Which (modern) unit to get? - MTCB Android Head Units General

Which (modern) unit to get? - MTCB Android Head Units General

I have a 2016 Toyota Fortuner with it's giant head unit fascia. (original unit measures 225 x 125mm—8.86 x 4.92in), and I'm looking to replace it with an android console that:
- Screen-only double-din unit with Toyota compatibility. Moved on from discs and I like OEM looks.
- At least 2GB of RAM, runs, or upgradeable to latest Android version.
- Can run Android Auto.
- No branding preferred.
Looking at older posts and the seller's website, the Joying and Pumpkin seems to be selling models with bigger screen and newer android version (5.1, and 6!). But the Pumpkin model with Android 6 seems to be a new hardware system that has yet to have third-party ROM compatibility. Joying, while offering a generous screen real estate and clean design, ridiculously display that glaring branding right in your face "JOYING" which I already think of a dozen ways to get rid of shall I need to concede and sell out. They also have a good pre-sale service going.
I appreciate your thoughts on this.
Cheers.

Additional thoughts: the Joying 9" VW unit is actually the closest in dimension to match the original head unit, and without hard buttons on the wrong side of the unit (we drive on the right side — pun intended).
Is it a good (compatible) unit to be loaded with custom ROM, and play with?
The unit: ..aliexpress.com/store/product/Joying-New-Car-Multimedia-Player-For-VW-Android-5-1-Intel-SoFIA-3GR-Quad-Core-Car/1937952_32749065059.html
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

Xcaptain said:
I have a 2016 Toyota Fortuner with it's giant head unit fascia. (original unit measures 225 x 125mm—8.86 x 4.92in), and I'm looking to replace it with an android console that:
- Screen-only double-din unit with Toyota compatibility. Moved on from discs and I like OEM looks.
- At least 2GB of RAM, runs, or upgradeable to latest Android version.
- Can run Android Auto.
- No branding preferred.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Ownice C500 has a Toyota specific version that ticks most of your boxes, so long as you're happy with Android 6.0. No one is doing 7 yet as far as i'm aware.

leonkernan said:
The Ownice C500 has a Toyota specific version that ticks most of your boxes, so long as you're happy with Android 6.0. No one is doing 7 yet as far as i'm aware.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks. I saw a 9" Bonroad unit that has a 2GB ram. It runs on Cortex A9, I think, would it be compatible with malaysk, or other 3rd party rom?

Xcaptain said:
Thanks. I saw a 9" Bonroad unit that has a 2GB ram. It runs on Cortex A9, I think, would it be compatible with malaysk, or other 3rd party rom?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Dunno, is it an MTCB, MTCC or MTCD unit ? If it aint then its not compatible with Malayskl's ROMs - he only does them for MTCB/C and MTCD units.
Klyde are selling octacore/2GB RAM MTCC Android 6 units now, there are some MTCD quadcore units with 2GB RAM that use the Intel/Rockdhip Sofia joint venture chipset (but theyre slower than the RK3188 - 1.2Ghz v 1.6Ghz).
Its also possible to upgrade to 2GB RAM on RK3188 units - theres a thread in the hardware section.

My suggestion is to stick to units that have the Intel SoFIA SoC in them. Just skip over all of the trash chinese ARM chips -- they aren't worth wasting time on, even if they are "8xA53".
The choice between Android 5.1 and 6.0 doesn't really matter. Truth is that Android 6.0 really doesn't add anything useful over Android 5.1 as it is mostly a security revamp, and ALL of the chinese head units have completely broken security, i.e., selinux running in permissive or similar.
Now if it had Android 7.x, then we'd be talking about some serious benefits! For example, split screen multi-window would be IDEAL for a head unit. Stick your nav on one side, and use the other for whatever you want to run.
Here is the thing about Android 7.x: it is MUCH more likely that *we* will be able to come up with a "community" system image for the units with Intel SoFIA SoC. The reason for this, is the INTEL element, which means that we actually have some source code for it!
The Intel SoFIA units are available in MTCD version, and FYT5009 version. The Joying units are all FYT5009, ALL the other Intel SoFIA units are MTCD. It doesn't matter which you choose, Joying seems to be the biggest retailer of head units, so there will be developers on both sides. However note that I am going for the FYT5009 route, so in case you want to follow ME to hell and back, that would be the unit to choose. HOWEVER, note that I make ABSOLUTELY NO promises that I will actually do ANYTHING. Well, except for the blueballs.apk that I already wrote up and posted in the MTCD forum that dramatically improves the bluetooth functionality of the FYT5009 devices.
Regarding the dash fit, have you looked at the Joying Toyota page to see if they have one that will fit?
https://www.carjoying.com/new-android-car-radio/quad-core-toyota-android-car-radio.html
Also look into other aftermarket dash kits. I find that the best look is typically obtained with an aftermarket dash kit, along with an "all glass" style of head unit, such as Joying UL128N2 like this: https://www.carjoying.com/new-andro...h-4-0-gps-navigation-professional-head-u.html

doitright said:
My suggestion is to stick to units that have the Intel SoFIA SoC in them. Just skip over all of the trash chinese ARM chips -- they aren't worth wasting time on, even if they are "8xA53".
The choice between Android 5.1 and 6.0 doesn't really matter. Truth is that Android 6.0 really doesn't add anything useful over Android 5.1 as it is mostly a security revamp, and ALL of the chinese head units have completely broken security, i.e., selinux running in permissive or similar.
Now if it had Android 7.x, then we'd be talking about some serious benefits! For example, split screen multi-window would be IDEAL for a head unit. Stick your nav on one side, and use the other for whatever you want to run.
Here is the thing about Android 7.x: it is MUCH more likely that *we* will be able to come up with a "community" system image for the units with Intel SoFIA SoC. The reason for this, is the INTEL element, which means that we actually have some source code for it!
The Intel SoFIA units are available in MTCD version, and FYT5009 version. The Joying units are all FYT5009, ALL the other Intel SoFIA units are MTCD. It doesn't matter which you choose, Joying seems to be the biggest retailer of head units, so there will be developers on both sides. However note that I am going for the FYT5009 route, so in case you want to follow ME to hell and back, that would be the unit to choose. HOWEVER, note that I make ABSOLUTELY NO promises that I will actually do ANYTHING. Well, except for the blueballs.apk that I already wrote up and posted in the MTCD forum that dramatically improves the bluetooth functionality of the FYT5009 devices.
Regarding the dash fit, have you looked at the Joying Toyota page to see if they have one that will fit?
https://www.carjoying.com/new-android-car-radio/quad-core-toyota-android-car-radio.html
Also look into other aftermarket dash kits. I find that the best look is typically obtained with an aftermarket dash kit, along with an "all glass" style of head unit, such as Joying UL128N2 like this: https://www.carjoying.com/new-andro...h-4-0-gps-navigation-professional-head-u.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Interesting point of view, just read something entirely different from a dev the other day an how poor Lollipop was at lots of things including RAM management and how much better MM is !
Nowt wrong with Rockchip though - they certainly aint "trash", theyre a company going places, Samsung have recently started selling products using their processors, long gone are the days when anything made by a Chinese company is "trash". Plus the Intel Sofia chipset is a joint venture with Rockchip, so you wouldnt be "skipping over Chinese trash", granted Intel is better a releasing source code.
Split window would indeed be useful, but on 4.4.4 and 5.1.1 MTCB and MTCC units the Cardroid/Roximo launcher allows adding and removing widgets so you already can have nav one side and have "whatever you want" on the other (MTCD seem to be able to run MTCB/C launchers, so it could work on them too).
Joying do seem to be biggest retailer of MTCD head units, but theyre simply one of the bigger MTC head unit retailers along with Eonon, Pumpkin, Witson, Erisin etc, theres nothing to suggest theyre the "biggest".

typos1 said:
Interesting point of view, just read something entirely different from a dev the other day an how poor Lollipop was at lots of things including RAM management and how much better MM is !
Nowt wrong with Rockchip though - they certainly aint "trash", theyre a company going places, Samsung have recently started selling products using their processors, long gone are the days when anything made by a Chinese company is "trash". Plus the Intel Sofia chipset is a joint venture with Rockchip, so you wouldnt be "skipping over Chinese trash", granted Intel is better a releasing source code.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I disagree. Rockchip is pretty much trash. No GPL compliance, very bad performance, poor quality control, etc.
Thing with these chips is, however, that what they are really is mostly Intel. I don't believe that Rockchip had much to do with them besides slapping their "RK" postfix on the product code.
Split window would indeed be useful, but on 4.4.4 and 5.1.1 MTCB and MTCC units the Cardroid/Roximo launcher allows adding and removing widgets so you already can have nav one side and have "whatever you want" on the other (MTCD seem to be able to run MTCB/C launchers, so it could work on them too).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Except that that is just the launcher.

doitright said:
I disagree. Rockchip is pretty much trash. No GPL compliance, very bad performance, poor quality control, etc.
Thing with these chips is, however, that what they are really is mostly Intel. I don't believe that Rockchip had much to do with them besides slapping their "RK" postfix on the product code.
Except that that is just the launcher.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Each to their own - I ve been happy with the performance of the Rockchip stuff I ve had.
It may be the launcher running it but I dont think is that relevant you can see 2 things on the screen.

get intel head unit, much faster and better radio... perfect .. na but much faster

doctorman said:
get intel head unit, much faster and better radio... perfect .. na but much faster
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Oh, you are still around then @doctorman ? !

typos1 said:
Oh, you are still around then @doctorman ? !
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
lol I am alive...
If anyone need Joying Head units in USA I can help.

@doctorman I PM'd you but you did not reply.

bex said:
@doctorman I PM'd you but you did not reply.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
email me
JoyingUSA gmail

So long story short, I've settled with an (ARM) R16 head unit since I've got no other choice.
I'm a stickler for OEM look. The unit that I eventually purchased cost $175, and it fits right in, and work without any modification; parking camera, steering remote, brightness adjust, etc. It just works.
The only thing that I wish it does out of the box is the Android OS. It says 5.1.2, but Android Auto fails to be installed. One of the splash screen says it's Android KitKat 4.4.2 :/
Here are some photos:
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Xcaptain said:
So long story short, I've settled with an (ARM) R16 head unit since I've got no other choice.
I'm a stickler for OEM look. The unit that I eventually purchased cost $175, and it fits right in, and work without any modification; parking camera, steering remote, brightness adjust, etc. It just works.
The only thing that I wish it does out of the box is the Android OS. It says 5.1.2, but Android Auto fails to be installed. One of the splash screen says it's Android KitKat 4.4.2 :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
R16 sounds like an Allwinner processor, in which case you dont have an MTC head unit and are in the wrong thread. Try the Android headunit general forum.
To confirm you could post a screenshot of your settings/about device screen showing your MCU version.

Related

Buy now or wait???

My upgrade is coming up in January but i want the Vibrant so badly that i think imma treat myself and pay full price for it, coz my current phone (omnia 2) is a so ****ty.
But reading all these lag/gps threads has put some second thoughts in my head and thinking of holding off and just upgrading in January and save a bit of cash as well or maybe even the torch.
What are your thoughts wait it out and see if samsung fixes the issues and not be out $500 or its worth buying now because the lag fixes fix everything and gps is not so bad?

if you need a new phone now, buy it
the problems you read are exaggerated as usual.
been using it for over a month using stock ROMs every feature works and no lags
GPS is a must thing for me, and it works as soon as i turn it on within 5~10sec
if you don't need a phone now
then wait for better phones coming out next year

well i don't want another phone and i think the vibrant is very nice better then my freezing and laggy omnia.

Get the vibrant now and save your upgrade for the next best thing next year. At $520 tax in its a steal now that you can unlock it for free.

My advise is wait for the September update, to see what happens. I don't care about the lag personally, but the GPS could be better (even though I don't use it really).
We'll know for sure then if the GPS will work. Because it is likely other devices with competing specs to this phone will be released, and if they support GPS better (and have ATMEL too), you'd be better off waiting.

andrewluecke said:
My advise is wait for the September update, to see what happens. I don't care about the lag personally, but the GPS could be better (even though I don't use it really).
We'll know for sure then if the GPS will work. Because it is likely other devices with competing specs to this phone will be released, and if they support GPS better (and have ATMEL too), you'd be better off waiting.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thats th kind of advice i'm looking for, what devices would one be looking forward too that is par with the vibrant?

jebise101 said:
thats th kind of advice i'm looking for, what devices would one be looking forward too that is par with the vibrant?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Any of the new HTC phones, including the Desire HD. They admittedly have the now infamous 1Ghz snapdragon but theres a good possibility they are paired with an Adreno 205 (which has a graphics chipset based on Power VR SGX 535). That would give the HTC phones equal performance considering froyo + will be better optimised for snapdragon processors.
Graphics performance is not as good as the galaxy s chipset but good enough.
HTC's in general I've found are better built but now were encroaching on personal preference territory. This may be simply because HTC have had more time to perfect android or just Ive had a more solid experience with HTC android phones.
rest assured there will be a whole flood of non-samsung androids come christmas so perhaps hold off till end of September and pick the best price/feature phone at that time. More exciting is the prospect of google tv, greater adoption and connection of android devices.
p.s. theres also windows mobile and its host of offerings.

In regards to Windows Mobile, unfortunately, Microsoft seems to have joined the party much too late (which is a pity actually). I don't believe WM7 will survive, because Blackberry owns the corporate market, Apple owns the home market, Symbian/custom OS's owns the cheaper smartphone market and Android owns the technical market (although, it is now accelerating it's growth).
Btw, the SGS isn't the only phone having issues. On the iPhone, people are still having issues with the proximity sensor, and the only solution for iPhone users for the antenna is to use a bumper if they suffer for the issue (or become right handed).
Yep, and the Nexus One wasn't perfect either:
http://www.pcworld.com/article/186399/google_faces_deluge_of_nexus_one_complaints.html . Remember that? And now, people LOVE the nexus one.
The main issue seems to be GPS though on this phone, as people who oppose the lag found switching to EXT fixes their issue.. But GPS, there was no known solution. So whilst there may be similar phones released in september, I forgot to mention you should either wait to see what GPS does, or wait a while before grabbing another phone (because they might have other serious issues on release).
But be cautious about claims made in forums, and wait until you see proof (even here). One idiot who owned a Sony Ericson blog claimed with authority that this phone definitely had 360MB RAM (rather than the full 512), I see people constantly grab quadrant and take note of every 0.5%-1% increase in score they see and try to correlate them to speed of the ROM (because 1% increase in quadrant would be visibly noticeable?) and I've seen people claim that because NMEA sends dodgy packets, the problem is DEFINITELY hardware, without checking if the drivers, or the device is sending them.
Make sure you wait for sufficient evidence. If the GPS DOES get fixed though, and tracking software consistently shows accurate tracks (when sitting down and moving), I'd personally recommend selecting this phone, because unlike the current competing devices, it has good hardware (even a proper multitouch controller), and we mostly know it's problems and limitations now.

andrewluecke said:
Btw, the SGS isn't the only phone having issues. On the iPhone, people are still having issues with the proximity sensor, and the only solution for iPhone users for the antenna is to use a bumper if they suffer for the issue (or become right handed).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even the HTC Desired have (had) the problem with the proximity sensor, good thing our great team at XDA made a hack to fix that.
unfortunately or fortunately depending how you look at it, iphone people are not as free to do as they please with their phones.
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Buy it
This Phone is SWEET.
sending a playlist to my windows 7 computer, which connects to my stereo with an outdoor speaker, while sitting outside drinking wine and smoking a cigar. Priceless.
This phone Rocks. buy one, hell buy two lol.

I ordered one yesterday, coming from an Omnia HD with Symbian on it I reckon this will be a pretty huge upgrade. Even given the minor bugs there is. I'll put my trust in that Samsung will fix those bugs in Froyo which is coming in less than a month anyway.

Am I the only one here who came from a K750i, or another ancient dumbphone?

andrewluecke said:
Am I the only one here who came from a K750i, or another ancient dumbphone?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not in public please!
OP - Mine was delivered yesterday - I'd say buy one. It's awesome!

I'd definitely recommend waiting, but not because of the lag/gps ; Gingerbread should allow for some awesome phones come this holiday season(mainly phones with a higher res).

azgull said:
I ordered one yesterday, coming from an Omnia HD with Symbian on it I reckon this will be a pretty huge upgrade. Even given the minor bugs there is. I'll put my trust in that Samsung will fix those bugs in Froyo which is coming in less than a month anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also figured I'd mention that coming from AMOLED; I don't think I'd able to downgrade that. The washed out blacks are so dreadful. Super AMOLED promising even better contrasts (and actually working in sunlight) can only be a winner. I did consider waiting for Desire HD, but choose not to, purely because of the screen.

What do you guys think are the chances of i9000 getting gingerbread ???
Samsung said official 2.2 will be around september, and 3.0 will be launched around mid-october , so maybe we will have 3.0 for i9000 around february
Desire HD will launch around mid-september , it will come with 2.2, and will probably get 3.0 in december - january

Nobody knows.. Nobody even knows what the specs for gingerbread are. Any reply would be guesses izmenar. The only reason we probably wouldn't get it, is if it required dual core, but dual core mobile CPU's aren't being released for a while

andrewluecke said:
Nobody knows.. Nobody even knows what the specs for gingerbread are. Any reply would be guesses izmenar. The only reason we probably wouldn't get it, is if it required dual core, but dual core mobile CPU's aren't being released for a while
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
StreamTV A7
Tegra 2 should have a dual core Cortex-A9.
Only thing we know for sure is that custom UIs won't be supported in Gingerbread.

Toss3 said:
StreamTV A7
Tegra 2 should have a dual core Cortex-A9.
Only thing we know for sure is that custom UIs won't be supported in Gingerbread.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did Google say that, or was it rumored

Hi there,
i have my Galaxy S for about 2 Weeks and i am happy with it.
The Display is very clear (even with an lower resolution than the IP4).
No jailbreaking or something else to get some stuff working on this nice phone.
Nice functions and a good UI.
Great phone!
...only GPS sucks a little bit, but i hope this will be fixed
Greetings
DerRaven

Still no updates

Hi
The SGT is the first and last Samsung (and perhaps Android) device I will ever buy due to the complete lack of official updates available for it. I am not interesting in flashing hacked roms, I just expect Samsung to provide a timely release of new android versions very soon after google makes them available.
In respect of updates, compared to iOS devices, Android devices are so far behind its untrue --> While 2 year old Apple devices such as the iPhone 3GS are updatable to the latest version of iOS, 3 month old Android devices do not get access to the latest version of android. Its frankly disgusting.
Anyone know when I can expect an update for my SGT to Android 2.3/3.0 (sim free wifi+3g version)?
I've had a pre-order on the go with Amazon for a 7" iconia tab A101, but that has been delayed until 30th June now!! Looks like I am stuck with the SGT and its outdated/buggy/slow OS for some time. I should have just bought an iPad...
Nigel

veletron said:
Hi
The SGT is the first and last Samsung (and perhaps Android) device I will ever buy due to the complete lack of official updates available for it. I am not interesting in flashing hacked roms, I just expect Samsung to provide a timely release of new android versions very soon after google makes them available.
In respect of updates, compared to iOS devices, Android devices are so far behind its untrue --> While 2 year old Apple devices such as the iPhone 3GS are updatable to the latest version of iOS, 3 month old Android devices do not get access to the latest version of android. Its frankly disgusting.
Anyone know when I can expect an update for my SGT to Android 2.3/3.0 (sim free wifi+3g version)?
I've had a pre-order on the go with Amazon for a 7" iconia tab A101, but that has been delayed until 30th June now!! Looks like I am stuck with the SGT and its outdated/buggy/slow OS for some time. I should have just bought an iPad...
Nigel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't blame android blame Samsung they got ya cash now kindly duck off.
I went with sony on my latest upgrade away from Samsung im in the same camp as you Samsung wont get a penny more from me.
No support at all for our device... pathetic!
oo and get ready for the backlash from the Samsung fan brigade who oddly think this is ok?!? but inside I know they are as pi$$ed as us. Ive renamed them $am$sung myself

veletron said:
Hi
The SGT is the first and last Samsung (and perhaps Android) device I will ever buy due to the complete lack of official updates available for it. I am not interesting in flashing hacked roms, I just expect Samsung to provide a timely release of new android versions very soon after google makes them available.
In respect of updates, compared to iOS devices, Android devices are so far behind its untrue --> While 2 year old Apple devices such as the iPhone 3GS are updatable to the latest version of iOS, 3 month old Android devices do not get access to the latest version of android. Its frankly disgusting.
Anyone know when I can expect an update for my SGT to Android 2.3/3.0 (sim free wifi+3g version)?
I've had a pre-order on the go with Amazon for a 7" iconia tab A101, but that has been delayed until 30th June now!! Looks like I am stuck with the SGT and its outdated/buggy/slow OS for some time. I should have just bought an iPad...
Nigel
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dont even know where to begin with this so im not eve going to bother.

TheATHEiST said:
I dont even know where to begin with this so im not eve going to bother.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
+1 I know how you feel.
If only people knew how to use google before typing nonsense.Just to put the first two comments into perspective...........
Android April version numbers stay relatively unchanged from the previous month
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http://www.androidcentral.com/android-april-version-numbers-stay-relatively-unchanged-previous-month
So only around 4% of handsets have gingerbread. Hmm......I would probably consider the Tab to be up to date then? Since that 4% will be mostly consisting of Brand New handsets. Like the galaxy S2,etc. I do actually have an S2, my second samsung device of all time. Is gingerbread much different to froyo? nope. can barely tell tbh. Not like the leap from 2.1 to 2.2. Though if you asked if the dual core made a difference, I would have to say yes.
Come on people.
Though I'm also cross my 1981 ford cortina hasnt been updated to a ford mondeo

stoney73 said:
+1
Though I'm also cross my 1981 ford cortina hasnt been updated to a ford mondeo
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Exactly.
trying to compare a iphone/ios to a Android OS and licensed devices is completley retarded and shows how ignorant the OP is.
iOS is designed to run on 4 devices from a specific manufacturer, whereas Android is licensed to be developed for MANY different manufacturers and MANY MANY MANY devices.
If the OP cant handle a real OS ad real device he should get a lobotomy and get a iphone.

TheATHEiST said:
Exactly.
trying to compare a iphone/ios to a Android OS and licensed devices is completley retarded and shows how ignorant the OP is.
iOS is designed to run on 4 devices from a specific manufacturer, whereas Android is licensed to be developed for MANY different manufacturers and MANY MANY MANY devices.
If the OP cant handle a real OS ad real device he should get a lobotomy and get a iphone.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The sad thing is, they have over 600 posts between them

sigh...
meh! apple, go get an apple then.
as far as the sony comment i am not going to touch it. again if you like sony then go get it
samsung have a history read up befor you go buy thier product and complain.
android is all about openness, development and moving forwards. if you dont like it now then wait a few months and try again.

Android Updates
Lol
I knew this would result in a load of negativity from the Androiders out there. The simple fact is that your average end-user simply does not care that its harder for a manufacturer using a licensed OS to provide updates than it is for Apple to update iOS for its own devices. Its frankly not the end-users problem.
Anyone who has been using iOS devices for any time, will be very surprised if they switch to android (due to all the hype surrounding it), when they find out that updates beyond what the phone is delivered with rarely happen. I would predict that those jumping ship from iOS and heading to Android will be right back to iOS once their contracts expire with a very sour taste lingering!
The fact that Apple devices are upgradable to the latest OS version for around 2 years after first manufacture makes them a compelling purchase (despite the higher initial cost) You are not going to be lumbered with a useless, outdated brick half way through your 2-year contract.
Apple has set the bar very high, its up to google, samsung, HTC to match Apple's performance in this regard *however hard it might be*.
As someone who owns both Android and iOS devices, I am able to compare and contrast. Both have their good points, but the lack of updates for Android devices is a massive negative for them. The other negative being the quality of the apps on Android which is way,way behind those on iOS. Unless you *own* and *use* both iOS and Android devices on a daily basis, you are simply not qualified to have an opinion on this!
I'm no 'Ignorant OP' as someone commented. I've probably been on XDA way before many other folks, and have had 6 WinMo devices prior to heading in the direction of apple. I'm a programmer by trade working with mobile devices (hardware close assy/C/C++, none of this C#/Java nonsense). I simply don't have the time to 'tinker' and flash 'custom' roms anymore. In short, if the geeks on XDA can produce a semi-working 2.3rom for the SGT with none of the information that Samsung themselves have - SO CAN SAMSUNG (if they can be arsed that is).
I like the form factor of the SGT (iPad is frankly too big), I like the fact that its got a microSD slot (makes it hugely useful while away together with my digicam). I got an Android device due to the flexibility the OS offers, I just don't like that I appear to be stuck with all its bugs without any chance of any official updates from Samsung. I wish google would have taken the device manufacturer out of the loop (as Microsoft has done with windows), and push updates directly to the device.
As for this comment:
'iOS is designed to run on 4 devices from a specific manufacturer, whereas Android is licensed to be developed for MANY different manufacturers and MANY MANY MANY devices.'
Sounds like windows on the desktop eh? I've had countless updates from MS for my Windows PC's and laptops despite the fact that this is a single OS present on MANY MANY MANY devices.
It will be interesting to see how MS deals with the issue of updates for WP7 devices. Thus far, they have mucked it right up...
Nigel

veletron said:
As for this comment:
'iOS is designed to run on 4 devices from a specific manufacturer, whereas Android is licensed to be developed for MANY different manufacturers and MANY MANY MANY devices.'
Sounds like windows on the desktop eh? I've had countless updates from MS for my Windows PC's and laptops despite the fact that this is a single OS present on MANY MANY MANY devices.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No, it doesn't sound like windows. I've never seen any other distributions of Windows...guessing cause its not open source. And Windows operating systems only worked on x86 and amd machines. Only reason Windows runs on my macbook is because its got an intel processor in it.
Google made a distribution of the linux operating system, made it open source, and designed a complex phone API behind it. Microsoft doesn't do that nor does Apple. Like Microsoft, Apple restricts what an end user, carrier, or developer can do with its operating system. Android OS is open source.
I work with multiple devices almost on a daily basis. My colleague has the exact tablet you have and he loves it. His only real complaint other than the few "if it had this..." is he wishes it was maybe a tad bit smaller. He's just your average user: checks emails, facebook, twitter, corporate emails, google voice, web browsing... and he has not one regret from switching from the iOS environment. Downloads tons of apps, homescreen's covered with widgets, etc etc.
AT&T was the reason why I got rid of my iphone, not Apple. Verizon gave me a Droid and I fell in love with it. I ran the stock rom on that phone for ages. I didn't even bother doing a custom rom until i got a second android phone through my personal business. Verizon kept us up to date as possible as to when it'd push the update to our phones and so did Motorola. The only update I couldn't wait to get was 2.2 so I could tether to my phone much easier. Even now that iphone is on the Verizon network, I wouldn't switch back to the iphone.
I returned my ipad because I just still couldn't justify the price for all its prettiness. I spent $280 bucks on my android tablet with the ability of reading sd cards, usb drives, and giving me the freedom to browse the device's file system, vs the $500 I spent on the ipad that didn't have a file manager and the only way to get access to the usb and sd cards was to by an extra device and hoped it worked. Also not having to have itunes installed on my computer and go through loops to connect my devices to different computers is a plus. I can buy a microsoft user license for about $300 bucks and install it on one machine. I can buy (if I don't feel like downloading for free) a linux distribution for $5-10 bucks(shipping on dvd) and install it on as many machines as I want and I can even tailor and recompile the operating system specifically for my machine. (What Samsung does for your tablet and Viewsonic does for mine.)
I don't deny that you're having a problem with your device and it should be resolved in some kind of timely matter. Samsung owes that to you as a consumer of their products...Blaming Google and the entire Android operating system stack is kind of naive when its obvious that the operating system is working as intended. Samsung's distribution apparently doesn't for you and whoever else has issues I guess.

Well, if I'm not allowed to compare to Windows, am I allowed to compare to Linux?! This is open source, runs on many many different hardware platforms (hell, most (all?) android phones are ARM based just as Linux (mostly) runs on x86/x64 hardware).
All the packages on my linux installations are updatable directly from the distro source on the fly whenever I choose to update them - this includes *core* OS packages as well as stuff that I have installed.
Quite frankly, a huge to-do is made about the fact that something is a fixed or mobile platform, trying to paint a false picture that mobile platforms are somehow so much more difficult to manage/maintain than fixed platforms THEY ARE NOT. Its just yet another excuse from the manufacturers for not spending the time/money updating a device.
The PRINCIPLE reason why Android & WinMo devices are not readily updatable to the latest and greatest version of the OS is NOT technical, but rather that the manufacturer and the operator would rather flog you a new phone than keep your existing one up-to-date. Its a testament to Apple that they manage to flog new phones to existing apple users despite the fact that there's very little in the OS that they could not get on their existing phone (which would run the same OS version anyway). Apple manages to sell new hardware because the new hardware is brilliant.
Anyway, my original post here was to ascertain whether or not 2.3 or 3.0 would be available for the SGT at some stage. I'm thinking that nobody knows which is fine. I only paid £300 for a wifi+3G SGT and they're fetching that on ebay, so I have not exactly lost out. I'll check out 3.0 on the Iconia A101 I have on pre-order. Maybe that will live up to my expectations.
Nigel

I have never understood the *****ing about updates thing.
You buy a device. When you pick it up off the shelf and take it home you are completely happy with what it is and what you can do with it. You tell all your friends how awesome your device is and recommend that everyone buy one. Then you read that there is a new update to Android. All of a sudden your device is a POS. You wonder why any sane person would even buy such a sack of sh*t. You question your own sanity for buying it in the first place. You call all your friends back and tell them you were dead wrong and no one should ever buy a device like yours ever again. Nothing about your device has changed. WTF??
Also, I'll point out that while older versions of IOS can run newer versions of IOS, they don't do it well at all. That's the main reason why devices don't get updated. Just saying.

Some of the responses here are mind boggling.
Consider this: These Android 3rd party partners essentially get these Android updates for free from Google. Contrast that with Apple who have to do most of the work (except for the open source parts they leverage, which isn't the *entire OS* in Android's case). These manufacturers then need to do, well, what volunteer hackers seem to have little trouble putting together from their bedrooms in relatively little man-hour time. So it's frankly in-excusable for the likes of Samsung, Sony, etc to not have provided Gingerbread updates by now for their devices. The fact that only 4% of handsets on Gingerbread proves the point!

My device is working just fine. Some better apps would make it alot more useful, but I doubt any sw updates will make this much better. Just like switching from windows XP to 7, what have I really gained?

Google encouraging 18 month update pledge
Well, its a start, what happens in practice remains to be seen:
http://androinica.com/2011/05/android-updates-for-18-months/

zetsurin said:
Some of the responses here are mind boggling.
Consider this: These Android 3rd party partners essentially get these Android updates for free from Google. Contrast that with Apple who have to do most of the work (except for the open source parts they leverage, which isn't the *entire OS* in Android's case). These manufacturers then need to do, well, what volunteer hackers seem to have little trouble putting together from their bedrooms in relatively little man-hour time. So it's frankly in-excusable for the likes of Samsung, Sony, etc to not have provided Gingerbread updates by now for their devices. The fact that only 4% of handsets on Gingerbread proves the point!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Three questions:
1. What entitles you to any updates at all? They provide the product. You take it out of the box and determine that you like it. Why do they have any obligation to update your device at all? You certainly don't see this happening with any other type of product.
2. What happened to break your device? When you got it you liked it or you would've taken it back. Now it's a POS. Why? What happened to it to break it?
3. What features of Gingerbread do you want/need on your Tab?

A. Nonymous said:
Three questions:
1. What entitles you to any updates at all? They provide the product. You take it out of the box and determine that you like it. Why do they have any obligation to update your device at all? You certainly don't see this happening with any other type of product.
2. What happened to break your device? When you got it you liked it or you would've taken it back. Now it's a POS. Why? What happened to it to break it?
3. What features of Gingerbread do you want/need on your Tab?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1.My windows laptop is constantly telling me that I have updates ready to install.
1&2. It can take awhile to notice some annoying little quirks and bugs on a device.
3. I would like to be able to use google talk with my front camera.
Sent from my GT-P1000T using XDA App

baxy said:
1.My windows laptop is constantly telling me that I have updates ready to install.
1&2. It can take awhile to notice some annoying little quirks and bugs on a device.
3. I would like to be able to use google talk with my front camera.
Sent from my GT-P1000T using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
1. Really? Microsoft lets you update for free from XP to Windows 7? or even from Windows 7 Home to Windows 7 Professional? Please let me know how to do that. They're never giving me any updates other than security fixes. I've received no updates from Microsoft that included a brand new OS. Obviously I'm in the minority I guess.
2. What is it about your device that makes it a POS now when you liked it originally? What has changed or what have you noticed?
3. You didn't have this when you got the Tab. Why does this just now make you unhappy?

Gingerbread now out.!
Sent from my SGH-T849 using XDA Premium App

stoney73 said:
The sad thing is, they have over 600 posts between them
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and you have over 200 and still haven't learned people have a different opinion to yourself that's the really sad thing.
As i said at the bottom of my post get ready for the backlash

ssserpentine said:
Gingerbread now out.!
Sent from my SGH-T849 using XDA Premium App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm hearing that's just for some of the overseas Tabs and hasn't been rooted yet anyway. Or am I incorrect about all of those things? Wouldn't be the first time.

Google/Asus Nexus 7 tablet

At this point, I think the Nexus tab deserves at least one thread, since there isn't a forum for it yet. It's important, since it will be an official Google tablet; Asus is making it, so it has distant ties to the Prime. Additionally, it'll have Jelly Bean, so we can talk about that here. Launch for both is only a couple days away.
Let's start with the latest from down under. This, from Gizmodo AU, reportedly off of a Google training document.
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http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2012/06/this-is-googles-new-nexus-tablet-the-nexus-7/
"As rumoured, Google’s going to announce a 7-inch, Nexus-branded tablet called the Nexus 7. According to the leak, it’s built by Asus, with a 1.3Ghz quad-core Tegra 3 processor, GeForce 12-core GPU and 1GB of RAM with two different storage variants: 8GB and 16GB.
The Nexus tablet will also feature NFC and run Google Wallet (probably only in the US) and Android Beam.
The screen is an IPS display with a 178-degree viewing angle, running a resolution of 1280 by 800. The device will also sport a 1.2 megapixel front-facing camera. The battery will also give you 9 hours worth of operation.
The 8GB model will set you back $US199 and the 16GB will cost $US249. No word in the document on local prices."
The specs are more beefy than I expected for a value tab--NFC, 9hr batt, 1280x800. Then again, this will have Google's Nexus name on it, so it can't be a completely low-end device. Also, what's cheap has moved down. $200 for a 7" was cheap last year; this year, it's just par. I think Acer, Asus & Co will be able to undercut this with $150-ish tabs.
We tend to equate "cheap" with "poor." What's unique about this tab is that it'll be the first to have the latest Android, it'll be unlocked, and it's just about as fast as the fastest Android tablet available. You just need to have good eye sight is all.

I was expecting bit more storage - 8/16 gigs is bit too small. Otherwise the device is nice.

Why is this so cheap as opposed to something like the asus transformer 300? I understand the transformer has a bigger screen but hardware wise, they seem fairly similar...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA

KindaUndisputed said:
Why is this so cheap as opposed to something like the asus transformer 300? I understand the transformer has a bigger screen but hardware wise, they seem fairly similar...
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF300T using XDA
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Storage and screen size go a long way in cutting costs.
Sent from behind you.

i will definitely be getting one. likely the 16gb version. we can expect this to be 100% unlocked and will have developers flocking to this. its low cost and powerful chipset. Also it will carry the Nexus badge.
I think this how this tablet performs will really let us know what's going on with prime and other tegra3 devices. if the I/O of this tablet is stellar, then we know its a driver/software issue. Maybe even jellybean update solves this. so if this is launching with jellybean, we can expect prime updating to jellybean also very soon. I think with this tablet going to be popular with developers, them tinkering with that tablet will ultimately help us prime owners. we already have kernel developers merging new stuff from HTC one X and updated nvidia fixings. It's crazy how much One X developement has blown up. I expect the nexus tablet to be even larger. This Nexus tablet launching will be a good thing for prime/tegra3 device owners. Can't wait.
I guess I might buy this as a present to myself for my birthday if it launches this week. ill be an early adopter of that device also. 7in. form factor means ill carry it most places with me. Accessories/cases need to come out though.

demandarin said:
I think this how this tablet performs will really let us know what's going on with prime and other tegra3 devices. if the I/O of this tablet is stellar, then we know its a driver/software issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you look in the dev section with the motley kernel, it was proven this is pretty much a software issue by replacing the MMC driver code with the recent tegra builds. His not-yet-released alpha kernel improved IO performance, with write speeds as high as 27 MB/s and read speeds greater than 50 MB/s at times.

st33med said:
If you look in the dev section with the motley kernel, it was proven this is pretty much a software issue by replacing the MMC driver code with the recent tegra builds. His not-yet-released alpha kernel improved IO performance, with write speeds as high as 27 MB/s and read speeds greater than 50 MB/s at times.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yeah, I've been checking out the latest prime developments. that's who I was referring to in my post. With that kernel, prime performance will be stellar. I wonder if new jellybean update will have alot of those same changes in it. Anxious to see nexus tablet benchmarks. just to get an idea of where its power lies at compared to other tegra3 devices.
Motley new kernel coming and Androwook new version has me very anxious to finally jump the gun and unlock. testing new Asus builds is the only thing holding me back now.

I for one don't expect much from Google Nexus 7. Actually... I only have questions for this device...
1. Nexus devices in general aren't exactly million sellers. If we look at the history of smartphone sector, Nexus sales figure fall flat compared to flagship phones from Samsung, HTC, and Motorola.
Nexus devices are geared towards "devs" or in general... "tech/android" geeks. Nexus device doesn't offer anything to casuals. Actually, Nexus devices confuse the "casuals" more than anything....
2. Due to being a Nexus device, I do believe that it'll be popular with devs & the support will be great. Again, however.... I do not believe this will entice APP devs. to actually create apps for Android tablets. The fact that it is 7 in. even makes it worse in my opinion....
When you consider the latest flagship phones nearing 5 in. (some above 5 in.).... most will just opt for their apps to scale up to 7 in.
I think 9.7 or 10in Nexus tablet would have been much more significant....
3. Really glad that Nexus 7 (if true) will be released with Jellybean. However.. Jellybean is.. again.. just Android.
Android's biggest issues is ecosystem & complete lack of content outside of Android. I would have preferred if Google actually focused on ecosystem, content, and playstore....
Or better yet, if they really wanted to jump into h/w business... I would have preferred if Google partnered with Nintendo or something to create a "gaming" console to provide more content.
Google is going after Amazon Kindle & Nook Tablets.... not iPad or even W8. Kindle Fire and Nook Tablets offer far more content within their ecosystem.... & this is the reason why it entices the casuals.
4. My biggest question....
Who the heck will market the device? Will it be Asus or will it be Google? Can make a cheap tablet all they want... but without the right marketing strategy & exposure + content ..... this will all mean nothing.
Samsung marketed their last Nexus phone through commercials & etc.... it still fell short to Galaxy devices in sales figure. If Google do take the rein in marketing this device (I personally don't think Asus has the financial muscle to do so..).... I have to wonder just how far they will push this device to "casual" public. I think Google's marketing will show just how serious & ambitious they are.....

More competition in the "value" 7-inch space. Kindle Fire 2 rumored for July 31, with a cam and physical buttons for controls. DigiTimes in its prior rumor also said 1280x800 res.
Whatever the specs, KFire2 will have to significantly outdo the Nexus 7 to compete. Not only is the Nexus an official Google device, it's also full Android vs KFire's dumbed-down OS. I don't see how KFire2 can pull it off.
http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-33198_7-57459872-286/kindle-fire-2-may-hit-as-soon-as-july/
>8/16 gigs is bit too small
Micro-SD expansion slot should fix that. Multimedia is the main storage hog. For at home, I access my multimedia via wifi. For on the go, stuff goes onto a 32GB card.
>Why is this so cheap as opposed to something like the asus transformer 300
TF300 should hit $300 in the fall, so not too big a diff. As Smurph said, it's screen and battery size. At 9hr rated, Nexus 7 will likely have a 4Ah x 3.4V = 13.6Wh battery, which is a bit more than half the size of the usual 25Wh batt in 10" tabs.
>i will definitely be getting one.
$200 price and lack of competition from Apple/MS will make this a best seller, and will improve app support. I only hope Google can keep improving Android and maintain the momentum, because truth be told, both Honeycomb and ICS were underwhelming. Let's hope Jelly will have some sizzle, and that AOSP will drop in time for devices to get it this year.

shinzz said:
I for one don't expect much from Google Nexus 7. Actually... I only have questions for this device...
1. Nexus devices in general aren't exactly million sellers. If we look at the history of smartphone sector, Nexus sales figure fall flat compared to flagship phones from Samsung, HTC, and Motorola.
Nexus devices are geared towards "devs" or in general... "tech/android" geeks. Nexus device doesn't offer anything to casuals. Actually, Nexus devices confuse the "casuals" more than anything....
2. Due to being a Nexus device, I do believe that it'll be popular with devs & the support will be great. Again, however.... I do not believe this will entice APP devs. to actually create apps for Android tablets. The fact that it is 7 in. even makes it worse in my opinion....
When you consider the latest flagship phones nearing 5 in. (some above 5 in.).... most will just opt for their apps to scale up to 7 in.
I think 9.7 or 10in Nexus tablet would have been much more significant....
3. Really glad that Nexus 7 (if true) will be released with Jellybean. However.. Jellybean is.. again.. just Android.
Android's biggest issues is ecosystem & complete lack of content outside of Android. I would have preferred if Google actually focused on ecosystem, content, and playstore....
Or better yet, if they really wanted to jump into h/w business... I would have preferred if Google partnered with Nintendo or something to create a "gaming" console to provide more content.
Google is going after Amazon Kindle & Nook Tablets.... not iPad or even W8. Kindle Fire and Nook Tablets offer far more content within their ecosystem.... & this is the reason why it entices the casuals.
4. My biggest question....
Who the heck will market the device? Will it be Asus or will it be Google? Can make a cheap tablet all they want... but without the right marketing strategy & exposure + content ..... this will all mean nothing.
Samsung marketed their last Nexus phone through commercials & etc.... it still fell short to Galaxy devices in sales figure. If Google do take the rein in marketing this device (I personally don't think Asus has the financial muscle to do so..).... I have to wonder just how far they will push this device to "casual" public. I think Google's marketing will show just how serious & ambitious they are.....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I know you're a huge Nintendo fan but Google teaming up with Nintendo? lmao I seriously was laughing on that one. I'd rather see Google n Sega team up. Maybe Google has something up their sleeve which this device is geared towards. with it having a tegra3, it will surely be one of Androids top notch gaming tablets. Add in superior multimedia capabilities and although this tablet is cheaply priced, its a powerhouse compared to most other non tegra3 android tablets. Im not looking for it to sell millions although that would be great. Google is projecting it to sell millions. I think it will, Easily. I just want it in as mAny developers hands as possible. as it could ultimately benefit other tegra3 owners with developement info being shared. for example motley using HTC one X info/developement and bringing it into prime kernels. we could always backport from these newer tegra3 devices.
it will be advertised. Once people hear Google themselves came out with a tablet, people will bite on it. especially at this price point. I expect to see commercials showing this after their announcement. From tech sites, to blogs, to t.v., to word of mouth, People will know this tablet exists. That its a 7in. powerhouse, very affordable, and where's the Google name. This is a different ballgame than with nexus phones. there is no other 7in. tablet that even comes close to what this nexus tablet will have and is capable of. although i like 10in.better,I can appreciate the 7in. in being more portable. I'd likely carry it around with me or in my car. Prime can stay in the house
Nexus tablet will be the tablet I won't hesitate to flash roms on and dive into developement scene with. I'm thinking I might even buy my father one. it would be his first tablet. he loves his evo, so I'd know he would love this tablet. this tablet and future ones coming out will be cheap enough to be stocking stutters for holiday season.
I'm most interested in jellybean releasing on prime. I have a feeling it might be sooner than later(keep your fingers crossed).

Once i get this, my Prime most likely end up inside the box it came in, inside some other bigger container locked away.
Man, I'll never buy another non-nexus device. Lesson learned.
Sent from my i9250

demandarin said:
I know you're a huge Nintendo fan but Google teaming up with Nintendo? lmao I seriously was laughing on that one. I'd rather see Google n Sega team up. Maybe Google has something up their sleeve which this device is geared towards. with it having a tegra3, it will surely be one of Androids top notch gaming tablets. Add in superior multimedia capabilities and although this tablet is cheaply priced, its a powerhouse compared to most other non tegra3 android tablets. Im not looking for it to sell millions although that would be great. Google is projecting it to sell millions. I think it will, Easily. I just want it in as mAny developers hands as possible. as it could ultimately benefit other tegra3 owners with developement info being shared. for example motley using HTC one X info/developement and bringing it into prime kernels. we could always backport from these newer tegra3 devices.
it will be advertised. Once people hear Google themselves came out with a tablet, people will bite on it. especially at this price point. I expect to see commercials showing this after their announcement. From tech sites, to blogs, to t.v., to word of mouth, People will know this tablet exists. That its a 7in. powerhouse, very affordable, and where's the Google name. This is a different ballgame than with nexus phones. there is no other 7in. tablet that even comes close to what this nexus tablet will have and is capable of. although i like 10in.better,I can appreciate the 7in. in being more portable. I'd likely carry it around with me or in my car. Prime can stay in the house
Nexus tablet will be the tablet I won't hesitate to flash roms on and dive into developement scene with. I'm thinking I might even buy my father one. it would be his first tablet. he loves his evo, so I'd know he would love this tablet. this tablet and future ones coming out will be cheap enough to be stocking stutters for holiday season.
I'm most interested in jellybean releasing on prime. I have a feeling it might be sooner than later(keep your fingers crossed).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realize Sega is completely out of h/w market & they are in really terrible shape atm right? Sega's overall content isn't strong as it used to be anymore either...
I'm not saying Nexus 7 will be terrible device (for $200... I can even forgive Tegra 3's flaws).... & I think it will have fantastic support...
But Nexus device in general...
1. Aren't very good to Casuals
2. Typically released to be the "standard" for Android devices ... and of course, expose other Android devices...
But that $200 price.. is going to force other OEMs to either just drop out of Android tablet scene or force OEMs to just create cheap tablets. The biggest question will be how Samsung will handle this situation...
Samsung is by far the biggest contributor to Android...
I seriously do not think Samsung will create a "Kai" tablet & considering their disappointment in Android tablet sales in general.... they can just focus on smartphone sector (like LG & HTC have already decided to do).

So, will Google configure this thing so it uses the screen like the Galaxy Tab 2 7" and Excite 7.7, or like the Galaxy Tab 7.7? I wrote a blog post about this (http://www.thetechchat.com/2012/06/20/android-tablets-size-matters-10-1-vs-7/), but in a nutshell the Galaxy Tab 7.7 runs at an apparent resolution more like the 10.1" tablets, while the other two run with a lower apparent resolution. They show less on the screen, some apps run in a kind of mixed phone/tablet mode (like the stock email app), and some tablet apps don't seem to want to install (maybe they're confused about what the device actually is).
Since the Excite 7.7 and Galaxy Tab 7.7 have pretty much identical screens (7.7" AMOLED) running at 1280X800 (so, 196PPI), clearly they can be tweaked one way or the other. Personally, I prefer more stuff showing even if it's smaller, but perhaps screen elements will be marginally sharper the other way around (more pixels used to show an individual element).
It might seem like a small thing, but in practice it's made a pretty big difference.

nvflash coming soon?
does someone tought that maybe this tab will bring with it more support from nvidia..? something like nvflash?? i guess that developers will not be happy if this tab will be half-locked like the prime.. so.. if the history is not liar..and like all the other nexus, this tab will become the next developing point, we are going to see something that MUST CHANGE IN THE NVIDIA POLITICS..
Hope that my english is enought to let you understand what i mean...

In related news of new shiny Android toys, here's preview of upcoming Firefox for Android:
>Nexus devices in general aren't exactly million sellers
Nexus devices never had a $199 price tag.
>I do not believe this will entice APP devs to actually create apps for Android tablets.
Devs go where the market is. If Nexus 7 can be a top seller at $200, and there's no reason why it shouldn't be, then apps will be there. There'll be a lag. I give it 6 months.
How (well) devs can monetize the platform is another major issue. But having a sufficiently large userbase is a prerequisite.
Likewise, vendors go where the demand is. If Google can show there's a market at the $200 level, which is a no-brainer, then there will come more lower-priced offerings. Value 7" will be accompanied by value 10" devices. Ideally, it'll be a snowball effect: low price begat demand begat more software and hardware.
>I think 9.7 or 10in Nexus tablet would have been much more significant....
I fully believe this will happen. It may not be a Nexus--in fact, it shouldn't be a Nexus. Google's aim should be, in the words of Ballmer, to "prime the pump," not to dominate sales in every bracket. Nexus 7 will likely dominate sales, but because it has to. No one else (other than Amazon) has managed decent sales with Android tabs.
>Android's biggest issues is ecosystem & complete lack of content outside of Android.
Per above, content is predicated on sales. Google Play still sucks, although improvements are reportedly forthcoming from I/O.
>But Nexus device in general... 1. Aren't very good to Casuals
This is a valid use-case question: How do we use a tablet? Should it be more kiosk-like with ready-to-eat content aka Kindle Fire, or be more of an app-launcher like iPad, or be a device where you can get more involved with "computer stuff" like file management/transfer/etc?
Categories:
Use-case 1 - Kiosk: Kindle Fire, Nook Tablet.
Use-case 2 - App launcher: iPad, Android.
Use-case 3 - PC-like: Win8 & WinRT.
(These are somewhat oversimplified. KFire can also launch app, web browse, etc, but its main function is to sell Amazon wares. Likewise, Android can do more "PC stuff," but most common use is to launch apps.)
iPad has established app launching as a credible use on tablets. Use of tabs as kiosk for online services is more tentative (sales of KFire has reportedly declined in Q1). I don't believe it has legs, since it's inherently more limiting than an "open" device. As expansive as Amazon wares are, you're still essentially limited to a single vendor's offerings.
As for the last use-case, that tabs can and will serve as the next PC, we'll find out once Win8 launches this fall. This is my vision, and I'm fully onboard with it. It may be with Windows, or Android, or Linux of some sort, but it will happen. Why? Because I see the tablet as simply more mobile laptops.
>So, will Google configure this thing so it uses the screen like the Galaxy Tab 2 7" and Excite 7.7, or like the Galaxy Tab 7.7?
However the Nexus screen density is configured, devs will adapt to it so that their apps will look optimal. It's a reference device.

e.mote said:
However the Nexus screen density is configured, devs will adapt to it so that their apps will look optimal. It's a reference device.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's also the issue of, e.g., how many widgets fit on a home screen, how much usable space there is when the keyboard is displayed, etc. That's significantly less on the Excite 7.7 vs. the Galaxy Tab 7.7.
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>There's also the issue of, e.g., how many widgets fit on a home screen
Yes, I don't mean to say that 7" is best for everything, because it clearly isn't. I believe that 10" form will be more popular for its larger area and thus more versatile use. I view the 7" as more of a complementary/auxiliary unit, and an on-the-go device.
The issue you raise--how large should screen elements be--is another matter I've touched on elsewhere, viz. it's an inherent limitation of the direct-touch paradigm used in current touch-OS'es, due to size of one's fingers. If we can move that to an indirect-touch model, say, by working with controls on a keyboard cover aka "input panel", then such limitation would be obviated. There are pros and cons to this.

e.mote said:
>There's also the issue of, e.g., how many widgets fit on a home screen
Yes, I don't mean to say that 7" is best for everything, because it clearly isn't. I believe that 10" form will be more popular for its larger area and thus more versatile use. I view the 7" as more of a complementary/auxiliary unit, and an on-the-go device.
The issue you raise--how large should screen elements be--is another matter I've touched on elsewhere, viz. it's an inherent limitation of the direct-touch paradigm used in current touch-OS'es, due to size of one's fingers. If we can move that to an indirect-touch model, say, by working with controls on a keyboard cover aka "input panel", then such limitation would be obviated. There are pros and cons to this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're missing my point. The Excite and Galaxy Tab 7.7 are the same physical size but different apparent resolutions. Both are usable, and so I'm guessing would be a 7". So, it's possible to configure a smaller tablet differently.
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>The Excite and Galaxy Tab 7.7 are the same physical size but different apparent resolutions. Both are usable, and so I'm guessing would be a 7". So, it's possible to configure a smaller tablet differently.
Please refer to my first response, which is that it doesn't matter wrt the Nexus 7. It's a reference device, and ISVs will tailor their apps to fit that, not some other 7" that may be configured differently. However screen elements look like on the Nexus will be the standard on the 7" form.
Having said this, then it may be a good idea for Google to introduce a Nexus 10 as well.

Trouble identifying my Head unit. Is it even an MTCB ???

Hello guys,
I just received and aftermarket Head Unit I bought on Aliexpress. Can't post links yet, but it's name is : "Top-Quad-Core-Android-4-4-Car-Radio-for-Renault-Duster-With-Mirror-Link-16GB-Flash"
So far, here are the informations I got about it :
It's on android 4.4.2
It's running an Allwinner A33, a quad-core 1.6 ghz processor. (I didn't saw a single post about anything other than Rockchip processors, sounds bad already)
The model is a "Astar-y3'
The manufacturer is "tw"
MCU is : 5.3.18-23-10-E43101-160216
Based on the MCU, I couldn't even decide wether it was actually a MTCB or not.
Could anyone give me some infos on this ? I'd love some help to see what can be done to improve this little piece of hardware.
Thx !!

It's relatively easy to decide. The letters MTCB don't appear in the MCU version therefore is not am MTCB type unit.
Try Android head unit thread for assistance.
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OK, thx for the info, that settle things I guess...

Recommendation on Android Head Unit? (I've done some research but need help)

I am looking for a recommendation on an Android Head Unit. I see a few different options common in the forum but I really do not want to make a mistake in choosing since it seems like small mistake can cause huge headaches in terms of what is supported. Some basic information I am looking for:
- Double Din, universal fit style
- Looking to incorporate factory steering wheel controls if possible (not sure if this is vehicle specific - will be going in a 2010 Mazda Miata)
- Would prefer picking a model with as much information here has possible in attempt to alleviate headaches down the road
Unless I am mistaken, it seems like the Joying units are common here. I see that there is both 5.1 and 4.4.4 options available. There seems to be a decent amount of info on the KitKat versions here (would be looking at the Y-UQ124 model):
http://forum.xda-developers.com/and...oying-rk3188-rk3066-2-din-head-units-t3193170
Is there a difference hardware/performance wise between the 4.4.4 and the newer 5.1 models? Can the ones that come with KitKat be upgraded to Lollipop? I don't mind running custom firmware too as long as it is stable.
Am I moving in the right direction? What would be the best head unit based on what I am looking for? Thanks in advance for all your help!

Database Develop

welcome