Hi802 Quad-core Hands-on review by andropos

[andropos]

So the Hiapad Hi802 finally landed on my desk and i will put it to lots of tests to see how this Freescale i.MX6 quad-core TV dongle compete against the rest of the gang.

What makes Hi802 interesting from the crowd is not only that its a quad-core CPU with Vivante GC2000 GPU, 1GB RAM but the source code for i.MX6 platform is release and makes it more friendly for the hacking community. The same device also goes under other name GK802.






Hi802 specs

• Freescale i.MX6 Quad Core Cortex A9
• Vivante GC2000
• 1GB DDR3 RAM
• 8GB Nand Flash
• 802.11b/g/n
• Build-in Bluetooth 2.1
• Video Output: HDMI (Up to 1080p60)
• Micro USB 2.0 OTG + USB 2.0 Host
• Dimensions: 102 x 38 x 10 mm
• Weight: 45 g

First impressions


I now had two afternoons with this long awaited i.MX6 quad-core TV stick and want to share my first impressions and what i have found so far.

The built quality of the shell is nothing special here although the slim and small design is nice. The shell is made of metal with a small plastic cover at one end for the wifi antenna. A small plastic plate is kept in place with two small screws and makes it easy to open up the device.

The easy access to the internal SD card can come in handy if you want to modify the Android files on PC, i could not get it to work with ADB over USB. This also makes upgrading the internal memory easy if you can tweak the firmware to support larger storage.

The device have only one full USB port and a micro USB port for power, it would be nice to have one more port for OTG but plugging an USB hub gives you more options. As most TV sticks, it also has a microSD slot for extra memory.

I noticed that the i.MX6 solution does not work with every USB cable, for example i could not get the device to show up in Windows and Linux when using a USB cable for other device, and very strange when i used other USB charger and USB cable for power the device would boot and work normally but would not support external USB hub, only when i used the supplied AC adepter which has a super short cable the external USB hub actually worked, both AC adapters are V5 and 2.0A.

The device will get quite hot after short use but not to the extreme.

The extra cores does make the UI and loading apps feel very smooth but the most exiting feature for me, over all the other sticks is the real 1080p resolution, that in my eyes look like 1 to 1 pixel image.

You can select the HDMI resolution via Display settings and there are some extra settings to adjust the image to your TV's resolution and ratio.

The 1080p is really nice and feels more sharp then the 1080p firmware i tested on MK808, but running at 1080p will require extra CPU power and you loose some of the extra smoothness that you get running at 720p.

This i.MX6 solution for a TV stick looks very promising and at 1080p everything looks more sharp, but i also found some problems that hopefully can get fixed:

• Some incompatibility with apps in Play
• Device will crash quite often
• No camera support in default firmware
• No root
• Volume control not working
• No Power Off soft button
• Bluetooth not working

I think the Hi802 is not ready for prime time, cos of the higher price tag and some stability issues i would not recommend this device for someone who whats a out-off-the-box device. As it is now, this device is for users who are more tech savvy and like to test and experiment with their devices.

UPDATE - December 19th.

I received a new firmware for Hi802 which is now pre-rooted and will be posted here:
Hi802 Firmware Downloads


I will continue to make further test and update this review.

For bench mark results see this chart:

mini-PC benchmark comparison



Price

Purchase online from our sponsors:
Hi802 8GB - $98.99 - Free Shipping
Hi802 16GB - $109.99 - Free Shipping

[andropos]

Defualt desktop screen with Display Mode set to 1280x720p-60




Default apps (axcluding the Screenshot app)




About device




Wifi info




More features




Storage info




Display setting




HDMI Display Mode options




HDMI Display Mode options set to 1920x1080p-60




Desktop set to 1920x1080p-60 (click image to see full resolution)




App drawer set to 1920x1080p-60 (click image to see full resolution)




System info in Antutu




Apex laucher set to 1920x1080p-60 (click image to see full resolution)




Apex laucher set to 1920x1080p-60 (click image to see full resolution)

[yansta]

i got my pop corns and waiting!!!

[max1001]

Does it support hw decode in xbmc

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[andropos]

Does it support hw decode in xbmc

I doubt hw support exists for Android, but please tell me how to check it and i can do that for you.

[max1001]

I guess run a 1080p clip but the CPU might be fast enough to decode it. Am logic chip support xbmc hw decode

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[andropos]

I guess run a 1080p clip but the CPU might be fast enough to decode it. Am logic chip support xbmc hw decode

Just did, looks like hw decoding is not supported.

[max1001]

Nice

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[andropos]

Nice

Sorry one letter wrong, should be:

"looks like hw decoding is not supported. "

[jackiec]

Thank you for the post.

Whats up with the Ubuntu Logo on the box?
(Is Canonical working on Freescale)

Re heating system , is there a battery inside this small form factor?

Aside on the 5V 2A charger -> Someone I technically support had a recommendation to charge a Yuandao N101 II with 12V 2A as the 5V 2A USB supplied with it seeme do ruin the battery ... 12V 2A wall charger seemd to bring the device battery life closer to normal but it all seems damaged.
Does anyone know a good write up or discussion onthis topic?