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Your thoughts on Asus Padfone

I feel this is more of a general "lets get your opinion/feel" but ive experienced in the past, any topic that has any question in it, gets moved to this section.. So im posting it here.
I'd like to get people opinions (and experiences if any) on the Asus Padfone. I've been eyeing the HTC Amaze, but there have been a few issues reported with it, and with new tech being released this year, im also considering other devices. The Padfone caught my eye due to its apparent versatility. (Especially since the HTC One series has been a massive letdown with the non-existent mSD card slot)
Though there do seem to be some things lacking with this device, such as the camera (apparently, the HTC one has an independent processor which speeds it up) for example.
Also the fact that its 3g and not 4g/LTE seems to be a step back (tho this isnt an concern for me, but could be later).
Anyway.. Thoughts? Concerns?

Not worth buying

I'm considering getting one. I'm from the Netherlands so 3G is just fine for me!
Pricing is rumoured around €699 euro here, pretty steep though... That's without the dock (which will set you back another €150 I bet)
I love the idea of having everything in one place (on your phone) and basically click it into the tablet for typing during class or watching/reading something.
Jam it into the dock for longer writing sessions... I can see this being a very useful combination for me personally. I'm not sure the average user will find this a useful gadget though.
Downside is that you really have to use the phone all the time and I'm not sure how well everything works softwarewise when you load the phone into the dock, screensize wise etc, etc.
Its just that I got a Gnex that I love so dearly

PokeiShoW said:
Not worth buying
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to elaborate?

newbie thoughts on the padfone
Last July 2011, I posted this thread on another forum and look at what happened in the interim - the Padfone!
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"Looking for serious multi-purpose (non-existent yet) tablet
I am a newbie. I have been communicating with a variety of tech publications incl Walt Mossberg, WSJ. But no serious response. I do not own a tablet right now but want to propose features that can be incorporated to the current crop. You folks can chime in (with respect) if you think my ideas are plausible.
Full disclosure. Currently, I am not a fan of the crop of tablets in the market today. What is out there (regardless of brand) are just pure "gadgets" for me. I do not do social networking nor games. I realize that I am in the minority in the high-tech populace.
I will consider a tablet with the configuration below to trim my techie equipment inventory. I believe this would be a truly PORTABLE, POWERFUL, SINGLE COMBINATION alternative to having (1) a communication/convenience/entertainment" device (tablet) AND (2) a PC for serious professional computing work, should I need to do some.
Samsung Galaxy-like form factor (or maybe even slightly larger or heavier)
Full Cell phone call capable (CDMA/GSM) - 3 or 4G thru BT (either on ear device or car's BT wireless communicator) - not just Google Talk or Skype
Web-access wireless card (a/b/g/n)
BT enabled to pair with my car's BT audio system wireless connection to play music stored in the tablet and other BT capable devices (tech already available)
Semi-full size BT keyboard/case (tech already available)
Available USB2 or 3 port/s
Available docking device to connect to an external larger LCD monitor, full-size keyboard, printer, optical drive, external HD, etc (?) to really replace my office/home notebook
Enough processor power (Intel/AMD dual core or higher), storage to support a full PC OS (Windows 7/8 or Mac OS), Internet Browser (IE9, FF5, Chrome, Safari, etc) and APPLICATION PROGRAMS AND DATA!
Sufficient battery life (replaceable) with AC/DC charging/connectivity capability
???????
Do you think this config for a tablet system has market and production potential? Or better yet, is there one already out there? I know that the technology to accomplish all of these exist already. It just takes somebody to put it all together.
Your professional insights are greatly appreciated."
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Since the Pf is not in our shores yet and I have been sick and tired of the all the unboxing, first videos from Barcelona, Taiwan specs and availability, I just implore ASUS to get their act together and stop the teasing and give us the US model! Regardless how a bunch of folks have trashed it, I on the other hand WANT ONE NOW. I realize that this desire is sight unseen, performance and quality unknown and not all the specs I listed above are in the model available everywhere else, I believe the concept of 3 in 1 is a brilliant one. I may not be as techie as you folks but for my use and from prelim videos and specs, what ASUS has done is phenomenal.
I would greatly appreciate your more techie input as well as marketing intel (US availaibility, specs, price, carrier, etc.). BTW, I still refuse to buy and do not want any of the tablets available today. Thanks.

The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?

Dark3n said:
The mechanism to insert the phone into the tablet looks like its the first thing to break rendering the whole concept useless.
But i have not hold it in my hand, anyone have some info on the build quality?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It's possible, it depends if the "door" needs to be closed before it will output to the tabdock. Plus, im sure alot said that about flip phones and sliding phone. My Touch Pro 2 is still going pretty strong, and it has a sliding keyboard.
Something id like it know is with the Keyboard dock, is it 'closeable'. As in, can you dock the tablet to it, then "close it" like a laptop so you can transport it as one piece?

first try... and probably last
very difficult positioning for Asus. They're trying desperately to innovate more that the competition to get a strong foot in that market.
However, this solution might not be fully interesting for a lot of people... If its a failure, they'll have lost a great deal of money that could have been used to make up for the difference with the latest ipad...

If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )

addiz said:
If this will be a failure , atleast the price will drop fast ( something like Evo 3d -50% )
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do you think it will be a failure?

it's something new and different let's see how people will act after buying it

Has a lot of potential...
Has a LOT of potential if marketed correctly.
I have a original ASUS Transformer TF101 with keyboard dock for eight months now and I can say its an amazing machine. The performance is just right, the battery lasts forever, almost stock ICS, lots of updates.
I have the only combination of devices that can compete with the full Padfone setup: a modern smartphone (Samsung Galaxy Note) and the mentioned Transformer, with full tethering support. If the Padfone system can have a significant price advantage, the consistency it provides (the Note have Android 2.3.6) can make it a winner.

Feels way to expensive.
$1 gets you a reply

yes the hinge closes like a laptop
problem: the hinge only opens around 90 degrees so you won't get a great viewing angle unless you are at a similar level.
when the latch of the tablet station opens to release the phone, it stops the phone being bent outwards, so you have to pull up and thus, not breaking the connector.
not having 4g is a big downer for me. I was going to get this and might still but seriously, uk is getting 4g this year so I doubt I'd want this when it gets released.

The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??

tytung2020 said:
The price of phone + 10" screen is Euro 699.
I think it will not be a success.
Why? (iPhone 4S + New iPad) is only Euro 199 more than the phone and a dummy screen.
Moreover, if you're going to carry around a dummy screen, why not carry a REAL tablet??
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.

Lyian said:
beeecause with a iphone and ipad, your data is in 2 places? So if you edit something on your ipad, you have to take steps to also update it on your iphone.. Plus, itunes.. thats always a disadvantage.
I see the appeal, and 200 bucks More isnt small.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.

sounds good

tytung2020 said:
I thought it's no need to take any steps? As long as your iPad is online at home, whatever you do on iPhone outside is automatically synced, as shown in the iCloud launching videos.
199 euro is small, when you compare a screen+ battery, with a fully functioned retina display iPad.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, i wont get apple products. If i were to get two devices, both would be android. Im sure it would be similar, but i don't like messing with clouds either, that's just a gimik to eat up your limited "unlimited" data package. Especially when your talking about my case of 400+mb PDF files.
I'm not completely sold on it, but it seems like a good idea, plus ive not yet seen official pricing on it.

Not that benchmarks mean much.. but...
ASUS PadFone gets benchmarked: a mere teaser of what's to come

What is the best tablet for me?

With Christmas fast approaching, I originally planned on purchasing myself an upgrade to my 2 year-old laptop. Yet, besides gaming which I am for the most part not particularly bothered about and can easily do still on the family PC, Xbox 360 or through OnLive, my current system proves more than capable for almost everything I can through at it - even if a bit slow on more laborious tasks such as video rendering (something which I have done only about three times in an entire two year period). Now, whilst this isn't a definitive decision, I think it may be nice to purchase a tablet for use downstairs as I dislike having to carry my laptop up and down to/from my room all the time especially when I want to just do a bit of light web browsing. Whilst the most obvious choice might be the Nexus 7 for most people, I own a Galaxy Note (which has a large 5.3" screen) and it is because of this that I don't see a 7" tablet as a worthy investment for such a measly increase in screen size. So, what do people here feel to be the best 10" tablet (so long as it will be publicly available in the UK by Christmas 2012)?

Are there specific features you want a tablet to have?

sls123093 said:
Are there specific features you want a tablet to have?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I must thank you, first and foremost, for such a quick response to this thread. Now, in terms of features, storage is one of my main criticisms over the Nexus 7 and for a tablet to be a true media device I would personally want it to have expandable storage via a Micro-SD card slot. Since my Galaxy Note already has a large 5.3" display, this tablet would have to be no less than 10" to even feel any more beneficial than just using my phone and, on the topic of displays, my past three phones have all had AMOLED displays with a very high resolution so a tablet would need a fairly decent resolution else it'd be left behind my Note. Although I may never utilise it as I certainly haven't needed nor wanted to before, the ability to mod easy (no locked boot-loaders or stuff like that) would be nice.

I did look at the latest iPad at one point in time and, whilst its quality app market, high-resolution screen coupled with a sleek design and upcoming support of Siri make it all very desirable, the lack of true multi-tasking seems a killer for me. I like the ability to quickly flick between an internet browser and an office program, for example. This has allowed me, in the past, to even complete homework tasks for school on my Galaxy Note.

Well if price isnt an issue, The brand new infinity has the best display out of any android tablet, and is super fast. Plus the dock is awesome. If price is a concern, you can still get an older prime + dock for around 400. But 10" might be too much, I personally think it is. I think 8.9 is a happy medium. But if you dont want a tablet, chromebooks are awesome

TheMuffStuff said:
Well if price isnt an issue, The brand new infinity has the best display out of any android tablet, and is super fast. Plus the dock is awesome. If price is a concern, you can still get an older prime + dock for around 400. But 10" might be too much, I personally think it is. I think 8.9 is a happy medium. But if you dont want a tablet, chromebooks are awesome
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Aren't Chromebooks basically just laptops, which I already have one of? And, 8.9 inches isn't enough of a size increase over my Note still. I would want a 10" tab. And, as of the last time I checked, the Infinity is around £650 GBP or so. That is even more than an iPad! Plus, I have no use for a keyboard dock.

Brad387 said:
With Christmas fast approaching, I originally planned on purchasing myself an upgrade to my 2 year-old laptop. Yet, besides gaming which I am for the most part not particularly bothered about and can easily do still on the family PC, Xbox 360 or through OnLive, my current system proves more than capable for almost everything I can through at it - even if a bit slow on more laborious tasks such as video rendering (something which I have done only about three times in an entire two year period). Now, whilst this isn't a definitive decision, I think it may be nice to purchase a tablet for use downstairs as I dislike having to carry my laptop up and down to/from my room all the time especially when I want to just do a bit of light web browsing. Whilst the most obvious choice might be the Nexus 7 for most people, I own a Galaxy Note (which has a large 5.3" screen) and it is because of this that I don't see a 7" tablet as a worthy investment for such a measly increase in screen size. So, what do people here feel to be the best 10" tablet (so long as it will be publicly available in the UK by Christmas 2012)?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I recommend a used iPad Wifi/3G model

Iph0ne27 said:
I recommend a used iPad Wifi/3G model
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
But, if you read later on, you'd know that I dislike the lack of multi-tasking on an iPad. Plus, I have grown accustomed to Google's wealth of services and the Android OS.

Web browsing on a tablet sucks, which will you will soon find out. Keyboard dock helps 100 fold, and the chromebook is just a webbrowsing net book. Its so light and small its not like a hunky laptop, and doesnt get hot. And you can buy an infinity for ~500$ on here. Or evne a regular transformer for around 350

TheMuffStuff said:
Web browsing on a tablet sucks, which will you will soon find out. Keyboard dock helps 100 fold, and the chromebook is just a webbrowsing net book. Its so light and small its not like a hunky laptop, and doesnt get hot. And you can buy an infinity for ~500$ on here. Or evne a regular transformer for around 350
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How does web browsing on a tablet "suck"?
Isn't that one of their primary functions?

Closed use proper Q&A section

My REVIEW of the LC-Power SINA-1 Tablet [edited]

Hello there,
in september 2012 I bought my first tablet, a LC-Power MIRA-1. Shortly after, on the 19th I posted a [Q] post here because I had a few questions. In the following weeks, some replies back and forth, more quirks came to light.
In short, I was semi-happy with the MIRA-1 (everything was fine save a few situations where the single-core tablet speed could not really keep up, for example, starting firefox and the keyboard, it always froze 2-3 secs "firefox is not responding. close/wait?")
Still, I do believe, I learned some valuable lessons about android and others with the MIRA-1 or thinking about getting one were helped too.
Fade in today.
I recently bought the new LC-Power SINA-1. It cost me 200EUR (Germany). In comparison, the MIRA-2 (which is like the MIRA-1 with an extra camera and a smaller rechargeable battery) still costs 160 EUR
I found the new SINA-1 to be a very interesting product, especially considering the price.
I came here to write my own review. I am in no way affiliated with LC-Power and I do not get a dime for writing this.
My motive for writing this and yes, maybe even advertise, is very simple. First of all, xda-developer has helped me before and I'd like to give back. More importantly however, I believe in tablets that do not cost an arm and an leg as well as the android (modding) community. I would very much love to see the LC-Power tablets get the attention they deserve...
Thank you for keeping with me so far. Let us begin!
Technical specs for the new SINA-1 tablet:
CPU: ARM Cortex A9 Dual Core 1,5GHz
GPU: Mali 400 QuadCore 250MHz
RAM: 1GB DDR3
Memory: System 1GB + 16GB NAND Flash (+ MicroSD up to 32GB)
Display: 10.1" IPS 5 Point Touchscreen, 1280x800
Networking: 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
Cameras: 0.3MP front, 2MP back
Connectors: micro-HDMI out, micro-USB host, micro-USB connector, 3.5mm headphones jack
OS: Android 4.1
Want to know more? google it
As I mentioned before, the tablet costs 200 EUR (Onlineshop, Germany, Dec, 15th 2012)
Material and built quality:
The first impression is very good. The tablet feels solid, has a certain weight to it, but is not too heavy.
The front appears to be glas and if it is not, it must be a very hard plastic. The back is made out of aluminium. I have no doubt that both can be scratched, please forgive me for not doing the experimentation on that. However, in a few days of extensive (time) yet normal (application) use, I have yet to see any marks besides fingerprints.
Where the front and back meet I can not feel any sharp edge (MIRA-1 I could).
It is very thin (quite a bit thinner than the MIRA tablet and a bit higher as well)
Overall, I would give the material and quality very good marks. I dont doubt that it could be better in some regard, even if I can't name one right now.
Display (visual):
The 1280x800 resolution suits the tablet well. It is definately a neccesary step up from 1024x768 (MIRA). Even if I did not exactly see pixalation with the old ones, the picture is indeed better with the higher resolution. Webpages like reddit look sharp, the text in 100% zoom is not too small. Pictures look vivid and good. Videos are even better (given the source material is of sufficient resolution itself).
The viewing angles are what you would expect from an IPS panel. Frontal (no angle) is best, the more you move to the side and increase the angle, the more you lose contrast and brightness. I have seen worse and have yet to observe the "picture went negative", but viewing some content with 2-3 people should not be a problem when you dont mind sticking your heads together
The brightness (350cd/m²) is good, in fact, in a dark room you may want to lower it a bit. Even on the lowest setting it is not too dark.
The contrast is equally good, or should I say "normal". It did not attract attention, neither positive nor negative...
First tests with a bright (300W) lightsource led me to believe that the glossy display does not become a shaving mirror when you have a bright light behind you, but it is definately harder to see the picture. Especially noticeable with movies.
Due to it being winter without sun, I can not test the tablet with summer-sun-brightness outside. I fear the results will not be too good. You may want to keep that in mind if you live in africa and will be using the tablet in the sun - might be trouble. (Then again, I don't know any tablet that has a matte display)
The illumination (is that the right word?) - the background light source illuminating the display with the same brightness consistenly - is adequate. There are a few bright spots (tested with a black fullscreen per 1.0 eyeball), especially on the lower left corner/border).
It is not noticeable when looking at brightly coloured images, but it will be a nuisance when watching a movie which is very dark.
I felt that here, my old MIRA-1 did do better. There, I never noticed bright spots like this before.
Display (touch):
The 5-point-capacitive display does very well in accepting touches, even light ones. 2-point touch (zoom) works equally great and the short test with fruit ninja confirmes that 5 points can be tracked. I did not experience any noticeable lag with 1,2 or 5 points in normal operation.
If you take a paint app and draw with your finger, a slight lag can be observed, however, as I understand current technology, this is common and just the way it is.
In conclusion, the display visually is adequate. Are there better displays out there? Yes, definately. Do you get them for 200 EUR? Definately not! Do you need a better display? Well, I can not answer that for you. In my opinion, the illumination is the only real and still overlookable drawback, everything else is fine. 8/10
The touchscreen part of the display is as it should be. I can not really imagine some way to improve it. 10/10
Together 9/10
Actual Performance:
The performance is quite good and right were it should be. There are faster tablets and phones out there and if we were talking about speed in my workstation or gaming rig, I would be right there with the "FASTER!!!!"-crowd. But since I don't plan on playing skyrim or bf3, rendering 3d images or encoding hd-videos on the tablet, I dont need huge speed reserves, I want a tablet that performs well with the usual tasks like webpage browsing, playing media files and so on.
As mentioned before, this is one of the main problems I had with the old MIRA tablet. 2-3sec freezes, applications (mainly the browser) that did not react and had to be waited for. With the SINA-1 they are gone. The OS works like a charm, switching applications goes instantly, browsing webpages is fun and the waiting in the browser now is for the reason it should be - networking speed! (browsing with firefox+adblock+hackers keyboard)
Since the old MIRA did perform well with movies and the games that I tested, it is no wonder that the SINA-1 does perform equally good. HD videos work well, jumping around in them works fast, even over HDMI with 1920x1080.
And I have yet to find a game that does not run perfectly on the SINA-1. I have tested the occasional gamer games like Angry Birds, some RPGs and even some 3D shooters.
It is hard to give points for the performance. On the one hand, I am fully satisfied (10/10), on the other hand are tablets and phones being sold with much much more power, at least on paper.
Button/Connector placement:
There are only two buttons, power and volume up/down. Both are placed on the right higher side, where I would have placed them myself. They feel high-quality (they dont dangle/wiggle) and have a distinct pressure point that needs some force. This helps you in knowing when you actually pressed the button and not press buttons by accident.
The connectors are on top (right side). One exception would be the headphone jack which is on the right side above the buttons.
The USB host (where you can plug in normal usb devices) is no longer a common USB port (like MIRA had), but a micro-USB. A short adapter cable came with the tablet.
The normal USB host (where you connect your tablet with the pc to access the memory/sdcard from the pc) is also micro-USB. A longer cable came with the tablet.
I would have liked the normal USB port to stay.
Also, these two distinct different USB ports look the same. Some attention must be payed to not confuse them.
HDMI is mini-HDMI. Adapter did NOT come with the tablet. (Which would have been nice!)
Power In is 5V at 2.5A. Adapter came with the tablet (duh!) - the cable is a bit short for my taste. About the same as with the MIRA before.
Note: the tablets rechargeable battery can no longer be loaded over USB
The connectors are close together, but not too close. you should be able to connect all 3/4 with power at the same time.
The microSD slot is on the right side, almost on the back.
Speaker: The speaker(s?) is on the backside. I feel like the device is not as loud as the MIRA tablets, but still works well for watching movies or listening to music in a normal room when you are alone.
Software:
Android 4.1 is working great.
Some might argue there are a few needless apps preinstalled. For example Google Maps and Navigation on a device which has no GPS and no mobile internet built in.
But there is no real crapware either.
Google Play:
Google Play is installed and working fine. The device gets shown as "Rockchip SINA-1"
I did run into some trouble with my old MIRA-1 and some apps. A few were apparently not compatible (although I did not understand why), others that were compatible did refuse to install (I can not and will not exclude a layer 8 problem here)
All those apps work now with the SINA-1. Install is fast and there is no trouble. The 16GB memory will suffice for a lot of apps.
Battery:
The rechargeable battery is a bit less powerfull than the one in the MIRA-1 and a bit more powerfull than the one in the MIRA-2.
Still, with the higher speed and I would assume, higher resolution, more power is needed. Hence with usage, the charging level does indeed go down. Quite a bit faster than with the MIRA-1. I will have to correct my earlier estimate from 5-6hrs down to 4-5hrs.
In fact, bring your loader if you are gonna go out all day and will be using the tablet much.
Support:
LC-Power is usually quick in answering normal support emails, but they will not exactly fall over each other trying to resolve any exotic issue that might come up. Maybe if you speak mandarin and mail them directly at tech and dev headquarters in probably china you might have some luck, but I doubt that the LC-Power people in Germany, USA or UK or ... had much to say about developing the device and customizing the android (except of course, maybe some translation)
Also, do not expect regular android updates or any long time support and new android versions. 2-3 months ago I was promised 4.1 for the MIRA-1, still hasn't been released.
Connectivety:
Wireless LAN b/g/n is working as intended. I feel however, that the signal strength is weaker than with the MIRA-1 tablet.
Bluetooth: What can I say. Its Bluetooth. Its there, it can be used, it works...
Mobile internet: Only per additional USB dongle (or tether your mobile phone...)
Ethernet: Apparently there are USB dongles for Ethernet LAN out there. Havent seen one yet, but I havent looked hard either.
Modding:
So far, there has yet to establish a big LC-Power community with modders, mods and custom roms. I really really hope it will happen some time. But dont hold your breath, you are on your own. Spread the word of the LC-Power devices, lets get a high enough market share an the chances of a active modding community will rise dramatically. Or do it yourself...
So...
if you dont care about mods and custom roms, the SINA-1 is ok for you.
If you want to play around, learn android, program aps, make mods, maybe even a custom rom, feel free to give the SINA-1 a try.
If you want to download the newest custom ROM, install it per 10 step manual and prag in school about your mad hacking and modding skills, look someplace else...
Rooting:
The device does not come pre-rooted. (MIRA did)
I welcome that change to some degree. I honestly believe in not giving the run-of-the-mill users the ability to break something beyond their own (or even some specialist) capability to repair it.
Then again, I also am not fond of the tricks one has to employ to actually root a device IF someone knows what he is doing and wants to use a device to its full potential.
That being said, it was relatively easy to root the SINA-1. Instructions at the end of my review
One last sentence about the stock ROM. It is not available for download (at least I could not find it). I know of no way to reflash it or recover a bricked device. You wont find extensive help, manuals and tipps to that end. Make sure to have an appropriate backup and/or tread carefully.
I myself will investigate, if you have any insight into that topic, feel free to contact me...
Summary/Conclusion
I really like this tablet. A lot. I found it superior to the MIRA-1 in almost all aspects (especially speed, compatability, screen resolution and build quality). It has however its week points (battery run time, uneven lightning of the display).
Since it is a 10" tablet without mobile internet, it obviously was made for home usage. Browsing webpages from the couch, watching a movie while your in a room without a TV, or listening to music without bringing your stereo, add a game now and then when you are bored. This is where this tablet shines. I could imagine it being used in a work environment / office as well. And when the batterie gets low, you hook it up.
The occasional traveler should be happy as well. Get a dongle or tether it to your phone and you can surf the web in the bus/train. Hook up your headphones and watch a movie (just hope the sun doesnt shine too much). Also, dont expect the tablet to last a flight around the world without loading up...
All in all, a very decent device with a very attractive price.
So should you get it? Well, it depends...
If you have a MIRA-1 or 2 and you are really happy with them, you dont care about waiting 1-2sec for some apps. Then dont get the SINA-1
If you have ANY other single core tablet that is not up to its tasks, makes you wait for apps, annoys you in some way, yes, give the SINA-1 a try - and sell the old one for some cash...
If you are thinking about getting the MIRA-1 or 2 (or another similar single-core device), try really hard to look for the other 40 EUR and get the SINA-1. Or get the MIRA used for like half its retail (~80 EUR), but be warned about the possibility of the tablet being to slow now and then
If you have another dual-core (or more) high-end tablet, probably with a big name on it like some fruit or samsung or nexus.. Sure, buy it. whats another 200 EUR. Or dont, I dont think it will be an upgrade. Just another tablet, even if it is a decent one
the get it or dont get it reasons in the modding subsection still apply
I myself regret nothing. I watch movies in bed, I surf the web on the couch. If I am really lazy I even open up teamviewer to do 2-3 clicks on my PC without getting up. I take the tablet with me on train rides and watch a movie or surf the web with my phone tethered. And I recently started to use it at work for presentations (put my notes on it). And when I am bored, I do play a game now and then.
Mind you, I did/could have done all that with the old tablet as well. But it sure makes more fun now
End of the review---
I certainly hope that this rewritten and formated review is more informative and better on the eyes.
I think I got most of my english mistakes as well.
I hope this helps some folk decide
If you have questions, feel free to ask them here. I will try to look back now and then and answer those questions.
good day
Catwiesel, Germany
Addendum:
How to root the SINA-1
Disclaimer: no guarantee, you break it, not my fault bla bla...
First, it was not difficult. It was done by the "root with restore by bin4ry method"
step 1: enable usb-debugging and allow installing of "foreign apk's" (or whats it called in english)
step 2: get a usb driver for windows (7 x64 in my case)
step 2b: since you probably wont find a driver, modify the google drivers from the android development sdk. add the line to the google.ntx86 and ntamd64 block:
%CompositeAdbInterface% = USB_Install, USB\VID_2207&PID_0010&MI_01
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
step 3: add the file adb_usb.ini at /users/[username]/.android directory with the following line:
0x2207
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
(i had to do this in my user account and in the administrator account*)
step 4: connect the tablet with your pc, make sure all drivers were installed and usb debugging is on
step 5: google, find and download the zip archive with the batch file, scripts and tools needed
(root_with_restore_by_bin4ry_v17.zip did it for me)
step 6: extract the archive, best to some easily found directory like c:\rootit
step 7: start a command line (cmd.exe) (as administrator?)
note: the actual rooting only worked for me when i started the command line as administrator
step 8: start runme.bat from c:\rootit, ch
step 9: choose method 1, wait for it to finish
(all this information was googled and very little trial and error. did not take me more than 30mins with no clue before hand whatsover)

Drivers
can you please explain how did you installed drivers?
I'm having troubles following your manual. I need sina-1 for developing but i can't connect it with adb cause drivers aren't installed correctly.

tnx for review.. I bought SINA-2 and use your method of rooting and it works.. have U tried some custom rom already? I don't know which is compatible with my device...

Does anybody know how to flash recovery or custom rom to this tablet. I have googled and nothing found. Maybe there is no recovery or custom rom for this device.

Update 9 months later
very small update after a few months of light and sporatic use:
- rechargeable batterie runtime:
I might have overestimated the runtime originally. additionally, rechargeable batteries dont get better over time...
that means that you really will be running to the charger a lot at home and should take it with you.
do not expect to be able to surf the web or watch movies the whole day without recharging.
- wireless range:
the wireless range is really really bad.
I originally stated it to be not great, but actually it is really bad.
No other device I ever had or currently have had a worse range.
expect slow transfer speeds even when directly next to the router
expect trouble even behind one wall / more than 5m away
expect no connection or unuseable for anything expect the most rudimentary stuff (getting an email) behind more then 1 wall and/or more than 5m away
--> apparently this WAS a problem with the earlier SINA-1 tablets and LC-Power will fix it. This would also mean that the newer ones should not have this problem
--> this bad wireless connection might also be a reason for the bad batterie runtime
- micro-sd:
I've had bad trouble with my 32GB MicroSD card(s) (SANDISK 32GB SDHC microSD Class 10)
the previous tablet (mira-1) took it, my even older mobile took it, the SINA-1 did not...
since my 8GB and 16GB cards were working I thought my 32gb card is incompatibel
--> A few weeks ago I could test another SINA-1 (new), no trouble with my 32gb microsd...
- Android
no new android / update has been released by LC-Power (that I can find)
- Modding:
still no real community
- Apps / Games
a few games (that might need a somewhat more powerfull device) that I can tell you are working are:
magicka, pokerstars, terraria
- built, glas, buttons
after light and cautious use over many months, the tablet can still look like new (if you clean it)
I have no scratches, no color scraping off, the buttons dont wobble. its like new
- the power-in jack
this needs a mention too, since it really is not well done. the plug fits, but will fall out very very easily.
best not to move the tablet when you have it plugged in
conclusion:
my first review still stands more or less... for its price this is a okay tablet
if the wlan is indeed being fixed and the batterie will run a bit longer for the current sold devices, this is still a good buy for ~150 EUR
since I do not really know what is wrong with the microsd issue (my tablet broken? newer tablets unaffected) I can not use it for reviewing. but be warned
HOWEVER...
there is a new LC-Power SINA-2 tablet that I will be reviewing soon...
I will post the link later

Thank you so much for sharing.

Very useful review, thank you.
Sent from my LT30p using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

Front camera not supporting video calls
Hi!
I was wondering if anyone who owns this tab had any issues with incoming/outgoing video calls (via skype/facebook/ooVoo).
Fact is, I can't make video calls via any of the above software, when i try, skype just blanks out and goes to previous screen. When incoming calls arrive it does the same but it says that I have a missed call.
OoVoo on the other hand connects to video call but automatically uses the back camera instead of front.
I don't get it. Any advices/ideas?
Thx

Here you go guys This tablet got CM10.2 fully working, with stock kernel <3
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=58477955&postcount=1187
Hope this helps!
The Grüß,
H.

And Sina 2 review?

new one ever?

Think Nvidia will ever create another one? Shield tablet. I hope so! I do enjoy my K1

I doubt it they don't seem interested in maintaining competition with tablet makers. There was a comment made by a high up member at Nvidia that they were not interested in what they view as a dying market.

Nvidia had once a phone..
Either way, their chips are top notch.

mirrin said:
I doubt it they don't seem interested in maintaining competition with tablet makers. There was a comment made by a high up member at Nvidia that they were not interested in what they view as a dying market.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes unfortunately, just about all the decent manufacturers have decided it's a dead market. At least in the smaller format, the only real tablets currently available (with updated hardware) are the iPad Mini and the Amazon Fire (neither of which I want, due to their closed ecosystems).
You can't get a decent spec 7-8" tablet with current hardware anymore. Samsung gave up, they offered the Galaxy Tab S2 in 8" size in 2015 (having offered higher-end 8" tablets for a few years running), but then skipped an update last year, and are now only offering the S3 in 9.7" size. And for a ridiculous price of $600 US (and only 32 GB of storage!), so they seem to be trying to compete more with the iPad Pro, than anything else. And I'm pretty much done with Sammy, with their horrible skinning of Android (even if they no longer call it TouchWiz - still the same garbage) and stifling development with unlockable bootloaders.
NVIDIA seemed to bail on an updated tablet as well, last year. NVIDIA seemed to be gearing up late last year for an update to the Shield. The stock of existing K1's seemed to be disappearing, and I think they even filed with the FCC for a new tablet? But then NVIDIA basically bailed on the whole ting, announced they would not update the Shield, and more K1's would be back in stock.
I'd love an updated version of the Shield, but NVIDIA doesn't seem interested.

I own both, the s2 Tab 8" and the Shield and screen-wise the s2 blows the Shield away. Performance-wise (gaming) it's the other way around.
IMO nowadays it's all about the screen. If Nvidia came out with an OLED screen device plus their power chipsets.. win-win.

redpoint73 said:
Yes unfortunately, just about all the decent manufacturers have decided it's a dead market. At least in the smaller format, the only real tablets currently available (with updated hardware) are the iPad Mini and the Amazon Fire (neither of which I want, due to their closed ecosystems).
You can't get a decent spec 7-8" tablet with current hardware anymore. Samsung gave up, they offered the Galaxy Tab S2 in 8" size in 2015 (having offered higher-end 8" tablets for a few years running), but then skipped an update last year, and are now only offering the S3 in 9.7" size. And for a ridiculous price of $600 US (and only 32 GB of storage!), so they seem to be trying to compete more with the iPad Pro, than anything else. And I'm pretty much done with Sammy, with their horrible skinning of Android (even if they no longer call it TouchWiz - still the same garbage) and stifling development with unlockable bootloaders.
NVIDIA seemed to bail on an updated tablet as well, last year. NVIDIA seemed to be gearing up late last year for an update to the Shield. The stock of existing K1's seemed to be disappearing, and I think they even filed with the FCC for a new tablet? But then NVIDIA basically bailed on the whole ting, announced they would not update the Shield, and more K1's would be back in stock.
I'd love an updated version of the Shield, but NVIDIA doesn't seem interested.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
unfortunately at around the 7" mark is where people would rather just go for one of the big phones that is one reason for the lackluster sales of tablets. In the 8"+ setting you are competing with the ipads and laptops. And honestly the power of even a budget laptop blows all tablets away... So there is a slim number of consumers who want a 8-12" tablet. Honestly I would pick up a 2018 shield x2 tablet in a heart beat...

i would for one like a bigger nvidia tablet.

mirrin said:
unfortunately at around the 7" mark is where people would rather just go for one of the big phones that is one reason for the lackluster sales of tablets.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've heard people say similar, that basically folks don't want a small tablet when they can just use their phone. And I personally can't agree. Anyone who thinks that, must not actually have ever used a tablet (or at least otherwise convinced themselves they don't need a tablet for different, unrelated reasons - cost/budget, don't want to own too many devices, etc.). While the diagonal screen "size" on paper of a big phone/phablet versus a smaller tablet may not look that different (say around 5.5" versus 7"); that is a deceptive way of looking at screen size, as the actual difference in area is huge. Literally, the tablet will have double the area of the phone (while the difference in diagonal length is only 27%), which makes a big difference when viewing videos, web browsing, etc.
I own both a decently large phone (OnePlus 3T, with 5.5" screen) and the Shield, and they both serve their purposes. The 3T is better for portability, as it's what I carry whenever I leave the house. But when I'm at home, I find myself reaching for the Shield most all the time (unless I'm actually making a call, sending a text, or taking a pic) as the larger screen real estate make it much more pleasurable to use. But it never leaves the house (unless I'm going on an overnight trip) as it's not convenient to carry around on a daily basis (plus WiFi only).
mirrin said:
In the 8"+ setting you are competing with the ipads and laptops. And honestly the power of even a budget laptop blows all tablets away...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agree that larger tablets compete directly with iPads. But for me personally, Apple devices are not a choice; as I'm simply against Apple's closed ecosystem, proprietary standards (ports, etc.) and generally dictating to people what they should want/like instead of actually listening to what customers want.
Laptops, while they also have their place, are too bulky for my normal usage (mostly media consumption & web browsing). I have a nice laptop provided by my work, which often goes home with me. I never take it out for my own personal purposes (only for work) even though it's readily available. Simply too big and bulky.
BTW, not arguing with you, so hopefully doesn't come off that way. I agree with your points in general. But everyone has their own personal preferences. And unfortunately for me, mine contradict the masses or majority. And it's unfortunate that most all the manufacturers have decided that is not even enough of a niche market to provide a decent small tablet this year.

Thats why Microsoft did it right with the surface. If Nvidia went that path, but not as aggressive as in the laptop area performance. but made a nice tablet that can be used like a laptop per say.
Like the prior poster stated. outside i have my phone for portability. but anytime im sitting still ie. traveling and staying. i always have my Nvidia with me.

Spadizzle said:
Thats why Microsoft did it right with the surface. If Nvidia went that path, but not as aggressive as in the laptop area performance. but made a nice tablet that can be used like a laptop per say.
Like the prior poster stated. outside i have my phone for portability. but anytime im sitting still ie. traveling and staying. i always have my Nvidia with me.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Problem is microsoft surfaces don't sell well either. Imagine 12 inch screen all of the power of a netbook or low end laptop at best the surface has a i7 6650U which hits the $500-600 laptop mark. a surface pro 4 with the max specs is around 1400. vs an ipad for 800 or less
For 1400 the surface has to compete with laptops and for that price you can get way more powerful laptops.
To sell well a tablet needs to be in the 8-10" size category it needs to have at least the power of the latest ipad and it must be priced under 400 anything higher the masses will just jump to an ipad. Anything under 180 will have too many corners cut to make a profit build, quality, function or appearance will suffer.
So that leaves us we need a tablet 8-10" with a good ips or oled display it needs to have the power of a tegra x1 or better and at least a sot battery life of 5-8 hours priced somewhere between 200-399

Suggestions for tablet acquisition

Hi everyone. I have bought several tablets on these last five years. Windows tablets, android tablets (i don't like apple devices, to me they are a very expensive mini atari), but all them have ended for reciclying, or at least as battery donators. I must admit two things: First, I like to modify my devices, to fiddle around my devices, if I find something that I don't like on it. And second, and maybe the most important, I always try to buy the cheaper, or better the device with the better price/quality ratio that I can aford.
I live in south america, and as you know, here money is not so fluent, so easy to get, as in Europe or North america... you know... so please don't judge me.
So, relative to those two conditions, I want to ask you ¿Which tablet do you recommend me for buying? I mean, as we say in Colombia, a device: good, cute and cheap.
I know i'm being cheeky, but also I want a cheap durable tablet. I owned a lenovo yoga 2 windows tablet that I loved, i had not to make any modification on it, but its own desing was its doom, because it had a turnable tab on its bottom that acted as tablet stand. That tab was designed also, to harbor inside of it, the battery, and happened that everytime it turned, internally that tab, teared slowly the battery's ribbon cable. As result any day, it just didn't want to turn on any more. With my last tablet, I needed to root it, and possibly by an excess of plugging and unplugging by trying to root it, its usb port got broken.
¡Anyway!... The fact is I'm conscious that a cheap tablet (and repeat; I mean cheap at southamerica level) , means generally low quality components; but anyway i want to ask you if you have had any tablet with all those charateristics (durable, easy to custom, cheap and a big screen), and that very possibly had make you happy because of that. ¿Or sadly the quest for the "perfect" tablet is a trial-error process?(with the respective big loss of money)
Thanks for your attention and thanks in advanced for any answer.