of the dock but since I have never owned any android tablets I'm a little unsure if its the right choice for me.*
Any tips, suggestions or comments will be much appreciated.
Thank you
You can't really go wrong with an android device. On stock OS android is more stable than any other mobile OS. And that's without losing all the customization. Where as on the iPad or any other OS or tablet/phone you have to do some sort of hackery or something extra. But out of the box an android tablet runs circles around anything else available. I can't say however the tablet apps are as polished in iOS in android. That is just simple mathematics... there are so many more phones than tablets so fewer developers work on them. But don't let that discourage you. You will still find what you looking for and more with the tablet your most interested in.
Sent From My Toro+ via Tapatalk
ÜBER™ said:
You can't really go wrong with an android device. On stock OS android is more stable than any other mobile OS. And that's without losing all the customization. Where as on the iPad or any other OS or tablet/phone you have to do some sort of hackery or something extra. But out of the box an android tablet runs circles around anything else available. I can't say however the tablet apps are as polished in iOS in android. That is just simple mathematics... there are so many more phones than tablets so fewer developers work on them. But don't let that discourage you. You will still find what you looking for and more with the tablet your most interested in.
Sent From My Toro+ via Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have looked around asus transformer tf700 section and i found some good tips and everyone says its definitely worth the price, though some problems with battery life.
thanks for your comment btw.
I say go for the Galaxy Note 10.1. It's a bit newer and you also get a newer version of ICS. You may take a hit in the screen resolution, which is 1280 X 800. You do get a quad core CPU, with the Mali-400mp GPU, and 2 GBs of memory. Plus you get a pen with it ^__^. When looking at the Prime you may get a higher resolution screen of 1920 X 1200, you get a dual core CPU, the Adreno 225, and 1 GB of memory. In terms of GPU power both offer about the same performance wise. With all the other bells and whistles both have very comparable stats.
Here's a long and detailed review for the Galaxy Note 10.1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Wf_PqPi2tw&lc
Here's a long and detailed review for the Prime Infinity http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_xvzgGOpUFA
Specs on Galaxy Note 10.1 http://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_note_10_1_n8000-4573.php
Specs on Prime Infinity http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_transformer_pad_infinity_700_3g-4604.php
If you can wait for the Windows Surface tablet to come out to see what it offers, and I highly suggest not to get an iPad because it doesn't support flash lol, and has little to no customization. Plus it's the older iPad 2 which only has a comparable GPU the PowerVR SGX543 MP2. However, the screen res is even lower than the Note 10.1 (1024 X 768) , and it has only 512 mb of ram (which in some occasions isn't enough anymore), has no dock, and has no expandable storage either.
obscuresword said:
I say go for the Galaxy Note 10.1. It's a bit newer and you also get a newer version of ICS. You may take a hit in the screen resolution, which is 1280 X 800. You do get a quad core CPU, with the Mali-400mp GPU, and 2 GBs of memory. Plus you get a pen with it ^__^. When looking at the Prime you may get a higher resolution screen of 1920 X 1200, you get a dual core CPU, the Adreno 225, and 1 GB of memory. In terms of GPU power both offer about the same performance wise. With all the other bells and whistles both have very comparable stats.
If you can wait for the Windows Surface tablet to come out to see what it offers, and I highly suggest not to get an iPad because it doesn't support flash lol, and has little to no customization. Plus it's the older iPad 2 which only has a comparable GPU the PowerVR SGX543 MP2. However, the screen res is even lower the Note 10.1 (1024 X 768) , and it has only 512 mb of ram (which in some occasions isn't enough anymore), has no dock, and has no expandable storage either.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for the great links and tip. I'm going to do a tryout of some tablets to see how easy and good they are at note taking. If the infinity it Samsung galaxy note 10.1 don't fit my list. I will wait for the windows surface pro to come out and buy it, that is if neither the infinity or samung note 10.1 satisfy my needs.
technewbie said:
Thanks for the great links and tip. I'm going to do a tryout of some tablets to see how easy and good they are at note taking. If the infinity it Samsung galaxy note 10.1 don't fit my list. I will wait for the windows surface pro to come out and buy it, that is if neither the infinity or samung note 10.1 satisfy my needs.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're welcome lol, and just after I posted those video from MobileTechReview, they posted this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0y6m7ZLetMo Galaxy Note 10.1 vs Asus Prime Infinity =).
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The CUBE U30GT2 has actually been on sale for quite a while now. The ten inch tablet runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), with 1.8GHz quad-core processor, the display’s resolution is WUXGA (1920 x 1200). It has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It is 9.6 mm thick, comes in black & white.
For:
1. The High-resolution screen rivals the iPad4's display in sharpness and clarity.
2. Extremely powerful, Apps launch quickly, 3D games run smoothly.
3. Excellent battery life, probably the best among all Chinese slates with FHD or Retina displays.
Against:
1. A littile bit heavy and porky.
2. Outdoor visibility is still unsatisfactory.
3. The rear-facing camera is really not much more than just decoration.
Key Features
◇10.1 inch 16M-color super IPS display at WUXGA resolution (1920X1200 pixels), 224PPI
◇Rockchip RK3188 SoC., 28nm quad core 1.8GHZ Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400MP4 GPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM
◇Stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
◇32GB of built-in-storage
◇2MP front facing camera, 5.0MP rear-facing AF camera
◇Stereo speakers
◇HDMI TV-out
◇Bluetooth 2.1
◇Anti-rolling frame
◇USB host
◇MicroSD card slot
◇1080p video playback
◇7200mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery
First Impressions
The CUBE U30GT2 feels like a solid tablet. I really fancy its white plastic chassis, which makes me forget how much a fan I am of the feel of black technology.
Contrary to my worries before receiving this slate, the RK3188 SoC. seems to support the FHD display very well, tasks from scrolling image-heavy webpages to running graphic-intense games were all handled with ease. And the tablet remains incredibly responsive while running several big applications at the same time!
Design and Build
The CUBE U30GT2 uses the kind of design which most large-screen tablets look like. It’s thinner than its predecessor, the dual core U30GT, at just 9.6 mm. It is also a little bit lighter at just 659 g, but still way too heavy for single-handed use. There’s sufficient amount of bezel on either side of the screen, so you can use it in any orientation comfortably.
A 2MP front-facing camera sits comfortably in the middle of the bezel above the display, which can be used for online video chatting. The intelligent light sensor, which helps the tablet to automatically adjust the display brightness, is located on the upper left corner of this flagship slate, covered by the sticker.
All the keys and connectors are hosted on the left edge. You will find a power button, a volume rocker, a mini HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a 2.5mm DC port there. The metal frame around the edges looks very cool.
The stereo speakers are hosted on the middle of the right edge, which is not reasonable at all, as they are easily covered by our palm while we are holding the tablet with both hands.
The back of the U30GT2 is ABS plastic, which is not only good-looking, but also very durable. The UV coating process also helps with avoiding the feel of plasticky or cheap. The 5MP AF rear side camera and a LED flash sits on the top-left corner, but don’t get excited too soon, the quality of the shots is nowhere near images coming from a 5.0MP cell phone camera.
Display and Sound
The LCD-backlit IPS display on the U30GT2 is a lot better as compared to the MVA screen on the U30GT. The full HD resolution (1920 x 1200) at that size offers a decent pixel count of 224 PPI. This is not too far off from Apple’s 264 PPI on the iPad4, which means you won’t notice a huge difference between them in everyday use. The display is bright and text is sharp and crisp; perfect for web browsing or catching up on your TV shows. The viewing angles are wide -- so wide, in fact, that you can easily watch a movie with the tablet placed face-up on a table in front of you (not that you'd need to do this ever). The display also has a screen guard protecting it, just like the other CUBE tablets, but I left it alone this time.
The brightness of the display is decent, but not amazing as the one on PIPO M9, which can boast 600nit brightness. While I am using the U30GT2 outdoors, the screen glare sometimes overpowers whatever's on screen.
Like many other CUBE tablets, the U30GT2 comes endowed with ACC speakers, which make for some loud, though not exceptionally rich sound. Just keep in mind that the speaker is located on the right edge, which means if you are holding the tablet with both hands, any songs and movie dialogue will sound muffled.
Performance
The CUBE U30GT2 packs an 1.8GHz quad-core Rockchip chip (RK3188), which is built on Cortex-A9 frame and 28nm process, paired up with 533MHZ quad core Mali-400MP GPU and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. Although this is not the first tablet I've tested this setup, it is truly the first one with FHD display, and it didn't disappoint—the U30GT2 scorched the benchmarks, recording some of the highest scores I've seen across the board. The 16,413 overall Antutu benchmark score handily beat the 10,401 notched by the Onda V973 and approached the 18,000-20,000 marked by the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and Asus Padfone Infinity, both of which use Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 quad core chipset.
High CF-Bench and Vellamo HTML5 scores confirmed anecdotally speedy Web browsing performance during day-to-day use, while Nenamark2 frame rates were among the best I’ve seen. From rapidly switching between multiple running apps to playing graphically intensive games like NFS17, the U30GT2 handled everything I threw at it easily. Sliding between widget-loaded home screens and scrolling down media-heavy websites was smooth, with very rare choppiness.
The U30GT2’s benchmark score compared with other tablets with quad core processor.
The tablet has 32GB of internal memory with the option of adding up to a 32GB microSD card, which will suffice the need of majority of users. If that’s not enough, you can always connect an USB disk or mobile hard drive to the slate via OTG.
Software
The U30GT2 isn’t skinned with CUBE’s much loved yet also much hated Win8-like interface, instead it uses the original launcher of the stock Android 4.1.1. There are indeed some very cool and useful preinstalled applications, but none of them actually developed by CUBE, and you can find them in Google play or any third-party app market.
Multi-media
Media playback is solid with the U30GT2 and it breezed through anything I threw at it, including MPEG-4, RMVB, and MKV files at resolutions up to 1080p. The sound the speakers produce is of relatively high volume and nice quality.
Also, the U30GT2 has HDMI support, you can output the display to much bigger monitor and TV screens in Full HD resolution via an HDMI cable, enjoying movies and funny videos with friends and family.
Communication
New tablets should have an easy time in the connectivity test. However, many voices spoke out about the poor WLAN performance of many of CUBE’s slates. This was not really the case for the U30GT2, as I am pleasantly surprised with its Wi-Fi reception.
The U30GT2 uses 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth 2.1. A version with a 3G module has not yet been announced by CUBE. In my standard Wi-Fi reception test, the U30GT2 beats most Chinese tablets in test results:
Cameras
There are two cameras on board here, a 5-megapixel F2.8 rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear camera disappointed in my tests, with noticeably grainy images in both indoor and outdoor settings. Images are moderately sharp, but the U30GT2 struggles with dynamic range, blowing out highlighted areas and losing detail in shadows. You can record video at 480p resolution, but I'd use it as a last resort—video is shaky and riddled with image noise. The front-facing camera is serviceable for Skype calls, but not much more. This, however, is pretty typical of most tablet cameras.
Battery
The U30GT2 packs a 7200mAh battery. In my battery rundown test, which loops a video with screen brightness set to 30% and Wi-Fi turned off, the U30GT2 lasted 10 hours, 38 minutes. That's pretty impressive compared to the Onda V973's 8 hours, 5 minutes and the Nexus10's 8 hours, 47 minutes on the same test.
During testing, I also noticed the U30GT2 seemed to charge faster than competing models, a full charge only took about 4 hours with its bundled 12V-2A charger. But, contrary to most other Chinese tablet products with RK3188 chipset, the U30GT2 cannot be charged under a shutdown state. And I believe this is gonna annoy quite a number of people.
The competition
With a 1920 x 1200 screen and a $204 starting price to match, there's little question that the CUBE U30GT2 was intended as a cost-efficient device. By now, most Chinese tablet makers have lowered the price of their goods, leaving the U30GT2 with only a handful of competitors in the 2-hundred-dollar range. Starting with the obvious, there's the ifive X2, which sports an 8.9-inch, 1920*1200 PLS screen, along with a RK3188 processor and 2GB of RAM. All told, these are similar specs, except ifive's model costs $40 less and runs a slightly more skinned version of Android. As it happens, I am in the process of testing one now, but not quite ready to post my impressions and benchmarks results. In the meantime, then, it's at least safe to say that the X2 sits in the same class as the Infinity U30GT2 and is definitely worth your consideration, although it is beaten by the U30GT2 in internal storage (16GB: 32GB).
Within the same price range there’re also the Yuandao N90HD, the Aoson M33 and the PIPO M9 Pro, all of which pack a Retina display and the same RK3188 set-up, posting serious threat to the U30GT2’s market share.
It's also worth noting that the U30GT2 could face competition from within the CUBE line: the U30GT1 has already been on sale for a couple of weeks, at only $169 it is very likely to draw lots of users’ attentions away from the U30GT2.
Conclusion
The U30GT2 is a truly impressive tablet. It's exquisitely designed, exceedingly fast, and has a sharp full-HD display. Throw in extras like anti-rolling frame, built-in Bluetooth, expandable memory, and dual cameras and you have a seriously loaded Android tablet.
If you want arguably the fastest Android tablet with a full HD display for under $250, the U30GT2 is the way to go, since it is much more pleasant to use than those Allwinner A31 powered tablets with Retina displays. But my suggestion remains with the PIPO M9, as a standard resolution still has much better compatibility with most applications.
Price Incorrect - Or Changed?
Hi.
Nice review. I like that I can compare it to your Pipo review.
Question: you state that the cube can be found for around $200.00 or so. Where was that? I realizes prices can change, but your review is just a few weeks ago, and the typical price is around $250.00. The U30GT (version 1) goes for around $200.
Thanks!
-Pie
Hardware is good, but the rom is poor. it is always the problem of china tablet.
EatingPie said:
Hi.
Nice review. I like that I can compare it to your Pipo review.
Question: you state that the cube can be found for around $200.00 or so. Where was that? I realizes prices can change, but your review is just a few weeks ago, and the typical price is around $250.00. The U30GT (version 1) goes for around $200.
Thanks!
-Pie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price that I presented here is turned from the retial price in China (RMB) to USD according to the exchange rate, the actual price in your country or some online stores might differ.
jupiter2012 said:
The price that I presented here is turned from the retial price in China (RMB) to USD according to the exchange rate, the actual price in your country or some online stores might differ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, so they cost less when in China. Makes sense. But a road trip across the Pacific to save $50.00 is probably out of the question for me at this point.
BTW, can U30GT2 do chroot and run Linux distros like Ubuntu under Android? I use LinuxonAndroid and it made the process really easy on my Nook HD+... and it left me wanting for speed, which is why I'm interested in the UG30GT2.
Thanks.
-Pie
The best review i've ever read. Thank you mate!!
antooonn said:
The best review i've ever read. Thank you mate!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank u for your support!
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium
Screen on/off power button no workee
I just got the Cube U30GT2 in the mail earlier this week. You're right, it's got a bit more heft to it, but not so bad, just a tad heavier than my Galaxy tab 10.1. However, unlike that tablet, the U30GT has lots of options for connecting things, micro USB, micro SDHC, micro HDMI. My tab 10.1 couldn't do any of those.
On the bummer side, the momentary power button, screen on/off doesn't seem to be working. The tablet is new with all the wrappings on, but that button is slightly busted. It will reboot the tablet, but won't turn the screen on or off. I worked around it for now with a screen always on app, and screen off app. I also discovered plugging or unplugging the power cord from the tablet also turns the screen back on. But aggravating. I have yet to succeed at getting the attention of the seller (androidtablet.com).
The price was middle of the road: $250 or so. But that's terrific compared to a Galaxy Tab or other recent tablet.
---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------
I forgot to mention, I read lots of reviews online for the Cube U30GT2 before popping for it. Most rated it as one of the currently best Chinese tablets, and not withstanding the power button issue, I tend to agree. However, all of the Chinese Android tablets seem to suffer from weak wi-fi signals, and in my table at least, this is true.
I tested my Galaxy tab laying right next to the Cube tablet. The Galaxy was able to knock out 10mbs on my wi-fi router from my family which is 15 feet or so away. The cube tablet only hit 2 to 5 mbs. Mind you, I couldn't tell much of a difference when hitting youtube, but it is a distinct disadvantage. I'm going overseas next month and the weaker reception could mean I won't get reliable wi-fi reception in the hotel.
Looks good.
I have the previous one and it's great .
Recommended.
Looks OK. Just wished they opted to put a slightly better GPU in it. The Mali 400 is good for phones but for a tablet that had a 1080p + display needs a bit more power. However, this is a good bargain considering it's original nexus 7 price tag.
Sent from my YP-G1 using xda app-developers app
Thanks for the nice review.
I think according to the price its a good tablet. But I agree to obscuresword, that the GPU it too weak for the Resolution. My Galaxy S3 has the same GPU and many benchmarks show, that its not as good as many people think.
The HP Touchpad tought as, never trust the hardware, if the software isnt good. Because of that, i never bought a Tablet from China. Android is not efficient enough, to ignore new Android versions...
artoni said:
Thanks for the nice review.
I think according to the price its a good tablet. But I agree to obscuresword, that the GPU it too weak for the Resolution. My Galaxy S3 has the same GPU and many benchmarks show, that its not as good as many people think.
The HP Touchpad tought as, never trust the hardware, if the software isnt good. Because of that, i never bought a Tablet from China. Android is not efficient enough, to ignore new Android versions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come I don't understand your last sentence....
Android has its advantages and disadvantages, that all comes down to personal preference. As for myself, I could never get used to the iOS system. I used to own an ipad2, but got too sick of the system after using it for just 2 months and gave it away.
Very comprehensive review! Thanks a bunch!
The deal-breaker for me is the placement of the "stereo" speakers on the righthand side. You'd think they would have separated the two speakers, one on the left side of the tab and one on the right side, but they didn't.
1.8?
I just wanted to point out that the clock is running at 1.6Ghz and not 1.8Ghz as advised. It is still a good choice for the price thought.
vondroid CFW
http://vondroid.com/resources/cfw-vondroid-cube-u30gt2-1-x.374/
4GB Internal Storage
CWM Recovery (ClockWorkMod)
Rooted
Debloated Chinese Software
Add apps (Youtube, ES File Explorer)
Apps updated
Ads block
Partial Build.prop optimise
Solved Settings crash issue
Fully Build.prop optimise
Fully market support
Init.d support
Init.d tweaks
Update apps (GoogleSearch)
General system optimise (Launcher.apk, Framework-res.apk)
Vondroid Boot animation
Support extra .ko files (Tun.ko, cifs.ko, nls,...)
antooonn said:
The best review i've ever read. Thank you mate!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yaah men i agree
WHich one
I have been looking at the cube u30gt2 and still undecided which one to get.
i have looked at.
1. Cube u30gt2
2. Pipo Max m9 pro
3. Ramos W30HD
4. Ramos I9
each seem to have similar pros and cons,
I am just nervous I buy the wrong one and nervous I am buying from china?
Please help me decide
Quite a good review. Ordered mine from China together with the Onda. Yet to receive them. Will post impressions after I drive the two.
Root
I can´t find a rooting tutorial for this tablet. Can some one give a clue about that?
Thks
Pirex
jy_P said:
I just wanted to point out that the clock is running at 1.6Ghz and not 1.8Ghz as advised. It is still a good choice for the price thought.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got one, and mine is runnig at 1.8Ghz
Cheers
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FOR
Powerful Intel Bay-Trail processors
Sleek build and compact design
Full Windows 8.1
Over 6 hours’ battery Life
Eye-watering IPS display
Affordable Price
Micro SD card support
HDMI port
Brilliant Keyboard Cover
AGAINST
Small internal storage
USB Host requires dongle
BOTTOM LINE
The Acube iWork 10 is an affordable Windows 8 tablet with good battery life and features. Just make sure you always have access to the Internet, as local storage is a little light on this tablet.
Key Features
10.1-inch IPS capacitive touchscreen of 1280 x 800 px resolution;
1.8GHZ Intel Atom Bay-Trail Z3740D Quad-core Processor, Intel HD Graphic (Gen7) GPU
2GB of LPDDR3 RAM
Windows 8.1 (Need to be activated by the user themselves)
32GB of SSD built-in Storage
2MP front-facing camera/2MP rear-facing camera
Back-mounted stereo speakers
Wi-Fi 802.11
Bluetooth v4.0
USB 2.0 host (adapter required)
Micro SD card slot
Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
HDMI V1.4
8,000mAh Li-Po battery
Want the functionality of a laptop with the speed and ease of a tablet? Don't we all. Acube, along with many other bigger names in the PC and tablet industry, has taken another pass at that very Windows 8 dream. The Acube iWork 10 is one of a slew of new 10-inch Windows 8.1 tablets that are starting to make more sense in these connected times. Three years ago, we would have listed this system as unacceptable, since it has very little local storage after Windows 8.1, Office, and system recovery files take up most of the space on the smallish 32GB drive. However, people have become used to almost constant access to the Internet, along with the virtually limitless cloud storage and entertainment streaming options therein. If you take the iWork 10 primarily as an Internet-connected tablet, then the remaining virtues of the tablet bump the system up to an acceptable, nay, recommendable status.
Still, we had our qualms about the many Windows tablets that appeared in the past two year, which were either burdened by the sluggish Intel Atom Z2760 performance, or struggled with portability and poor battery life.
This new Acube iWork 10 seems to have been dealt a better hand, as it runs the full version of Windows 8.1 and the Bay Trail chip is restoring faith in Intel's tablet capabilities. At RMB1,699 ($281), it is really a worthy choice of both a laptop and a tablet.
Design and Features
Measuring about 258*173*10.4mm (HWD), the iWork 10 is quite svelte, only 1mm thicker than the Surface RT (9.4mm) and much slimmer than most of the Windows Tablets. For example the Acer Iconia W700 is 11.9mm thick, and the Surface Pro is at an even porkier 13.5mm. The front of the iWork 10 is dominated by a 10.1-inch display, with decent amount of bezel. And if held in the vertical orientation, the iWork 10 has a Windows Start key at six o'clock.
The hairline finished metal back panel has the Acube logos (both Chinese and English) and some other information we need to know about the device and its manufacturer.
The tablet has a 2-megapixel front camera and 2-megapixel rear camera, both of which can take pictures or interact with Skype sessions. The tablet has accelerometers, G-sensor, and vibration feedback (particularly when you use the Start button), three features that are almost must-haves for this type of product.
The tablet weighs in at a light 613g, even lighter than the Microsoft Surface RT (690g). It is as easy to tote and use as many of the 10-inch Android tablets, requiring much less labor than the Acer Iconia W700 (950g) or the Microsoft Surface Pro (903g).
All the ports and slots are hosted on the left side, you will find a headset jack, a micro USB 2.0 port, a mini HDMI port, a Micro SD card slot and a DC port. Hardware keys are also kept to the minimum, besides the aforementioned start key, only a power/standby key and a volume rocker are in place. The magnetic connector used for connecting to the keyboard cover is in the middle of the bottom side, with one fixing dock on each side.
The micro SD card may be needed to supplement the skimpy storage built into the system. The 32GB SSD only had about 19GB of free space after we went through the initial setup. Thankfully, the tablet comes with very few pieces of pre-loaded software, only the standard Windows 8.1 apps like Skype are included.
For me, the disappointment mainly comes from the absence of a full USB host, we need to use an OTG dongle to connect the iWork 10 with mobile storage or input devices. Microsoft did manage to include a full-size USB2.0 port on the even slimmer Surface RT, it is really a shame that Acube fail to do the same to the iWork 10.
Display and Sound
The 10.1-inch IPS screen has a 1,280 by 800 resolution. Although it is not as High-definition as the displays found on the iPad Air and some of the Android tablets, it still offers excellent color and contrast, as well as a very good viewing angle. You can even put the tablet down on a table to your side and still read text and view images clearly on the screen. Text is quite readable in Windows 8 UI-optimized apps, but if you view text on some apps in desktop mode, they may look small. That said, the screen is clear enough that you can still see the letters clearly. It's not going to win any awards for screen vibrancy, and certainly never going to challenge Retina, but it's good enough - and helps Microsoft keep the price down to a reasonable level.
Tapping, swiping, and prodding the screen was easy and accurate in on the Start screen and in Windows 8 UI optimized apps. It took a little more precision in desktop mode, which is where you'll use all the Windows programs that aren't optimized for Windows 8 mode. We had trouble tapping on small items and text on the screen before we got used to the sensitivity of the touch screen. This is par for the course for Windows 8 tablets, but if you're uneasy about working without a pointing device, you can purchase a stylus, I used the stylus that I bought along with the Acer Iconia W700 and it works perfectly on the iWork 10.
Sound from the system's speakers emerges through two apertures on the tablet's back. While there is the right amount of stereo effect and desirable volume, the richness of the sound is far less excellent than that produced by the Dolby-enabled speakers featured by the Acer W700. Still, the iWork 10 betters my Surface RT in both display and sound.
Software
The Acube iWork 10 ships with an inactivated version of Windows 8.1 (I have found a way to successfully activate it without being charged, lol). If you haven't yet read up on 8.1, I'd encourage you to check out the exhaustive screenshot tour, which breaks down not just the new UI features, but also the new built-in apps as well.
Speaking of new UI elements, you've probably heard by now about the "return" of the Start button. Indeed, there's now a Start button fixed in the lower-left corner of both the Start screen and the desktop, but clicking it just takes you back and forth from one to the other; if you were hoping for a return to the old-school fly-out menus, installing a third party software is the only solution. What's nice, though, is that Microsoft added an option to keep the same wallpaper for both your desktop and Start screen, so that the transition from one to the other feels less jarring; it almost looks like the Live Tiles are floating on top of your desktop. One of my favorite features, actually -- I suggest you try it out.
You can snap more than just two windows side by side on-screen, depending on the size and resolution of the display you're using. You also get more flexibility in terms of how much space every window takes up; it no longer has to be an 80/20 split. Other changes: You can take photos from the lock screen, and accept Skype calls too. Users now have more tile sizes to work with, including an extra-wide one and a tiny, quarter-sized one. You also have more options for arranging your app list, so that alphabetically isn't the only option.
The on-screen keyboard has received some neat shortcuts, which should be especially useful on all those smaller 8-inch tablets, which are easy to type on in portrait mode.
Search also works differently in Windows 8.1. For starters, you can do more just from the right-hand pane where the search results usually appear. From there, you can open apps, click on web results or even play music from the Xbox Music app. More importantly, perhaps, the OS can now create on-the-fly "apps" (for lack of a better word), which pull together all sorts of information on a given search result. For instance, a search for "China" would combine images, news, maps, a Wikipedia entry -- you name it. Just scroll through it from left-to-right inside the app, as it were, and when appropriate, you'll be redirected to other apps, like Maps.
Finally, Windows 8.1 adds a number of native applications, including Health & Fitness and Food & Drink, along with a calculator, alarm and sound recorder. Also, you'll want to check out the Photos app, even if you think you hate taking pictures on tablets: The app has gone from being spare and rudimentary, to actually offering some great editing features. My personal favorite is Color Enhance, which lets you adjust the color on a specific part of the photo using an intuitive on-screen dial. Definitely a must-see as you're giving yourself a tour around the new OS.
Running Windows 8.1 means that the iWork 10 is able to access all the windows compatible software, making it a much more productive device than the iPad, Surface RT or Android tablets. The HDMI port enables its user to connect the tablet to a much bigger display, which further enhances its productivity.
Besides, if somehow you decide that a Windows system is not what you want on a tablet, Acube will soon release an Android ROM for the iWork 10. And even better, you will probably be able to switch between both systems on one tablet.
Keyboard Covers
The Acube iWork 10 does not have a kickstand like the Surface does, that’s why I strongly recommend the buyers of this slate to buy the official keyboard along with the tablet.
The design of the Keyboard cover is brilliant, even more so than the tablet itself. The extended part can be folded into a stand when you need to use the iWork 10 as a laptop.
And unfolded it can then protect the back of your tablet.
The connection of the iWork 10’s Keyboard cover is similar to that of the Surface. The magnetic connector on the bottom edge of the tablet instantly catch hold of the optional keyboard cover, so that you never have to guide them in.
The keyboard is more similar to the Type Cover, rather than the Touch Cover of the Surface, because it does offer pretty desirable key press depth. I found that I could type quickly with a low error rate, though I never totally got used to the closeness of the keys. We wouldn't be surprised if you came to prefer the Touch Cover once you got used to it, and it only cost RMB399, which is about $66 in US dollars.
The Keyboard offers greater press depth than the Surface Touch Cover and the Bluetooth Keyboard of the Acer W700.
Performance
The iWork 10 comes with a quad-core Intel Atom Z3470D processor, 2GB of DDR3L memory, and the aforementioned 32GB of SSD storage. The combination resulted in a CINBench R10 score of 3,262 points, which is the top for Atom-powered tablets. The ThinkPad Tablet 2 (1,754 points) was slower due to its older dual-core Atom processor, and the Lenovo Miix 2 10’ (3,303 points) scored close ahead of the iWork 10, since it shared an almost identical internal configuration. But the Acer W700, with its powerful i5 Processor, smashed them all with an astonishing 6898 points.
Sunspider, which tests Java performance, logged a result of 420.2ms on the iWork 10, putting it way ahead of the Surface RT (968.2ms), ThinkPad Tablet 2 (733.6ms), and 2013 version of Google Nexus 7(1141.9ms), closely behind the iPad Air (384.0) and Acer Iconia W700 (266.7ms).
The more graphically-intensive PeaceKeeper returned a score of 1012, which again put it way ahead of the Surface RT (329) and almost all the ARM-structured devices, but still no match for the 3516 points the Acer Iconia W700 delivered.
Essentially, if you've been holding out for a system that will perform like a full ultrabook laptop, the iWork 10 is as close as you can get while still using a power-sipping Atom processor.
In real world use, the iWork is extremely responsive, handling everything from scrolling through the start screen to opening image-heavy websites with speed. I haven’t experienced unbearable lags and hiccups in the two weeks that I spent with it, though delays did occur on a couple of occasions while background tasks pile up. Yet, the iWork 10, with Windows 8.1 on it, is still much faster than most RK3188 Android tablets. Sometimes it feels even faster than the i5 powered Acer Iconia W700, as the later is obviously labored by its own 1080P display.
Battery Life
That energy-efficient processor helps the iWork 10 eke out an excellent 8 hours 11 minutes on our battery rundown test (720P Video Looping), which is virtually neck-and-neck with the Surface RT (9:04), and much more time than the Acer W700, which barely made it to five hours powring its 1080P display and hungry i5 processor. This means that the iWork 10 will easily entertain you beyond a normal workday, even if you use it as a laptop.
Verdict
If you are only looking for a media-consuming device, your money would probably be better spent on an Android tablet with a higher-resolution display, I can easily list a dozen of these tablets for you if you want me to. But if you do need a tablet for both entertainment and business use, and hope to keep your expenditure to just under $300 (before accessories), then the iWork 10 makes a strong argument for buying a Windows 8 tablet instead of a cheap laptop, Chromebook, first-generation Apple iPad mini, or Android tablet. It is able to access the full Windows-compatible app library and will work with the same browser plug-ins as your home laptop. The skimpy leftover free storage does concern us quite a bit, but it should be on your short list if you have access to a 64GB micro SD card to shove into the iWork 10's expansion slot.
Other photos:
Screen looks awesome
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk
Maduro78 said:
Screen looks awesome
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The screen is good, but not as high-def as many of the Android tabs, I think it is nice they put overall performance before the screen.
Maduro78 said:
Screen looks awesome
Sent from my HTC6500LVW using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think Win8 tablet will dominate the market eventually.
Sent from my CUBE A5300 using xda app-developers app
Thanks for your accurate review!
Very interesting device
Thanks a lot for reading.
Sent from my LG-F240L using xda app-developers app
awesome tablet
hope android rom
wangyiling said:
hope android rom
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks a lot!
Do you know what the brightness is in terms of cd/m2?
zijin_cheng said:
Do you know what the brightness is in terms of cd/m2?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
not sure.
Sent from my GT-P6810 using XDA Free mobile app
I used the stylus that I bought along with the Acer Iconia W700 and it works perfectly on the iWork 10.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do You mean that common rubber-like-rounded pen OR a precision drawing stylus like a Wacom that comes with the Surface?
I think the screen should be electromagnetic-type for this.
Fran.K said:
Do You mean that common rubber-like-rounded pen OR a precision drawing stylus like a Wacom that comes with the Surface?
I think the screen should be electromagnetic-type for this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, but i think it is still just a capacitive screen.
jupiter2012 said:
yes, but i think it is still just a capacitive screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Can you post a link or the model name?
Thank you.
Fran.K said:
Can you post a link or the model name?
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
you mean, the stylus?
jupiter2012 said:
you mean, the stylus?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, the stylus. My tablet is a iWork10 "clone". Before buy I asked to the seller about this but have no confirmation.
It would be very nice have the same precision than a Surface Pro.
I need a copy of the BIOS I blocked OTG does not work my keyboard
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Cube is well-known for their cost-efficient Android tablets, which matched those market-leading flagship slates in terms of overall performance while having a much lower price. And last year, this Chinese company started to enter new areas such as the smart accessories as well as Windows tablets to compensate its shrinking Android tablet business.
Cube's first-ever business-focused high-end tablet, the i7, is a superior system in every way. With a stunning, high-resolution screen and a wider range of connections, but it’s the upgrade to the extremely powerful Intel Core-M processor that is most telling. Also, with Windows 8.1 and the full range of applications at its disposal, the i7 feels like a stronger, more flexible device.
Cube i7 main specs:
• OS: Windows 8.1 with Bing (64-bit)
• Screen: 11.6-inch IPS, 10-point multi-touch, IGZO
• Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
• CPU: Intel Broadwell Core-M 5Y10c
• CPU Frequency: 0.8GHz (Base clock) – 2.0GHZ (Turbo clock)
• GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5300
• RAM / Storage: 4GB DDR3L / 128GB SSD
• Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G, USB Host, HDMI
• WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
• GSM: band2, band3, band5, band8
• TDS: band34, band39
• WCDMA: band1, band5
• TDD: band38, band39, band40, band41
• FDD: band1, band3, band7
• Camera: 5MP back camera, 2MP front camera
• Battery: 7.4V - 5,000mAh
• Ports: Micro SD Card Slot, Micro USB 3.0 Port, Micro SIM Card Slot, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, DC Charging Port
• Size: 297*180*9.1mm, Weight: 840g
Design
Cube i7 (left), Acer W700 (right)
Android tablets and Apple iPads might be fighting it out for the thinnest, lightest tablet title, but Windows tablets normally are not competing that fiercely in this department. With its unusual 11.6-inch screen and rather big bezel, the Cube i7, which is 9.1mm thick and 840 grams in weight, is neither particularly svelte nor particularly light by tablet standards. It is as thick as the Microsoft Surface Pro3, which also measures at 9.1mm.
But if we compare it to the older Windows tablet models, we found it a much more compact slate than products such as the Microsoft Surface Pro 2 (13.5mm, 907g) and the Acer ICONIA W700 (11.9mm, 950g). The reason that the Cube i7 is much slimmer than most of its competitors is because it is fanless, and we will discuss this later in our review. With that said, it’s a little too heavy to use comfortably one-handed, and makes more sense if you have it resting on the arm of a chair or your lap while you tap away.
On the plus side, the relatively large bezel makes it very easy to grip, and you have to twist quite hard before there’s a hint of give where the corners meet the sliver metallic rim.
The rear cover sports Cube and Intel Inside logos, while there’s a plastic piece at the top where the 5-megapixel camera pokes through.
The i7 is an incredibly promising tablet when it comes to connectivity. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Micro SD card slot, a Micro-HDMI port for an external display and – best of all – a micro USB 3.0 port as well as a Micro SIM card slot. With these two, it can connect to any USB 2.0 or 3.0 device that will run on Windows 8.1 and access the internet almost anywhere. Fortunately, the i7 is charging through an independent DC port, and I personally prefer this design rather than charging through the Micro USB 3.0 port because we often need to use the USB port to connect to other USB devices such as a mouse or external storages. What’s more, with Bluetooth 4.0 and dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi, it couldn’t be better equipped for wireless connectivity. The only negative I could think of is that the Micro SD card slot featured on the i7 only supports cards up to 32GB, which could potentially be a pain in the ass in the time coming.
There are only two physical buttons – the power/standby key and the volume rocker, both hosted on the top edge of the tablet.
The Touch Windows Key is located on the front panel, below the display. And the front facing 2MP camera is in the middle of bezel above the screen.
Look at the bottom of the tablet and you’ll also spot another connector which connects its keyboard magnetically. Sadly, the keyboard cover, although already on sale as a standard accessory which is included in the retail package, isn’t available for test. That’s a shame. With a keyboard cover attached Cube i7 could rival the Surface Pro 2 as a convertible ultrabook-style device.
The Cube i7's build quality is solid - it has to be at this thickness to ensure rigidity - but not as altogether epic as the Surface Pro 3's look and feel. Cube's use of a blue metallic shell gives the tablet decent premium feel, but it doesn’t offer multi-color options like the Microsoft Surface does.
Screen and sound
Cube understands well that 1920 x 1080 is the new baseline standard for a high-end tablet, despite the operating system it runs. So we get a full HD 1080p 11.6-inch screen on the i7. That’s tangibly larger than the screen on your average tablet, and 1-inch larger than the screen on the Surface Pro2. That’s bad news for pixel density, but good news if you plan to get some work done, as that little extra bit of screen real estate makes it easier to see what you’re doing if you’re working on Office documents, browsing complex web pages or using the Windows Snap split-screen view. With that said, I personally prefer the 12-inch display on the Surface Pro 3, the 3:2 screen aspect ratio makes better sense for business use, which is the ultimate selling point of Windows tablets.
Quality of the i7’s display, meanwhile, is extremely good. Text still looks smooth and crisp, and while the display isn’t the brightest we’ve seen – particularly when you compared it to the ultra-bright panel on the Acer ICONIA W700 – it does have wide viewing angles and an impressive richness and depth of color to compensate. It’s an excellent screen for entertainment, but a good screen for productivity, as well.
Audio is a mixed bag. It’s clearer and much more detailed than you generally get from a tablet, with a wider stereo sound. Unfortunately it’s also a little thin, a little bit wearing and doesn’t offer much in the volume department, particularly if you’re playing music or watching some Action films. The Cube i7 is nowhere near what the Dolby enhanced Acer ICONIA W700 can do in terms of the volume of the speakers.
As with the vast majority of tablets, we’d recommend headphones if you want decent sonic experience.
Performance
Cube has equipped the i7 with an Intel Core-M CPU, which has a base clock of 0.8-1.0GHZ and a Turbo clock of 2.0GHZ, Aided by the incredibly beefy Graphics HD 5300, 4GB of DDR3 RAM and a 128GB Solid State Drive, it is surprisingly fleet of foot. For those who don’t know much about Intel’s Core-M processor, it is a new 14 nanometer processor which matches the horsepower of the Intel Core-i5 Haswell series CPU yet doesn’t need fan cooling!
As a standalone tablet, the i7 delivered, with good on-screen typing, an accelerometer that wasn't too sensitive. Volume controls on the top edge, along with Micro-USB and Micro-SD card slots make it reasonably easy to use this as a standalone device. Startup and application load times are swift, and the SSD is much faster than the eMMc drive we've encountered with budget Windows tablets. Sequential read and write speeds of 504MB/sec and 139MB/sec respectively in the AS SSD benchmark are respectable. To make it short, you won’t be needing any more performance if you use the i7 as a tablet, full stop.
Of course, for a more all-day experience, you'll want to add a keyboard and touch pad or mouse. Cube makes it easy, with a snap-on keyboard dock that transforms the combined system into a traditional clamshell laptop. Although our test unit doesn't come with the customized keyboard base, we had no problem connecting the i7 with different Bluetooth and Wireless keyboards.
Unlike the entry-level Atom Bay-trail powered Windows tablets, which normally struggle with heavier desktop applications. The Cube i7 is built for serious tasks, most of the heavy desktop apps worked brilliantly.
If you find benchmark testing more convincing, the i7 was returned some impressive scores by various benchmarks, beating similar devices such as the Acer ICONIA W700 in most of the benchmark tests.
In the Cinebench Release 10, the Cube i7 was returned a score of 8,616, which didn’t match the 9,324 notched by the Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM), but trumped the Acer ICONIA W700 and those entry-level Windows tablets such as the ASUS A100T and Cube iWork 10.
OpenGL is not a strong suite of the Core-M series processor, yet the Cube i7 still managed to get a score close to the test results of those i5 powered tablets in the Cinebench Release 11.5’s OpenGL test. Its CPU performance, according to the Cinebench CPU test, is somewhere between the Surface Pro 3 (i5, 4GB RAM) and the Acer W700.
The Fritz Chess Benchmark returned a score of 3,877, which was indeed far behind the 4,899 by the Surface Pro 3, but still quite ahead of the 2,983 by the Acer W700.
The web browsing performance of the i7 was exceptionally good. In the Sunspider test, the Cube i7 was returned a score of 82.5ms, which was the best I have ever seen on a tablet.
However, in the more graphic-intense Peacekeeper test, the i7’s scored less than the Surface Pro 3 and the Acer ICONIA W700.
Ludashi benchmark focus on the overall performance of a PC, and the Cube i7 also got a decent score running this test.
The HD Graphics 5300 embedded in the Core-M Processor is a slightly more powerful GPU than the HD4000 or HD4200 embedded in the 3rd and 4th generation of i-series processors, and even beats some entry-level discrete graphics, however, it still doesn’t match the performance of the HD4600 and HD5200, both of which have a higher voltage.
The i7 is clearly not a system designed for heavy 3D game lovers, although it is able to run most of the 3D games in acceptable frame rates. But as it is fanless, the heat could be overwhelming if you keep running graphic-intense games for a long period of time.
But if we are talking about business and everyday use, the Cube i7, when paired with a keyboard and a mouse, is a nearly perfect choice. I received the Cube i7 before the Chinese New Year break, and have done a lot of travelling since. I have been using my i7 to check emails, set up meetings and prepare business presentations. I have almost given up the desktop PC in my office because all the most updated business files and emails are now stored in my i7. I only need to connect it to a monitor when the 11.6-inch display feels too small for those complicated Excel sheets.
Even though the Cube i7 is a little more business-focused, but let’s not underestimate its potential for entertainment use. My Samsung Galaxy Tab has also been left unbooted for days as I have been using the i7 to stream my favorite TV shows and entertainment news. With the Windows 8.1 OS, I don’t need to worry about codec support for different formats of video files, like I normally do with Android tablets and iPads. It is true that Android and iOS have more multimedia applications and games designed around a touchscreen, but the number of apps in the Windows 8 store is also growing fast. And neither Android nor OS comes anywhere near Windows 8.1 when it comes to the total number of applications.
Many readers might be concerned about the heat dissipation of the i7’s fanless design like I did upon receiving my unit. The truth is, the i7 does get a little warm after a few hours of consecutive use, but never to a point where you want to get your hands off it.
Overall the i7 excels as a workhorse Windows 8 slate tablet. It's got a lot more performance potential than those Atom BayTrail-equipped Windows 8 tablets. Plus, a detachable keyboard base, which is included in the retail package, can turn the i7 into a full ultrabook. Therefore, the i7 can replace both your tablet and laptop. But if you only want a device for intense 3D gaming, it makes better sense to get a desktop PC with high-end discrete graphics and cooling fans.
Connectivity
Like we mentioned earlier in the review, the i7 offers a great deal in connectivity. Besides the USB port, Micro SD card slot, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth we normally get from a Windows tablet. The i7 also includes a Micro SIM card slot which supports both 4G FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE data services.
Internet access via the 4G and 3G networks is swift. And the Bluetooth 4.0 on board means you don’t always need the OTG adapter if you want to connect your tablet with input devices or an external audio system. With an SSD inside the shell, data transmission through the Micro USB 3.0 port is several times faster than through a USB 2.0 port on a laptop with HDD storage.
Keyboard Base
The keyboard base, which is included in the retail package, can easily be attached to the i7 through the magnetic connectors, instantly turning the i7 into a full laptop. Sadly, the base can only make the i7 stand with a fixed angle, which can be uncomfortable for the users sometimes.
Here, the keys aren't as squished as the ones on the Microsoft Surface Type Cover. The i7’s keyboard is more expansive, with no shrunken or undersized keys. It didn’t take me long before I was typing at my usual brisk pace.
The keys offer decent press depth, with every keystroke, I make a loud "clack," letting anyone around me know I'm getting stuff done. Just so you know, I'm typing this sentence from the i7. The thing is sitting on my lap, even. And you know what? I'm doing quite alright. This isn't my favorite keyboard, but I do feel comfortable enough. Also, the i7’s keyboard base is not as flimsy as the Surface Type Cover, Instead it is as sturdy and comfortable as most laptop keyboards.
The Cube i7’s keyboard base brings a touchpad as well, and that's a good thing, because the latest Windows 8.1 update made the OS much more mouse-and-keyboard friendly. Even though the touchpad is pretty precise and responsive, it's still many steps behind the sort of glass touchpad you'd find on the MacBook Air or many Windows Ultrabooks. It sometimes takes multiple tries to get two-finger scrolling to work. Ditto for clicking and dragging windows and other objects around the screen. Other times, I accidentally navigated backward out of a web page when I was really trying to do some other sort of gesture. If you intend the i7 to be your daily driver, you are better off with a wireless or Bluetooth mouse.
Besides the standard functions a keyboard is meant to offer, the i7’s keyboard base also provides the users with two additional full-sized USB ports, making it easier to connect the i7 to a mouse and storage devices while saving you from the burden of always carrying the OTG adapter.
Battery Life
What's funny about the Cube i7 is that it has a chipset which produces as much horsepower as most of the ultrabook systems, along with a 1080p touchscreen -- precisely the sort of thing that would normally suck the life out of a battery. And yet, the 7.4V, 5,000mAh battery lasts several hours longer than bigger touchscreen Windows 8 systems with similar internals. Specifically, we got 9 hours and 13 minutes of runtime after looping a video off the local disk with Wi-Fi off and the brightness fixed at 50 percent.
The i7 looks even more impressive when you compare it to lighter-weight, ARM-powered tablets. You wouldn't expect that to be the case -- this really isn't a fair fight -- but in fact the difference in battery life isn't as drastic as you'd imagine, especially if you take into account tablets that offer merely average endurance. The, for instance, the Xiaomi Pad lasts only about half an hour longer than the Cube i7; and most of the Android tablets we tested before were beaten by the i7.
We'll admit, the iPads or the Samsung Galaxy Tab S offer more longevity in the battery front. But here's the thing: we don't know of any Core-i5 tablets that can even come close. Take the Dell Venue 11 Pro for instance: it merely lasted 6 hours in the same battery run-down test, and also the Acer ICONIA W700, which I have used for more than 2 years, offered an average of 5.5 hours screen time on a charge. Compared to that, the Cube i7's battery life would seem much more exceptional. After all, those are the real competitions of the i7, at least as far as key specs go. It's incredible, then, that the i7's battery life is more typical of a low-powered ARM device.
Cameras
Photos taken by the rear camera
Like most of the tablets on the market, the i7 has dual cameras. The front-facing 2MP camera is decent enough for video-conferences on Skype, but you wouldn’t want to use it for selfie. The rear-facing 5MP camera is arguably the worst 5MP camera we have encountered. Even with decent lighting, it still cannot shoot photos clear enough for Instagram updates. With that said, who would actually use an 11.6-inch tablet to take pictures?
The Competition
We get what Cube was going for here and really, it's an intriguing proposition: a hybrid that can be used as a standalone tablet, but is powerful enough to be your next laptop. As we said, it's fast and offers awesomely long battery life, however, let's not forget the cost: with a connectable keyboard, the i7 is priced at RMB3,599 ($574.4), which is pretty aggressive pricing for a tablet with a Chinese brand attached to it. We suppose you'd feel more comfortable researching a few similar options before shelling out 600 bucks.
We mentioned the Surface Pro 3, which has already been on sale for a few months. It starts at $699 for the i3, 64GB model, with the Touch/Type Cover keyboard sold separately. All versions of the Surface Pro 3 support pen input, which the Cube i7 doesn't. For only $489.99, you can get a Dell Venue 11 Pro with a 10.8-inch display, a Core i5-4210Y processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD; for $723, you can get the more updated version of the Dell Venue 11 Pro, the Venue 11 Pro 7000, which features the same Core-M 5Y10, 4GB RAM and 128GB SDD as the Cube i7 does and, if money is less of an issue and you want an even more future-proof tablet, you can get the most advanced Dell Venue 11 Pro 7140 with an even more powerful Core-M 5Y71 processor, 8GB of DDR3L RAM and 256GB of SDD. However, whichever Dell Venue 11 Pro you choose, you will need to spend another tad of money for Dell’s keyboard.
If we take a look at Cube’s fellow Chinese competition, there are also a few options. One of them is the RAMOS M12, which made its debut appearance at CES, 2015, features a more powerful Core-M 5Y70 processor, an 11.6-inch 1080P display and 4GB RAM and, most of all, an adjustable stand as well as a full USB3.0 port. Another one is the PIPO K2, which is powered by the same hardware as the Cube i7 is and also includes a Micro USB 3.0 port. However, neither the RAMOS M12 nor the PIPO K2 is available now, even worse, their prices and release dates are still unknown.
Wrap-up
Upon unboxing the Cube i7, I instantly fell in love with this slate a lot. After a few weeks spent with it, I still do, and I think you might too, but you'll have to get past some surface flaws in order to truly appreciate it. The i7 is heavy, even for a tablet with a capable Core-M processor, and though it's slim and solidly built, it has a plain look that can be off-putting. The good news is that it's fast, even among Windows 8 PCs, and offers surprisingly long runtime. If I am being honest, after my experience with the Acer ICONIA W700, which consistently disappointed me on the battery life front, I didn’t expect much longevity from a tablet with so much horsepower under the hood, so it's impressive that the i7 succeeds in being powerful while still lasting eight-plus hours on a charge. Most Core i-series tablets don't have that going for them.
The problem, though, is that the Cube i7’s overall design doesn't make the best sense. The inclusion of an adjustable stand would have been a more versatile solution, as you could be able make it stand when you use it as a standalone tablet. And the fact that it only has one Micro USB 3.0 port means that you need to remember bringing the OTG adapter whenever you decide to take the Cube i7 as your travelling company.
The Cube i7 may not have surpassed the Surface Pro 3 in terms of quality, design and performance just yet. But it is among the highest ranks of enterprise-ready tablets. If you want something designed specifically for the business user (as opposed to the consumer-focused iPad Air 2), but you don't want to spend $500 extra bucks on the Surface Pro 3 and its keyboard, then you can't go wrong with the Cube i7.
The good:
Well-constructed metallic body which feels not only solid, but also premium.
The 11.6-inch 1080P IPS display is excellent for both productivity and entertainment.
Solid performance powered by the impeccable Core-M processor.
Fanless, the Cube i7 is quiet, I tested this device for many days and never heard a peep.
An average of 8 hours’ battery life.
The bad:
The Micro SD card slot only supports cards up to 32GB.
It normally takes minutes to reboot the tablet, even without the system upgrade.
The i7 tablet doesn’t have a kickstand.
No one is interested in this tablet?
It's too expensive, :/ for that price i Prefer getting a Surface 3 to be honest.
I'll personally wait for Pipo K2 and Ramos M12 , prices won't be that high with them.
ShizukoZ said:
It's too expensive, :/ for that price i Prefer getting a Surface 3 to be honest.
I'll personally wait for Pipo K2 and Ramos M12 , prices won't be that high with them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I really doubt that the RAMOS M12 or PIPO K2 should be any cheaper.
jupiter2012 said:
I really doubt that the RAMOS M12 or PIPO K2 should be any cheaper.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Pipo have annouced a core M tablet that will be priced at 400 $ (in China so surely it will be a bit more expensive for us )
and we all know Pipo have good quality products
ShizukoZ said:
Pipo have annouced a core M tablet that will be priced at 400 $ (in China so surely it will be a bit more expensive for us )
and we all know Pipo have good quality products
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The $400 tab isn't the PIPO K2, but another tablet with only 64GB eMMc storage, which is clearly no match for the 128GB SSD used in the Cube i7. Also, the PIPO tablet comes without a keyboard, but the i7's retail price covers the keyboard base. For the storage alone I wont even consider buying the PIPO tablet.
There have been other Core-M powered tablets announced.
Thank you for the review. I seen this tablet and wanted to see if it really is worth while. Its funny seeing people say "I'd rather get a SP3" because they seem to forget that you have to be over $1k for the SP3 that competes with this tablet.
the Ubuntu variant
Thanks for the work in writing this up! I was curious if anyone had seen this tablet running the Ubuntu variant. I have been considering importing one and this might have swayed me a bit more.
Driver pack
Yesterday I have received this tablet and wow its great value for money. I've been stupid enough to download and install Windows 10 Tech Preview without copying the drivers from the old 8.1 x64 installation. Does anyone has the driverpack for this device at his disposal? I have asked Cube support too. The good news is that it is running WTP 10 build 9926 and build 10049 is downloading now.
Drivers
I also need the wireless drivers. Any ideas?
Jerome! said:
Yesterday I have received this tablet and wow its great value for money. I've been stupid enough to download and install Windows 10 Tech Preview without copying the drivers from the old 8.1 x64 installation. Does anyone has the driverpack for this device at his disposal? I have asked Cube support too. The good news is that it is running WTP 10 build 9926 and build 10049 is downloading now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Windows/ Linux Drivers
And another poor bastard who has no drivers anymore...
I also installed the Win10 tech preview without saving the drivers. To be honest in the last years, drivers haven't been that much of a problem anymore so I wasn't careful enough.
So yeah I put Ubuntu 15.04 on it. It detects the touchscreen at least but also no Wifi, which is probably the most important part...
So if anybody, who has the original software, could extract the drivers and upload them, i'd be very happy!
Not only the Windows drivers but also the Linux drivers.
Thanks a lot in advance!
P.S.: I also contacted Cube and two different shops on Alibaba. In case I get a useful answer, I'll let you guys know!
---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------
Ah guys I found at least the windows drivers: http://techtablets.com/downloads-drivers-roms/
Techtablets definitely are good guys and hosted them! Find them under Cube - > i7. (Not Cube -> Cube i7).
So it looks like i'll go back to the Windows10 Tech Preview now and put Linux on my main laptop.
But still: If anyone orders the Ubuntu version of this tablet, please extract the drivers!
My shop actually asked me, if I want Windows or Ubuntu preinstalled. I figured, "yeah sure, I won't say no to a free Windows licence. I can put on Linux myself..."
Unfortunately it's just the Windows installation without a demo and now I don't have Linux drivers.
DerDave said:
And another poor bastard who has no drivers anymore...
I also installed the Win10 tech preview without saving the drivers. To be honest in the last years, drivers haven't been that much of a problem anymore so I wasn't careful enough.
So yeah I put Ubuntu 15.04 on it. It detects the touchscreen at least but also no Wifi, which is probably the most important part...
So if anybody, who has the original software, could extract the drivers and upload them, i'd be very happy!
Not only the Windows drivers but also the Linux drivers.
Thanks a lot in advance!
P.S.: I also contacted Cube and two different shops on Alibaba. In case I get a useful answer, I'll let you guys know!
---------- Post added at 06:36 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:24 PM ----------
Ah guys I found at least the windows drivers: http://techtablets.com/downloads-drivers-roms/
Techtablets definitely are good guys and hosted them! Find them under Cube - > i7. (Not Cube -> Cube i7).
So it looks like i'll go back to the Windows10 Tech Preview now and put Linux on my main laptop.
But still: If anyone orders the Ubuntu version of this tablet, please extract the drivers!
My shop actually asked me, if I want Windows or Ubuntu preinstalled. I figured, "yeah sure, I won't say no to a free Windows licence. I can put on Linux myself..."
Unfortunately it's just the Windows installation without a demo and now I don't have Linux drivers.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Great, thanks a million. Meanwhile I also contacted Cube support and they came with this link:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTMMpAB I'm checking your download since that seems to be a newer date.
Furthermore, there is also a recovery image posted to win 8.1 x64.
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1gdmxKC7
Has anyone experience with the Cube keyboard? Is it really fix as it looks? Not foldable I mean? Are there alternative keyboards that suit this model, for instance the Onda V116w?
Jerome! said:
Great, thanks a million. Meanwhile I also contacted Cube support and they came with this link:
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTMMpAB I'm checking your download since that seems to be a newer date.
Furthermore, there is also a recovery image posted to win 8.1 x64.
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1gdmxKC7
Has anyone experience with the Cube keyboard? Is it really fix as it looks? Not foldable I mean? Are there alternative keyboards that suit this model, for instance the Onda V116w?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Those drivers are a dump using doubledriver from my Cube i7 64gb model. I did a fresh Windows 8.1 install and restored using those drivers so I can confirm it works. Do you have a Cube support email or contact ? Can you please PM me their details?
I have an issue with the USB 3.0 port, I wondered if yours is the same? I can't get anything over max usb 2.0 speeds from it. I planned to run usb 3 hubs and even a usb 3.0 displaylink docking station, but I can't.
Please use any usb 3.0 drive or memory stick and see if you can get over 40mbs read or writes.
As for the keyboard it's both good and bad, the fix one position, non foldable is at a perfect angle for a desk. And the bad part, is the the touchpad (If you can call it that!) is worthless. It's the worse touchpad I've seen I think. Lucky for me I always use a wireless mouse, but for touchpad people, its best avoided. The keyboard does fit down nicely into the keyboard for travel etc.
I uploaded this video to Youtube today explaining the issue to my stubborn Ali Express seller who clains there is no issue and to cancel my dispute.
https://youtu.be/m0z3vbTydZo
It's a great tablet, but I expect the advertised usb 3 port to run as usb 3, not a usb 2 one. And sometimes I cannot even get the port to work with portable hard drives or USB sticks.
Thanks for the heads up on the keyboard. Will see what alternatives I can find.
About the USB 3.0 all my USB disks that I have laying around are all USB 2.0 ones, so sorry, cant put them to the test.
---------- Post added at 03:43 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:17 PM ----------
There are new drivers uploaded dated 24-04, maybe this will address the issue with USB?
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1kTj7Wwf
Another new set of drivers for the I7
http://pan.baidu.com/s/1jG3nvWq
Update drivers from 08-05 http://pan.baidu.com/s/1nt1LvZF now available
kr8r said:
Thanks for the work in writing this up! I was curious if anyone had seen this tablet running the Ubuntu variant. I have been considering importing one and this might have swayed me a bit more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cube did provide the Ubuntu ROM on their official forum.
Hendrickson said:
I uploaded this video to Youtube today explaining the issue to my stubborn Ali Express seller who clains there is no issue and to cancel my dispute.
https://youtu.be/m0z3vbTydZo
It's a great tablet, but I expect the advertised usb 3 port to run as usb 3, not a usb 2 one. And sometimes I cannot even get the port to work with portable hard drives or USB sticks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come, mine works perfectly fine with portable hard drives. And with the keyboard you get 3 USB3 ports in total.
dualboot
is it possible to dualboot windows and ubuntu (or some other linux) on this device?
first i did not like the cube i7 because it has no real usb-ports. but i saw in this thread that there are usb3 ports on the keyboard.
i think i will order this one instead if the teclast x1 pro (which is not available atm)
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With the help of Intel and Microsoft, many Chinese companies based in Shenzhen have been transformed from budget Android tablet makers to PC manufacturers. Cube, as one of the front-running Shenzhen brands, released in January, 2015 their first business-focused tablet – the Cube i7, which is also known as the first Core-M powered tablet from China. The Cube i7 was proved to be a huge success for the Chinese company. It won numerous awards and got more than 99% of positive feedback from the buyers on JD.com, the largest Chinese online shopping mall. With this much confidence, Cube released their second Core-M tablet recently, and this time it is paired with a Wacom pen.
The i7 Stylus, which comes with a much lower price compared to the original i7, has attracted lots of attentions since its announcement. The domestic price of the i7 Stylus is RMB2,099($338), and the price for oversea buyers is $499, but Cube will host many sales event where buyers could get the tablet for only $299 including shipping, the first event held on Aliexpress on July, 23rd was extremely successful, 3,000 units were sold in just one day.
Cube i7 Stylus Specs
OS: Windows 8.1 (will be updated to Windows 10 soon)
Screen: 10.6-inch IPS, 10-point multi-touch, IGZO
Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
CPU: Intel Broadwell Core-M 5Y10c
CPU Frequency: 0.8GHz (Base clock) – 2.0GHZ (Turbo clock)
GPU: Intel HD Graphics 5300
RAM / Storage: 4GB DDR3L / 64GB SSD
Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G, USB Host, HDMI
WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
Camera: 5MP back camera, 2MP front camera
Battery: 9,000mAh
Ports: Micro SD Card Slot, Micro USB 3.0 Port, 3.5mm Headphone Jack, DC Charging Port
Size: 273.77*172.03*10.5mm, Weight: 690g, Color: Black front and blue rear
Retail package
The packaging of the i7 Stylus is very nicely designed, inside we found a i7 Stylus tablet, a DC charger of 12V-2.5A, an OTG adapter, a user manual, a warranty card, a VIP card, and a quality certificate.
Design and build
If you’ve seen the Cube i7 in the flesh, the i7 Stylus looks utterly familiar. The similar sturdy but sleek metal body, the similar gently curved corners and wide black bezel, the same subtle Windows logo on the front. The i7 Stylus consistently feels great in hand, and shrugs off smudges well. With the proper screen protection, it could easily survive the day-to-day rigors of a traveling professional, and even the occasional drop. The Cube i7 is once remarked as one of the best built non-mainstream devices on the market, and we believe that the i7 Stylus could get the same rating in this particular area.
Although the i7 Stylus is not really a light tablet, the weight is evenly distributed, and no points flex or creek under moderate pressure.
The front of the tablet is dominated by the screen and relatively big bezels, below the screen you will find a touch-sensitive Windows key, and above the screen is a 2MP front-facing camera for video chat.
The i7 Stylus has a Micro SD slot, a Micro USB 3.0 port, a Micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm headphone jack, and a DC charging port along with the power button and volume rocker on its outer surface.
The magnetic connectors on the bottom edge instantly catch hold of the optional keyboard base, so that you never really have to guide them in. And once they’re in place, you can dangle the tablet from the keyboard if you want — that thing is staying put. Although the i7 Stylus has a footprint different from the i7, but it does have the same magnetic docking seen on the i7. As a result, it is compatible with the keyboard base designed for the later.
My only complaint about the design is the absence of a full USB port on the tablet. You always need to carry an adapter or the keyboard base if you want to connect the tablet with input devices or storage via USB. Compared to the design language of the i7 Stylus, I really do prefer Ramos’ approach with the M12, which comes with a full USB 3.0 port and an adjustable kickstand.
Display and Speakers
The Cube i7 Stylus has a 10.6-inch IPS display, with a 1920 x 1080 resolution and 16:9 aspect ratio. In terms of pixel density, the i7 Stylus has about 208 pixels per inch, whereas the Cube i7 has about 189 PPI.
As expected, the i7 Stylus’ screen looks great. Viewing angles are wide, colors accurate, and it shrugs off glare quite well, definitely much better than the LCD panels on average laptops.
Even compared to superb displays such as the one on the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro, the i7 Stylus’ screen still holds its ground. I admit that I do prefer the somewhat over-saturated colors on Samsung’s PLS screen most of the time, but there are people more comfortable with the slightly more true-to-life colors on the i7 Stylus’ IPS display.
If there is a complaint, it’s that things can feel a bit tinnier on the desktop side compared to the Cube i7 and Microsoft Surface Pro 3, owing to the slightly smaller screen. Though it supports touch, users will likely turn to a mouse, trackpad, or pen for navigation here, as the desktop requires a good amount of precision.
The speakers are very well placed on the right side of the tablet. The sound is flat, but it’s balanced well enough with little to no distortion, and the volume is acceptable for watching videos in a quiet room. If you plug in a pair of high-end headphones or nice speakers, you will notice that the i7 Stylus in no average Chinese tablet in terms of sound quality, thanks to the wonderful Realtek ALC269 sound card used in the tablet.
Pen and touchscreen
The stylus is a big point of differentiation from most other Core-M powered Windows 8 hybrids. The good news is that the pen paired with the Cube i7 Stylus is based on Wacom technology, which means it is snappy and super responsive, and a genuine pleasure to use on the tablet’s high-resolution screen, the bad news is that you won’t find it in the retail package of the i7 Stylus tablet because the pen is sold separately for $32.
Unlike the tiny pen hidden in the back of the Samsung Ativ Smart PC Pro, the pen that’s paired with the i7 Stylus is the size of a normal ink pen, with an eraser button on one end and a large button placed comfortably on the side. Click it and you have a right-mouse button with a beautifully positive action.
I have seen Wacom pens which have shallow, flimsy buttons that make it hard to tell when you’ve pressed them, but no such problems occur to the pen that comes with the i7 Stylus. Turn it over and you can wipe out what you just wrote or drew.
Writing with the pen in applications such as OneNote for Windows 8, in the Microsoft Office programs or in the handwriting recognition panel of the on-screen keyboard is smooth and accurate.
And while the handwriting recognition isn’t perfect, it’s accurate enough to make notes searchable or to let you write in a URL. Certain applications can even make use of the pen’s 1,024 levels of pressure sensitivity. For example, it makes the pen very much of a joy for working in Photoshop or in natural media painting tools such as ArtRage or Fresh Paint.
If you’re using a watercolour brush or a pastel crayon on a textured surface, drawing with your finger gives you a single, solid weight – more like a felt-tip pen or a bucket fill. With the Wacom pen, you can stroke lightly to get a thin light, light wash or gentle crayon stroke, or scribble fast and hard to get thicker, heavier lines.
The pen is also very accurate for selecting small icons in a complex interface such as Photoshop, or opening a link on an heavily loaded web page (much easier than the small touchpad on the Keyboard base, or your finger on the screen).
The combination of pen and touchscreen makes i7 Stylus extraordinarily versatile for drawing, sketching, painting, image editing and note taking.
Cube claims that the keyboard base designed for the i7 Stylus will feature a slot for the Wacom pen, so when you are not using it, you can just push it into the keyboard. But as we have neither received the keyboard nor seen one, we’re in no position to say whether it is a smart design or not.
In an ideal world, we’d prefer to have a permanent place to keep the pen on the tablet itself, instead of on the keyboard base. As we do often use the i7 Stylus as a standalone tablet, and only need to connect it to the keyboard base when we need to do a lot of typing.
Software and interface
The i7 Stylus ships with licensed Windows 8.1 with bing, and will be updated to Windows 10 within August. Unlike the Cube i7, the i7 Stylus does come with 1 year of authorization of Microsoft Office 365, the most important productive tools for any Windows tablets. Both the Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 are something of a hybrid, with both desktop and the Windows Store apps, touch and keyboard, the control panel and the finger-friendly PC Settings app.
On the i7 Stylus, as long as you’re comfortable with gestures such as swiping to open the charms bar, switching apps and closing an app you don’t want, the two fit together almost seamlessly.
You can swipe across the Start screen fluidly, pinch for semantic zoom, swipe up to get rid of tiles you don’t want, snap two apps (including the desktop) side by side – that’s great for chatting on Facebook or Skype while you work in one or two office programs.
I often read my business Emails and signed some of the attached PDF files with the Wacom pen at the same time.
All of this works on any Windows 8 PC with high enough screen resolution, but it is extremely smooth on the i7 Stylus – as the slate is powered by one of the stronger processors.
Performance
The Cube i7 Stylus is powered by a Core-M 5Y10c processor. The dual-core CPU has a base clock of 0.8GHz and a turbo clock of 2.0GHz, while the GPU is a mighty Intel HD Graphics 5300 running at 1GHz. There is 4GB RAM on board to take care of big productivity programs and multi-tasking, There is 64GB SSD internal storage as well as a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 128GB.
As you’d expect from an Ultrabook that just happens not to have a permanent keyboard, the i7 Stylus is fast. It boots in less than 10 seconds, and takes the same time to resume from hibernation, thanks to the high-speed SSD.
If you haven’t used the Core-M powered tablets or Ultrabook and don’t know what to expect from the i7 Stylus. Well, it’s almost on par with the latest Core i3 processors in terms of processing power. If you want us to compare the Cube i7 Stylus to the Atom Bay-trail powered Windows tablets such as the ASUS A100T or the latest Microsoft Surface 3, the i7 Stylus is definitely much, much faster. The benchmark scores above tell the story.
When running Photoshop and applying complex filters, editing 15GB raw images in Lightroom, rendering HD videos in Premiere Pro, watching 450 fish swimming at 60fps in the FishIE benchmark, the Core-M 5Y10c in the I7 Stylus shows its speed and power.
You’ll have no problem transcoding audio and video, running Visual Studio or using modelling and CAD software.
Unfortunately, as the i7 Stylus is fanless, its metallic rear side did get quite hot when we were running big applications and benchmarks, sometimes even to a point where I want to get it off my hands.
Battery Life
The i7 Stylus packs a 9,000mAh Li-Po battery, with the screen at a comfortable brightness (around 30%) for working indoor, running several desktop programs and Windows Store apps at the same time, with Wi-Fi on and the keyboard base in use, browsing the web and receiving and sending email, we were routinely able to work around 6 hours.
Depending on what you do, this is going to vary the way it does on any other notebook or tablet. Play games or browse complex web pages that use the GPU more, and you’ll get shorter battery life. Turn off Wi-Fi and turn the brightness down and unplug the keyboard and you’ll get longer battery life.
In our standard cngadget battery rundown test, we loop a 1080P video on the i7 Stylus with 50% screen brightness and 50% volume from the built-in speakers, the tablet lasted 5 hours and 12 minutes until automatic shutdown. This result put the i7 Stylus behind most of the fanless Windows tablets we’ve tested. It is also less screen time than what the Surface Pro 3 or Surface 3 are able to offer.
Connectivity
The i7 Stylus offer many connectivity options: it has dual-band 2.4G/5G WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, a Micro USB 3.0 port for hosting input and external storage, a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 128GB, and a Micro HDMI port to output the visuals to a larger display. With the keyboard base connected, you will have two extra USB 2.0 ports, which frees you from the awkward OTG adapter. The i7 Stylus doesn't come with a Micro SIM card slot seen on the i7, but it isn't really a letdown since most of the Windows tablets and Ultrabooks don't have one. And the fact that even the cheapest budget smartphones now come with 4G data access and Wi-Fi hotspot functions makes the SIM card slot on a tablet even less of a selling point.
Cameras
We’ve seen outstanding camera performances on some of Cube’s flagship Android slates such as the Talk 9X and T9, but with the i7 Stylus, it is a whole different story. While the 2MP front-facing camera is decent enough for video chat, the 5MP main camera is really bad, probably one of the worst we have seen on any tablet.
Even with decent lighting, the photos can still be very noisy and not clear enough for Facebook or Instagram updates.
Summary
Even with a pen-enabled high-resolution screen, a capable Core-M processor, 4GB RAM, SSD and a well-built keyboard base, the i7 Stylus still struggles to provide the same experience as a full-blown laptop: the standing angle is not adjustable; the 64GB internal storage is too small for a PC; without a left and right button, the touchpad on the keyboard base is not always easy to use….
However, if you’ve ever wanted a lightweight tablet PC for taking handwritten notes and sketching on, and prefer not to spend as much as $600 on a Microsoft Surface 3 or to tolerate the somewhat sluggish performance of the Atom based Windows tablets, the i7 Stylus could be what you’ve been looking for.
The good
The 10.6-inch Full HD IPS display has wide viewing angles, true-to-life colors and amazing brightness.
The Core-M 5Y10c processor and 4GM RAM are more than capable of dealing with heavy business tasks.
The i7 Stylus is shipped with Licensed Windows 8.1, which will soom be updated to Windows 10, and there is also one year of free subscription of Office 365.
With a Wacom-made digitizer layer under the touchscreen, the i7 Stylus works wonderfully with a Wacom pen, which further enhances its productivity.
The SSD in the i7 Stylus is fast, many times faster than the eMMc storage in the PIPO W8 and Microsoft Surface 3.
Priced at only $338, it is arguably one of the most cost-efficient business-focused Windows tablets out there.
The bad
The battery life of the i7 is below the average of Core-M powered tablets.
The rear side gets quite hot when the CPU is running at full load.
The rear-facing camera is low-quality and not useful at all.
That looks nice!
good review thank you very much
Great review!
Can you install linux on that tablet?
p3rand0r said:
Great review!
Can you install linux on that tablet?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think it is possible, but I am no fan of Linux.
ahmed1994 said:
good review thank you very much
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reading it.
Hi,
also got this tablet. Quality is very good. Compared do Pipo which i've got its big improvement.
But got two questions:
Made update to Win 10. As I see Cube come with 1 year Office.
I don't see that option in W10. I know - i should firstly activate it on W8.1
Is there any image to recovery to W8.1 ?
Second question - ordered with Pen - but didn't get it.
Has any one know which wacom pens are compatible.
I got Wacom Bamboo and it for sure is not compatible.
Thanks
Bartrek
bartwaw said:
Hi,
also got this tablet. Quality is very good. Compared do Pipo which i've got its big improvement.
But got two questions:
Made update to Win 10. As I see Cube come with 1 year Office.
I don't see that option in W10. I know - i should firstly activate it on W8.1
Is there any image to recovery to W8.1 ?
Second question - ordered with Pen - but didn't get it.
Has any one know which wacom pens are compatible.
I got Wacom Bamboo and it for sure is not compatible.
Thanks
Bartrek
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the windows 8.1 preinstalled on the i7 Stylus is Windows 8.1 with bing, but the image you could find on Cube's official website is Windows 8.1 professional, you won't be able to activate the Windows license once you flash that image. Cube has yet to fix this issue,.so mu answer to your question now is no, but i will keep u posted and let u know as soon as they fix this issue.
Sent from my LG-F460K using XDA Free mobile app
Hi,
Thanks for the review! Could you please confirm if the WiFi chip supports 5GHz networks? This review says the tablet only supports 2.4GHz.
Perhaps they're shipping this model with different wireless connectivity chips?
ToTTenTranz said:
Hi,
Thanks for the review! Could you please confirm if the WiFi chip supports 5GHz networks? This review says the tablet only supports 2.4GHz.
Perhaps they're shipping this model with different wireless connectivity chips?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No the Chip is a Realtek RTL8723BU which only supports 2.4GHz 802.11ngb upto 150Mbps + Bluetooth 4.0. Which is insanely slow as all my devices are hooked upto gigabit links.
The chip performance is really bad and you probably have to do a mod to the antenna to get 3MB/s+ as I can only achieve 2MB/s maxed out.
Damn... what's up with all chinese devices getting terrible wireless connectivity?
hi what happend to the pictures? i cant see any of them... all broken
Hello Jupiter2012, I would like to ask whether you could edit 1080p video smoothly on Premiere pro using the Cube i7 Stylus?
Thanks!
Ditto. I'm curious to see how well Cube i7 can handle premiere pro. I will need editing 1080p short videos as well and having no lag preview playback would be nice. Or would you recommend other cheap windows tablet for this application?
Great review.
cherremvp said:
Great review.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for reading it.
来自我的 LG-F460L 上的 Tapatalk
K koo
I could buy this tablet (with keyboard) in like new conditions for a price of 180 euro.
Does it worth or for less than 250 euro it's possible to find a better tablet/2in1/convertible ?
Thanks.
Sent with my Huawei Nova Titanium
TapaSte said:
I could buy this tablet (with keyboard) in like new conditions for a price of 180 euro.
Does it worth or for less than 250 euro it's possible to find a better tablet/2in1/convertible ?
Thanks.
Sent with my Huawei Nova Titanium
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Click to collapse
I think I paid € 230 for a new one. (without keyboard)
The performance is very nice. Battery runs fine for about 4-6 hours. (Watching movies, Surfing, installing, updating ... )
But I think with keyboard 180 it is not too bad. I do not know any tablet for € 250 that is faster.
peterl30 said:
I think I paid € 230 for a new one. (without keyboard)
The performance is very nice. Battery runs fine for about 4-6 hours. (Watching movies, Surfing, installing, updating ... )
But I think with keyboard 180 it is not too bad. I do not know any tablet for € 250 that is faster.
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As alternative I've found a surface pro 3 (4/128) that I think could be more reliable
Sent with my Huawei Nova Titanium