Amazon's Superpad3/Flytouch X220 16GB - A new User's Review (RePosted)

[tbod]

You will discover a problem doing that... There is an issue with market and partitions greater than 4GB - that's why the firmware partitions the larger card!!!

you could do it manually - partition the card and copy the files over.... or you could just re-flash the firmware and it does it for you.

This sounds very familiar... Thinking back to the original IBM PC, certains programs (1-2-3 especially) would crap out with a 'Not Enough Memory' error if you had more than 512Kb (yes, that's right Kilo Bytes) of RAM because they were doing a signed comparison on memory size instead of an unsigned comparison. Consequently they saw 640K as a negative number and took the wrong branch. Tossers!

I suspect something similar is happening here.

 

[arueder]

You will discover a problem doing that... There is an issue with market and partitions greater than 4GB - that's why the firmware partitions the larger card!!!

you could do it manually - partition the card and copy the files over.... or you could just re-flash the firmware and it does it for you.

I don;t suppose you would have any idea on how to move apps to the sd? everytime I try to using app2sd from the market or even trying to do it manually it fails.

 

[dart16]

I don;t suppose you would have any idea on how to move apps to the sd? everytime I try to using app2sd from the market or even trying to do it manually it fails.

Link2SD works...you will need to re-partition your external card..follow the instructions on the link2sd page.....

 

[EvilEd209]

Ok, so a quick update here. I received my new, 16GB tablet over the weekend. So while it took awhile to get the device that I ordered, I did eventually get it. This one performs exactly the same as the previous one had, as in very well so far, so nothing has changed in my review there. The Wifi works well and I took it out and about over the weekend and hit some WiFi hotspots and it connected just fine. It was kind of cool to run through a drive through, hop on to their WiFi and find a movie to take my wife to that night!

I have since found a lot of apps that I am really liking that is making me all the more happier with this tablet. So with the Kindle App and Adobe Reader app there for my eBooks, OliveOffice Pro that reads/edits MS Office Documents (it runs a little wonky but it run), and the GPS apps I have tested and are working, I am very happy with my purchase.

I also have z4Root running on it and have been able to use Titanium Backup on it. So the rooting process was fairly painless. I had to 'find' the apk file for z4root and use an installer to get it to run but it works. Also, do not forget to get Launcher Pro so that you can turn on the USB Degugging in order to root this device. But it worked well and that was really a breeze to do.

The only thing I have left is to update the ROM. I still do not have full access to the Android Market yet, and this is mostly due to the SD card reader I bought sucks and shorts out my PC. Never buy anything from Wal-Mart and expect it to work. Tiger.Com here I come. So I need to buy a new card reader before I can updated the ROM.

But other then that this has really been a good experience! I may have gone a different road then some users of this device. I deiced to educate myself on it before I bought it, I knew going in that this was most likely a clone. I learned all I could on how to tweak it and fix it (still learning) and had REALISTIC expectations on what it could and could not do, and now I have a really well running tablet for 1/4 the cost of an iPad.

I am sure time will tell if I regret buying this tablet or not. I now know that I found a seller on eBay that actually sells the iBex models, full 8000 mah battery and all, making this the first US based seller of the top of the line version of this tablet I could find. With full PayPal protection there and it makes me think. I am almost debating complaining and returning the one I have and getting the iBex model, but we will see. Overall though, if it does everything I want it to and I can live with the tweaky battery life, then I think I will be happy.

Pics coming soon!

Ed

 

[arueder]

Link2SD works...you will need to re-partition your external card..follow the instructions on the link2sd page.....

Tried that, didn't work. Would not let me create link.

 

[arueder]

Ok, so a quick update here. I received my new, 16GB tablet over the weekend. So while it took awhile to get the device that I ordered, I did eventually get it. This one performs exactly the same as the previous one had, as in very well so far, so nothing has changed in my review there. The Wifi works well and I took it out and about over the weekend and hit some WiFi hotspots and it connected just fine. It was kind of cool to run through a drive through, hop on to their WiFi and find a movie to take my wife to that night!

I have since found a lot of apps that I am really liking that is making me all the more happier with this tablet. So with the Kindle App and Adobe Reader app there for my eBooks, OliveOffice Pro that reads/edits MS Office Documents (it runs a little wonky but it run), and the GPS apps I have tested and are working, I am very happy with my purchase.

I also have z4Root running on it and have been able to use Titanium Backup on it. So the rooting process was fairly painless. I had to 'find' the apk file for z4root and use an installer to get it to run but it works. Also, do not forget to get Launcher Pro so that you can turn on the USB Degugging in order to root this device. But it worked well and that was really a breeze to do.

The only thing I have left is to update the ROM. I still do not have full access to the Android Market yet, and this is mostly due to the SD card reader I bought sucks and shorts out my PC. Never buy anything from Wal-Mart and expect it to work. Tiger.Com here I come. So I need to buy a new card reader before I can updated the ROM.

But other then that this has really been a good experience! I may have gone a different road then some users of this device. I deiced to educate myself on it before I bought it, I knew going in that this was most likely a clone. I learned all I could on how to tweak it and fix it (still learning) and had REALISTIC expectations on what it could and could not do, and now I have a really well running tablet for 1/4 the cost of an iPad.

I am sure time will tell if I regret buying this tablet or not. I now know that I found a seller on eBay that actually sells the iBex models, full 8000 mah battery and all, making this the first US based seller of the top of the line version of this tablet I could find. With full PayPal protection there and it makes me think. I am almost debating complaining and returning the one I have and getting the iBex model, but we will see. Overall though, if it does everything I want it to and I can live with the tweaky battery life, then I think I will be happy.

Pics coming soon!

Ed

Since you have had time to play with yours, how is the download speed using wifi? Mine is slooooow. Takes around 10 minutes just to download something like es file explorer and titanium. I installed Tim4e but it didnt seem to change much at all. Market fix does not work either. Most apps are not showing up. Even running a wired connection is slow. My internet at home is a cable connection too with an apple airport extreme router.

Edit: Tim 5a is out...
http://public.timduru.org/Android/Flytouch3/

Edit: WOW what an improvement 5a is!!!

 

[EvilEd209]

Thanks for the tip on 5A. I am getting my new SD card reader this weekend and I should be able to Flash the new ROM and see some of these improvements. I really am looking forward to it!

 

[arueder]

Thanks for the tip on 5A. I am getting my new SD card reader this weekend and I should be able to Flash the new ROM and see some of these improvements. I really am looking forward to it!

I don't have the pad with me right now but messing with it last night with 5A seems to have an increase in speed. Still no A2SD. Link2SD still wouldn't work for me. Really nice keyboard, home screen. Ability to reboot added to home screen along with several other settings. Downloading via WiFi still appears sluggish at times but I did see an improvement. Later i'm going to shoot Tim a message and see if he can't get it set up to run the update without the need for it having to wipe the device (Like CM6 & 7).

Have not tried camera yet on 5A yet. Market works and also shows much more apps although not nearly as many as my phone. But has definitely improved. The tablet still does not show up in market as a device (only shows my phone).

Overall the update looks GREAT and seems to have improved functionality on my pad vs 4E version.

What these pads need are a custom kernal.

 

[santhony2]

Thanks for the thread guys...

Lots of great info!!!

I'm ready to purchase an IBEX tablet.. But just have two things to figure out... Firstly... do I want the Flytouch 3 or the Facepad... Both are IBEX tablets..

Secondly... I want to be sure to get the true IBEX.

As of right now... I will be purchasing from Chinagrabber, as I have not seen any negative comments about them delivering the real deal.

Did anyone else look at the IBEX Facepad? It's similiar to the Flytouch... Just supposed to be a little nicer....

32gb iBex FacePad - Froyo Android 2.2 Tablet PCs - Gps Apad - Flash 10.1

 

[arueder]

Thanks for the thread guys...


32gb iBex FacePad - Froyo Android 2.2 Tablet PCs - Gps Apad - Flash 10.1

Looks exactly like the Superpad

In fact, the specs look EXACTLY like the Superpad 3 only with a larger internal card installed.

 

[arueder]

Thanks for the tip on 5A. I am getting my new SD card reader this weekend and I should be able to Flash the new ROM and see some of these improvements. I really am looking forward to it!

Has nice boot animation too!

 

[arueder]

Looks like we can see the paid app list. Just can't buy from it yet. Crashes when purchasing...

Hybrid ROM (rooted)

 

[Rabid1]

I had just ordered the 4GB version of this when I found this thread. I already have a 32GB I am going to swap for the internal 4. I picked up a Mylong M-150 about 2 weeks ago and I think they are actually a great little unit for the price. But now that I have the bug I wanted something a little better and for the price I got with discounts the SP3/X220 was a killer deal at $180 with a case and keyboard.

Originally I was going to up the battery in the Maylong but the batteries are a little more expensive and I was warned that the supplier I found no longer carries anything but the 1600mAh but doesn't tell you until you get it. Gotta love China online buying. I had also planned a small fan mod that would only work when plugged into the charger, but mine does not run hot at all unlike some of the reviews out there.

Will have to wait and see if I get the 8000mAH battery, but for the price I don't know if I will be able to resist.

 

[EvilEd209]

So I wanted to post a final update on the tablet I purchased from Amazon. Over the weekend I picked up a new SD card reader (finally) and dropped Tim's brand new 4E ROM on to it and flashed my tablet. It was a fairly quick and easy process with no complications. I always get a tad bit nervous when flashing anything but this went off just fine. Just follow the instructions found about on this above and you'll be fine.

What I can say about Tim's 4E ROM so far is WOW! The first noticeable difference I can tell you about right away is the battery life. I am not sure what he did, but this new ROM seems to save a ton of battery life! And it further extends my happiness with the tablet.

The Home page took a bit to get used to, as I was so used to the stock one that came with the tablet but I am over that now. Apps seems to run better, the table as a whole seems to be faster and so far it is a major improvement on an already pretty good tablet. The android market is my only complaint so far. It did open up all of the free apps on the market but I still can not see the paid apps. There is a solution here that I have not yet tried and will do so this week to see if I can unlock those paid apps:

http://androidforums.com/gome-flytouch-3/363473-solution-show-hidden-apps-market.html

But overall, with a little research, and a few tweaks this tablet really has been a good buy for me. I am happy with my purchase and I am looking forward to everything I can now do with it. my wife is already tired of me and my constant tweaking of this device.

If I can get the NetFlix apps working on this, then it will be a grand slam for me. I'll keep you posted.

Ed

 

[EvilEd209]

I thought that i would share this with all of you today. If you read above my habit with this device is to charge it overnight, take it off of the charger in the morning and toss it into my bag, use it on my one hour lunch break and head home with it. In a previous review, I was not too happy with this because by the end of the day with leaving it on it would be dead by the time I got home.

But, since updating to Tim's 4E ROM, the battery usage is SO much better. I am including a pic from the battery usage utility that came with the ROM. I have had it on since 630 am an dit is now 430 pm and I used it on my lunch break and here is where I am with battery life now:

88%

Tim, you rock buddy!

 

[EvilEd209]

Second Pic

Please note the 8+ hours of up time and the 88% battery left!

 

[EvilEd209]

So, finally, here are the pics I promised of the box and the tablet itself:

 

[EvilEd209]

more pics, screenshots from the tablet:

 

[Rabid1]

Second Pic

Please note the 8+ hours of up time and the 88% battery left!

Yours is the 5800/6000mAH battery correct?

I ordered mine through FL Trader via Amazon Prime. It supposedly shipped the same day (last Friday) and should be here tomorrow. I wish I had checked the shipping because they went USPS and I cannot get mail to them because Amazon reports their inbox is full. Not sure that is a good sign.

I should be getting the exact same one as Supersale.99 according to Amazon.

 

[EvilEd209]

Yours is the 5800/6000mAH battery correct?

I ordered mine through FL Trader via Amazon Prime. It supposedly shipped the same day (last Friday) and should be here tomorrow. I wish I had checked the shipping because they went USPS and I cannot get mail to them because Amazon reports their inbox is full. Not sure that is a good sign.

I should be getting the exact same one as Supersale.99 according to Amazon.

Yes, mine is the 5800/600 mAH battery.

A funny thing happened to me last night as well that you might find interesting. So, right after I posted all of those pics and praised this tablet post 4E ROM update and the awesome battery changes, I closed it and let it sit. I had dinner, put the kids to bed and decided to read some of the eBooks I have downloaded. I hit the button to wake it and all it did was vibrate for a second.

Odd, but okay. So maybe I shut it down and forgot. No problem, I hit the button and hold it for a second to get it to start up. It vibrated , the screen lit up and then it continued to vibrate and then shut down.

So no matter how I tried, the poor thing would not start up. Lucky for me I knew what had happened. The battery was completely dead. The fix for this is to hook up the power and wait for 30 minutes. I did so and it started right up. But I find it interesting that two hours before it read 80 something percent battery to then be nothing. Zero. Even after the 30 minute charge time it was at 8% battery. So, is the battery utility lying to me? Telling me I have 80% battery life when it really has 40%?

I will continue to test this. In the end I left it on the charger over night and it still was only at 93% this morning. I tossed it on the charger when I got to work and 30 minutes later it was on full.

Any idea from anyone out there?

 

[Rabid1]

I will continue to test this. In the end I left it on the charger over night and it still was only at 93% this morning. I tossed it on the charger when I got to work and 30 minutes later it was on full.

Any idea from anyone out there?

Some things I have learned with the Maylong that might apply here is that different roms can effect they way you battery lasts. I had one of the nicest make my battery life the worst. I went from 2 hours running to 1. Suspended it was barely over 3 hours. The only thing I can figure is that it did not suspend correctly, most likely it shut down the screen but left WiFi on full. Perhaps the 4e version does something similar?

I am a huge gadget freak and always try the clone stuff for giggles. One reason is I have spent tons of money on brand electronics only to have them fail just outside the warranty and the cost of fixing them turns out to be ridiculous. Clones, if this is truly a benefit, tend to fail right off the bat and usually the vendors expect this and are pretty prompt to refund or replace. I have never had one fail a second time. Let's not get into my 2 Sony 50" Plasmas that spent more time in the shop then on a channel.

 

[dart16]

Any idea from anyone out there?

The problem is people expect the battery meter to be accurate and it can never be. It is an incredibly difficult thing to measure accurately. There are many factors that will affect the remaining capacity of a Li-po battery, factors that these tablets are simply don't monitor. It is a best guess at what should be left in the battery based on past consumption.

Put it on charge, with it turned off, leave it charging for 14 hours, you will then have 100% charge in the battery, use it until it switches itself off and then re-charge it for 14 hours again, the ONLY thing you can rely on is it will be as charged as it's going to get after 14 hours and it will switch off when the battery is exhausted, I'm afraid everything else is just eye candy.

 

[weltall]

Well its not a rare thing to see a cellphone's battery meter that is inaccurate. The only think battery meter is useful for me is to show when the battery needs recharging since when the tablet is about to die you see it.

 

[EvilEd209]

The problem is people expect the battery meter to be accurate and it can never be. It is an incredibly difficult thing to measure accurately. There are many factors that will affect the remaining capacity of a Li-po battery, factors that these tablets are simply don't monitor. It is a best guess at what should be left in the battery based on past consumption.

Put it on charge, with it turned off, leave it charging for 14 hours, you will then have 100% charge in the battery, use it until it switches itself off and then re-charge it for 14 hours again, the ONLY thing you can rely on is it will be as charged as it's going to get after 14 hours and it will switch off when the battery is exhausted, I'm afraid everything else is just eye candy.

Thanks for the tip, I will have to try that. I know that the meters are not the most accurate, but to go from 88% and to let it sleep and come back 2 hours later and it is dead is REALLY off. But, I'll take your advice from here.

Also, two app updates. The ESPN Sports Center app does not seem to work on this tablet. IT starts up and shuts right back down. But I did just play two games of 9 Inning Baseball 2011 with no problem!

Ed

 

[Rabid1]

The problem is people expect the battery meter to be accurate and it can never be. It is an incredibly difficult thing to measure accurately.

That's true as well. You can run one of the battery calibrators when powering on after a full charge and let it run until discharge. From what I understand all they really do is delete the file the meter uses to calculate life left and make the meter a little more accurate as it rebuild the file.