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WITS A81 7″ Tablet Finally With Android 2.1 – Review at Shanzai.com


WiTS-A81-Tablet- We’ve been following this one carefully.  Our review late last year indicated potential but it wasn’t just the Cortex A8 core that got us excited, it was the promised Android build too. We waited a long time but it looks like its finally arrived. Shanzai.com have the WiTS A81E [product information– Wits A81]  in their hands and are starting a three-part review.

The feedback so far is that it’s “one of the best, if not the best Shanzai tablet.” Shanzai means ‘imitation’ or ‘copy’ but this one has been around so long that it really stands on its own two feet. Check out the Part-1 video below and stay tuned to Shanzai.com for parts two and three. Google Apps and Marketplace is a possibility but I’m guessing you’ll have to hack that on. Despite that, it looks like a bargain for around $200-$250

Shanzai.com First look at A81 with Android 2.1

Is this going to be a competitor to the Huawei S7? There’s no 3G or GPS but for the price, it looks like it should be considered.

Review: W1060 7-inch MID from WireLession


Welcome to my review of the WireLession W1060 7 inch MID. I’ve been looking forward to this review for some time now. As many of you can see, the mobile device market is exploding with new devices, and 2010 promises to be a year with at least double the number of new devices to be released. This of course is a double-edged sword, as many of us will be torn on which device to use. Some of you are aware of my quest to find the perfect multi-function device, so hopefully I can help people understand at least some of the devices being released.

W1060 Box
W1060 Atop the Actual Retail Box

The WireLession W1060, also known to many as the Witstech (WITS) A81 (info-page), is a brand new MID (mobile internet device) using the Cortex A8 processor, the same processor as used in the iPhone and the Archos 5 Android Tablet. WireLession is a distributor of the A81, and has re-branded it with their own designation (W1060) and logos. Thedevice is currently priced at $220 on the WireLession website.

Specifications

  • Processor: ARM Cortex A8 600Mhz, Dedicated DSP Graphic Core
  • Operating System: Windows CE 6.0 Embedded
  • Screen: 7-inch TFT Touch Screen, 800×480 Resolution
  • Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth Built-in (1)
  • GPS: (2)  Built-In
  • Sound: Stereo High Fidelity Output 3D Surround, Adjustable Volume
  • Memory: 256MB RAM (3), T-Flash (microSD) slot supports up to 16GB
  • Video Formats Supported: AVI, MPEG4, MPEG2, WMV, H.264 and others (MKV support coming soon)
  • Battery: Rechargeable Lithium Battery (3000mAH), 5 to 8 Hours Operation
  • Weight: 0.39kg battery included
  • Size: 18L×11W×1.5D CM

Specification Notes
1 The review unit’s firmware did not have Bluetooth working.
2 The review unit did not have the GPS Module that is a different model of the W1060 which costs an extra $20
3 The review unit seemed to only see 128MB of RAM. I’m not sure if that is a firmware issue or a hardware issue. The specs I was given say it is supposed to have 256MB of RAM.

UPDATE: The unit does indeed have 256MB of RAM. It is a WinCE functionality that the other 128MB is set aside to be used by the Operating System.

Packaging and Build Quality

The device box is a solid black color, not something you would find on a store shelf and not much larger than the device itself.  Everything that was supposed to be included with the device was there (cables, battery, adapter, and the device).

The device casing felt very sturdy, but it appears to be of a high quality plastic and not metal as I had been previously informed. As the pictures show, the device is jet black and shiny. When I held the device it felt extremely solid and good to hold, noticeably lighter than the SmartQ7 I reviewed previously. There was no flexing and, as a whole, it was smaller than I thought it would be from the pictures. The build quality is impressive, and reminds me quite a bit of holding a bigger Archos 5 Android Tablet.

W1060 Case and Box W1060 Case
The W1060 and the Carry Case I purchased from Fry’s Electronics for $12.99 – it fits perfectly

The Screen

After putting in the battery and charging the device for a while, I turned it on and was immediately impressed with the quality of the screen. It is clear and vibrant, and very responsive to touch. To the naked eye it seems brighter and clearer than my SmartQ7’s screen. See the pictures of the included in this post for a comparison. The interesting thing is that the screen on the JE-100 eBook Reader (see my review) seems a little better than this, but it is very close. There is one big problem with the screen though there is no way to rotate it, except within certain applications. WitsTech has said they are working hard on screen rotation and I was told it would be about 12-15 days before we see an update for it. Unless they can’t get some type of screen rotation, that could be a deal-breaker for many users, especially ebook-reading users. [Edit: Note that an Android build is being worked on but without an accelerometer in the device, rotation would have to be via a manual button/setting]

W1060 Flat Comparison W1060 Standing Comparison
Picture 1: The SmartQ7 (Left), JE-100 (Top), and the W1060. Picture 2 (left to right): SmartQ7, W1060, JE-100

Battery Life and Charging

I tested the device for a couple weeks, during which time I watched video, read ebooks and comics, and browsed the internet. The battery life is as advertised, which is to say 5 to 8 hours depending on the task. Listening to music and reading can take you to the battery-life max of 7-8 hours. Video or web browsing and you won’t get more than 3-4 hours indicating the load that a wireless connection can put on a device.

To charge the device, simply use the included adapter or plug it in to your computer via USB cable. It will charge faster via the adapter, but the USB can also be very convenient. When charging, the power button lights up, turning green and red. When fully charged, the power button light turns completely green. It actually looks pretty cool. You can also see it is charging by looking in the tray on the bottom right of the screen in WinCE.

W1060 Power Charge Light
The Snazzy Power Light

Preview: WireLession W1060 MID


Awareness of mobile computing devices has risen dramatically in the last year and many people are now considering which device would be suitable for their given tasks. For users that plan on using their device to read books or comics, it seems that the 5″ to 7″ inch MIDs are becoming quite popular.  In the summer, the SmartQ7 hit the eBook reading crowd with quite a splash.  The device gave readers some power to surf the internet, play games, listen to music, and most importantly, read books and comics on a screen size that was comfortable but could still be carried around quite easily.  All of that, and the ability to run Linux, WinCE, or Android on a multi-boot partitiion.  The unit was less expensive than many ultra mobile PC and MID devices in the same form factor, at about $230 shipped.

Hot on the heels of the SmartQ7 we have the W1060 by WireLession.  Some of you may remember the posts a few weeks ago about the A81 MID, a 7″ MID with the ARM Cortex 8 processor.  Since then, the unit’s popularity has been growing, and as you can see, it is listed on UMPCPortal and CarryPad as one of the most anticipated devices.  The WireLession W1060 is the branded name of the A81 MID.   With the ARM Cortex A8 (the same processor in the iPhone), users have access to a device that can surf the internet quickly, listen to music, watch video, and read books on a very comfortable 7″ screen.  The device should certainly outperform the SmartQ7 (and possibly even the new SmartV7), and if what the supplier says is true, the build quality is quite a bit better as well.   Information so far is that it has a metal chassis and is quite solid.  It can play flash movies and supports AVI, MPEG4, MPEG2, WMV, H.264 and other video formats.  Due to the fast processor, it should also be extremely fast when loading comics and turning pages.

I have a unit on the way right now.  After some serious hardware and software testing, I’ll post a detailed review of the device.  For now, check out this video and browse the details of the W1060 on WireLession.

W1060 MID from WireLession

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