MegaFon Mint - Answers to Questions, Denials on Claims

What does the mint ticket scanner look like in MegaFon? Is it true, as Eldar Murtazin writes, does the WiDi interface not work in Mint? What are the performance indicators of the communicator, based on the most popular tests? Does Mint support GLONASS? What games go on Mint, and what not? What are the prospects for updating Android? As agreed, in this post, we answer the questions of the audience of our users, as well as our own.

What does a ticket scanner look like?

As already mentioned in the first post, the communicator is equipped with an NFC - Near Field Communication interface, which allows the exchange of information without wires over a short distance. NFC has recently become a fashionable topic, but its real applications - one, two and miscalculated. It’s more pleasant to see MegaFon Mint not just a valid, but also a useful thing - a subway ticket scanner working just through NFC. How does the scanning program - seen in the photo.


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The program automatically starts when you present a ticket, you can also launch it with the label “MegaFon TicketInfo”.
The next step would be logical to go directly to the payment of travel using the phone, especially since NFC was created just for this.

What is the performance of Mint?

As usual, the use of the new platform raises a lot of questions about its performance. Naturally, having received communicators on hand, testers began to drive on it various tests and programs. We also decided not to lag behind and compared the main indicators of the popular AnTuTu test with Mint and the most popular communicators of the same price range.

	MegaFon Mint	HTC One S	Samsung Galaxy S II	Sony Xperia P
CPU Integer	1297	2405	2055	1364
CPU Float	896	1001	858	903
2D graphics	288	300	294	292
3D graphics	722	1266	1244	1013
Read / Write SD	150/169	299/116	226/81	679/222
Memory	907	1514	1382	718
Total score	4894	7170	6336	5048

As we can see, Mint as a whole loses to its ARM rivals, which, with a high degree of probability, is connected with the optimization of the test for the ARM architecture. Surely in the near future there will be tests compiled for Intel, and then we measure ourselves honestly. Low indicators in 3D, most likely, are connected with the same: hardware acceleration is available, but the test does not know how to use it.
In the last column, I brought the phone, somewhat inferior to the rest of the stuffing, but, nevertheless, current at the moment and, moreover, located in the same price category due to the mark-up for the brand. As we can see, the results are about the same (Sony’s mad reading speed will be left without comments). Thus, Mint cannot be called an outsider; rather, it is a platform that has not yet revealed its potential.

Does Mint Wireless Display (WiDi) work?

On Intel WiDi technology, we have repeatedly written in the blog Intel . WiDi support is stated in the Mint functionality list, however, in the test of the communicator on the mobile-review site, Eldar Murtazin mentions that he could not get it to work:

It was not possible to make this technology work under Windows 7 and MacBook Air 2012. After going through all the computers at home, he waved his hand. I do not think that this proprietary technology will be in demand by anyone.

Let's look at this issue - and there are actually two questions here.

1. Can I transfer images from my device to a laptop or PC using WiDi? The answer is negative. WiDi is a one-way technology for transferring images from a laptop (with defined hardware) to a TV or set-top box. A laptop cannot act as a WiDi signal receiver, only as a transmitter. Therefore, the experience of Eldar was doomed to failure. Note also that the WiDi software only works under the Windows 7 operating system, so the MacBook Air doesn’t snap into WiDi.
2. Is the WiDi interface in MegaFon Mint working? The answer is yes. The performance of WiDi was demonstrated directly at the launch of Mint, when the video captured on the communicator was displayed on the plasma panel using WiDi. Moreover, to re-check, we conducted an experiment with the apparatus, which fell into our hands. Everything went without a hitch, without a hitch - exactly as in the video below. Only in Russian. Taking this opportunity, I want to thank vikky13 for valuable advice, moral support and the equipment provided.

Intel WiDi Demonstration on Orange San Diego - Twin Mint

As for the demand for WiDi, we will not enter into the discussion, we will only express our point of view. The technology of wireless image transmission is necessary in the ecosystem of home or office portable electronics, it logically fits into the concept of "a mobile device should not have wires." So this kind of standard will surely find its application, and whether it is WiDi or some other is a difficult question. One can only say definitely that Intel will make every effort to promote its technology.
By the way, Mint is the only WiDi-enabled communicator on the market today. So exclusivity is also present in it.

Does Mint support GLONASS?

The statement about the presence of GLONASS appears again in the mobile-review test.

GPS - there is a hardware GPS, including GLONASS support, there are no complaints.

So, GLONASS in Mint is missing . Generally absent. Well, that is, it is not there at all. Honestly.
There is nothing more to say at this point. And the screenshot of the lack of GLONASS also does not come out.

How are things going with Mint videos and games? Will Mint update Android to ICS?

These questions are not combined by chance.
Unfortunately, today many video formats are not played on Mint due to the lack of codecs. Installing third-party players and codec libraries does not solve the problem, since they are all written under the ARM architecture and work with Intel, and even less do not know how to use its advantages. So please do not try to install programs like MX Player - now you know why they do not work. What are the benefits of the Intel Atom processor ? He can hardware decode a number of video formats (MPEG4.2, H.234, WMV & VC1). When using these formats, the quality of video playback increases dramatically, and power consumption decreases. Pre-installed in MegaFon Mint, the solution that allows the use of hardware decoding is a doubleTwist player. The player's agent installed on the PC, when transmitting video to the communicator, decodes the video on the fly into a format that is digestible for the device. The result can be seen with the naked eye - you can try.


DoubleTwist player interface

The problem will be solved from the other side. Upgrading Android to version 4 (ICS) will increase the number of video containers supported by the system. MegaFon Mint with Android ICS on board already exists in nature and is currently being tested. The update will be available to users this fall ; It should ease the situation with the video.
With games, the situation is as follows. We have put up with a dozen of the most popular games from Market - they all work fine and do not slow down. There are those that do not work - many have already written about this. These are games with heavy three-dimensional graphics, in their hardware requirements it is written in large letters: "processor - only ARMv7". It is strange to expect them to go to Intel. Let's wait until the games are adapted to the new platform. By the way, someone asked if Mint is ported to Android Quake 1, yes. It works fine, but the picture does not stretch to full screen.

In conclusion of the two-part story about the launch of the MegaFon Mint, I want to say the following. With all the contradictory views on the apparatus, its output was necessary. The disadvantages of Mint are clearly visible to everyone - this is an overpriced, and the old version of Android - we will not list them all. But the main advantage of the communicator does not immediately strike the eye, meanwhile it is. Mint (in various guises) signals the global community of users and developers about the emergence of a new family of devices. Nobody will write applications for the most wonderful platform, if it is not embodied in real popular models of devices. And popularity also does not come immediately, it must be earned with sweat and blood. But you have to start with something.
It is important that new models on the Intel Atom follow Mint without losing tempo. Otherwise, its existence simply loses its meaning.