Mine came today

[Jeff]

Hi All,

I dont know whether I got lucky…. my mic works (of a fashion) seems to be down by the speaker grille, as thats where I get most response. Cortana just about recognises me without me needing to revert to shouting – I just had to ramp up the sensitivity settings to get anywhere.

My 3G “just worked” I put an EE SIM in, tweaked the APN Settings and it worked, signal reception isn’t the best, but as I’ll normally tether to my phone then it’s only a fallback. Have tried a Vodafone SIM as well – also works. There is a seeming state of confusion as Windows seems to show RADIO OFF (in the WiFi/Cellular charm) but this is only while the SIM is connecting. It also seems to show Radio Off when there is no Data Session in process.

I also get one unknown device after installing the Onda driver pack.

All in all, I don’t think it’s too shabby a machine (but I seem to have got a good one!), I haven’t seen the throttling yet (the worst I’ve seen is the touch screen isn’t quite as responsive as I’d like so you have to tap a couple of times sometimes), but I haven’t managed to run the machine for extended periods yet (work and life are in the way). So I’m looking at upgrading the SSD now I’ve had it running for a few days.

Dual Boot works (mine came with Chinese Win10 and Chinese Android), but until someone can get root, then apart from browsing the web on Opera then there’s not a lot to be done in Android – sadly.

[Chris G]

Viktor wrote:

@Chris The W25Q64FVSIG is a 3.3V chip so it should work with the programmer, i also noticed that version 1.18 sometimes causes problems. Version 1.23 seems to work fine but is only available as trial. What i’m mostly doing is: identify chip with 1.18, then with 1.23 Erase -> Blank -> open Bios file -> Write -> Verify

I got it to work, what I forgot to do the other night was erase the bios first I think. All bits FF, reflashed and verified. Boots! Back from the dead.

 

@mrdasher I installed the Android Rom and there is no way to swap to Windows. No app, no icon in the menu nothing. I’m missing something? Do you have the dual boot software?

 

@wmaitner Same as me, the Sim read seems to be dead, I have tried 3 different sims and nothing…

 

The mic still doesn’t work. even after opening mine up and reseating the microphone it’s still not working. Well if I tap on the screen I can hear it (just), but skype calls are impossible, nobody can hear me. I have it set to max gain +30 dbi. Nothing. Useless, so many issues with this tablet. I could be good, great screen, good build. Looks nice. But many issues!

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Will Maitner]

This tablet screams “I want Thunderbolt 3”

[Anonymous]

Chris G wrote:

I installed the Android Rom and there is no way to swap to Windows. No app, no icon in the menu nothing. I’m missing something? Do you have the dual boot software?  

I found that the OS switching function only appears if the Windows 10 partition was properly installed. I guess if the software doesn’t see what it needs it doesn’t make it available. I posted my method of installing the dual boot just a couple of postings above  (#10820). What I had to do was install the system the way they copied it, which was in Chinese and then re-installed English Windows over the Chinese Windows. I didn’t format or delete partitions.  I downloaded the files from Techtablets and followed the instruction in the PDF I have just attached.   The PDF is a bad translation from Chinese to English. Let me know if you need any thing clarified.

I found it strange that they provide a mic but there appears to be no opening for the sound to come through.  It faces the front of the tablet.

 

[Will Maitner]

I am really disappointed in my first Chinese tablet.  But at least Windows works, just no mic, cellular or Android..

[Chris G]

I think I’ve had enough with this tablet, Onda just aren’t improving. Their last tablets I’ve reviewed have been average at best. Bluetooth also doesn’t work, I cannot connect a single device to the tablet. It just says searching forever.

So to sum up my experiance far:

Cons:

• Random lag and freezing issues (Hardware?)
• Sim card reader is broken
• BT is broken
• Wifi has limited connection issues at times and poor reception.
• Windows 10 came in Chinese only
• Mic is broken
• I can’t connect the tablet in Android to my PC (never detected it)
• First attempt to flash the dual boot bios = brick..
• Poor sound
• 4 hours battery life or less
• No USB 3

 

Pros:

• Nice screen
• 4:3 factor
• Core M Power

 

Yes, I give up on this one I think. Just a massive time waster with all the hours spent messing around with it.

@mrdasher Yes thats the mic and I replaced it in it’s spot. The entrance for the sound is on the front a small gap below the glass, right bottom. What a waste of $389 🙁

 

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Anonymous]

Chris ,  I hear you.  If they can’t even get the mic working properly you  really have to wonder.

I haven’t had the issues you’ve had but it took  me to get a second tablet for that to happen.  I keep asking myself why do I bother.

D

[Will Maitner]

So, I’m guessing that replacing the 3G card wouldn’t fix the sim issue, correct?

[Anonymous]

Chris are you still planning on reviewing this tablet….warts and all?

[Chris G]

Will Maitner wrote:

So, I’m guessing that replacing the 3G card wouldn’t fix the sim issue, correct?

I’ve tried 3 sim cards and nothing. Don’t think the issue us the modem M.2 card, but I’m not going to open it up again to replace the card.

Anonymous wrote:

Chris are you still planning on reviewing this tablet….warts and all?

I’m not sure, It’s really pissing me off this tablet with all it’s issues and doesn’t put me in the right frame of mind to review it. I’ve thrown so much money away in some really awful tablets as of late. As it stands with all the issues it would receive a horrible rating since 80% the connectivity options don’t even work and my Wifi keeps giving me limit connection issues now on top of all the other issues.

 

I would stay clear of this tablet. Unless you really need a Core M 4:3 retina tablet, wait a while and get once of the newer batches which hopefully has fixed most of the issues.

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Anonymous]

Chris I guess you really got a dud.

I quickly tested the bluetooth with a keyboard and there was no issue.   I inserted a sim card and the cellar function notice appeared and I was able to see my sim serial number in the properties. I didn’t have time to setup an APN so the 3g may still not work but it did see the simcard.  Wifi is solid.  I have never had a Chinese tablet that had good sound.  Surprisingly with battery save mode activated, which is good for general stuff like web browsing / Ms office,   I was actually able to get about 7 hours.  It was casual use but always turned on.  If I play a game I just  turn it off the energy saving.  I can forgive them for the Android problems because it’s definitely an extreme beta but hey they are currently the only company doing a full dual boot tablet on a Core-M.  If it’s not working for us it’s not working for all their Chinese clients so I expect we will see updates.  The crappy mic blows my mind. Why couldn’t they spend a dollar more and get something that works. I guess the same could be said for the speakers. I may actually try swapping out the mic.

I am not defending Onda. For the price, this tablet ( or any other tablet ) shouldn’t have these issues.  I just want to point out those that don’t have a dud , like Chris, all is not lost. I actually find the tablet to very functional. $500.00 CDN worth of functional I would say at this point – No.

 

 

 

[Chris G]

I must have a complete dud and the first batch of them for sure. It has a good design and screen. I like the fact it’s a 4:3 and I’m glad to hear your unit is better than mine, so they aren’t all like this. I’m looking at returning this one before the return Windows closes on me.

I’m going to reinstall Windows and try for the last time to get at least BT and the SIM slot working.

I’ve been looking at the lag issue. The CPU is at 54 degrees, but the case is very hot around 42 degrees. It seems the CPU is locking itself to 800Mhz so no turbo, one of the internal sensors other than the CPU is causing the throttling. As soon as I put the tablet in sleep and let it cool for a minute or two the turbo is back.

There is a way to fix the mic I think. The small gap in the front plastic trim is where it is, if you were to cut it out a little wider then it would let more sound in. Right now it’s a design flaw or the plastics weren’t cut away correctly in the assembly line, just the smallest of slits where the glass and plastic meet. (Right side of the home key the tiny 2mm slit.)

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Bill Hedworth]

In no defence of Onda, as clearly the QC is appalling on these things… but I upgraded from the 64gb x98 Air II I’m very very happy with mine.

I put win10 pro on myself with onda driver pack:

• Sim slot works fine on vodafone here in uk, but slow download speed compared with my LG G3 (in 3g mode), but I won’t use it. No biggy.
• Mic works fine, I recorded myself with voice recorder it sounded good if anything.
• Bluetooth works ok.
• Wifi is stable on my home router (n7000 nighthawk) but not fast, still as fast you would expect from 150mps single band.
• It runs really very smooth all the time, more so since I upped the memory speed. I couldn’t be happier about the raw number crunching of this thing, and I’ve had no trouble with throttling (but I don’t game on it).
• I consistently get 4:50 run time this is 100% web browsing in chrome, which for the performance I get (ie over twice that of atom) I am very happy with, if I used Edge I’m sure I’d get a lot more.

I never wanted android and I would have put win pro on anyway so that wasn’t really a negative for me.

For me the only real issues are slowish wifi (they all do) and the dodgy resolution when not running native res, but then I don’t game on so it’s not an issue for me.

Another plus is upgradability, I have a bigger ssd coming so I can dual boot ubuntu that way I can actually do some programming on it when at conferences etc, I am also going to try and replace the 3g modem with an ac wifi card and that will solve my other gripe. Thats if I don’t get Lenovo Miix 700 first and loose all intrest in this thing.

[Chris G]

Glad your experience is much better than mine there Bill. I’m also eyeing up the Lenovo Miix 700. Looks great, It’s what I wanted my Surface 3 Pro to be. Fanless and Core M. But the next gen skylake Core M’s

Chris | Admin
Please support us and help keep TechTablets online. Affiliate revenue is used to pay for the server, studio apartment (Techtablets HQ) and buy new tech to review. Without it, this site would be dead.
Next up for review:
Ordered and waiting for my: BMAX S15 & Teclast F6 Plus
Currently testing: LG G8X & Redmi K30

[Rhee]

I’m experiencing the lag issue too, which is very annoying. After bunch of googling, I made up my mind to downgrade my windows 10 to 8.1 . Will post if there’s anything better. Ah, and about 3g, I’ve replaced the module to LTE one. works fine for me.

[Author]

Posts