ONDA V972 - a new generation of Chinese tablets
With leaps and bounds, Chinese products are approaching the quality of world-famous brands. In this review, I will tell you about one of the representatives of the new generation of Chinese tablets, the key feature of which is the presence of a new quad-core processor on the Cortex A7 architecture and a high-density pixel screen - ONDA V972.
9.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2048x1536
Dual-core video accelerator PowerVR SGX544MP2 (8 stream processors)
Quad -core Allwiner A31 processor on the Cortex A7 architecture
2 GB of RAM
The operating system Android JB 4.1.1
16/32 GB user memory + microSD card slot
2 cameras: rear 5 megapixel and front megapixel 2 megapixel
Communications: Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n)
Optional: USB OTG
Li-pol 8000 mAh battery
Dimensions, weight: 242.6x187.5x9.8 mm, 649 grams
On the market the tablet is presented in two colors - black and white. Also available are versions with 16 and 32 GB of internal memory, the price for the youngest starts from $ 240.
Inside is the tablet itself and a rather meager equipment: a charger, a USB cable and documentation in Chinese.
Power supply 2.5 A. There are cases of failure of this unit during the first charge, so on the forums it is advised to replace it with something more reliable. My copy has been working for 3 weeks already, charging in turn the smartphone and tablet 24/7 and, I hope, is not going to die.
For complete happiness, there is not enough OTG cable, but for not having put the headset “on release”, I can only say thank you.
')
On the front panel there is a touch screen framed by a white frame and a front camera. The light sensor is missing.
On the top (when holding the tablet in portrait orientation) there are two buttons: power and home.
The bottom edge contains (from left to right): 3.5 mm mini-jack, HDMI output, microSD card slot, microUSB connector that serves to charge the tablet and connect it to a computer, microphone hole and speaker. The latter, unfortunately, is terribly inconvenient, since when you hold the tablet in landscape orientation, it closes by hand.
The back panel and beveled sides of the tablet are made in the form of a single aluminum part with the logo engraved in the center. The sides are empty.
The back of the main camera and additional information about the tablet (model, serial number, size of user memory) are also located.
All cables are fully inserted, do not stick out.
High build quality and excellent appearance cause only positive emotions. No squeaks and backlash were observed. It upsets only not the most successful location of the speaker.
Once again, I will note the aspect ratio of 4: 3, which I personally consider ideal for a tablet, which is why I have already put a cross on Android tablets with a 16: 9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. The front panel is glass, but the usual, unprotected and from the factory the tablet comes with a glued protective film, which I do not recommend to remove, since it is well glued, without any distortions and bubbles.
Of the drawbacks on the part of the display, I would note the overestimated value of the minimum brightness, but this is most likely an error in the firmware than in the hardware.
Armed with a plastic card or a mediator, we hook and push out the front of the case, not forgetting about the latches.
The cover aluminum is thick enough; one of the slots for the latches on the main part is also noticeable in the photo below.
We turn to the main part. The internal layout looks good, all wires and cables are additionally secured with adhesive tape.
Chips of a constant and random access memory of production Hynix (the company enters the five of the leading producers of random access memory).
The layout around the processor is quite dense. On the board, 8 RAM chips are soldered on, 256 MB each (in the amount of 2 GB) and 2 ROM chips of 8 GB each. In close proximity to the processor is a PMIC chip, designed specifically for the Allwinner A31, a characteristic feature of which is the ability to minimize the number of LDO stabilizers.
And finally, the heart of the device - the processor. No thermal pads to the rear aluminum cover are provided, which is not surprising, since the Cortex A7 is an economical architecture.
To summarize It’s not difficult to disassemble the tablet, the main thing is not to keep a similarity with the iPad, because in this case the front panel is not glued to the case, moreover, it acts as a carrier part here, i.e. It contains all the components of the tablet and you need to remove the back metal cover. Build quality looks reliable.
But the beauty of this CPU lies in its video accelerator, because without any exaggeration I can say that this solution is, at the moment, the most productive on the market of Chinese tablets. Moreover, the graphics performance is significantly higher than that of the iPad 2 and a little less than the iPad 3. I also note that this version of the GPU supports the “desktop” versions of DirectX (9.0L3) and OpenGL (2.1).
We proceed directly to the testing. The device scores 11101 points in the Antutu test and 3064 in the Quadrant:
Multitouch in the tablet supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. From sensors available only accelerometer.
The work of the Wi-Fi module is only good, because -60 dBm at a distance of 5 meters and a brick wall barrier is an excellent indicator (second screenshot). The first screenshot shows the signal level in close proximity to the router.
Browsing. In the best way in this mode of use, the standard browser has proved itself. Surfing is nice, average page loading time is 3-4 seconds, scrolling is smooth.
In the new test Epic Citadel (Unreal Engine 3), the device also shows itself from the good side, and the graphics, gentlemen, as for a mobile device, are simply awesome.
NenaMark 2.4 test:
Graphics performance is more than enough for 2D games.
Moreover, you can safely play NFS: Most Wanted at maximum graphics settings, where the FPS is within 25 units.
The test for video playback was passed successfully, since even video in 4K resolution was not an obstacle for the tablet, let alone ordinary 1080p and lower.
Even despite the Retina-display tablet has excellent performance, which covers all everyday tasks. The main thing is to properly manage this performance, and little has been done on ONDA on this, which slightly spoils the overall impression, and I will describe this in more detail below.
Out of the box, we get a terribly slow launcher that spoils the first impression of the tablet. Part of the problem is solved by installing a third-party launcher, for example, Nova, but the tablet still sometimes is thoughtful. The standard Android interface also slows down, this is what I talked about in the previous chapter. Additionally, we get a mountain of unnecessary Chinese software, from which you can only leave 4K VideoPlayer.
For 3 weeks of use, I shipped 5 total freezes, which can be cured only by rebooting. Once the tablet completely turned into a brick, and I had to re-flash it again, and it happened quite suddenly, without any preliminary manipulations. In the case of the ONDA V972, the operating system should be attributed to the greatest drawback of the device, since having sufficient performance, the launcher of the device manages to seriously "blunt".
By the way, there is a rumor in the “Internet” that the French mobile device maker Archos intends to sell the ONDA V972 tablet under its brand, which gives us hope for additional and, possibly, better software.
Various tests for the duration of the work are collected in the table below.
Based on the data obtained, we again state the fact of the flaws in Chinese programmers. After all, a powerful hardware video decoder inherent in a video accelerator installed in a tablet should decode any video with minimum processor load (and correspondingly minimal power consumption), as a result, the device should work much more in this mode, which we, unfortunately, do not observe.
Let it be “with a scratch” but the test with a sheet of text the camera passes.
Do you like to take pictures of hamsters with a tablet? - This device is not for you.
Low cost
High resolution IPS display
High quality build and materials
USB-OTG support, HDMI port and microSD card slot
New hardware platform with quad-core processor, video adapter with two graphics cores and 2 GB of RAM
Raw firmware
Not the best location of the speaker
Short battery life
Overestimated minimum brightness
No bluetooth
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9.7-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 2048x1536 Dual-core video accelerator PowerVR SGX544MP2 (8 stream processors) Quad -core Allwiner A31 processor on the Cortex A7 architecture 2 GB of RAM The operating system Android JB 4.1.1 16/32 GB user memory + microSD card slot 2 cameras: rear 5 megapixel and front megapixel 2 megapixel Communications: Wi-Fi (802.11 b / g / n) Optional: USB OTG Li-pol 8000 mAh battery Dimensions, weight: 242.6x187.5x9.8 mm, 649 gramsOn the market the tablet is presented in two colors - black and white. Also available are versions with 16 and 32 GB of internal memory, the price for the youngest starts from $ 240.
Packing and packaging
The tablet comes in a white cardboard box. On the top of the box is an image of the tablet itself. Everything is simple and concise, like the "big" brands.Inside is the tablet itself and a rather meager equipment: a charger, a USB cable and documentation in Chinese.
Power supply 2.5 A. There are cases of failure of this unit during the first charge, so on the forums it is advised to replace it with something more reliable. My copy has been working for 3 weeks already, charging in turn the smartphone and tablet 24/7 and, I hope, is not going to die.
For complete happiness, there is not enough OTG cable, but for not having put the headset “on release”, I can only say thank you.
')
Design, build quality
ONDA V972 in appearance is very similar to the Apple iPad.On the front panel there is a touch screen framed by a white frame and a front camera. The light sensor is missing.
On the top (when holding the tablet in portrait orientation) there are two buttons: power and home.
The bottom edge contains (from left to right): 3.5 mm mini-jack, HDMI output, microSD card slot, microUSB connector that serves to charge the tablet and connect it to a computer, microphone hole and speaker. The latter, unfortunately, is terribly inconvenient, since when you hold the tablet in landscape orientation, it closes by hand.
The back panel and beveled sides of the tablet are made in the form of a single aluminum part with the logo engraved in the center. The sides are empty.
The back of the main camera and additional information about the tablet (model, serial number, size of user memory) are also located.
All cables are fully inserted, do not stick out.
High build quality and excellent appearance cause only positive emotions. No squeaks and backlash were observed. It upsets only not the most successful location of the speaker.
Display
ONDA V972 has a great IPS display, the diagonal of which is 9.7 inches. The tablet has the LG production matrix (LG097QX1-SPA1) installed the same as the iPad 3, respectively, the display characteristics are top notch and I won't dwell on the latter.Once again, I will note the aspect ratio of 4: 3, which I personally consider ideal for a tablet, which is why I have already put a cross on Android tablets with a 16: 9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. The front panel is glass, but the usual, unprotected and from the factory the tablet comes with a glued protective film, which I do not recommend to remove, since it is well glued, without any distortions and bubbles.
Of the drawbacks on the part of the display, I would note the overestimated value of the minimum brightness, but this is most likely an error in the firmware than in the hardware.
Interiors and maintainability
Unscrew the 4 screws on the upper and lower ends of the tablet.Armed with a plastic card or a mediator, we hook and push out the front of the case, not forgetting about the latches.
The cover aluminum is thick enough; one of the slots for the latches on the main part is also noticeable in the photo below.
We turn to the main part. The internal layout looks good, all wires and cables are additionally secured with adhesive tape.
Chips of a constant and random access memory of production Hynix (the company enters the five of the leading producers of random access memory).
The layout around the processor is quite dense. On the board, 8 RAM chips are soldered on, 256 MB each (in the amount of 2 GB) and 2 ROM chips of 8 GB each. In close proximity to the processor is a PMIC chip, designed specifically for the Allwinner A31, a characteristic feature of which is the ability to minimize the number of LDO stabilizers.
And finally, the heart of the device - the processor. No thermal pads to the rear aluminum cover are provided, which is not surprising, since the Cortex A7 is an economical architecture.
To summarize It’s not difficult to disassemble the tablet, the main thing is not to keep a similarity with the iPad, because in this case the front panel is not glued to the case, moreover, it acts as a carrier part here, i.e. It contains all the components of the tablet and you need to remove the back metal cover. Build quality looks reliable.
Hardware platform performance
The ONDA V972 tablet is based on the Allwinner A31 quad-core processor, with a clock frequency of 1 GHz (overclocking is possible up to 1.2 GHz) and the PowerVR SGX544MP2 graphics core. This relatively new processor is produced on a 40 nm process technology and is based on the Cortex A7 architecture, which is primarily aimed at saving energy, so you should not expect transient performance from the processor. To be more precise, the performance of Allwinner A31 quite a bit exceeds the best Chinese chip of the last year, the Rockhip RK3066, let me remind you, these are 2 Cortex A9 cores operating at 1.6 GHz.But the beauty of this CPU lies in its video accelerator, because without any exaggeration I can say that this solution is, at the moment, the most productive on the market of Chinese tablets. Moreover, the graphics performance is significantly higher than that of the iPad 2 and a little less than the iPad 3. I also note that this version of the GPU supports the “desktop” versions of DirectX (9.0L3) and OpenGL (2.1).
We proceed directly to the testing. The device scores 11101 points in the Antutu test and 3064 in the Quadrant:
Multitouch in the tablet supports up to 10 simultaneous touches. From sensors available only accelerometer.
The work of the Wi-Fi module is only good, because -60 dBm at a distance of 5 meters and a brick wall barrier is an excellent indicator (second screenshot). The first screenshot shows the signal level in close proximity to the router.
Browsing. In the best way in this mode of use, the standard browser has proved itself. Surfing is nice, average page loading time is 3-4 seconds, scrolling is smooth.
In the new test Epic Citadel (Unreal Engine 3), the device also shows itself from the good side, and the graphics, gentlemen, as for a mobile device, are simply awesome.
Additional screenshots from the Epic Citadel test
NenaMark 2.4 test:
Graphics performance is more than enough for 2D games.
Moreover, you can safely play NFS: Most Wanted at maximum graphics settings, where the FPS is within 25 units.
The test for video playback was passed successfully, since even video in 4K resolution was not an obstacle for the tablet, let alone ordinary 1080p and lower.
| No | Video file characteristics | Results in a regular 4K VideoPlayer | MX Video Player Results |
| one | MPEG-4 / XviD / 640 Ă— 346 / 1.0 Mbps / 24.0 fps / AAC | Reproduced normally | Reproduced normally |
| 2 | MPEG-4 / H.264 / 1280 Ă— 720 / 3.0 Mbps / 29.970 fps / AAC | Reproduced normally | Reproduced normally |
| 3 | MKV / H.264 / 1280 Ă— 720 / 6.0 Mbps / 24.0 fps / AC-3 | Reproduced normally | Reproduced normally |
| four | MKV / H.264 / 1920 Ă— 1080 / 10.0 Mbps / 24.0 fps / DTS | Reproduced normally | Reproduced normally |
| five | MKV / H.264 / 1920 Ă— 1080 / 40.0 Mbps / 24.0 fps / none | Reproduced normally | Reproduced normally |
| 6 | MPEG-4 / H.264 / 3840 Ă— 2160 / 30.0 Mbps / 29.970 fps / AAC | Reproduced normally | Reproduced normally |
| 7 | MPEG-4 / H.264 / 3840 Ă— 2160 / 50.0 Mbps / 29.970 fps / AAC | Reproduced with subtle delays. | Reproduced with subtle delays. |
Operating system and software
The device comes preloaded with Android OS version 4.1.1, also known as Jelly Bean. The latest at the time of writing the review is the firmware of the communication module 1.35. The system already has support for Root access and OTA.Out of the box, we get a terribly slow launcher that spoils the first impression of the tablet. Part of the problem is solved by installing a third-party launcher, for example, Nova, but the tablet still sometimes is thoughtful. The standard Android interface also slows down, this is what I talked about in the previous chapter. Additionally, we get a mountain of unnecessary Chinese software, from which you can only leave 4K VideoPlayer.
For 3 weeks of use, I shipped 5 total freezes, which can be cured only by rebooting. Once the tablet completely turned into a brick, and I had to re-flash it again, and it happened quite suddenly, without any preliminary manipulations. In the case of the ONDA V972, the operating system should be attributed to the greatest drawback of the device, since having sufficient performance, the launcher of the device manages to seriously "blunt".
By the way, there is a rumor in the “Internet” that the French mobile device maker Archos intends to sell the ONDA V972 tablet under its brand, which gives us hope for additional and, possibly, better software.
Autonomous work
The battery life of the “tablet” in the combined cycle is about 5 hours. That is small enough for a modern tablet. The device scores 538 points in Antutu Tester:Various tests for the duration of the work are collected in the table below.
| Mode (brightness 40%) | Time |
| Playing 1080p YouTube videos | 5 h |
| 1080p video playback (Wi-Fi off) | 5.3 hours |
| 480p video playback (Wi-Fi off) | 6 h |
| Active browsing | 5.5 hours |
| 3D games | 3.7 h |
Camera
We have 2 cameras: front 2 megapixel and 5 megapixel rear. Both are removed as below average, and if the front camera is sufficient for video calls, the quality of the rear is depressing. In bright daylight, you can get a more or less good photo, but with artificial light, the photo quality is just disgusting. You can shoot video at 720p. Let it be “with a scratch” but the test with a sheet of text the camera passes.
Do you like to take pictures of hamsters with a tablet? - This device is not for you.
Results
The ONDA V972 is an excellent 10-inch tablet with a high-resolution display, which is ideal for “use” because of its short battery life. A new productive platform will cover all everyday tasks, whether it be browsing, watching videos or heavy games. Of the minuses, it is worth noting a rather raw firmware, as a result of which we have a short battery life and a slight slowdown of the interface. The main thing is not to forget about the price, since it starts from the mark of $ 240, and I still dare to recommend this device to anyone who wants to get a high-quality device at minimal cost.Advantages and disadvantages
Low cost High resolution IPS display High quality build and materials USB-OTG support, HDMI port and microSD card slot New hardware platform with quad-core processor, video adapter with two graphics cores and 2 GB of RAM Raw firmware Not the best location of the speaker Short battery life Overestimated minimum brightness No bluetoothCost of
The tablet costs in BuySKU shop 263 dollars for the white version . Next to the catalog is the same, but in the black color and $ 7 more expensive. On sale, there is also a tablet ONDA V971 , the twin brother of the hero of this review, but without a back camera and $ 10 cheaper.Related Links
Topic on w3bsit3-dns.com Page on the official siteIf you do not have an account on Habrahabr, you can read and comment on our articles on BoxOverview.com
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/166999/
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