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First, I have to say that I am really very excited that PIPO has chosen me, along with 19 other people, to review this new tablet. I’ve become quite a fan of the device as soon as I laid my eyes on it. As I always go for uniqueness and the feel of black technology (Sorry, Apple!), the PIPO M8 gives me just everything I need!
For people who have never heard of this brand, it is a company focusing on making differentiated tablets in the Chinese markets. It is the first Chinese company to market a 7 inch tablet with 1280*800 IPS display, an 8.9 inch PLS tablet as well as this 9.4 IPS display device we are testing today. As far as I am concerned, this marketing strategy has been quite successful, as PIPO has attracted tens of thousands of fans in just a few months’ time since U1 hit the market.
Highlights
9.4” IPS Capacitive Touchscreen, 1280*800
Slim Magazine-like Design
Support WCDMA/GSM Mobile Internet (Only the 3G version)
Android 4.1 OS
RK3066 Dual Core 1.6GHZ processor, quad-core of Mali-400MP
1GB RAM, 16GB ROM
5.0 Mega-pixels AF Camera
Front facing Stereo Speakers
Bluetooth 2.1
Support OTG, HDMI
Support 2160p video playback
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.1.1
Model: PIPO M8
Display Technology: IPS Capacitive touch screen
Screen Size: 9.4 inch
Resolution: 1280*800
CPU Manufacturer: Rockchip
CPU Model: RK3066 Dual core A9 Chipset with Mali-400MP4
CPU Speed: 1.6GHz
RAM:1GB [email protected]
Hard Drive Capacity: 16GB
PCMCIA Expansion: T-FLASH (Support 32GB MAX)
Camera: 2MP+5MP Auto Focus
HDMI: HDMI1.4
3G: Internal 3G for 3G version, external 3G for the WIFI version
Bluetooth: Yes
GPS:NO
G-Sensor:Yes
Gyroscope: Yes
Audio: Built in stereo speakers (frontal)/ Built in Microphone
Language:Multi-language support
Battery Type: Li-ion, 6500mAh
Charging Voltage: DC 9V - 2.5A
Color: Black
Item Dimensions/ W*D*H:240x 172 x 9.0mm
Net Weight: 520g
Connectors
Ports: 2 x Micro USB port (USB Host and USB data port)
1 x Micro SD card slot
1 x 2.5mm DC input (9V, 2.5A)
1 x Audio jack
1 x Mini HDMI port
Communications
Wireless Connection:WIFI 802.11 b/g/n; WIFI+3G for the 3G version
Bluetooth 2.1
Retail Package
I received a gigantic delivery package last Friday, within which there are a slim paper back box which holds the tablet and a warranty certificate, another smaller but thicker paper box which holds the fittings and the manual for this tablet. A protection cover which is more likely an optional fitting more than a bundled one.
And above are all the standard fittings for the tablet.
Design
There’s no questioning that PIPO has come up with a stand-out look for this tablet. From the second you see the M8, it’s clear that the company is making a statement about how you’ll live and work with the device. The basic shape calls to mind a folded book or magazine, which is really comfortable to look at even though it feels very different. The device sports a 9.4-inch screen and weighs in at 520g, but it feels lighter in your hands than other tablets on the market because of the way the shape allows weight to be distributed. The tablet is only 9.02mm at its thickest point, and tapers down to a narrow 4.36mm.
Whether or not you warm up to this design is probably a matter of taste, but I found myself a big fan of the magazine shape, in both two-handed and single-hand settings, as well as on a flat surface. The beveled shape makes typing slightly easier when you have the M8 on a desk.
Besides the big screen up front, the M8 features a 2.0 Mega Pixels Front-facing camera, an ambient light detection sensor which enables auto-brightness of the display, and two speaker gates. This is the first time I’ve seen any tablets putting speaker gates on the front, but this is actually a very smart move, as you could never block them again wherever you put your tablet, Both the clarity of the outer sound the stereo speakers produces and its volume is very good, better than any other Chinese branded tablets I have tested.
Most of the ports and all the hardware keys are located on the upper edge, including a menu key, an ESC key. a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 32GB, a Micro USB Host connector, a Micro USB data port, a Mini HDMI interface, an LED notification light and a DC charging jack. The plug PIPO includes is of the 9V-2.5A standard, which ensures great charging efficiency.
On the left edge lies a 3.5mm audio jack, and on the right a Power/Standby switch which is artistically designed.
On the back you will find a 5 Mega-pixels AF camera which is able to shoot fairly sharp photos, another outstanding feature for the gorgeous device. All of the ports and buttons on the device feel very reasonably placed and easy to find.
In all, the M8 is a distinct device with a lot going for it in terms of industrial design, and there is almost no misstep here that makes the device underwhelming. The skin-feel metal back cover gives the device all the feel of expensiveness it needs, even comparing to those Apple and Samsung tablets which are priced many times more.
Display
The front is occupied by a 9.4” 1280x800 pixels screen, surrounded by fairly thin bezel. The screen resolution is the main gripe to be held against the M8, in this day and age of flagship slates with 1080p displays and above. Having said that, it is a very good screen in terms of colors, contrast ratio and viewing angles. The display brightness is also really satisfactory, meaning that you would be able to use the M8 outside even on a sunny day.
Internals
Inside the M8, you will find a healthy dose of familiar Android guts. The device is powered by Rockchip RK3066 dual core A9 chipset, running at 1.6GHZ, meaning you’ll get solid performance on all almost all applications. According to previous tests with other tablets powered by this chipset, RK3066 is arguably the most powerful dual core ARM processor. The M8 has 1GB of RAM onboard and 16GB of internal storage. The device also sports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an array of sensors (gyro, light, accelerometer, etc.).
Software
Most tablets these days must be judged on their software. In the case of Android Jelly Bean tablets, that’s not exactly a Herculean effort.
PIPO is no different in the sense that the company has opted for slight tweaks in the software rather than a major overhaul. The M8 utilizes largely the same build of Jelly Bean as other tablets (like the Galaxy Tab 8.9), though there are a few notable differences.
First, PIPO has designed a customized M8 homescreen which does not have a portrait mode, this can be quite annoying sometimes when you exit an portrait-default application like an E-reader or games such as Temple Run.
The widgets and icons of the regular applications have been revised to fit the custom UI. Having seen lots of stock Android UIs, I find myself quite a fan of those cute, crystal-like icons. As the M8 has no hardware controls for volume adjustment, PIPO has put the virtual volume rocker in the permanent android status bar, along with a screenshot button and the regular ECS key, Home key and Task Switcher.
PIPO has also preinstalled a few applications and games on the M8, but one of them PIPO-exclusive. You can easily find them free in any android market app.
Cameras
The rear-facing 5.0 Mega-pixels camera does a great job of capturing images — if you’re into holding a nearly 10-inch tablet up while you snap away. As I’ve said in many other tablet reviews, taking photos with the cameras on tablets are completely silly to me, even though I actually have seen quite a few Chinese and Japanese people doing that in public. I certainly won’t. On the other hand, the front-facing camera here is a step up from most other models, and I’m happy to see PIPO trying to improve the specs on what is normally an afterthought.
Just know this: even though the rear camera is probably the best I have seen on any Chinese tablet, it won’t replace a real camera or decent smartphone option — mostly due to the size of the device and awkwardness in use.
You can also capture 480P videos with the M8, though this seems even more bizarre to me than snapping photos. Quality was solid, though the device’s awkward size made it tough to get steady content.
Performance
As I have mentioned above, the RK3066 chipset, although seemingly a little outdated as a bunch of quad-corers have already hit the market, is still able to provide more than enough power to run the device smoothly over a variety of applications.
Some benchmark scores of the M8 and the comparison to other dual core devices.
In terms of General performance, the device seemed speedy running graphically intense games. And the experience of video playback is also very pleasant as the chipset can easily supports all formats of videos to at least 1080P. Thanks to the updates Google has made for Android4.1, the responsiveness and smoothness is better than ever. It doesn’t pale even compared to the Apple iOS.
Connectivity
As for connectivity, M8 has probably the best WIFI reception of all Chinese tablets I've tested, Online video streaming is possible even when you are 10 meters and some walls away from the WIFI router.
Besides, M8 also has built-in Bluetooth, which is a rare feature for Chinese slates. The WIFI version of the tablet can also get access to 3G network through connecting a 3G network card to the device through an OTG cable. And the 3G version has built-in 3G module which supports WCDMA/GSM SIM card. As I've only received a WIFI version, I cannot tell you how well the 3G module works on the M8.
Battery Life
Battery life on the M8 seemed solid to me, as the device features a 6500mAh rechargeable Li-PO battery. In my intense 720p video playback test, the M8 lasted nearly 8 hours, which is quite something considering that most Chinese tablets can hardly stand 5 hours of screen-on use. However, I did notice a more pronounced drain on the battery when the device was sleeping than my Tegra2 powered Samsung Galaxy Tab8.9 and Motorola XOOM, and I felt it fell short of competitors like the Ainol NOVO10 (8000mAh battery) and FSL Fast (8000mAh battery) in terms of overall battery longevity.
Another annoying issue is that the device does not support charging under the shutdown state, even though the charging efficiency with the 9V-2.5A plug is quite amazing (A full charge only takes as short as 3 hours).
Wrap-up
Good stuff:
Fascinating industrial design
Great looking display
Capable cameras
Excellent front facing stereo speakers
Solid battery life
Wonderful WIFI reception
Not so good stuff:
Incapability of charging under a shutdown state
Pricier than alternative options
Android slates are mostly competing on specs and price these days, rather than with design and overall experience.
The M8 goes for RMB1199 ($193) from PIPO, and, granted, this is $200 less than the market-leading iPad Mini, or the original 9.4 inch Sony Tablet S which is powered by the quad-core Tegra3 chipset. But for the same $200 price you can get the Exynos Qua-core Ramos W30, or the brand new Ployer MOMO19 with quad-core A31 and 2GB of ram.
The M8 does offer some features to differentiate itself from the competition, though, apart from the distinctive looks, like the very capable cameras and battery. Other than that, you can find plenty of decent Android tablets with this screen resolution and processing power for even less.
Overall, those who'd appreciate the more distinctive, elegant look will find the M8 right up their alley. But for those who just want a cheap Chinese tablet with a big screen and decent processing power, there might be other options.
thanks for your report.
questions:
how fast is the gpu clock for the mali mp400mp4 in the m8, ist the clock at 533 mhz???
Thanks for your question, the GPU is clocked at 399MHZ, powerful enough to run all Android games smoothly.
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium
against cube u30gt how does it compete?
thanks
Okay, ive got one for over a week now, the M* 3G (built in), and I must say......it rocks! Can work for about 6 Hrs without recharging, Wifi is perfect, design is a beauty,Im living in the Netherlands and today I tried (without any hopes of working) my built in 3G sim...guess what, no problem, worked right away. Graphic Speed is more than sufficient. The screenres. is perfect, tried to stream from my QNAP 469 (Twonky & Serviio) and the QNAP apps, worked like charm ( besides the mkv of 20+ gb.....but that's normal). When you buy this Tablet, beware of the fact that the OTG cable can be defect (as was mine...) when i tried to hook up a keyboard which i ordered in a sleeve, after replacing it it worked fine (also mouse and HDD). Sufficient power out for the HDD. Conclusion for me (mind...non-gamer, mediafreak yess) for about $185 ex. shipping: A WINNER!
For me, m8 is the better choice, u30gt is much porkier. And I prefer the design of m8.
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium
the 3G version, $185? r u serious? It's priced at RMB1,399 here in China, which is above $200....
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium
You should mention in the negatives that you can't update the android OS by OTA you have to do a whole procedure to do a system update via your pc (so if you have a linux based pc you are pretty much sc....d). In my case I have an Andersson ADT 2.6 which is a rebranded Pipo M8
Sent from my ADT 2.6 using Tapatalk 4
M8 replacement
For those who love their M8 Pro, like I do ...and would like a viable replacement someday, look to the M8HD.
It is the same case with a 10.1" brighter screen installed; thinner screen surrounds; bigger battery.
Pretty sure the M8 Pro is being/has been discontinued. I hated that they might give up the M8 size and style.
Not so, thankfully!
Could be one day we will see a RK3288 in the M8 case. Now that would be nice! ?:good:
Edit on 6/28/15
Amazing that I can still edit this post after so long. My M8 Pro finally died a quiet death. I was going to give it to a family member now that I have my Cube T9; decided to update the RileyRom, and bricked the tablet. Dead android on back; frozen on screen with a triangle above him marking his demise.
Boo hoo! There was a lot about the M8 Pro I really liked!
?
The battery is not even close to what the review is referring. Its last for 2 hours only in daily use and it was something like that from the begging. I have the tablet for 1 and a half year and after 6 months it started to hang, freez, you hard reset it and does not come on easily. As a conclusion DO NOT BUY IT!!! NEVER NEVER!!!
I've been in the market for a new tablet lately and it's forced me to look over a lot of stats and read and watch a lot of reviews. There is no tablet that blows me away and has everything I want. In the phone world, that was the Nexus 6P and I have it. So if you could "build your own" tablet, what would it be like? What hardware? What software?
For me, it would be a 9.7" Super AMOLED screen with (at least) 4GB of RAM, 64GB of onboard storage with Micro-SD expansion slot, Snapdragon 810/820 (8-core big/little) CPU, NVidia GPU (I realize those two don't work together, but this is my fantasy tablet, after all), matte finish, made from aluminum, 10000mah battery, USB-C with quick-charge and front-facing BoomSound Speakers. The software would be stock Android which is very easy to mod/change, like the Nexus series (with images uploaded constantly so you can go to any Android revision).
If someone released a tablet with the same hardware as my 6P, I would buy that INSTANTLY. The 6P, in my opinion, is the perfect marriage of hardware and software. It's not quite perfect (no SD expansion), but it's close. The phone is wicked fast, buttery smooth, and has excellent battery life. Why hasn't someone made this into a tablet already?!? Google, are you paying attention?!? Give me a 9.7-10" Nexus 6P!!
So what is your "perfect tablet"?
First of all welcome everyone, glad to be a part of this forum. I've been lurking XDA developers since long, long time ago back in the PDA era (HTC SPV M5000 anyone?).
I've owned my Galaxy Note 2 for over 2.5 years now and I'm tired of constantly running out of internal storage and the now-supar camera. I'm looking to buy a new smartphone that will check off many boxes, but if I could describe what I need in 2 sentences, it would go something like: a large-screened productivity workhorse with loads of storage and battery, and a good camera. And if it's future-proof, that's even better! I want a device that will last me for at least 2+ years.
Here's what I'm looking for:
- Screen size between 5,5" and 6"
- Internal storage min. 32 GB, needs to have a microSD card slot (unless it has 128G internal storage)
- Decent camera with OIS (camera should handle low-light shooting well)
- Decent UI (unlike the majority of community here, I don't really want to be flashing my phone with new ROMs or any of that, I just want something that works well right out of the box and is user-customizeable through custom home launchers etc)
- Great battery life (this is big for me, I'm often on the road, I listen to tons of podcasts, use mobile data, bluetooth, sometimes wifi tethering etc. I need a phone that can get me through a looong day)
- Fingerprint scanner
- Won't put a huge hole in my wallet (I wouldn't mind paying more for the perfect and FUTURE-PROOF phone but seems like there isn't one that checks off all the boxes. At the same time I'm trying to keep it below $500)
- A physical home button is a plus (and capacitive buttons! Just like in Samsung Galaxy series)
- Screen res. above 1080p is a plus (better for VR and I will probably try some VR in near future)
- Replaceable battery is a plus (plus extended phone cases, yay!)
- OTG support is a plus
- USB-C is a plus
- Dual SIM is definitely a plus
- No curved screens like on the Samsung Edge series
I looked at:
- Huawei Mate 8 - checks off most boxes, nice big battery but crappy, buggy, and not very customizable UI.
- Huawei Mate P9 Plus - very interesting camera-wise, the rest just like above
- LG G5 - also very interesting camera-wise, a bit smaller screen, and a battery that's way too small. Although replacable, I cannot imagine remembering to bring a spare battery with me everywhere.
- Nexus 6P - great reviews and everything, great software BUT I'm mostly based in China where ALL Google services are blocked, so it would probably be a big pain to have to rely on VPN the whole time. Also camera has no OIS, although I did read it's great. Another con: a bit expensive and not easily available in the 128G version
- Samsung Galaxy A9 Pro - the top contender for me so far. The 5000mAh battery is nuts and just what I need. Dual SIM and dedicated microSD slot. Affordable. But the big bummer: sub-par camera. Also a bit low on the DPI if I ever want to use VR. And no notification light (how am I supposed to know if I got notifications?)
- Samsung Galaxy Note 4 - a bit slower than the A9 Pro, smaller battery, but better camera. And the stylus - I could definitely use the stylus for more productivity. Just really not sure about investing in the aging technology. I want to get at least 2 years out of the new smartphone. Also I've read there's some issues with GPS that are hard to solve. Added benefit of possibility of extended battery case.
- Samsung Galaxy Note 5 - nice and seems like a significant upgrade from Note 4 but no card slot, and expensive at 128G. Still only microUSB v2.0 even at the high price point.
- LG V10 and LG G4 - very interesting propositions, reportedly good cameras, very mediocre batteries (and not too good power management it seems) at 3000mAh but both could be extended with a bigger battery. Pretty sure I would be fine with a little bulkier phone with a case that accommodates a 4000-6000mAh battery, but I would still need to keep it as slim as possible, I don't mind if it's not the slimmest phone but I certainly don't want a thick and heavy brick in my pocket. I've also read reviews of some of the extended battery cases and it seems like the battery quality can be a real lottery. The batteries lose their capacity quickly, and I think none of them can be charged using the Quick Charge 2.0
- ZTE Avon 7 - veeery interesting proposition, not the biggest battery but almost everything else knocks me out of my socks. 6GB RAM possible, 128G storage that can be expanded by another 128G (!), capacitive buttons in the higher version, an added benefit of insane speakers. The camera is reportedly not too impressive though, although I'm pretty sure it's better than the one in Galaxy A9 Pro. The main concerns: it's a very fresh phone, the UI is reportedly not very optimized, I can imagine there will be plenty of issues that ZTE will need to fix through software before this phone runs as smoothly as the Galaxy A9 Pro or LG G4 would. And I hate waiting in hopes. Also, being in China, I think it's a bit tricky to purchase the phone in International/European version that has a broader range of bands and doesn't block Google services. I've read through the entire 35 page thread on XDA about this phone and yes, it seems like you can get the Google services to work without problems but who knows what the next ZTE updates will do to that. The way I generally see it is Chinese UI = potential problems.
For the Galaxy A9 Pro or LG G4 I would just go to Hong Kong to buy them and enjoy a phone that doesn't have the Google services blocked. I couldn't find the ZTE Avon 7 anywhere in HK on the internet.
All in all if I had to go to the store tomorrow I'd probably need to choose between a Galaxy A9 Pro, the well-proven LG G4 with a great camera (but a need to buy a good extended battery case and ultimately ending up with a rather bulky phone), the Galaxy Note 4, and the ZTE Avon 7.
Any suggestions, thoughts, recommendations?
What is the best tablet, for all different users, at this point in time?
The tablet market - as you might know, if you've been looking at XDA the past few years - has significantly diminished. It's all about the phones now. However, some of us still want the multi-purpose utility devices known as tablets.
Here, I'd like to discuss some of the tablet options currently available, and hopefully get some suggestions from the rest of XDA.
So far, out of the tablets I've looked at, only a few have appealed to me.
1. - The Lenovo Yoga Book:
Having some interesting features, and pretty well spec'ed for $380CAD [$275USD on Amazon.com], this is my first personal choice for buying a tablet, as I will be doing in a few days. It has four gigabytes of RAM, a 1200p LCD screen, and an Intel Atom processor clocked to 2.4GHz. 64 gigs of internal storage and 8500mAh of battery are appealing too.
The cameras are pretty bad [2mp front, 8mp back], but that's to be expected of a tablet: who wants to take pictures with them anyway?
It comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow, with OTA updates to Nougat. There's not much activity on the development scene for this tablet, but it seems to be the same for most these days. People have successfully rooted it with Magisk, so that's a plus in my book.
Finishing up the specs, we have WiFi, of course, no GPS, Bluetooth v4.00, no NFC, Infrared, or USB OTG. It does have a 3.5 millimetre headphone jack, but no FM radio. It apparently accepts a SIM card, but I don't care about that since I'm unlikely to be using it as such.
Now for the interesting features: a Wacom drawing tablet and "Halo keyboard."
The drawing tablet seems to be pretty normal for a drawing tablet: 2048 levels of pressure sensitivity, wireless pen that doesn't need to charge, all that stuff. Additionally, the pen that comes with it is a "Real Pen," with capitals. This "Real Pen" uses some unknown technology to allow you to transcript notes written on actual paper, on top of the drawing area, into your tablet.
The Halo Keyboard is quite an oddity, being basically a virtual keyboard, except it's not on the screen. Since I have no hands-on experience with this tablet, I couldn't tell you how well it works.
The hinge of this tablet apparently has four positions, but also advertises itself as "360º," so I'm not sure which to believe.
As I said at the start, this is my current choice for a tablet, and will be buying it on the weekend, if all goes well.
For more information, here are the specs and XDA forum.
The other device that caught my eye is significantly cheaper, and lacking in features.
Coming in at $290CAD, the "Asus Z301MF-A2-GR" is a 10.1" tablet also, however it only has a 1.50GHz MediaTek processor, 2 gigs of RAM, and 16 of storage.
The screen is a 1200p IPS LCD panel, the battery is only 4,680mAh. This tablet accepts USB type C input and comes with Android 7.0 Nougat out of the box, including a suite of ASUS visual enhancement programs that have been received quite negatively, in some instances, by the community. It also does not come with a keyboard.
I could not find an XDA forum for it.
That concludes my hands-off review and slight comparison of those two devices, please let me know if there are others you'd suggest I buy instead.
I feel like there's no more major development in smartphones besides maybe higher screen resolutions, higher camera MP, fancy new fingerprint sensors and gimmicky things like folding phones. Have we simply run out of ideas? Has the portable handheld internet computer reached perfection?
Android has the MS syndrome, faster cpu's and memory are being hamstrung by the needless extra cpu cycles of a bloated OS.
Android Q and 11 are a mess.
Manufacturers are releasing high dollar phones with no micro SD card slots. Personally I'd like dual micro SD card support; 2 tb of storage be nice, 3 or above optimum.
Samsung seems obvious to the global recession sinking big bucks into their Fold folly, meanwhile neglecting their historically profitable lines.
End result for me is I have zero intentions of buying a new flagship phone from the current lineup even after 2 release cycles
3's a charm... don't bet on it this time.
Will Android 12 be the next W10 or even worse?
For the foreseeable future I'm in a holding pattern with the Note 10+/Pie because of slim pickens. Meh, whatever.
blackhawk said:
Will Android 12 be the next W10 or even worse?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
We're definitely not ready for Android 12. There just isn't enough to justify a new major release - Android 11.1 is a much better idea.