Chinese device maker Hiapad plans to ship one of the first Android TV dongle’s with a quad-core processor starting in November. The Hiapad Hi-802 features a Freescale i.MX6 quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip and 1GB of RAM.
According to ARMDevices, it will be available next month for $89.
Like the MK802, UG802, and other Android TV sticks, the Hi-802 is basically a tiny computer packed into a case the size of a chunky USB flash drive.
At one end there’s a USB port for connecting a keyboard, mouse, or other peripherals. At the other end is an HDMI connector that lets you plug the device directly into a TV or monitor so you can use it as a display.
There’s also 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth, internal storage, and a microSD card slot for removable storage.
Just because this device has a quad-core processor doesn’t mean it’s twice as fast as a model with a dual core chip though. Freescale’s processors prioritize low power consumption over raw performance. But you should be able to watch HD video or play most Android games on this device.
I actually just got my hands on one of the first tablets to ship with Freescale’s quad-core processor and I’ll have some benchmark scores to share soon. But while the tablet seems pretty zippy so far, it actually doesn’t score as well as my HTC One X (with a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor) in benchmarks.
via CNX-Software
Love this video and chinese monkey bluetooooos conversations :))))
Has anyone tried running XBMC or Plex on one of these?
I’d like to see an x86 version of the mini-pc stick. It’s possible now that Intel also has its own SoC Atom chips.
That’s a good point. I am looking for an extreme low-power solution for a 20 unit computer lab in rural Indonesia with very limited electricity, but I need good networking and windows xp.
We’re actually getting pretty close to that now. Have you ever heard of Intel’s NUC (Next Unit of Computing)? It’s a very tiny x86 board that features a Core i3 and has two ramp slots as well as a couple USB and HDMI ports. It’s a bit pricey compared to the item featured in this article, but it’s a step in the right direction.
The Intel NUC is WAY too expensive.
WHEN and WHERE can I buy it!? it is Nov 17 already….
Available on the armdevices.net members store and aliexpress.com
WHEN and WHERE can I buy it!? it is Nov 17 already….
Waiting for a fast *and* open (i.e. Linux support) mini stick, so this one looks interesting. Any idea how it compares to the recently-announced Kimdecent Droid Stick A2 ( https://liliputing.com/2012/10/kimdecent-droid-stick-a2-mini-pc-packs-a-dual-core-amlogic-cpu.html )? That one also appears to have strong Linux support.
The Kimdecent one has only a dual core Amlogic SOC while this is a quad-core one. The Freescale should be much faster with a proper Linux SMP kernel (typical Linux has a lot of processes).
This stick would also be ideal for a Linux thin-client desktop or a Linux home-server.
I don’t buy Allwinner A10 sticks because they are underpowered, and I don’t buy RK3066 ones because they are not capable of running Linux (and Android is still a limited toy compared to a full-blown Linux).
Now this one has decent performance and Freescale+Vivante has very good Linux support.
If this stick comes with an unlocked bootloader and someone fixes-up an Ubuntu image for it, I will certainly buy a couple of them.
Is there any information on the type and speed of the 1GB RAM used in this stick?
The i.MX6 has a dual channel DDR2 memory interface and a single channel, 64bit wide DDR3 interface.
Coupled with some speedy RAM, an i.MX6 quad stick should be plenty fast.
A full product description for the i.MX6 quad: https://www.freescale.com/webapp/sps/site/prod_summary.jsp?code=i.MX6Q&webpageId=129226228141673454B24A&nodeId=018rH3ZrDRB24A&fromPage=tax
Any Linux support??
I am fairly sure there will be unless the stick producer is explicitely against it.
Freescale is a compliant company so it releases GPL-required source code. Also, the Vivante GPUs have Xorg support (probably binary), so it should be fairly easy to create a distro for it.
does it have the Vivante GPU?
I believe so: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vivante_Corporation (see the list of SOCs using Vivante GPUs)
how about the GPU? What does it have for that?
Some information from the product page:
GPU 3D
Vivante GC2000
200Mtri/s 1000Mpxl/s, OpenGL ES 2.0 & Halti, CL EP
GPU 2D(Vector Graphics)
Vivante GC355300Mpxl/s, OpenVG 1.1
GPU 2D(Composition)
Vivante GC320600Mpxl/s, BLIT
Video Decode
1080p60 L.264 decode
Video Encode
1080p30 H.264 BP/ Dual 720p encode
Camera Interface
Types: 2x 20-bit parallel, MIPI-CSI2 (4 lanes), three simultaneous inputs
This is what I have been waiting for.
If this has an unlocked bootloader I will certainly buy one for the living room. It will serve as a torrent client and video player.
Hey Charbax – You and Brad Linder are doing some outstanding work on writing and reporting about this new generation of Android stick mini-pc’s! Thanks to both of you for keeping us well informed and on the cutting edge!
Somebody needs to do a shoot out with all these sticks, I have no clue which one to buy
I got one Rockchip HDMI stick shootout vid coming up.
Meh, the Rockchip is so last gen 😀
+1
I hope someone is making a database of all these because I’m certainly not. 🙂
I know someone should do proper comparisons and reviews or even at least crate a damn category for these things, but seems like there’s a conspiracy with all major marketing tech review sites for android and alike like Cnet etc., as if someone pays them to stfu and not let us Westerners know we can have THE SMARTEST tv aka full jellybean or ubuntu on our tvs for $50 !!! As masses are bombarded with billion dollar ad compaigns telling us to go for the $6000 (stupid)smart tv from Samsung, Sony etc., with ZERO control over the OS! West ALWAYS gets milked the best, thats why war never comes to us, we FUND everything with our overage on our home internet bills alone! We are the batteries.