Jide‘s Remix tablet is an Android tablet designed to work resemble a Windows machine. It runs a custom version of Android called Remix OS which features as taskbar and support for running apps in resizeable windows. And the tablet itself resembles a Microsoft Surface… complete with a detachable keyboard.

The company introduced the tablet at the Consumer Electronics Show in January and hopes to sell it later this year for around $399.

But starting March 25th, you might be able to request an early unit for as little as $39. Jide plans to launch a Kickstarter campaign designed to get the tablet into the hands of testers who will help provide feedback which will help improve future versions of the software.

Update: Check out our in-depth preview of the tablet.

remix tablet

Basically Jide will be providing tablets to folks who back the Kickstarter campaign at any reward level — and the lowest tier will start at $39.

Update: You’ll have to act fast to snag a $39 tablet. Only 200 will be available at that price initially. 200 additional backers of the Kickstarter campaign will be able to reserve one for $199. After that, the reward level goes up to $349. 

Update 2: Unsurprisingly, the $39 tablets went almost immediately. 

The tablet itself features an 11.6 inch, full HD display, a keyboard case which also functions as a kickstand, and the Remix OS software which is currently based on Android 4.4 KitKat, but which will soon be updated to Android 5.0 Lollipop.

It also features NVIDIA Tegra 4 processors, 2GB of RAM, up to 64GB of storage, microSD card slot, front and rear cameras, and 8100mAh batteries.

While crowdfunding campaigns are often used to raise money which will be used to build hardware, Jide is hoping to use its campaign to build a community of users, enthusiasts, and testers.

The company is already selling a version of the Remix tablet in China, but wants help testing the software so that it can be localized and offered as a productivity-based tablet in the United States.

A $399 tablet designed to run Android apps in a Windows-like fashion might be a tough sell. But the same tablet is a pretty great bargain at $39. And if Jide can get enough people to jump onboard through deeply discounted Kickstarter rewards, maybe the company can build some word-of-mouth for its product.

Press Release

Remix to Ship Every Kickstarter Backer a Tablet

March 17, 2015 (Beijing) – Crowdfunding is not a new idea. Nor is launching a piece of hardware to help you be more creative and connected to all things digital. But on March 25th, a new Kickstarter campaign from a Chinese technology company called Jide will introduce a new twist on the crowdsourcing concept.

Jason Zheng is the International Marketing Manager for this new idea. “We want to try something totally different, and test our product in a community of users while creating a new idea, a new brand, and a new way of connecting a product to the market. Remix will be the first community built and backed product where users will get to engage with us firsthand in building a mobile productivity tool for the 21st century”.

Jide Technology is set to run the campaign with a singular goal of finding passionate innovators and early adopters who want to become a part of their first community of users. To build this community from the ground up, they plan to give all their backers, no matter which tier they pledge, a Remix ultra-table. Retail price on the Android device will be $399. The lowest reward tier is set to start at $39. In essence, they are giving away hardware and asking for help in making the next version of their software fresh and inspired by their community.

Remix: A Laptop Experience on a Big Android Tablet
Remix is a big, full HD 11.6” tablet that comes with a full size keyboard. Its OS is based on Android 4.4.2 (and soon to be upgraded to Android 5.0) been optimized for its big touchscreen and attached keyboard. Thus what makes Remix unique to the market: it’s a laptop experience on a big Android tablet.

“Our vision is simple: we believe that the next generation of personal computing will take place on bigger tablets and that Android can be customized to run them seamlessly,” said Jeremy Chau, main cofounder of Jide, in a recent interview. “Remix is the first embodiment of this vision. We believe our role in this future is to have Remix OS running on the majority of bigger Android tablets in the market.”

On Kickstarter to Build Their Community
To emphasize the community building aspect of their Kickstarter campaign, Jide is making available the Remix ultra-tablet on every reward tier. In effect, they are not using the platform as a traditional funding vehicle, but as a community building vehicle. Their goal is to get Remix into as many curious and appreciative hands as possible.

“We believe Kickstarter is the perfect platform for Remix to launch on in the US,” Chau continued. “The Kickstarter community typically isn’t backing a product just for the rewards themselves, but because they believe in the projects and they want to be involved in making them better to use. This is exactly the type of community Remix is looking for; engaged, creative, connected people who want to push their own circles to try something different.

Not a Conventional Kickstarter Project
Remix has begun to sell a localized version of their tablet in the Chinese market. What they’re making available through Kickstarter is a localized version built as a productivity tool for the US market.

“Back us at any amount and we’ll ship you a Remix. We’re looking for users to give us feedback and help us make Remix a better product for the US user and people will find useful. Our ask isn’t to love us immediately, our ask is to join a community and let’s build something together,” stated David Ko, fellow cofounder and VP of software development. “For us, building towards our vision means building our community, one user at a time.

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53 replies on “Snag a Remix 2-in-1 Android tablet for just $39, and help test the hardware (crowdfunding)”

  1. it came up at 2 min after the time and immediately had over 24k pledged. the first 400 tablets werer gone in 120 seconds. as I tuype the last 10 are going at 349.00

  2. “A $399 tablet designed to run Android apps in a Windows-like fashion might be a tough sell.”

    Even at full price, I don’t see how 11.6″ tablet, not great but certainly not terrible hardware specs, aluminum chassis, and included detachable keyboard is a tough sell. A smaller nexus 9 with only 16gb of non expandable storage plus its optional keyboard is probably a hundred bucks more.

    And if there’s one market Android should be going after, it’s the keyboard based productivity market, not tvs and watches.

  3. well its the morning of the 25th , Evening in china, and I still can not find any mention of this company on kick-starter, Also still no links on their web site other than one for CES pres packet. any ideas where they can be found?

    Najm Sheikh richard • 6 minutes ago
    Kickstarter goes live 2PM EDT

        1. Well let me know when it’s up on kickstarter. Might be too late anyways, probably only a few $40 tiers

  4. Well, almost 2 hours since it became March 25th and I haven’t been able to find it on kickstarter. Was hoping to get in early and back it, and hopefully get one. Now I’ll have to try to keep checking throughout the day while at work and hope they don’t limit it too much.

  5. From the time that I spent with this at CES, this device has some very nice potential.

    Yes I know it looks just like a Surface RT & Surface 2, but if those would have been running Android instead of being made by Microsoft & running Windows RT, those particular models would have sold MUCH more.

    Looking forward to trying to get one for $39.

  6. The best way to use Kickstarter is to gauge demand at a potential price level. They’re not doing that, clearly. Someone commented that you don’t pay unless the goal is met — true! And how hard will it be to meet the goal at $39? It should be EASY to “sell” a lot of units at that price. Capital raised, job done … except they still have to fulfill the commitment later on. I wouldn’t count on seeing one’s tablet or $39 any time soon after that, but it’s not a terrible gamble. After all, it’s only $39, so you’re risking a lot less than at $300.

  7. Google did essentially the same thing back in 2010 with their CR-48 Chromebook. They gave away about 60,000 units (I got one) and solicited feedback. The result? Just look at the relatively flourishing Chromebook market.

  8. It doesn’t say anything in there about being able to KEEP the tablet.

    1. From the press release:
      “To build this community from the ground up, they plan to give all their backers, no matter which tier they pledge, a Remix ultra-table.”

      Usually the word “give” means you get to keep it. So I’d assume you get to keep it. What is unclear is whether they are giving away tables or tablets. 🙂

  9. Lowest tier is $39. Which means they are drumming up interest with a headline and the tiers will look like this
    First 2 backers $39
    Every other backer $300

    1. “Back us at any amount and we’ll ship you a Remix.”
      Well then they wont do as well as they want to I guess. I visited their site and there is nothing there yet. So my guess is they haven’t relly worked it out yet or they mean what they say. In any case everyone isjust speculating until the 25th! I plan on being away at midnight-1min to see if I can get in on the deal. If I dont, well nothing ventured, nothing gained! But I am guessing you’ll be ther jb82!….lol

  10. Wow, certainly kicked up the dust with this article!…lol I never did a kickstarter thing, can some one post link to it? Brad will you folks do another piece on this March 25th?

    1. We’ll see. I’ve also requested a demo unit for review… but I’ve got a bunch of other products on my review bench at the moment so it might take me a while to get through them all.

      1. Well if you need help testing products you could always delegate some out to me – I’ll ghost write fair and impartial reviews!

  11. how can they give away such hw for 39$ ?
    only the screen should cost more than that … and cpu …
    I really don’t think it is possible if not only for a very limited amount of people

    1. @postadelmaga:disqus because if you read the press release, they’re just on Kickstarter to build a community. In essence, they’re giving away the hardware almost just to have folks use the product, test the software and join their community.

      1. I understand the community logic … but come on, so why is not everybody doing it ? like ubuntu phone ? or these guys have a lot of money to waste or it is a scam.

        I know in China there are some strange marketing approach like ” I pay you to buy my stuff and then you ask for refund, just to increase my ranking … or I pay you to play my game just to have more user ..”
        …. but I think usually thy invest little money on any payed user …

        1. These guys are former google engineers. I think they can be trusted. Not to mention Google is aware of this brand and wished them luck back in December. Android police has more details. I’ll edit when I find the link

  12. I’m betting the lowest reward tier of $39 will be limited to a small number. But hats off to them for some great marketing. Most sites will probably run a story of their press release. And most people who read the story will be checking it out on Kickstarter – refreshing their browser in anticipation come March 25th. Absolutely brilliant marketing

    1. Absolutely disgusting marketing more like if it is for a very limited numer or a scam.

      1. Disgusting marketing if it’s a scam, but no sure how you can say it’s disgusting if it’s for a very limited number. I’ve looked at and backed a lot of Kickstarter and Indiegogo campaigns and most of them have a limited number of super sweet deals before you have to go in at the higher levels. Nothing wrong with that at all.

  13. Well. Resizable movable windows on Android is a huge step for making it productive. I’d say the bare minimum for a productivity device is two windows side by side to enable realistic workplace multitasking. I have no experience with Remix OS. But if it runs all the Android apps (in particular productibty oriented ones), has at least access to something like the Amazon app store and can do multi-window and/or multi-monitor it gets pretty interesting.

  14. “microSD card slots” Do you mean it has more than one microSD card slot? If so, I am interested. I would love to see manufacturers start adding multiple card slots on tablets and convertables.

  15. $39, sure I would pay that. No way I would pay $400 because they basically just told us what the cost is to make that thing. Plus, by the time it comes out Tegra 4 will likely be two generations behind…

  16. Something doesn’t sound right.
    They keep mixing hardware and software when this looks to be primarily software.

  17. hi there alwsoume specs for only $39 11.6 inch hd screen tegra 4 cpu 2 gb ram 64 gb flash storage and 8,100 mha battery

  18. Well the Tegra 4 is old so I wouldn’t pay 399 but 39.. now we’re talking. I wonder if they ship internationally. Can somebody confirm this three self-proclaimed ex Google employees are legit? I mean the names of those guys are legit but how do we know it’s them doing this? They were at CES so it’s not that likely but stil… there’s no photos of them or anything in the site.

    1. Isn’t kickstarter safer than Indiegogo? If you back it and something happens kickstarter can freeze it and get your money back?

    1. It always is with tasty deals on crowdfunding from China. I think a lot will get burned with this one.

  19. Did they reach out to you or something? I don’t see a link in here…

        1. I don’t normally like to do this, but since the press release doesn’t seem to be online anywhere else, I’ve added it to the bottom of the post.

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