Android

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 51 Comments on Rockchip RK3399 Benchmarks Appear on GeekBench

Rockchip RK3399 Benchmarks Appear on GeekBench

Rockchip RK3399 hexa-core processor with ARM Cortex A72 and A53 cores and a Mali-T860MP GPU will soon be found in TV boxes, development boards, tablets, Chromebooks, virtual reality headset and more, and is widely expected to offer a significant performance boost against previous Rockchip processors, including RK3288, and outperform SoCs from competitors like Amlogic and Allwinner. We can have a first clue about the performance as Rockchip RK3399 boxes and one tablet are now showing up on GeekBench. The box is clocked at 1512 MHz, while the tablet is limited to 1416 MHz, but overall single-core score is about 1350 points, while multi-core score hovers around 2,550 points. I’m not that familiar with GeekBench so number don’t tell me anything. Let’s compare it against RK3288 which CPU-wise is the fastest processor I known of from Chinese silicon vendors targeting TV boxes. There’s a significant single-core performance boost (+73%), and lower […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 6 Comments on Tbee Android TV Box Supports Voice Command and Gesture Control

Tbee Android TV Box Supports Voice Command and Gesture Control

The first thing you notice with Tbee TV box is the beehives inspired hexagonal enclosure, as we’ve already seen with T95Z Plus TV box, but the features that really stand out are voice command, and especially gesture control thanks to the built-in microphone and camera. Tbee TV box specifications: SoC – Amlogic S812 quad core Cortex A9r4 processor @ up to 1.99 GHz with octa-core Mali-450MP GPU System Memory – 2GB Storage –  8GB eMMC flash + SD card slot Video & Audio I/O – HDMI input, HDMI output Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz) and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2x USB 2.0 host ports Misc – IR receiver, built-in HD ready camera and IR receiver Dimensions – 28.5 x 8.5 cm (full package) Weight – 860 grams (full package) The box ships with an air mouse with QWERTY keyboard and its RF dongle, a HDMI cable, […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 8 Comments on TV Box Market Data (for China): Weekly Sales, Average Prices, Most Popular Devices & Streaming Services

TV Box Market Data (for China): Weekly Sales, Average Prices, Most Popular Devices & Streaming Services

I’ve recently seen a tweet from IloveRockchip twitter account about the weekly sales data, and market share of octa-core, quad-core, and other OTT TV boxes. The chart below shows 108,000 Android TV boxes were sold on the 37th week of 2016 (September 12 – 18), and that while quad core TV boxes still held 77% market share that week, octa-core sales grew by 108%. The downside is that the data is only for the Chinese market. But I still found interesting to investigate whether I could get more information. The research company, All View Cloud, will release weekly data to their paid customers, but a free sample report for Week 21 (16-22 May) can be downloaded from their website (N.B.: The link does not work in Firefox for me, but it does in Chrome). “SALES” must be the quantity, roughly between 100,000 and 150,000 units sold per week, and if […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 51 Comments on VR SKY CX-V3 Android VR Headset Review – Part 2: GUI, 360° and VR Videos, and Issues

VR SKY CX-V3 Android VR Headset Review – Part 2: GUI, 360° and VR Videos, and Issues

VR SKY CX-V3 is an Android virtual reality headset powered by Allwinner H8vr processor and featuring a 1080p display. I had read VR requires 2K or 4K displays to be useful, but since that’s my very first VR headset, if we don’t count the a Google Cardboard clone as one, I did not mind testing one with a 1920×1080 display, and it ended up being an interesting learning experience. I’ve already shown the hardware with the various buttons, touch interfaces and lenses in the headset, as well as accessories like the charger and headphone in the first part of the review, so today, I’ll go through the interfaces, what works, and mention the issues I had with the device. If you’ve never used a virtual reality headset before, you’ll definitely want to read the user manual, which for once is written in proper English, both for entertainment value, and learn […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 11 Comments on LeEco Le Pro 3 Snapdragon 821 Smartphone Sells for $270 and Up (in China)

LeEco Le Pro 3 Snapdragon 821 Smartphone Sells for $270 and Up (in China)

Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 is possibly the fastest mobile application processor available today, and a few smartphones have started to launch with the processor including Asus ZenFone 3 Deluxe selling for about $575 in Taiwan, and the phone I’m going to cover in this post – LeEco  Le Pro 3 – has just launched in China starting at 1799 CNY ($270) with 4GB RAM and 32GB flash, and up to 2999 CNY ($540) with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. LeEco Le Pro 3 smartphone specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 quad core Kryo processor with Adreno 530 GPU and Hexagon 680 DSP System Memory/Internal Storage – 4GB/32GB, 4GB/64GB (Zhang Zimou Edition), 6GB/64GB, or 6GB/128GB (Zhang Zimou Edition); Storage devices are all UFS 2.0 flash. Display – 5.5″ FHD (1920×1080) LCD display Cellular Connectivity 2G – GSM：2/3/5/8; CDMA: BC0/BC1 3G – WCDMA: B1/2/4/5/8 TD-SCDMA: B34/39; EVDO:BC0/BC1 4G – FDD-LTE: B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20; TDD-LTE:38/39/40/41 2x […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 23 Comments on YUNDOO Y7 Amlogic S905X TV Box comes with Faster DDR4 Memory

YUNDOO Y7 Amlogic S905X TV Box comes with Faster DDR4 Memory

Most TV boxes on the market comes with DDR3 memory, but YUNDOO Y7 TV box based on Amlogic S905X processor instead comes with 2GB DDR4 memory, with the company claiming 50% higher bandwidth compared to DDR3 memory. YUNDOO Y7 specifications: SoC – Amlogic S905X quad core Cortex A53 processor @ 1.5 GHz with Penta-core Mali-450MP GPU @ 750MHz+ System Memory – 2GB DDR4 (bandwidth up to increased 50% compared to DDR3) Storage – 16GB eMMC flash + micro SD port Video Output – HDMI 2.0 with HDR and CEC support up to 4K2K @ 60 Hz, AV port Audio Output – HDMI, AV, and coaxial S/PDIF Connectivity – 10/100M Ethernet, dual band WiFi 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 USB – 2 x USB 2.0 port Misc – Power button, IR receiver, LED screen Power Supply – 5V Dimensions – TBD (metal housing) The device runs Android 6.0, and is said […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 1 Comment on $16 and Up RGB LED Bluetooth 4.0 Light Bulbs include Speakers

$16 and Up RGB LED Bluetooth 4.0 Light Bulbs include Speakers

I’ve just stumbled upon “H1007 Smart E27 Bulb Bluetooth 4.0 Speaker” on GeekBuying. It’s a smart Bluetooth 4.0 RGB LED E27 light bulb that also include a speaker, and sells for $22.59 shipped. I find it’s a good idea, and after looking for other models, I’ve found the $99 Twist light, as well as a much cheaper “OY-QP-BM13” model on eBay going for $15.99. I’ll look at (HZ-)H1007 specifications first: Light Bulb 5W; adjustable RGBW; 330 Lumens; Color temp: 6500K Screw Type – E27/E26 Connectivity – Bluetooth 4.0 LE up to 20 meters range Audio – 3W amplifier; 3D surround audio Voltage – 100 to 240V 50/60Hz Dimensions – 72 mm diameter x 136 mm length Weight – 146 grams The body of the light bulb is available in white, red, golden, and blue, and it ships with a user’s manual in English and Chinese. I could not find the […]

Posted on by Jean-Luc Aufranc (CNXSoft) - 3 Comments on Sonoff TH10/16 WiFi Relays Support Temperature and Humidity Probes

Sonoff TH10/16 WiFi Relays Support Temperature and Humidity Probes

Sonoff are dirt cheap WiFi AC/DC relay systems based on ESP8266 selling for about $5 with board and case. They are made by ITEAD Studio, and the company has now new versions supporting up to 16A @ 250V, and with a 2.5mm connector to connect external temperature and humidity probes. Two models are available Sonoff-TH10 (10A max) and Sonoff-TH16 (16A max) with the following specifications: SoC – Espressif ESP8266 Tensila L106 32-bit MCU up to 80/160 MHz with WiFi Connectivity – 802.11 b/g/n WiFi with WPA/WPA2 support Relay Sonoff-TH10 – HK3FF-DC5V-SHG supporting 90 to 250 VAC input, up to 10A (2200 Watts) Sonoff-TH16 – Hongfa HF152F-T supporting 90 to 250 VAC input, up to 16A (3500 Watts) Terminals – 6 terminal for mains and load’s ground, live and neutral signals. Misc – 4-pin 2.5mm jack for external probes, LEDs for power and WiFi status Dimensions – PCB: 89.1 x 45.0 […]

UP 7000 x86 SBC