Ever since the Amlogic S922X powered ODROID-N2 SBC launched last March, I keep reading praise for the processor and board which both deliver great performance at a relatively low price. Hardkernel was the only company that sold such a board so far, but this is about to change with some competition coming from Shenzhen Wesion with their upcoming Khadas VIM3 board that includes 2 to 4GB RAM, 16 to 32GB eMMC flash storage, a wireless module, support for M.2 NVMe SSD, and more. Even though more are planned in the future, two Khadas VIM3 models have been announced so far – Basic and Pro – with the following preliminary specifications: SoC – Amlogic S922X hexa-core processor with 4x Arm Cortex-A73 and 2x Cortex A53 cores, Arm Mali-G52 MP4 GPU, built-in Cortex-M4 core for “always-on” processing MCU – STMicro STM8S003 with Programmable EEPROM for power management, customizations, and boot media configuration […]
$25 Wechip X88 Pro TV Box Features Low Cost Rockchip RK3318 Processor
With RK3328 SoC, Rockchip already has a quad-core Arm Cortex-A53 processor with an Arm Mali-450MP GPU, more exactly a Mali-450MP2 GPU. However, that GPU was found to underperform the penta-core Mali-450MP3 GPU handling graphics in Amlogic S905X processor. If that listing on Aliexpress is correct, it appears the company has made another quad-core Cortex-A53 processor with the same penta-core Mali-450MP3 GPU as found in the Amlogic processor. [Update: The description is wrong, and RK3318 GPU is not faster, so it must be the same (TBC). RK3318 is just a cost-down version of RK3328, but details have not been provided] The new Rockchip RK3318 processor can be found in Wechip X88 Pro TV box with the following specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3318 quad-core Cortex-A53 processor @ 1.5 GHz with penta-core Arm Mali-450MP3 GPU @ up to 750 MHz System Memory – 2 or 4GB RAM Storage – 16, 32 or 64GB […]
Android 10 Beta 3 Now Available on 15 OEM Phones
Google introduced Android Q in March with the first beta and preview SDK release. The new version of Android introduced more privacy protections, support for foldables, sharing shortcuts, connectivity improvements (e.g. WPA3 security), new camera and multimedia features such as dynamic depth photos and AV1 media codec support, as well as an updated neural network API, higher ART performance, and security improvements. Google has now announced Android 10 Beta 3 with a few new features over the first preview release, and support for 15 OEM phones on top of the 6 Pixel phones already supported. Some of the new improvements in Android 10 Beta 3 include: Scoped Storage feature giving users control over files and preventing apps from accessing sensitive user or app data. See the corresponding developer page for details. Update of BiometricPrompt authentication framework to support biometrics, e.g. face recognition, at a system level. Project Mainline described as […]
Google Pixel 3a / 3a XL Mid-Range Smartphones Get a Premium Camera, an Headphone Jack
Google launched their Pixel 3 & 3 XL smartphones last fall with a Snapdragon 845 processor, a camera that takes excellent photos even in low-light conditions, and achieves an excellent score of 101 points in Dxo camera benchmark. The phone costs $799 and up in the US, and more in other countries. Most people I know use their phone for calls and SMS, taking photos, messaging with Facebook and LINE, and some casual gaming, so it would make sense to have a mid-range phone with an excellent camera, a slightly less powerful processor, and a significantly lower price tag. That’s what Google has done with Pixel 3a and 3a XL phones, taking many of the features of Pixel 3, including the camera, but selecting a Snapdragon 670 processor instead, shaving a few dollars with other design decision, and bringing the price down to $399. Pixel 3a / 3a XL smartphone […]
ARBOR IoT-800N Android/Ubuntu Panel PC Targets Automotive Applications, Industrial Automation
Rockchip PX30 is a low cost low power quad core Arm Cortex-A35 processor mostly designed for car infotainment systems. Last month, we also found the processor in ARBOR SOM-RP301 system-on-module designed for retails kiosks such as automated currency exchange machines, electronic restaurant menus, , ticketing kiosks, etc… ARBOR has now launched another Rockchip PX30 platform with their IoT-800N 8″ Panel PC running Android 8.1 or Ubuntu 16.04, and designed for automotive applications such as fleet management or driver fatigue monitoring thanks to interfaces like OBD-II, as well as industrial automation. ARBOR IoT-800N specifications: SoC – Rockchip PX30 Quad-core Arm Cortex-A35 processor System Memory – 2GB DDR4 memory soldered on board Storage – 16GB eMMC flash soldered on board, microSDHC/microSDXC/microSD card socket up to 128GB Display – 8” TFT LCD display with 1024 x 600 resolution, 5-point projected capacitive touchscreen Camera – 8MP front-facing MIPI CSI camera with auto-focus Audio – […]
VORKE GT-King Amlogic S922X TV Box Sells for $114
One of the first Amlogic S922X TV box to show up in our news feed was Beelink GT1-K “King” with 4GB LPDDR4, 64GB eMMC flash, and all interfaces and features you’d expect from a higher end TV box including 4K HDR, HDMI 2.1 output, Gigabit Ethernet, USB 3.0 and so on. The Android 9.0 TV was only unveiled at the time, and we had yet to know about pricing. The media player has now started to sell on Aliexpress under the VORKE brand for $114 including shipping. VORKE GT-King specifications: SoC – Amlogic S922X hexa-core big.LITTLE processor with 4x Arm Cortex A73 cores @ up to 1.8 GHz, 2x Arm Cortex A53 cores @ 1.9 GHz, Arm Mali-G52MP4 GPU @ 846MHz; 12nm manufacturing process System Memory – 4GB LPDDR4 RAM Storage – 64GB eMMC flash, microSD card slot Video Output – HDMI 2.1 up to 4K @ 75 Hz, AV […]
Alipay Dragonfly F1 PoS Enables Payments with Face Recognition
We’re being told the traditional way of paying for purchases – cash – is going away, so we’ll soon have to rely exclusively on electronics payment means such as debit cards, credit cards, contactless stored value smart cards, smartphones, our own face, etc… Wait? I could pay by just showing up my face? Apparently yes, as Alipay recently installed 12 Dragonfly POS (Point-of-Sales) devices with biometric technology at Hong Kong airport. The systems started operating at the airport on April 2nd, but similar devices were allegedly deployed in more than 300 cities in mainland China previously. I’m not entirely sure of the exact model operating at Hong Kong airport, but a quick web search reveals Alipay Dragonfly F1 matches the description. Hardware specifications: Processor – Quad-core Arm Cortex A53 processor @ 1.3GHz System Memory – 2GB RAM Storage – 8GB FLASH Display – 10.1″ TFT touch screen display with 1280×800 […]
Geniatech ATV1660K TV Box Supports Dual HDMI Output, HDMI Input
There are many applications that may benefit from dual display support from digital signage to healthcare to retail or entertainment either to provide access to two different output for the service provider and customer or simply to mirror content. Most Android TV boxes only come with one display output however, so in most cases, you’d have to switch to an Intel mini PC or add a USB-C display adapter if supported by the hardware. Geniatech ATV1660K TV box supports dual HDMI output out of the box, as well as HDMI input. The Android 5.1 TV box is powered by the time-tested Rockchip RK3288 processor and comes with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage by default. Geniatech ATV1660K specifications: SoC – Rockchip RK3288 quad-core Arm Cortex-A17 processor at up to 1.8GHz, with Mali-T764 GPU System Memory – 2GB DDR3 (1GB optional) Storage – 16GB eMMC flash (4GB-32GB optional), full-size SD card slot […]