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EviGroup Wallet now available.


As the ZenPad and EviGroup Wallet are both coming from the same OED (SMiTs) it’s no surprise to hear that both the ZenPad and EviGroup Wallet are available at the same time.

wallet-chrome

Apparently in-stock now, the 199 Euro (215 Euro for the chrome edged version as seen above) mini-tablet doesn’t come with 3G but does include a good set of accessories.

Charger. Cable USB (+ PC connection charge), Suction mount (car and office), Pair of audio headphones, Car charger.

We’re not expecting this to blow away the competition (Archos 5) but it could make a nice small alternative to the Archos 7.  A brief demo video on the specification page (French) shows some of the features but it’s not clear whether it’s coming with Google applications or any navigation software. Previous demo videos clearly showed Gmail and Google Maps.

Our specification page is here (English) and we’re trying to get some of the questions answered along with a review sample.

ZenPad MID Unboxed on Video, Now Shipping –- GPS and 3G/Voice Optional, Android 2.x Supposedly Available in 1 Month, Android Market Along for the Ride


zenpad The Enso ZenPad (AKA Evigroup Wallet) [Portal page] is now shipping from enso-now.com.

Lot’s of new info about this device now that it’s shipping: Though the device is essentially a WiFi-only Android MID, it appears as though you can equip it with internal GPS for $25 on top of the starting $155 price. Additionally, it looks like 3G and voice [UMTS/HSDPA/EVDO (850, 1900, 2100 MHz) or GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz)] is available on the device through an external micro-USB dongle which is available for purchase at checkout for another $35, putting a GPS and 3G/voice equipped zenPad at a total of $215. Be weary though as the specs page notes that data and voice access is provided by a third-party app which means that zenPad probably has little to no control over that particular experience. One can also choose a matte or chrome finish, which has no impact on the price of the unit. Looks like they are also offering $25 worldwide shipping.

This expandability is interesting because it allows the zenPad to function in a range of usage scenarios. The customer can choose what is right for them at the time of purchase, and if they want they can always come back and add the micro-USB 3G dongle if they shift into a mobile — rather than a home — usage scenario. This also means that the zenPad can compete with a larger range of devices.

Sadly, Enso is pulling the classic MID maneuver — the zenPad ships with Android 1.6, but they promise the following:

Upgrades to Android 2.x will be available within 1 month to our customer on their private section for simple downloading and upgrading. Easy instructions will be provided.

We’ve seen similar promises fail to be honored with many of those no-name MIDs out of Asia which I am not a big fan of.

The official spec sheet is also listing the following:

Download and install any compatible application from the Official Google Android Market.

Generally, access to the Android Market on non-phone devices has been rare, so this will be a big plus for the device.

Though the unboxing video shows a car mount, the zenPad’s official page only lists the following as being included:

  • zenPad
  • USB Cable
  • Earphones
  • Power Adapter
  • User manual
  • Touchscreen stylus

Dell, Archos, BT, Sharp, Smart Devices and Huawei in Internet Device News-Rush!


Not one, not two and not even three items of internet device news to update you on today. I’ve got no less than five news items here!

Lets start with Dell who’s leader, Mr. Dell, has provided an update on the Mini 5. According to reports, he’s let it be know that the Dell Mini 5 is coming to Telefonica O2 in June and to AT&T in the summer. The source article from EWeek is littered with incorrect information but the important info is that it is very close. Telefonica O2 operate in Spain (where they are launching the Android-powered Compaq Airlife 100 and have a big presence in Germany and UK amongst other countries where they have proven to be quite the progressive carrier in terms of advanced internet devices. Low data prices and multi-SIM options should really help the Dell Mini 5 to get off the ground. I’m expecting a 500 Euro SIM-free price but as yet, we have no real pricing indication.

While the Dell looks to provide the complete Google and voice experience, that’s not the case with the Archos 7 Home Tablet that has just been reviewed by Engadget’s Joanna Stern. At under 200 Euro it’s not quite targeted at the same usage model too. I’m encouraged to hear Joanna talk about a useful form factor but it seems to have been wasted somewhat because there’s no auto, or even manual rotation into portrait mode. Battery life looks good but as we’d expect with an ARM9-powered device, performance is not stunning. Here’s an educated guess you’ll be waiting three times as long for a web page to load compared to the iPad. Casual mobile web browsing, Google Reader and eBooks, video payback, photo viewing, podcast-catching and maybe even a little bit of casual gaming will be possible though and if you can add a portable keyboard, it would make a perfect emergency or travel device. Engadget Review

Lets turn to a device that might be a little more difficult to get hold of now. It’s the very interesting Sharp IS01 clamshell-style, 5 inch Android device. Like the Archos 7 above, it doesn’t have the Google Marketplace so Sharp are trying to seed some applications through their own SDK and a preview version of the device. The final version of the IS01 was due later in the year.

Pocketables have news today that not only is the SDK version ready but the final product will ship much sooner than expected. As soon as next month. While the device is targeted at the Japanese KDDI network, it is possible that some unlocked versions get through as imports and if that happens it will be great to be able to try a high-powered clamshell design using Android.

huawei-smakit-s7-live-13 A device that has completely slipped us by here at Carrypad is something I’m imagining the Archos Gen 8 devices (due summer 2010) will look like. Clearly focused on home media and having a very interesting docking station, 3G and what looks like a capacitive screen, the Huawei Smakit s7 could be competition for the Dell Looking Glass. I’m assuming that Huawei are looking for customers for this though so it’s unlikely that we’ll see it soon but we’ll keep it high on the list as we cruise Computex in June.

BT have announced that they are getting into the home tablet game. The UK-based company broke the news at their strategy day. Apparently the device will be able to take calls, sms’ and will show weather and perform other functions. It will be smaller than the iPad and bigger than an iPhone. To us, it sounds like BT might have lined up to take the Intel Moorestown-powered Open Peek OpenTablet. Watch and wait.

OpenTablet7_593x428

Finally today, I want to highlight that the SmartQ V7, a slightly more powerful version of the Smart Q7 I reviewed,  is about to be launched in Android 2.1 form. Android has been running on the device via firmware updates for a while now but a new Android 2.1 release is due soon. The device, an ARM11-based tablet with a 7 inch resistive touchscreen, should be available in the next few weeks from Eletroworld priced at $230. Expect a similar experience to the Archos 7 Home Tablet although there’s potential for some nice hacks from the busy Smart Q7 community. We should be getting one for review soon after they become available.

That’s it for now. Hope it gives you something to think about at the weekend. Let us know if you have any thoughts on the above.

ZenPad (aka SMiTS, Evigroup Wallet) gets Video Preview.


We highlighted last week that the EviGroup Wallet [specifications] would be going into production very soon. It seems that SMiTs is also getting ready to put their design through production for Enso as the ZenPad.

enso-zenpad

In a post at Chinable, they offer up a preview video (note the Google Maps, Google marketplace, Gtalk apps) and some notes that indicate this is an Android 1.5 build. A non-3G version is to be launched first. The price of the ZenPad is $155 (120 Euro) so perhaps, just perhaps, the 199 Euro EviGroup Wallet really does include 3G although it’s more likely that taxes and GPS make up the difference. The comments on the post indicate that the ZenPad is heading to production.

So many questions remain open about this device that it’s hard to even try to place it. IF it gets the Android market and runs well in 256MB RAM, it could make an interesting alternative to the Archos 5 which doesn’t have the physical buttons (it uses screen space for virtual buttons) and doesn’t run the Google apps well due to limited memory after hacking. Without a capacitive screen or a high-end CPU, this will never be in the same league as something like the Dell Mini 5 but if if does appear, either in ZenPad or Wallet branding with 3G for 199-Euro, it becomes an interesting low-cost mobility option.

Thanks Mike Cane

Enso website.

Aigo N700 7-inch Tablet


aigo_n700

It’s been a while since we heard any news from one of the forefathers of the Mobile Internet Device and given their MID-free CES stand in January this news comes as a surprise from Aigo.

The N700 is a 7-inch multitouch tablet running on Android 2.1, it’s powered by a dual core 1Ghz ARM Cortex A9 processor and Nvidia Tegra 2 chipset meaning HD video playback and output via a HDMI port. Other specifications include 512MB of RAM, up to 32GB of flash based storage, 800×480 capacitive multitouch screen, WiFi, USB, microSD and a 3120mAh battery. It even has a 3G option.

Given its specification it would certainly make an excellent sofa surfer and media playback device, although the on screen resolution maybe low for an 7 inch device.

It has been noted that this device looks very much like the Compal NAZ-10, which given the rebranding of the Aigo P8860 by Compal isn’t surprising. The NAZ-10 claims 16 hours of HD playback and costs $300.

[via Chinitech]

eviGroup Wallet MID Enters Production. Availability in May. Interview.


wallet The eviGroup Wallet is a 5 inch resistive touchscreen MID running Android in much the same way as the Archos 5. Based on what is likely to be a Samsung ARM11 CPU though (probably the S3C6410 as we suspect the device is from SMiT) it’s not going to beat the Archos 5 on processing power. What it does bring is a low price, a camera and a semi-rugged design. We’re not 100% sure yet but it might even have a 3G module in it. It was certainly announced as having it.

eviGroup Wallet full specifications and links.

If so, you’ve effectively got a ‘Nokia N800 3G’ running Android on a slightly faster processor. Where the Archos is focused on video, the Wallet is focused on mobile comms.

eviGroup have kindly sent us an email today to let us know that the Wallet is going into production and will be available in May. The price? 199 Euros. And that includes ‘a lot of accessories (like a car stand).’ Somehow I doubt that 3G is included for 199 Euro but I could be (and hope I’m) wrong.

We contacted Nicolas Ruiz, Director of eviGroup to ask him a few questions about the wallet.

Carrypad:  How long has it taken you to get the Wallet from concept to production status?
Nicolas: Wallet was started in 2007 with some XScale Prototypes. We made some functionnal
prototypes on May 2009, but we restarted the project because the unit worked only with a stylus and Ubuntu Linux. So 90s when the iPhone made a revolution of Internet navigation.

Carrypad:  Have the tablets shown at CES, MWC and CeBIT affected your design choices?
Nicolas: No. We want to make a semi rugged MID and we want to make a "simple" design

Carrypad: Android Marketplace. Did you get approval? How was your experience with Google?
Nicolas: No contact at all with Google. We tried, but nothing :(

Carrypad: How much software development work did you do yourselves?
Nicolas: We will communicate very soon about this point.

Carrypad: What are the key features of the Wallet over, say, the Archos 5
Nicolas: Really good price but not cheap. We want to have the same build quality that Archos 5 but we don’t want to be a challenger. Archos 5 has a lot of memory and is designed to watch movies, we want to make a "professional" MID.
Also, we will deliver Wallet with a lot of accessories directly in the package.

Carrypad: The Wallet has now gone into production. Where and when will customers be able to buy it?
Nicolas: Soon on a dedicated website.

So, once again it looks like Google aren’t making it easy for OEMs to make a full Android experience tablet. How long will this go on?

We look forward to testing the Wallet and keep our fingers crossed for 3G.

When we get the official specifications, we’ll update our eviGroup Wallet full specifications and links page.

A tale of two Archos 5 Android owners


Archos 5 Internet Tablet _32_ I love the Archos 5 Internet Tablet. Jenn of Pocketables, on the other hand, doesn’t and we’ve been having a to-and-fro on Twitter that’s worth extending here because  it shows how personal opinions can vary widly. We’ve challenged ourselves to write one paragraph on the A5 to say why we think what we think. Before that though, here are a few tweets that kicked the discussion off.

@Smith922 I’ve never had a 5, 6, 7, 9 or 10″ device that beats this around the house. @pocketables will give you a different view though.

@chippy You’re kidding! What about it beats other at-home devices for you? And do you *only* use it at home?

@pocketables yeah. The Archos 5 rarely leaves my home, just fits me perfectly. Quite stable now too. Might get digital a/v dock soon.

@chippy Stability has been OK on mine. I just can’t stand resistive screen, stock OSK, & “ungoogled” Android. Dell Streak, where are you?

@chippy The Archos 5IT is fantastic as a PMP (like previous gens) but I went in expecting an awesome Android MID, which for me it isn’t.

Remember that this is all personal, subjective opinion!

Here’s my summary:

The Archos 5 fits my consumer internet device requirements both physically, through form-factor and font-sizing through to OS and applications and succeeds in doing it in a way that is better than any other home experience I’ve had before. Battery life is fantastic, it looks good and it’s priced at an a level that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. My use-case is home-based Twitter, email, Google Reader, MP3 player, podcatcher, storage, TV-playback, YouTube, ebooks and of course, the browser that supports all the links you receive through email and social apps. When you get a URL through twitter, you want a fast browser to view it! It CAN be better (smoothness, stability, capacitive screen, 3G) but it doesn’t exist yet and that makes the Archos 5 unbeatable in my book.

For Jenn’s summary paragraph, see her post at Pocketables here

Any Archos 5 owners care to offer another one-paragraph perspective?

Dell’s ARM-based MID and Netbook Roadmap shows Incompatible Moblin Option.


dell android roadmap I don’t know where to start with this one but highlighting the incompatibility between Moblin and ARM-based devices is a good place too start and it gives us a hint that this might not be the huge and interesting MID and ‘smart’ book leak that it could have been.

The ‘roadmap’ picked up by Android Central shows three Dell MID devices. The 4.1 inch 640×480 (also marked up as WVGA) Thunder based on Windows Mobile/Android is the first. Then we have the 5 inch Streak which is being shown as having a Vodafone (Europe) variant. This is where the Moblin logo appears. The Looking Glass is shown with a 4:3 format screen (800×600) and finally there are a couple of ARM-based netbooks called ‘Sparta’ and Athens. Once again the Moblin logo appears.

Clearly this is an old internal roadmap showing a possible Moblin / Moorestown option for the devices and probably explains the ‘MID’ label. Clearly Intel weren’t ready for Dell so in this case, they lost out to Android and ARM.

Via Engadget.

Source: Android Central

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