[Review] Onda V971

[didobuy]

So the latest tablet from Onda, the V971. We put it through its paces today and found some interesting stuff.
Firstly, Whatsapp works. Probably not that important to most people but I guess if you use it regularly on your phone then it could be nice having a little messenger app running. To clarify this is the first 4.0 onwards tablet we managed to install Whatsapp on.

The screen is great and the tablet feels good quality when you hold it and use it. It was calibrated well too so no more hitting the wrong buttons or closing stuff you didn’t mean to. The OS and features all run smoothly and it’s been hard to overload the CPU, although once we started downloading apps, browsing and playing games all at the same time it started to slow.

The tablets main downfall is compatibility; some of the key apps aren’t working and require firmware updates from Onda to make them work. These include:

• Youtube (not even the website version)
• Facebook (not even website)
• Netflix
• TV Catchup

Along with all the usuals, skygo, iplayer, viber etc...

This is disappointing as the vi40 could run these fine. Onda have released the firmware upgrade, available on their website [link] but the tablets aren’t being sent to us with it pre-installed. We anticipate that in 2-3 weeks they will be, but by then Onda will probably have a new tablet out!
We downloaded and installed the firmware and youtube and facebook work perfectly.

If it wasn’t for the firmware issues this would be one of our stand-out tablets, a real alternative to the iPad; it looks and feels great, has all the features and hardware (besides Bluetooth) and a clear screen.
We’re selling it for £145 ($234)

We will pre-install the firmware update, unless we become inundated with orders, in which case there will be a link on the listing for the upgrade.

Heres the spec:

Spec
Model	Onda V971
Operating System	Android 4.0.3 spport Android Jelly Bean Update
Display	Capacitive Touchscreen, 1024*768 High-resolution Screen
Resolution	1024*768 pixels
CPU	Cortex A9 Dual Core 1.5 GHz
GPU	Dual Core Mali 400
RAM	1GB,DDR3
ROM	16GB
Camera	Front camera, 2.0 Megapixels Back Camera, 2.0 Megapixels
WiFi	Yes, 802.11 b/g/n
3G	via Dongle
Microphone	Yes
G-sensor	Yes
Bluetooth	No
HDMI	Yes
GPS	No
Flash	Flash 11
Android Market	Yes
3D Gaming	Yes
Connectivity
To PC	via USB (Micro Type B)
To 3G Dongle	via USB OTG Cable into Micro USB Type B
To HD Device	via HDMI Mini
To External Storage	via USB (Micro Type B)
Power
Battery	6000 Mah
Working Time	About 4 Hours
Power Device	AC Adapter
Appearance
Color	Black/Silver
Dimensions	244*191*9.8mm
Net Weight	583g
Aditional Info
Ports	1 x DC In
	1 x Micro SD Card Slot
	1 x Earphone Jack
	1 x HDMI Mini Slot
	1 x Micro USB (Type B)
What's in the box	1 x Onda V971 Dual Core Android Tablet PC
	1 x AC Charger (seperate)
	1 x Micro USB Cable (Type B)
	1 x User Manual
...and the apps we tested Tablet Onda V971 OS 4.0.3 Date Tested 18/10/2012 App Google Play store INSTALLED Google Maps INSTALLED Youtube UPDATE Facebook UPDATE Skype YES Twitter YES Whatsapp YES MSN YES Viber NO Tango YES iPlayer/BBC Media UPDATE SkyGo NO ITV Player YES 4od WEBSITE Netflix NO TV Catchup UPDATE Angry Birds YES eBay YES Find it here: ONDA V971 9.7 INCH IPS DUAL CORE 1.5GHz CPU ANDROID 4.0 TABLET PC HDMI DUAL CAMERA