There aren’t that many Allwinner H3 TV boxes with some models coming to mind being Zidoo X1 or Beelink X2, but of which appear to be phased out. If you are just looking for Android boxes, Amlogic S905X/S905W boxes are probably better options due to better support for video playback, but if you have desktop/server Linux in mind, then Allwinner H3 may be considered, and Beelink X2 used to be supported in Armbian, but is now EOS (End-of-Support). Nevertheless, it should still be possible to run Linux on Allwinner H3 TV boxes with some efforts, and GearBest now has a promotion for Sunvell H3 TV box which comes with 2GB RAM, 16GB flash, and sells for $27.99 plus some small shipping fee ($0.68 here). Sunvell H3 specifications: SoC – Allwinner H3 quad core Arm Cortex A7 with quad core Mali-400MP2 System Memory – 2 GB DDR3L Storage – 16 GB […]
Khadas is Working on more RK3399 / RK3399Pro Boards, Projector Development Kit, AR Kit
Shenzhen Wesion had already unveiled their Khadas Edge board that works both as a system-on-module and a standalone SBC thanks to an MXM3 connector on one side, and traditional HDMI and USB ports on the other. The Rockchip RK3399 board will be launched on Indiegogo a little later. But the company is working on a few more boards and development kits all based on Rockchip RK3399 or the upcoming RK3399Pro processor with neural processing unit (NPU) for AI workloads acceleration. First we have Khadas Edge-V, very similar to Khadas Edge but with a 40-pin IO header replacing the MXM3 connector, and following Khadas VIM form factor and ports, so for example we get an Ethernet port as well as an extra USB 3.0 port instead of USB 2.0 on Edge. As mentioned in Khadas Edge announcement, the company is also working on Khadas Captain carrier board with MXM3 socket. So we […]
Compulab WILD WiFi Router Supports WiFi RTT (802.11mc) Location
When Google released the first Android P preview back in March, one interesting new feature was indoor positioning through 802.11mc WiFi aka. WiFi RTT (Round Trip-Time). That looks promising so I started to look for 802.11mc capable routers, and all I could find were some Intel cards and Marvell chips with WiFi RTT, but not actual products. Since then Android 9 has been formally released, and today I’ve learned that Compulab launched a WiFi RTT capable router that will work with Android 9.0 phones. Meet Compulab WILD. Compulab WILD WiFi RTT router specifications: SoC (from a choice among three) Intel Atom x7-E3950 quad core processor @ 1.6 / 2.0 GHz with 18 EU HD graphics; 12W TDP Intel Atom x5-E3930 dual core processor @ 1.3 / 1.8 GHz with 12 EU HD graphics; 6.5W TDP Intel Celeron J3455 quad core processor @ 1.5 / 2.2 GHz with 12 EU HD […]
MINIX NEO U9-H TV Box Gets Android 7.1 Firmware
MINIX NEO U9-H is generally considered one of the best Android TV boxes if you are after an Android experience, as opposed to a pure Android TV experience. I found the firmware solid and performing on very capable hardware when I reviewed the device in 2017 although there were a few bugs here and there for the version of the firmware I tested. The device is still the main TV box model sold by MINIX, but so far, you had to run the older Android 6.0 OS. The good news is that you can now upgrade your box, if you wish to do so, to a more recent Android 7.1 operating system. There’s no specific changelog for the release, and you can find Android 7.1 for MINIX NEO U9-H on MEGA.An important caveat is that it’s not an OTA update, so you’d have to use USB Burning Tool – also […]
Xiaomi PocoPhone F1 Snapdragon 845 Smartphone Launched for $300 and up in 65 Countries
Several manufacturer have launched Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 powered smartphones, including Samsung with Galaxy Note9 and Galaxy S9/S9+ models. Those premium smartphones are normally pretty expensive with pricing starting at $720 to well over $1,000. Xiaomi Mi MiX 2S released last March brought down the price somewhat with price starting at 3,299 CNY ($525 ) in China, but the company’s PocoPhone F1 is breaking all premium phone price barriers with the Snapdragon 845 smartphone launched for about $300 in 65 countries. PocoPhone F1 specifications: SoC – Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 octa-core processor @ up to 2.8GHz with Adreno 630 GPU up to 710MHz, LiquidCool Technology Memory / Storage options 8GB LPDDR4X dual channel memory + 256GB UFS 2.1 flash 6GB + 128GB 6GB + 64G Display – 6.18″ display with 2246 x 1080 resolution (18.7:9 aspect ratio) 403 ppi; 500-nits (typ) brightness; 1500:1 contrast ratio Cameras AI rear camera Primary 12MP rear […]
Tanix TX3 Mini L Amlogic S905W TV Box with 2GB RAM Sells for as low as $16.99 (Promo)
Last year, it was relatively easy to find promotions for ultra cheap TV boxes selling for under $20, but with the price increase of flash and RAM chips it has become harder to find. GearBest has now launched a promotion for Tanix TV boxes, and you could get Tanix TX3 Mini L model with an Amlogic S905W Processor and 2GB RAM for as low as $16.99. The trick is here is that price is only for flash sales with 5 pieces selling for $16.99 at 9:00 UTC until the end of the week. You’ll apparently need to use coupon GBTXL to qualify for the discount. Note that Flash sale can be frustrating since you’ll be competing with other customer, one trick that may work to get ahead is the add the device to the cart before 9:00, then click on check out at exactly 9:00. If you miss out the […]
NanoPi M4 Raspberry Pi Inspired RK3399 Board Launched for $65 and Up
As expected, FriendlyELEC has now launched NanoPi M4 board, a lower cost version of NanoPC-T4 Rockchip RK3399 SBC, and mostly following Raspberry Pi form factor. How much you may ask? That would be $65 plus shipping for the 2GBRAM version, and $95 for the 4GB RAM version, which means it sells in the same ballpark as RockPro64 board. NanoPi M4 board specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3399 big.LITTLE hexa-core processor with 2x Arm Cortex-A72 @ up to 2.0GHz, 4x Cortex-A53 @ up to 1.5GHz, a Mali-T864 GPU with support OpenGL ES1.1/2.0/3.0/3.1, OpenVG1.1, OpenCL, DX11, and AFBC, and a VPU with 4K VP9 and 4K 10-bit H265/H264 6decoding System Memory – Dual-channel 4GB LPDDR3-1866, or dual-channel 2GB DDR3-1866 Storage – eMMC module socket, micro SD card slot Video Output HDMI 2.0a up to 4K @ 60 Hz with HDCP 1.4/2.2 support 4-Lane MIPI-DSI connector Audio – 3.5mm headphone jack, HDMI digital audio […]
Review of Firefly-RK3399 Board with Android 8.1 Firmware
Last week, I tested Android 7.1 on NanoPC-T4 Rockchip RK3399 SBC, and this week, I’ve given a try at Android 8.1 (Beta) on Firefly-RK3399 Board. Since it’s still a beta version, I’m expecting some issues and we’ll have to see how it performs at this stage of development. Firefly-RK3399 Kit Assembly I had to do some assembly before starting the board. It took me some 30 minutes to complete, so I’ll quickly go through the steps. Beside the default kit, the company also sent me a fansink ($7.9) and an M.2 to SATA board + required cable ($16) which will be part of the assembly instructions. The first step is to peel off the protective films on both sides of the acrylic case. I then fastened my own 2.5″ hard drive with four screws provided in the default kit. I then installed the M.2 to dual SATA adapter board in […]