Mediatek Helio X20 MT6797 breaks 70,000 points barrier on AnTuTu?

Mediatek 10 Core Tri-Cluster MT6797: 70,000 AnTuTu

Details of Mediatek’s 10 core tri-cluster MT6797 processor revealed

Mediatek Helio X20 MT6797 breaks 70,000 points barrier on AnTuTu?

I haven’t been paying attention to the hype surrounding this CPU until today.

MediaTek is a company to watch. Initially frozen out of tablets by Rockchip, Allwinner, and ACTIONS, they regrouped and decided to get aggressive. It didn’t take long for them to get into tablets — and then into phones in a bigger way, with even a global brand name like Sony using one of their CPUs.

With this CPU, it’s not unreasonable to speculate that MediaTek could dominate in mobile devices, pushing Rockchip, Allwinner, ACTIONS, and even Intel to the wall. Qualcomm has been having ongoing legal problems in China and this new MediaTek CPU does them no favors.

The big questions are the eternal ones:

1) How hot does it run at full throttle?

2) How fast does it chew through a battery?

So, my enthusiasm is tempered by the limits of physics.

NO.1 M2 4.5" qHD MTK6582 Quad Core Android 5.0 3G Phone

NO.1 M2 4.5" qHD MTK6582 Quad Core Android 5.0 3G Phone
Extremely Rugged 3-Proof Smartphone
IP68 Waterproof, Dustproof, Scratch Proof, Shockproof, Extremely Ruggedized
Stylish Design
4.5 inch stylish design dimension is 144 x 76 x 14.5 mm. Awesome appearance

Android 5.0 Excellent Processor
With the Android 5.0 operating system, high speed quad core 1.3GHz, smoothly play. 1GB RAM ans 8GB ROM work seamlessly Reliable, powerful and efficient

16MP Camera
13.0 MP rear camera with LED flash, large aperture F2.0, 28mm angle professional SLR camera configuration, ov 5.0 MP front camera 43 storeys coating film, night shooting artifact
Smart Wake Function
The hand gestures allows for quick access to a range of applications without ever unlocking your phone. By simply tapping the phone twice you can wake it up and by drawing a shape on the screen you can instantly access your applications.
http://www.tinydeal.com/no1-m2-45-qhd-mtk6582-quad-core-android-50-3g-phone-p-148427.html

Medion S10346 Lifetab with a strong specification for € 199

Lifetab Medion S10346 is a proposal tablet running Google Android, the heart of which is the CPU provided by Intel. Tablet on the German market on April 30 will offer retail chains Aldi Nord for the price of 199 euros with a 3-year warranty.

Lifetab Medion S10346 / photo. Medion

Lifetab Medion S10346 is equipped with a 10.1-inch display with IPS technology, on which the system Google Android version 4.4.2 KitKat is presented in WUXGA (1920 x 1200 pixels). This configuration translates into approximately 224 pixels per inch. The heart of the tablet is a 4-core Intel Atom Z3735F clock frequency of 1.33 GHz to 1.83 GHz maximum Turbo Boost technology. The processor has an integrated graphics chip Intel HD Graphics with 311 MHz clock speed of 646 MHz to that received support from the 2-gigabyte RAM. On the data was booked 32 GB of internal memory and a microSD memory card reader (supports up to 128 GB). Technical specifications tablet weighing about 580 grams and measuring 263 x 174 x 8.5 mm also includes: wireless module working in a standard N, Bluetooth 4.0, mini HDMI output, GPS, micro USB port, a 5-megapixel main camera, a dedicated video camera connections with the 2 megapixel sensor, front stereo speakers, and a rechargeable battery provides up to ten hours of continuous operation. Source: Aldi , tabtech

Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 Bluetooth certified. Prime Minister closer

The South Korean company Samsung has provided a series of tablet Galaxy Tab S 2by Bluetooth SIG, and thus began their certification before the official introduction of the sales and presentation. First off was a Samsung model that offers the potential buyer communication via WiFi module, as well as Bluetooth 4.1 (Low Energy).

Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.4 and 10.5 S, fot. TabletManiaK.pl

Samsung SM-T815 has a certificate of 9 April 2015, but there are a few other models that have been approved by the Bluetooth SIG. For example, 10 April 2015 was certified SM-T817V and SM-T815C, and April 16 SM-T817A. We know that Koreans use different nomenclature for different variants of each device. It is expected that the Samsung Galaxy Tab S 2 with a display diagonal of 9.7 "will be equipped with a matrix made of Super AMOLED technology. The image to be displayed at a resolution of 2048 x 1536 pixels, the aspect ratio of 4: 3. At the heart of the latest Galaxy Tab Tablet S 2 is to be Exynos 5433, which has four main core ARM Cortex-A57 and four auxiliary architecture based on ARM Cortex-A53. Is responsible for the graphics performance ARM Mali-T760. The central unit has received support from the 3 GB of RAM. Does not exclude the implementation of the system – Samsung Exynos 7420 (64-bit), which consists of four primary cores, which will be based on the architecture of the ARM Cortex-A57 and four auxiliary ARM Cortex-A53. Will be responsible for the graphics, then the layout of the ARM Mali-T760. The remaining technical specification is to include a 3-gigabyte memory in RAM, 8-megapixel main camera, a video camera and a dedicated connections Selfie about 2.1 megapixel sensor, 32 GB internal user memory minus the system, as well as reader supports microSD cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB. Galaxy Tab Tablet series S 2 is to have the metal frame, and after the work out of the box will be under the control of Google Android version 5.0.2 Lollipop. Source: sammobile

Nokia rumored to return to making phones next year

According to a report in Re/code, Nokia plans to go back to manufacturing mobile phone in 2016. The company is said to be “quietly plotting a return” to the market it once dominated.

Nokia Technologies is reportedly driving the move back to mobile phones. The division is in charge of managing Nokia’s large portfolio of over 10,000 patents - it released the N1 Android tablet in China earlier this year, as well as the Z Launcher for Android.

The Finnish manufacturer will follow a similar approach to the phone market as it did with the N1 tablet. It will design the devices, but let another company handle their manufacturing and marketing.

Nokia recently acquired the networking equipment manufacturer Alcatel-Lucent. The company is also said to be contemplating a sale of its HERE maps division.

Source

Original Xiaomi Battery Dock Charger for Xiaomi 1/1S

Original Xiaomi Battery Dock Charger for Xiaomi 1/1S
Simple design
Using high-quality PV plastic material
Having a special surface grinding process, feel is exquisite and elegant
http://www.tinydeal.com/original-xiaomi-battery-dock-charger-for-xiaomi-11s-p-148376.html

Nokia planning its return to the smartphone market

Nokia planning its return to the smartphone market

Nokia may have sold its mobile division to Microsoft, but its fight in the smartphone market is far from being over. We know the Finnish manufacturer is still licensing its brand and plans to stay in the mobile wars. A new rumor says their plan is much more elaborated than it seems, though.

According to re/code’s sources, Nokia is planning to make a grand return to making mobile devices as soon as next year. This movement would be led by Nokia Technologies, which is known for being the branch of the company that owns all them 10,000 patents.

Opinion: Remember when we used to dream of Nokia making Android phones? Yep, I am excited too!

PISEN TS-D136 US plug 10000mAh LCD folding direct mobile power box

PISEN TS-D136 US plug 10000mAh LCD folding direct mobile power box
1.2" LCD screen precisely display the remaining electric energy and working state of the product
Built-in AC power plug and micro USB dual input design, which makes charging more convienent and much quicker
10000mAh large capacity power station
It can be carried around and used in both indoors and outdoors
A new generation of high capacity battery cell is adopted, which is lasting and durable
Support quick charging without memory effect
Comprehensively support iPhone, iPad, iPod, more than 95% of branded mobile phones, MP3, MP4 and other digital products
An intelligent protection system is built-in to effectively prevent overcharging and short circuit, stable, reliable and safe
Input: 100-240V ~ 50-60Hz 0.3A
Micro USB input: 5V/2A
Output 1: 5V 1A/2A
Color: As shown in the picture
Net Weight: 336 g / 11.8 oz
Size: 125 x 65 x 30 mm / 4.92 x 2.55 x 1.18 inch

SJCAM SJ5000 VS SJCAM SJ5000 Plus Comparison - GoPro Alternative

SJCAM SJ5000 Plus:SJCAM SJ5000 Plus

CHUWI Vi10 Dual OS Tablet PC review

CHUWI Vi10 Dual OS Tablet PC
Windows 8.1 & Android 4.4.4 Dual OS; Intel Z3736F 64 bit CPU; 2GB + 32GB; Bluetooth 4.0; 4K Video Playback.

Dual OS Windows 8.1 & Android 4.4
Comes loaded with Windows 8.1 & Android 4.4 Dual OS, CHUWI Vi10 lets you translate between Window8.1 and Android 4.4 freely. Now, you can say goodbye to your laptop.

Z3736F Brilliant Performance
Equipped with an Intel Atom Z3736F 64 bit CPU(max frequency up to 2.16GHz) and Intel HD Graphic GPU, CHUWI Vi10 ensures everything running smoothly.

Docking Keyboard Port
Equipped with professional magnetic keyboard docking port, improve the typing efficiency when you need high intensity typing.

2GB RAM + 32GB ROM
Take your world along with CHUWI Vi10, as with its huge internal storage of 32GB which can be further expanded up to 128GB storage is never a problem and its 2GB RAM facilitates better and smooth functioning of the device. 

http://www.tinydeal.com/chuwi-vi10-1...-p-147712.html

PIPO T9s 3G Tablet Phone review

PIPO T9s 3G Tablet Phone
8.9 inch PLS Screen; MTK6592 Octa-core CPU; 2GB + 32GB; Bluetooth 4.0; Miracast; FM Radio; GPS; 5G Wifi.

MTK6592 Octa-core CPU
MediaTek MT6592 is a 'true octa-core' CPU based on the energy-efficient ARM® Cortex®-A7 processor. Based on 28nm HPM process technology, MT6592's eight cores are fully scalable for excellent performance-per-Watt on PIPO T9s 3G.

Android 4.4 OS
Android 4.4 takes system performance by optimizing memory and improving your touchscreen so that it responds faster and more accurately than ever before.

GPS, Bluetooth 4.0, Miracast...
By integrating support for MediaTek's leading connectivity solutions including Bluetooth, Miracast, FM receiver and GPS.

Dual Camera to Capture Wonderful Moments
Dual front and back camera allows you to never miss capturing a moment. One touch sharing allows you to upload your hotographs and videos to your favorite social networks. The camera is 5 MP front and 13 MP Rear.

http://www.tinydeal.com/pipo-t9s-89-...-p-148235.html

Portable 5600mAh mobile power bank

Portable 5600mAh mobile power bank
Actual tested capacity: 2400mAh
Input: DC 5V/1A
Output: DC 5V/1A
Built-in 2 x 18650 batteries
Single USB output and single micro USB input
Micro-USB charging port
With four indicator lights (100%, 75%, 50%, 25%)
With one LED flashlight
Net Weight: 100 g / 3.52 oz
Size: 95 x 46 x 22 mm / 3.74 x 1.81 x 0.86 inch
We provide different colors for your choice

MPIE Z6 5.5" QHD MTK6572 2-Core Android 4.4 3G Unlocked Phone 5MP CAM 512MB RAM 4GB ROM

MPIE Z6 5.5" QHD MTK6572 2-Core Android 4.4 3G Unlocked Phone 5MP CAM 512MB RAM 4GB ROM
Powerful, Exciting Performance
MPIE Z6 has charming specifications for its 1.2GHz processor with 512MB RAM and 4GB ROM.


Unforgettable Screen
Our honor to have 5.5 QHD vivid display screen on MPIE Z6, giving the best viewing angle and color reproduction.



Smart Wake Supported
The Smart Wake allows for quick access to a range of applications without ever unlocking your MPIE Z6. By simply tapping the phone twice you can wake it up.


Decent Camera
The 2MP (Interpolated to 5MP) rear camera and 0.3MP (Interpolated to 2MP) front cameramakes MPIE Z6 the perfect camera all the time.


Android 4.4 KitKat
Google Android 4.4 (KitKat) OS reveals tons of new adventures to your MPI Z6. Get access to thousands of useful apps and fun games to download and install on you tablet with Google Play Store pre-installed.
http://www.tinydeal.com/mpie-z6-55-qhd-mtk6572-2-core-android-44-3g-unlocked-phone-p-148296.html

Uber partners with Samsung to offer sweet deals to Galaxy S6 owners

Uber partners with Samsung to offer sweet deals to Galaxy S6 owners

Samsung Galaxy S6 are getting treated left and right! Even Uber is partnering with Samsung to be part of the Galaxy Gifts program. The ride-sharing giant is set to give all new Uber users with a Samsung Galaxy S6 (or S6 Edge) $25 in credit.

All Samsung users have to do is go to Galaxy Gifts, download the Uber app and sign up. Uber also mentions that other devices may qualify for the offer, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 4.

Opinion: The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are amazing devices (read our review). They clearly don’t need any help in order to sell, but all these sweet deals make it all that more enticing to shell out all those hundreds of dollars.

AT&T may get rid of contracts ending May

AT&T may get rid of contracts ending May

Here’s something for T-Mobile to talk and joke about. It seems AT&T may be following Magenta’s footsteps and getting rid of those pesky 2-year contracts we all hate! At least this is what the latest rumors say.

Our friends at Android Authority have some internal ninja sources who have spilled the beans on a said Project Alice, which is said to take effect by the end of May. This project is said to end service contracts, leaving only the carrier’s Next device installment program alive.

Opinion: I love the new era we are walking into. Let’s face it; carrier contracts are a thing of the past. By the way, let’s take this with a grain of salt. It’s a rumor, after all.

The eBay price of this Galaxy S6 Edge is out of this galaxy

 kickmobiles-ltd (eBay)

 kickmobiles-ltd (eBay)

For some, the Galaxy S6 Edge might be priced out of this world. It’s unlocked, SIM-free price is about $900 for the 32GB model. Prepare yourself then, for a product so expensive that it’s simply outside the Milky Way. Retailer KickMobiles is currently offering a “Limited Edition” SIM-free 128GB Galaxy S6 Edge in Gold Platinum for the incredible price of $7989, with the eBay auction currently listed as Buy It Now status.

Before we get into details, it’s important to note that despite the pictures suggesting the product is of a purely platinum color, the culprit seems to be little more than the lighting used, which tones down the gold surface. Indeed it might take a few looks before you see what’s going on. For all intents and purposes, this device would appear to be the exact same thing you can have for just ten Benjamins as opposed to… a few month’s salary. Still, there are some perks for the lucky one who opts to buy this:
As you can see, the box is serially numbered, with this being the first of 500 units. Indeed that’s why the seller has apparently sought to justify the meteoric price, as othernumbers from the 500 limited edition are being offered for a scant $2500 (and amazingly several have sold). Included in the box is a wireless charging pad (inevitably the same one Samsung was giving out free to pre-orders), a Samsung BlueHouse invitation, a Clear view cover, and a Custom engraving voucher. Samsung BlueHouse is a sort of VIP club for UK Samsung customers that gives members special customer care and access to early previews of new devices.


Without a serial number on the device itself, the actual limited edition nature of this product is seemingly a marketing one at best.


kickmobiles-ltd (eBay)

The device itself doesn’t appear to have any serial number on it, at least judging by the pictures the seller has provided and the description. This makes the offer a bit of a hard sell, to be honest, as aside from the potential for engraving (something which could technically be done without Samsung’s involvement) there is literally nothing special about this product whatsoever. The “Limited Edition” nature is only the packaging and the bonus items. The last picture in the gallery below has a close up of the included “slate” (as the seller calls it) with the serial number.







So there you have it. This is by far the most expensive Galaxy S6 Edge we’ve seen put up for sale so far. For that kind of money, the infamous Vertu smartphone could be yours for just a bit more, as could perhaps a Gold Apple Watch as either option would have far more “bling” factor. Any takers? Just make sure you have a little extra to spare, as the shipping is an additional $39.00… before any applicable customs tax.

Samsung estimates Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge sales could reach 70 million

Samsung might have had a rough year in 2014, but things are certainly looking up for 2015 so far. The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are both finding warm reception across the globe. In particular, the Galaxy S6 Edge is said to be surpassing expectations, thanks to its unique design that helps it stand out in a crowd.

Industry watchers initially predicted Samsung would sell as many as a combined 50 million Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge units by the year’s end but, according to The Korea Times, Samsung has even more optimistic goals of the device. An unnamed Samsung exec reportedly stated “The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are drawing positive responses. I have no doubt that they will be the biggest-sellers in the Galaxy series ever,” with the exec going on to state they estimate sales will be in the “70 million plus” range.

It’s still too early to say if Samsung’s predictions for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will come to pass, but things are sure looking quite positive. For example, T-Mobile recently revealed that its early Galaxy S6 sales had nearly doubled what the Galaxy S5 was able to accomplish in the same time period. Pre-orders in South Korea have also been reportedly very high. Certainly a far cry from the reception seen by the Galaxy S5 which went on to sell 40% fewer units than Samsung had anticipated.

• 
  
  Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge Camera Shootout
• 
  
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Review
• 
  
  Samsung Galaxy S6 Review!
• 
  
  Samsung Galaxy S6 vs Samsung Galaxy S...

That said, not everyone is sold on the Galaxy S6’s metal and glass redesign, especially those who favor removable batteries and microSD card slots. Still, it’s pretty obvious that the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge mark a noticeable change in the way that the public, both casual and techie, feel about the company. On a personal note, I’m seeing a great number of colleagues and friends that are considering purchasing, or have already, a Galaxy S6 or S6 Edge. Many of these same people previously criticized Samsung for the Galaxy S5.

What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge? Is Samsung heading in the right direction?

Showdown: Raspberry Pi 2 vs ODROID C1 vs HummingBoard vs MIPS Creator CI20

The 2012 release of the original Raspberry Pi created a whole movement of hobbyists, developers, and educationalists, who used the ARM based platform to create, hack, and teach. Although the Raspberry Pi wasn’t the first Single Board Computer (SBC) on the market, it succeeded for three important reasons. First, it was a full computer on a little board, it had a desktop and you could write computer programs on it; Second, it had a set of user programmable GPIO pins, similar to those found on microcontroller platforms like the Arduino; Third, and probably most importantly, it only cost $35.

Since then the SBC market has grown significantly and the Raspberry Pi is no longer the only choice available. Among the popular devices available are the ODROID C1, the HummingBoard, the MIP Creator CI20, and the Raspberry Pi 2. Of course, the list of available boards is much longer, but these are the boards that I have personally tested. At the end of the article I will list some of the other boards that you might to consider, if you don’t find what you are looking for here.



The SBC market is heavily dominated by ARM and three of the four boards that we will be looking at use ARM based processors. The exception is the Creator CI20 which uses a MIPS processor. So before we compare the boards, let me formally introduce you to each one.

See the full reviews

• 
  
  ODROID C1 Review!
• 
  
  Raspberry Pi 2 - Review!
• 
  
  HummingBoard-i2eX review!
• 
  
  MIPS Creator Ci20 Review!

Raspberry Pi 2


Although the Raspberry Pi 1 was enormously successful, there was one complaint: the overall performance of the board was lacking, especially when running desktop applications. The performance was less than desirable because it used a single core CPU clock at just 900 MHz. Considering the cost, the innovative nature of the board, and its versatility, then the performance is perfectly understandable, but there was room for improvement. That improvement came in the form of the Raspberry Pi 2, which uses a quad-core processor and doubles the amount of RAM.

Even though the Pi 2 is more powerful and has more memory, the Raspberry Pi foundation managed to keep the price exactly the same. This is a guaranteed recipe for success.


ODROID C1


One of the key reasons for the success of the Raspberry Pi was its price. While there are lots of other companies that make SBCs, there aren’t that many who seem to be able to match the Pi’s price point. Of course, some of the boards are only slightly more expensive than the Pi, and to be fair they often offer more functionality, as we will see with the MIPS Creator CI20.

However one company that has managed to build a board for the same basic price as the Raspberry Pi is HardKernel. Called the ODROID C1, it also costs $35. And like the Pi 2, it also uses a quad-core processor and comes with 1GB of RAM. The ODROID C1 isn’t the only SBC that HardKernel make, but it is the cheapest one. Details about the other boards later.


HummingBoard i2eX


Another company which offers several different SBCs is SolidRun. All of their boards are built around Freescale’s i.MX 6 series of processors. The i.MX 6 range is based on ARM’s Cortex-A9 design, and scales from single- to quad-core.



The HummingBoard i2eX uses a dual-core i.MX 6 processor, comes with 1GB of RAM, and has the same form factor as a Raspberry Pi 1 – it will even fit into a case designed for the first generation Pi.

MIPS Creator CI20


The one board in our line-up which doesn’t use an ARM based processor is the MIPS CI20 Creator. At its heart is a dual-core MIPS based processor coupled with a PowerVR GPU and backed by 1GB of RAM. It is also unique in that it includes its own built-in storage, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. At just $65, it is more expensive than the ODROID C1 or the Raspberry Pi 2, but you are getting more for your money.


How they compare on paper


Now that you have been introduced to our four boards, how do they compare on paper? Here is a list of the specifications of each board and how it compares with the others:

DeviceODROID C1Raspberry Pi 2HummingBoard i2eXCreator CI20
CPU1.5Ghz quad core ARM Cortex-A5 CPU from Amlogic900MHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A7 CPU from Broadcom1GHz i.MX6 dual-core Cortex-A9 CPU1.2GHz dual-core Imagination MIPS32 CPU
GPUMali-450 MP2 GPUVideocore IVGC2000PowerVR SGX540
Memory1GB1GB1GB1GB
StorageSD card slot or eMMC moduleSD card slotSD card slot8GB onboard flash, SD card slot
Connectivity4 x USB, microHDMI, Gigabit Ethernet, infra red remote control receiver4 x USB, HDMI, Ethernet, 3.5mm audio jack2 x USB, HDMI, Ethernet, 3.5mm audio jack, infra red remote control receiverEthernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 2 x USB, HDMI, 3.5mm audio jack
OSAndroid, LinuxLinux, Windows 10Linux, AndroidLinux, Android
ConnectorsGPIO, SPI, I2C, RTC (Real Time Clock) backup battery connectorCamera interface (CSI), GPIO, SPI, I2C, JTAGCamera interface (CSI-2), GPIO, UART, SPI, I2C, PCI-Express Gen 2, mSATA II, RTC with backup batteryCamera interface (ITU645 controller), 14-pin ETAG connector, 
2 x UART, GPIO, SPI, I2C, ADC
Price$35$35/£24$110$65/£50
Android

The two main Android features that distinguish one board from another are support for sound over HDMI, and support for USB flash drives.​

So that is the hardware, but what about the software. Each of the boards in our test can run at least two operating systems, all of them run Linux, and most of them run Android. The one board which doesn’t run Android is the Raspberry Pi, 1 or 2. The Raspberry Pi Foundation doesn’t see Android as a priority, and there appears to be some porting difficulties due to some missing drivers from Broadcom. Of course, this could all change.

Android does however run on the ODROID C1, the HummingBoard and the MIP CI20 Creator. Currently all three only support Android 4.4 KitKat, but each one has the potential to run Android 5.0 Lollipop, however none of the board makers have officially released a ROM at this time.

To judge how well Android is supported on each of the boards I will use the following criteria: features, performance and support for Google’s services.

The two main Android features that distinguish one board from another are support for sound over HDMI and support for USB flash drives. The best board in terms of these features is the ODROID C1. The HummingBoard and the CI20 don’t support USB flash drives under Android, and the CI20 doesn’t support sound over HDMI.

Scoring each board out of 4 for features: the ODROID C1 gets 4, the HummingBoard gets 3, and the CI20 scores 2.

Next, performance. Using AnTuTu as a guide to the relative performance, the ODROID C1 scored 15887, and the HummingBoard-i2eX scored 12198. I wasn’t able to test the CI20, but according to comments I have seen on the Internet, it scores less than the other two.

So, scoring each board out of 4 for performance, the ODROID C1 gets 4, the HummingBoard gets 3, and the CI20 scores 2.

Finally, in terms of support for Google Play and Google’s services: the HummingBoard comes with Google Play pre-installed, whereas the ODROID C1 doesn’t include Google’s services by default, but you can install them via a quick hack. The CI20 doesn’t include support for Google’s service at all.

Therefore scoring each board out of 4 for Google Play support: the HummingBoard gets 4, the ODROID C1 gets 3, and the CI20 scores 2.


ODROID C1 running Android

HummingBoard running Android

MIPS CI20 running Android


Since the Raspberry Pi doesn’t support Android, it will score 0 for this section. The totals for this section are:

• ODROID C1 – 11
• HummingBoard i2eX – 10
• CI20 Creator – 6
• Raspberry Pi – 0

Linux


All four boards support Linux, and they all support it well. To try and judge which board supports Linux the best, I will use the following criteria: the number of distributions supported, performance, and the amount of free memory available after a fresh boot into the desktop.

The board which supports the most Linux distros is the Raspberry Pi 2. Largely due to the sheer size of its user community, the Raspberry Pi is a popular platform and therefore receives the most attention in terms of porting.

The fastest board of the four, in terms of CPU performance without help from the GPU, is the ODROID C1.​

The ODROID C1 isn’t too far behind, and neither is the HummingBoard. Last but not least comes the MIPS CI20 Creator. Partly because it is a relatively new board and partly because it uses a MIPS based processor rather than an ARM based processor, the CI20 does support a respectable list of distros including Debian, Gentoo, Yocto Sato, and Angstrom, however it just isn’t as many as the other three.

The scores for distro support is therefore: Raspberry Pi – 4, ODROID C1 and HummingBoard – tied on 3, and CI20 – 1.

As for performance, the OpenSSL command line tool has a speed option which tests the performance of its various cryptographic algorithms. It also provides a good way to judge the relative performance of one CPU compared to another.



The scores were quite revealing. The fastest board of the four, in terms of CPU performance without help from the GPU, is the ODROID C1. Next comes the HummingBoard, followed by the Raspberry Pi 2. Last place, but not by much, goes to the CI20.

As a result, the scores for performance are: ODROID C1 – 4, HummingBoard – 3, Raspberry Pi 2 – 2, and the CI20 – 1.

Since these boards all have 1GB of RAM, it is important how much free memory remains once the board has booted to the desktop. The graphical user interfaces can be memory hogs and each of the boards uses a lightweight window manager to try and conserve memory. The results are for the default or recommended distro that can boot into the desktop without any additional installation and configuration by the user.

The most frugal board is the Raspberry Pi 2, which had 816360K free after booting. Next comes the CI20, which had 737436K free. The ODROID C1 had 425836K free, and finally the HummingBoard had 313860K free.

So the scores for the free memory test are: – Raspberry Pi 2 – 4, the CI20 – 3, ODROID C1 – 2, and HummingBoard – 1.

Collating all the score for this section, the results of the Linux tests are as follows:

• Raspberry Pi – 10
• ODROID C1 – 9
• HummingBoard i2eX – 7
• CI20 Creator – 5

Raspberry Pi 2 running Linux

ODROID C1 running Linux

Kodi/XBMC


All four boards should support Kodi/XBMC. To test the performance of Kodi I used its internal codec information display to show the frame rate and the amount of CPU time being used to decode the video. I then produced a Full HD, 50Mbps version of my ZTE Blade S6 Plus review video and played it on each board.

The ODROID C1 and the HummingBoard i2eX both did an excellent job of displaying the video. Both managed consistently to show the video at its full frame rate, and neither taxed the CPU too much in doing so. The same can’t be said for the Raspberry Pi, which disappointingly could only manage 9 fps, instead of the needed 23.97 fps. Unfortunately I couldn’t find an easily accessible version of Kodi to run on the CI20, and neither could I find a video player in the online repositories.

The scores for this section are: ODROID C1 – 4, and HummingBoard – 4, Raspberry Pi 2 – 2, CI20 – 0


ODROID C1 running Kodi

Raspberry Pi running Kodi

Other OSes

In a nutshell, the Raspberry Pi 2 has the widest OS support and the other three are very similar in the level of support offered.​

The big news that accompanied the launch of the Raspberry Pi 2 was that Microsoft will release a free version of Windows 10 for the Pi 2, which is aimed at creating Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Although the idea of Windows 10 running on a Raspberry Pi sounds intriguing, you might yet be disappointed, the IoT version of Windows could be quite limited, in fact it may not even offer a desktop. Besides Windows 10, the Raspberry Pi 2 has support for RISC OS, NetBSD, FreeBSD, and OpenWrt.

As for the other three boards, they each have a measure of support for different OSes. For example FreeBSD is known to run on the HummingBoard, while NetBSD has been ported to the ODROID C1 and the MIPS CI20 Creator. There is also a work in progress to support OpenWrt on the CI20.

In a nutshell, the Raspberry Pi 2 has the widest OS support and the other three are very similar in the level of support offered. Therefore to score this section I will give the Raspberry Pi 2, 4 points. And the other three, 2 points each.

Community support


A big factor in picking an SBC is the size of the various online communities. How many people are there blogging about this board? Making videos about it? Writing books about it? Offering help in forums? And so on.

There is little doubt that the Raspberry Pi community is the largest. This is mainly because of the success of the original Raspberry Pi, however it is already clear that the community has embraced the new Pi 2 board with the same passion. It is hard to judge between the online communities of the ODROID and the HummingBoard, but roughly speaking, in broad terms, they are approximately the same! The CI20 has the smallest of the communities partly due to its relative newness.

As a result, the Raspberry Pi 2 scores – 4, the ODROID C1 and the HummingBoard – 3 each, and the CI20 – 1.

What other boards are available


Before we draw our conclusion, I mentioned at the beginning that the boards shown here are the boards that I actually have at hand and can actually test. There are of course many more SBCs available than just these four, and I might have missed off your favorite board. If you can’t find what you are looking for among these SBCs then here are a few more that you might want to check out.

As well as the ODROID C1, HardKernel also makes the high-end $179 ODROID XU3, with a Samsung Exynos 5422 octa-core processor and 2GB of memory; as well as the mid-range $69 quad-core ODROID U3, with its 1.7GHz Exynos 4412 CPU, it also has 2GB of RAM.



Another well respected board is the BeagleBone Black. It uses a 1GHz, single core Cortex-A8 based processor backed by 512MB of RAM. For hardware enthusiasts it is a considered a good choice as the board also includes 2 built-in microcontrollers.

Other boards to consider are the UDOO, the Wandboard, the Banana Pi/Pro, and the Radxa Rock.

So which board is the winner?


And without further ado… The final scores are:

DeviceODROID C1HummingBoard i2eXRaspberry Pi 2MIPS Creator CI20
Android tests111006
Linux tests97105
Other OSes, Kodi/XBMC, community size99103
Totals29262014

If you need Android support then the ODROID C1 is the clear winner.​

Which makes the ODROID C1 the winner. This is perhaps a surprise, as you may have expected the Raspberry Pi 2 to win. The reason it scored so badly was its lack of Android support. If you remove that row from the score sheet then the Pi 2 just beats the ODROID C1. But other than its lack of support for Android, the Pi 2 does have other weaknesses. It is easily beaten by the ODROID C1 and the HummingBoard in terms of performance, and even the dual-core MIPS processor comes close to the Pi’s performance level. Also the current version of Kodi for the Raspberry Pi doesn’t handle video that well, it might be fixed in the future, but at the moment the ODROID C1 and the HummingBoard do a better job.

But having said that, the community size of the Raspberry Pi is unequaled, so maybe the Pi 2’s shortcomings can be overlooked. There is also the issue of price. The C1 costs the same as the Pi 2, on paper, but the shipping costs can be high if you want it directly from HardKernel. My ODROID C1 actually cost 44 Euros from a European distributor, that is around $46.

However, if you need Android support then the ODROID C1 is the clear winner.