A big increase in vendors selling Android 1.6 tablets as 2.1 or 2.2

feverhost

Super Moderator
Staff member
Nov 26, 2010
868
48
Although this has been a problem over the last year, it's increasing becoming quite a big problem within the last few months. There are quite a lot of vendors, dropshippers, wholesalers etc... on eBay and on websites that are selling android 1.6 devices as android 2.1 or even android 2.2.

Therefore I am creating this thread to allow our most experienced users to not just explain the differences, but to explain the physical differences so that you won't purchase an Android 1.6, while you thought it was 2.2

Kindly post below the main differences as you see them, so people will not be fooled. As Android 1.6 and Android 2.2 are very different versions.
 

gurgle

Super Moderator
Staff member
Aug 6, 2010
1,463
131
The first signs are the impersonation. Look at Settings of the Firmware:
1. Settings, About Devices.- Firmware version will have a Lead of 2.2 or 2.1 with as stream of numbers. Firmware number does not indicate OS version. It only indicates the build.
2. Model Number or similar Lead with a 2.1 or 2.2. The number may have no relation to the OS
3. Settings button default for 1.6 is Hammer and Wrench. 2.2 is a dial
4. 1.6 is usually "Wireless Controls" as the link and 2.2 is titled "Wireless and Networks" for accessing WLAN detail.

There are many others. But most of the Fakes I have seen just have a 2.1/2.2 style launcher and some impersonation in the naming on the About.
 

xaueious

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 9, 2010
3,483
436
Just for the WonderMedia devices, here is my research. The Flytouch 2 variants with 512MB RAM are another mess.
The 8505 tablets with 1.6 are getting evidently phased out. The 8650 seems to be a drop-in replacement for the 8505, leading to devices that appear to be identical without actually turning the devices on, because manufacturers have chosen to use the same plastic casing.

WM8650 pictures:
http://www.androidtablets.net/forum/wondermedia-based/10766-via-wm8650-hardware-information.html

Android system info is going to show SDK level of 3 instead of 8
CPU BogoMIPS will also be about half going from 8650 to 8505

We may soon need to create a Gome Flytouch Variant 2 to account for these shanzhai devices, depending on how popular they are. As of right now, there are no consumer friendly methods to distinguish the devices.

I just did a word search for WM8650 on Taobao and Ebay, and I see your point. This is going to be a disaster.
 

Richardj

Senior Member
Mar 16, 2011
21
1
The first signs are the impersonation. Look at Settings of the Firmware:
1. Settings, About Devices.- Firmware version will have a Lead of 2.2 or 2.1 with as stream of numbers. Firmware number does not indicate OS version. It only indicates the build.
2. Model Number or similar Lead with a 2.1 or 2.2. The number may have no relation to the OS
3. Settings button default for 1.6 is Hammer and Wrench. 2.2 is a dial
4. 1.6 is usually "Wireless Controls" as the link and 2.2 is titled "Wireless and Networks" for accessing WLAN detail.



There are many others. But most of the Fakes I have seen just have a 2.1/2.2 style launcher and some impersonation in the naming on the About.


can you tell me what the settings button for 2.1 should look like? and what should the launcher look like on 2.1
 

feverhost

Super Moderator
Staff member
Nov 26, 2010
868
48
No exaggeration.. I've now had 11 people tell me they thought they bought an Android 2.1/2.2 tablet and it was actually Android 1.6.. just in the last month... eeck.
 

xaueious

Administrator
Staff member
Jul 9, 2010
3,483
436
No exaggeration.. I've now had 11 people tell me they thought they bought an Android 2.1/2.2 tablet and it was actually Android 1.6.. just in the last month... eeck.

And what I am trying to say is that the situation has been improving, believe it or not.
 

DroidNovice

Member
Jun 14, 2011
1
0
I bought an Android tablet w/ 2.1.7 installed, from Fabtech on eBay. Had several problems, so returned it for exchange. Went through this three times before getting a tablet that's functioning, but it is an Android M002 running 1.6! They directed me to their website to upgrade firmware to 2.0. The installation almost completed, or so I thought, but after a bit I got a message that the firmware kernel was not able to read my NAND card (a 4GB PNY card, formatted with MS-DOS.) It went far enough into the process to wipe everything that was installed when I bought it. It won't boot. Power light comes on, but does not do anything beyond powering up. Now what do I do?
 
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