General quality and manufacturer support (a 2 year scope)

[Vasishtha]

Hi Chris,
Thanks for the excellent review! Your insights helped a lot.
I’m planning on getting a Chinese tablet for my girlfriend and I’m curious about a few thing.
Right now I’m trying to make a decision between the Onda v919 (3G 64gb) and the Teclast air II (32GB-because of the faster eMMC used).
-Firstly, I get the general impression that the Onda v919 has a more elegant design then the Teclast (3G & II), and that it has a better feel in hand due to a better build quality.
Would you say that it might be an accurate statement by saying that Onda’s (general) eye for detail and quality surpasses that of Teclast? And what does this say about the durability (internally & externally) of the devices in general?
-Secondly, I’ve read elsewhere that Onda is pushing out frequent firmware and OS updates to its Onda v919. Though I don’t know if the same applies to the teclast air models, I do know that Teclast shipped their models with more software bugs then the Onda v919 (3D games freezing, general freezes, battery monitoring issues, and android being un-optimized).
So to me it seems that Onda has a more solid reputation of shipping out their tablets with a better user experience/stability in mind.
What does this say about both company’s support on the long run? Will they stand by our side even when they introduce newer models? And if they fail to do so, will the xda dev support compensate for their lack of support?

Although 200 euros really isn’t a lot of money, I do wish for this tablet to last more than 2 years. And if so, that this does not come at a prize of durability/support.

Thirdly; If you were to factor out the speaker performance, battery performance, lack of HDMI and screen brightness (all of which are not important for my gf), which tablet would you choose?
A teclast air model of the Onda v919?

On a side note; I’m also looking for a 3GB RAM windows tablet, for future proofing reasons. Do you know of any with a good build quality and a Baytrail cpu (above 9.8”)?
Also which Chinese windows tablet (above 9.8’’) has the best build quality in your opinion? As I see it right now, all the fingers are pointing to the Onda v919.

Sorry for all those questions, all these Chinese tablets make my head spin lol.
Thank you in advance.

-V

P.S. How do the hardware buttons perform?

[Ritzie]

I know you have addressed this to Chris but since this is a forum and a community, I am shamelessly butting in on the conversation

Firstly, I get the general impression that the Onda v919 has a more elegant design then the Teclast (3G & II), and that it has a better feel in hand due to a better build quality.
Would you say that it might be an accurate statement by saying that Onda’s (general) eye for detail and quality surpasses that of Teclast? And what does this say about the durability (internally & externally) of the devices in general?

Externally, it does as it is almost a replica (if not totally) of the iPad Air.
Internally, NO. The battery dissipation is quite fast even on WiFi. And the latch for the cards are annoyingly hard to open

-Secondly, I’ve read elsewhere that Onda is pushing out frequent firmware and OS updates to its Onda v919. Though I don’t know if the same applies to the teclast air models, I do know that Teclast shipped their models with more software bugs then the Onda v919 (3D games freezing, general freezes, battery monitoring issues, and android being un-optimized).
So to me it seems that Onda has a more solid reputation of shipping out their tablets with a better user experience/stability in mind.
What does this say about both company’s support on the long run? Will they stand by our side even when they introduce newer models? And if they fail to do so, will the xda dev support compensate for their lack of support?

You can check their site. The customer service there is quite fast to respond.
As for software updates and support, I haven’t checked yet as I just got this unit and still researching on how to optimize it

Although 200 euros really isn’t a lot of money, I do wish for this tablet to last more than 2 years. And if so, that this does not come at a prize of durability/support.

I think it’s all bout personal lifestyle and how to take care of it.
I personally think it would last for 2 years as I don’t really buy anything on impulse.
If owners take care of this and consistently maintain the unit, it will last.
If you’re asking about if this would break down anytime within 2 years or less, we’ll see the more we use it but so far Chris has been using his for more than a month now… not as regularly though because of the quick battery dissipation

Thirdly; If you were to factor out the speaker performance, battery performance, lack of HDMI and screen brightness (all of which are not important for my gf), which tablet would you choose?
A teclast air model of the Onda v919?

Teclast Air 3G 64GB in a good iPAD case (the shockproof ones)

On a side note; I’m also looking for a 3GB RAM windows tablet, for future proofing reasons. Do you know of any with a good build quality and a Baytrail cpu (above 9.8”)?
Also which Chinese windows tablet (above 9.8’’) has the best build quality in your opinion? As I see it right now, all the fingers are pointing to the Onda v919.

No such thing as a 3GB RAM tablet for Baytrail as it only supports (and can ONLY do) 2GB RAM <— MAXIMUM
Haven’t heard of anyone who has tried to overclock this but I think it will overheat if anyone did.

How do the hardware buttons perform?

Power button and volume rocker are solid. You might need to exert a very slight effort in pushing them but it is meant for that purpose (good build quality)
The Home button is annoying when handheld as your palm will ALWAYS accidentally touch it.
I avoided this by the use of the tablet holder (the flexible ones)

[Vasishtha]

@Ritzie

Hahah I’m sorry, I originally intended to comment on the review page.
Thanks for your comments!
I’m hoping that the internals aren’t quick to go defective, but hey if this device lasts more then 1,5 years color me happy.
So your having a hard time opening the latch? That’s actually good news to hear, so that means it isn’t as flimsy as I thought it’d be!

Did you mean http://www.ondaforum.com/forum/32-tablet-onda-v919-3g-forum/ at my second point? Their site is only viewable in Chinese.
What do you mean by “still researching on how to optimize it” ? Is the performance lacking (apart from the battery life)?
Oh and why did you choose the Teclast 3G air over the Onda v919?

Uhmm I thought I read that the Atom Baytrail Z3775(LPDDR3-1066) & Z3795 (LPDDR3-1066) supported 4GB RAM max…Those two also support a max resolution of 2500×1600
I’d rather not overclock it lol, not anytime soon.

Nice, the buttons looked mushy and cheap, glad that’s not the case!

Thanks for your insights!

[Ritzie]

I’m hoping that the internals aren’t quick to go defective, but hey if this device lasts more then 1,5 years color me happy.

Hmmmm…. I can’t profoundly comment on this as I only had it for 3 days.
Chris, however, had it for more than a month now but still able to use it.
We’ll see… time will tell… LOLZ!

So your having a hard time opening the latch? That’s actually good news to hear, so that means it isn’t as flimsy as I thought it’d be!

More than having a hard time!!! I might end up breaking it!
If you constantly going to replace the SIM and MicroSD Card, it might get flimsy over prolonged use.
I suggest NOT to change it constantly.

Did you mean http://www.ondaforum.com/forum/32-tablet-onda-v919-3g-forum/ at my second point? Their site is only viewable in Chinese.

Weird… there were English threads before I bought this unit.
Try commenting on the feedback thread in Onda Shop under the V919 unit.

What do you mean by “still researching on how to optimize it” ? Is the performance lacking (apart from the battery life)?

I use mine to temporarily replace both my phone and laptop at the same time for the purpose of both work and play (with all other stuff included)
So, yeah, I am maximizing the use of my tablet and researching on the best way that it will fit my lifestyle – wether be it for work/play without compromising performance and convenience.
As for all Baytrail tablets, yes it is lacking performance and still cannot compete with the 4th generation i7s but with my current mobile lifestyle, it will do… but there’s room to improve it…
So I’m also researching on how to setup the tablet to at least be at par against the 1st generation i7s (I’m currently using one but will have to let it go after upgrading it)
See my first impression thread… I have listed down my future upgrades for this tablet.

Oh and why did you choose the Teclast 3G air over the Onda v919?

With all else being equal (except for the build), Teclast Air 3G 64GB would last longer (battery life) and with full connectivity (HDMI and GPS).
That is worth for your money… just think about it… if you have 400 Euros, 2 tablets have the same specs but ONLY 1 has HDMI and GPS, which would you choose?

Uhmm I thought I read that the Atom Baytrail Z3775(LPDDR3-1066) & Z3795 (LPDDR3-1066) supported 4GB RAM max…Those two also support a max resolution of 2500×1600
I’d rather not overclock it lol, not anytime soon.

I think we’re lost among the pool of Intel chips…
LOLZ!
Yeah, both of those have 3GB RAM and above… but you won’t find it in any unknown Chinese tablet.
Those are currently existing in branded/premium OEMs like the ASUS T300
I was supposed to buy the Trio and the Transformer V as they are dual OS (with Transformer V being a PHONE and LAPTOP/TABLET Hybrid) but too bad they never materialized (Google and Intel stopped them)

Check here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atom_%28system_on_chip%29

[Vasishtha]

Yeah, we’ll have to wait and see.
Lol less sd-card more micro USB storage stick for you, otherwise you’ll wind up up breaking your nails :p
I’m at the Onda product page, there’s no language button and google translate won’t translate the whole page :/
Ah I understand, I thought when you said “optimize” you meant that it’s a laggy tablet. So as far as smoothness goes it’s very smooth(windows)? It’s just lacking in the heavy productivity department? Does windows utilize the eMMC as paging file? If so, does the tablet lag significantly?

I to would choose the Teclast over the Onda. But the improved build quality and the overall lack of software bugs on Onda’s side (at launch) compared to the Teclast leads me to beleve that the Onda is the better choice. Does the Teclast even come in a 64GB variant?

Yea to much intel confusion. Someone over at xda told me the Dell Venue 11 Pro (7130) is a beast. I’ll check out some video’s now. It has removable eMMC/battery ._.

I’ve read your post, very detailed and informative. Can you test/confirm if the wifi connection suffers while using Bluetooth? I thought Chris mentioned it on the xda forums.

-V

[Vasishtha]

I’m very interested in knowing how you’ll manage using the tablet as both a phone and a laptop, and what the results are 🙂
I believe it’ll be very rewarding, if you stick to the basics.

[Ritzie]

Yeah, we’ll have to wait and see.
Lol less sd-card more micro USB storage stick for you, otherwise you’ll wind up up breaking your nails :p

Finally got it right… it might take some time to get used to and requires personal technique and preference to get the latch open
Yeah, that’s what I had in mind when I bought this product. There is a need for me to upgrade to the Extreme MicroSD for work puposes without much performance issues. All else will be accessed via the external drives.
We’ll see how convenient it is

I’m at the Onda product page, there’s no language button and google translate won’t translate the whole page :/

Looks like they have changed it (??)
Let me try it as well

Ah I understand, I thought when you said “optimize” you meant that it’s a laggy tablet. So as far as smoothness goes it’s very smooth(windows)? It’s just lacking in the heavy productivity department? Does windows utilize the eMMC as paging file? If so, does the tablet lag significantly?

So far no lag 😀
Only used it for 3 days though… we’ll see once full software setup is done
Yeah, BOTH Windows and IE are very smooth… perhaps it’s because I haven’t had any full memory issues yet? But so far, none freezing.
It’s lacking in both HEAVY productivity and LARGE storage department… LOLZ!
Yes, the internal eMMC card will be utilized as paging file AND temporary file storage. No, it doesn’t lag (at least not from my experience with internal eMMCs) unless the storage will be full. Hence, Im planning to move all paging and temp files to be stored in the external SD card.
This structure WILL lag depending on the external SD card used. That’s the reason why I’m opting for the expensive Sandisk Extreme MicroSD card due to its performance. It is NOT a guarantee though as both drivers and hardware play a role on making a smooth transition between realtime reading and writing files.

I to would choose the Teclast over the Onda. But the improved build quality and the overall lack of software bugs on Onda’s side (at launch) compared to the Teclast leads me to beleve that the Onda is the better choice. Does the Teclast even come in a 64GB variant?

Yes, Teclast now comes with a 64GB variant. They also have the Teclast X10 which has a very good display (see Chris video)
But yeah, Teclast has alot of bloatwares and certain software bugs. You can remove those though and if you’re patient enough, you can personally remedy those issues.
I don’t have the luxury of time to get into those as my own personal software setup would already take about a day or so… hence, I find it inconvenient to dwelve into those issues from Teclast.
Let’s see how I fare against Onda’s software issues.

Yea to much intel confusion. Someone over at xda told me the Dell Venue 11 Pro (7130) is a beast. I’ll check out some video’s now. It has removable eMMC/battery ._.

Well, I still think the MS Surface Pro 3 i7 with 500GB internal storage and 4GB RAM is THE BEAST 😀
Would love to buy that if it weren’t for the price tag… guess have to save more to get that….
It will be a definite must have for work and play once Windows 10 is fully deployed with Call and SMS functions.
ConsoleOS will also be stable and officially released by that time so just imagine what we can do with both Win10 and ConsoleOS running on 1 machine with those specs.

I’ve read your post, very detailed and informative. Can you test/confirm if the wifi connection suffers while using Bluetooth? I thought Chris mentioned it on the xda forums.

So far, I had no WiFi issues in both OS even with BT on… haven’t tested it or used it in a full day though…
Let’s see how it works out once I have the BT headset on when travelling (Will be connected to WiFi pocket hub)

I’m very interested in knowing how you’ll manage using the tablet as both a phone and a laptop, and what the results are 🙂
I believe it’ll be very rewarding, if you stick to the basics.

Yeah 😀
We’ll see once my setup is complete 😀
Haven’t installed the softwares yet as I need an entire day or two to fully setup the software
Hardware and desktop are also still in progress… I’m only left with the Tablet Holders and the Travel bag.
Let’s see how convenient this will be for work and play 😀

[Vasishtha]

How fare the performance now? I just ordere a 64gb model from geekbuying for onky $230 🙂

Thats one of the main reasons I chose the onda over the teclast…alot faster emmc storage chip that’ll help out alot once I start hitting the 2gb RAM cap in the future. I’m not sure if an high performance micro sd card can compare to the Onda’s emmc though or even if its possible to tell window to use it as paging file.

Exactly, I dont want to fuss about getting rid of every single bug the Teclast has. That’s one of the reason the xda forum of the teclast x98 air 3G is so bloated with content….because theres alot of debugging going on over there.
Wow windows 10 will be getting call and sms funtions? 😀 then there’s no need for the android partition anymore lol. Can’t wait for win10.
Console os will only be available for a select few devices…so I doubt that an underdog chinese tablet will ever see that os comming to it.
The surface pro <3….mmmh, the pro 4 should be even beastlier heheh, I only wish for it to have a port (with no bottlenecking) that can support a full fledged GPU. Here’s to wishful thinking meh

Btw, what’sthe statua on your desktop project?

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