74 USD AllWinner A10 Android 4.0 Mini PC

A cheap white brand Android 4.0 USB/HDMI Stick based on AllWinner A10 has started to show up in Chinese websites. Initially, I thought it was like a low cost version of FXI Tech Cotton Candy (which will start shipping this month), but as you can see in the image below, the HDMI port is female so you’d still need a HDMI cable. The hole next to the USB port should be for the power supply, so this device is apparently not powered via USB (TBC).

Allwinner A10 Android 4.0 mini PC

Connect a wireless mouse and keyboard to the device, the power supply, and an HDMI cable to your TV, and you’ve got yourself a cheap PC running Android 4.0. Since this is based on AllWinner A10, you could also insert a microSD card with Ubuntu, Debian or your other favorite Linux distribution and have yourself a Linux PC.

Here are the specifications of the device (gathered on the internet so it’s not error prone).

CPU AllWinner A10 @ 1.5GHz + Mali 400 GPU
Memory 512MB RAM
Storage 4GB Flash
microSD slot (Up to 32GB)
Connectivity WiFi 802.11b/g
USB micro USB 2.0/OTG port
USB 2.0 Host port
Keyboard Android virtual keyboard or 2.4G wireless keyboard + fly mouse
Video output HDMI (1080p)
Video Codecs WMV/ASF/MP4/3GP/3G2M4V/AVI/MJPEG/RV10/DivX/VC-1/MPEG-2/
MPEG-4/H.263/H.264/1280*720P HD 30 fps, 1080P/720*480 D1 30fps
Audio Codecs AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, QCP, MP3, WMA, WAV, MIDI, M4A
Operating System Android 4.0 (ICS)
Power Input 5V/2A
Size 8.8*3.5*1.2cm
Weight 200g

The system (CPU/RAM/Flash) is similar to Mele A1000, except that the AllWinner A10 is clocked at 1.5GHz (In theory, you can overclock Mele A1000 to 1.5ghz by changing evb.bin, but tests have not been successful so far). There are no VGA nor composite outputs, no SATA, only 2 USB ports and a microSD slot instead of a an SD card slot. There is no remote, so if you intend to use it as a media player it could be inconvenient unless you use a wireless mouse and keyboard.

The device can be purchased on Aliexpress for 74 USD (including shipping) where they say it’s model MK802 or on Alibaba for 368 RMB (~58 USD). Considering the Mele A1000 price is now around 90 USD (inc. shipping), I don’t really find this device that attractive, especially since you don’t get the convenience of plugging (and powering) it directly in the TV. Once it is available, Valueplus Tizzbird N1 might be a better option.

[Update:  The Aliexpress link above is sold out, but you can try alternative sellers on Aliexpress and it has become available on Dealextreme (78 USD)]

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70 Comments
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Sander
Sander
12 years ago

As it is delivered without remote control, is it meant as a HTPC, or is it meant as a mini PC?

BTW: a lot of possibly nice Android STB devices on DX: http://dx.com/android-full-hd-1080p-media-player-w-usb-sd-hdmi-rj45-ports-black-2-x-aaa-102992 and http://dx.com/jesurun-itv04-1080p-full-hd-android-2-2-network-media-player-w-wifi-dual-usb-sd-lan-hdmi-112761
What is going on? Do people buy this, and can you really usefully use it to browse the web on your TV, or to watch movies? Or is this just DX stuff that’s there just because it can be produced (without too much thinking about usage)?

Efcis
Efcis
12 years ago

Hi

I have a silly (slightly off-topic) question…

I see lot of descriptions with “2.4G wireless keyboard”.

Is it actually Bluetooth ? Or is it another standard ? If so, in a general manner, I guess hosts require a specific hardware and driver to work with these keyboards ?

What Haveyou
What Haveyou
12 years ago

@ Efcis
They’re not Bluetooth. They’re just 2.4 GHz radio, foolishly placed on that band along with most wireless networks and cordless phones.

Lucas
Lucas
12 years ago
Paul
Paul
12 years ago

@ cnxsoft Well if you install XBMC you could use a USB Media Center remote that just sends the same signals as a wireless keyboard.

mrpete
mrpete
12 years ago

CNX, you have an excellent blog here. Thanks much for this good info!

The Mele A1000 looks “more complete/more options,” but the MK802 is nice and small …

I got here from a link at the pcworld.com article by K Noyes.

ElectroNick
12 years ago

Given the size and the cost of a device, I think it will just become a standard part of any monitor in a year or two. In other words, we will be plugging a USB mouse and a USB keyboard straight into a monitor and use some cloud-based OS to do what we now need a PC for. Shame, I have just finally gotten used to the hum of the dust-clogged fan on my PC tower under the desk…

Frank Bouwens
Frank Bouwens
12 years ago

It sold out

doggy
doggy
12 years ago

@ cnxsoft

…maybe ppl should stop being lazy and use their brains to search for alternative suppliers. Do you guys really thing this guy is the only one selling them? 🙂

Joel
Joel
12 years ago

Anyone seen any smiliar device with a RJ45 option? The size is great, and with an RJ45 connector you can just stick it on the back of ur TV with an infrared reciver somewhere and soon be running XBMC

Zaatour36
Zaatour36
12 years ago

Some YouTube Videos for the MK802

MK802: the $74 Android PC-on-a-stick Walkthrough/Review:

youtu.be/ZDyBs6Wuu1o

MK802: the $74 Android PC-on-a-stick Product Unboxing:

youtu.be/bxvzDqp0Wvk

@Zaatour36

Karl
Karl
12 years ago

@ Joel
I prefer the Raspberry Pi.

Joel
Joel
12 years ago

Karl :@ Joel I prefer the Raspberry Pi.

Yeah, but RPI has a slower CPU/GPU and less ram + with an external netcard problem solved 🙂

Emoryy
Emoryy
12 years ago

I am wondering what’s the output resolution of these on HDMI. Is it fixed, or can be changed automatically or by an option? One of the selling sites claimed in the specs, that the resolution is 1024×768. That would be quite underwhelming. Can anybody confirm that it is really HD? And what resolutions does it support, if more?

Emoryy
Emoryy
12 years ago

@ cnxsoft
You may be right. I didn’t consider that it can have different resolutions for apps & UI, and video playing.
But I guess we won’t know it sure, unless somebody who has the device tries it out.

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

I have seen that Exduct.com now lists the 1GB Ram version of this product, which is a huge step up from the most competitors. Especially for Ram consuming Apps on Android or when a full distro is used.
http://www.exduct.com/Electronic-Products/MK802-Android-Mini-PC.html
86.16-10(discount)+5.34(slowest shipping option)=$81.50 shipped…. not bad
I think I am going to order one.

aliosa27
aliosa27
12 years ago

@Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) I have been playing with mine for a few days now..The android ui itself is more like 1024×480 to 1152×720….so…yeh…as far as video playback goes, It does an awesome job of spitting out hd movies. I tested it with a 720 blueray mkv of batman, and a 1080p blueray rip of Mister nobody and I was actually pretty happy with that, seeing as it was streaming all 14 gig of this movie via wifi…Crappy points go to some issues in the external keyboard department..I have crashed it 2 times. One in splashtop hd, alt ctl delete does… Read more »

Emoryy
Emoryy
12 years ago

@ aliosa27 Hi! I would have a few questions, if you don’t mind. Do you have the 512MB or 1GB version? How smooth does the UI feel? About the video dropouts: how frequently does it happen? Does this happen only during video playback? Is it very disturbing? Regarding the keyboard issue: Try External Keyboard Helper from the Play Store. It’s a demo/paid app, but maybe it solves your problem. (I tried the demo on my Android x86 Virtual Machine, to change the keyboard layout to my language.) And could you maybe install Elixir2 (a quite thorough system information app, in… Read more »

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

I think he means that the video dropouts only happens on DTS material (correct me if I’m wrong). I wonder if pass-through to a DTS capable receiver would work, or if the signal can be down-mixed to stereo in real time via hardware/software. I ordered the 1 Gig Ram version from Exduct.com … It may take several weeks to arrive, but I will report back as soon as it arrives. The seller informed me that the factory manager of this device said that the 1GB is considerably faster… I don’t know why this should be the case… can the Allwinner… Read more »

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

@ cnxsoft OK, thanks. I was under the impression that 4.0 was a lot faster than 2.3 with the same ram equipped (e.g. 512MB… might be more of an issue with less ram), at least that’s what it feels like. I already own an Allwinner A10 tablet…. the Odys Xelio. I am pretty happy with it, but I noticed serious slowdowns when multi-tab browsing complex web pages, or when the integrated flash engine is loaded. So you are probably right that the flash/ram swapping is the main factor here, but until the memory limit is reached the devices should have… Read more »

Alexander
12 years ago

Hi,

Does an alternative Linux package exist for MK802? Regular Linux, not Android. And in general, are there any resources available online about this device? Tweaks, internals, howto’s etc.

Thanks,
Alexander

Alexander
12 years ago

Thanks. One more thing — are there any instructions how to the original firmware back? Just in case.

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

@ cnxsoft That’s a nice price… too bad, that they don’t offer shipping to the EU, or the EU power plug version. Regarding the list or table for Android based Mini-PC… I would call Mini-PCs what is called as Set-top boxes in list you posted. Mele A1000/A2000, MK802/Z820, artwaytech FVD-11, Always Innovating HDMI Dongle, Meteorit MMB-22, Meteorit MMB-422.HDTV, PineRiver H24/MINI-X, … and probably a few others… It’s hard to get an overview what’s on market. I would focus on machines with at least 512 MB RAM (better 1GB), at least Android 2.3 (better 4.0 either stock or flashable) and some… Read more »

Jordy Kroeze
12 years ago

@Trest, so i cant use it in the netherlands?
Because i want it really bad.

David
David
12 years ago

Yes I second the spreadsheet idea there, bookmarked.

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

@Jordy :
According to the Exduct.com seller, he will have the EU plug version back in stock in 5 days, which should work fine for you. Be prepared that shipping might take long… usually something between 2-4 weeks.
http://www.exduct.com/Electronic-Products/MK802-Android-Mini-PC.html
86.16-10(discount)+5.34(slowest shipping option)=$81.50 shipped…

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

Aliosa made a cool video with the device in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE3Q45ohjPo
Charbax shows us the internals of the device and the seller that sells it over Amazon.com:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiYK1Hfy8X4

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

The video from Charbax shows, that the device can be powered by the included external power plug and also via the USB OTG port. You “loose” a USB-host port this way, but there is still 1 USB-host port left.

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

Would some of you be willing to help gathering informations for an overview in a Google Docs Table of the most interesting Mini-PC/Set-Top-Boxes based on Android (2.3/4.0) with min. 512 MB Ram and A8/A9 Socs or better?
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhUSb66Hj8PodEFzV0Y4TVNlbVVKOHZOOHkxUU9Bcnc

radioactive
radioactive
12 years ago

@ Trest
why only android devices?

i think we should write a list with all interesting mini pc (raspberry pi, cubox, …)

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

@CNX-Soft: I can’t find the update either, but several vendors state they sell the box with a stock-rom that includes 4.0… also a German user posted pics/vids which clearly show 4.03 on the A2000. http://www.android-hilfe.de/sonstige-android-geraete/250327-review-mele-a2000-android-ics-4-0-mediaplayer-allwinner-a10-cpu.html @radioactive: I want to start with the set-top-boxes for android… you can use my table as a template and start listing everthing else on arm (developer boards) … but I had to limit the table somewhere… to many device out there already. Android 4.0 also is quiet demanding… so the PI would automatically drop out of the minimum specs… but you are right that this… Read more »

radioactive
radioactive
12 years ago
michael
12 years ago

Hi, I’m the owner of gooseberry! Just here to say that lead time to manufacture is not an issue. Boards are already mass produced and so the only delay to you guys getting a board is the time it takes to get from China to our doors. We are currently ordering all boards via express delivery meaning they will come within a week. This means we can get the boards out there as quickly as possible! Of course, for some, a tablet will be best option due to similarity’s in price. The CX-01 mini pc is similarly priced, however, it… Read more »

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

Exduct has lowered their price also. For the 1GB model with US/EU power plug it is now $73.16-10+5.34= 68.50 . I guess the Russian group buy has put some pressure on the market.
http://www.exduct.com/android-4-0-mini-pc-mk802/1GB-hdmi-stick/worlds-smallest-pc

Leo
Leo
12 years ago

@ Trest
You are not quite correct.
Let’s calculate price with HK post shipping on exduct – $73.16 – $10 + $9.81 = $72.97
Let’s check price on Aliexpress with HKPost – $69.99 – $5 (discount coupon) = $64.99
Feel the difference?
If you want China post, price on Aliexpress will be even lower then $64.99.

nic
nic
12 years ago

Is HDMI 1.4 or 1.3?

Trest
Trest
12 years ago

@Leo: OK, you are right about the diference in shipping methods. Is there a PP payment option available on Aliexpress and can we order European power plugs?

Leo
Leo
12 years ago

@ Trest The is no PayPal on Aliexpress. Aliexpress has Escrow protection system for orders: seller will receive money only after you confirm receipt of goods. All orders by default will have EU plug adapter for free (if you need US plug adapter, add comment for order) Good news! You can buy Riko MK802 1GB with special price right now! (valid till 30 of June) Also, surprise! You can buy Mele F10 Flying Mouse for your Riko MK802 with best price. Check this page how to place order and get Riko MK80 1Gb or Bundle with Mele F10 Flying Mouse… Read more »

Different
Different
12 years ago

The second generation of MK802, called MK802 II, will appear in September.

Stan
Stan
12 years ago

Is it possible to attache usb hub and wireless keyboard and web cam to it?I want to use skype on my tv.

Stan
Stan
12 years ago

@ cnxsoft
Do you know the estimated date for this new firmware?I found that new hardware version of this device will be available in september this year.May be it will include the driver for usb cam?

beboom
beboom
12 years ago

@ Stan
If you install Linux on it and recompile the kernel to match your hardware (keyboard, webcam, etc), works like a charm.
I have 2 MK802, 1 for skype/emulators/surfing on the internet and the another one I use as a server (runnning Apache + PHP).
Android OS works just to see youtube 😛
If you want to make more with your MK802, be sure to install Linux on it.

Green
Green
11 years ago

This gadget update so fast, now the MK802 IIIS with soft turn-off and bluetooth and XBMC support is only 57 or so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_Mini_PC_MK802

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