Boox Poke 2 Review

[8poke2]

Originally Posted by kkckkc

I have just posted this on Techcrunch as well:

i think one has to be careful with some of the boox/onyx products. first off, there seems to be quite a lot of bias in some of the reviews online (I do trust TC being a long time visitor) and I along with other viewers have alluded to this on youtube reviews. also amazon has stopped user reviews of some onyx products as they believe that reviews are being falsely manipulated. you can check this by trying to leave a review (you will get a warning popup). why would onyx/boox have to resorted to such dishonesty and taint what should be an honest process?

secondly having bought a poke, i am quite disappointed. the UI is really good. i like the ability to read non-kindle books. the software is a not as smooth as i would like, but that's ok.

what i really did not appreciate was that in order to make the device as light as possible onyz have compromised on the bexel and in my device the screen just came off after a few weeks. once it does this, it just cracks. a look under the hood, shows little to no glue at all. the bexel is so thin, there is no protection.

by comparison the three kindles we have in the family have lasted years and been dropped multiple times without ANY ill effects...!

in my case onyx/boox refused to replace or repair under warranty, so that's that...my review is a resounding thumbs down! i am switching back to kindle or another manufacturer. i wonder if i can use the onyx as a frizzbie given its light weight..!

buyer beware! my recommendation is to use a strong cover if you buy one.

I think, what I bought is not 8 cores device, but 1-2 cores. I bought my Poke 2 on Aliexpress (for faster delivery before new regulations in EU valid from 1.7.). I have another Ebook reader with 1 core 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM and I have 8 core mobile phone with also 2GB RAM and I think I can compare it.

Few years ago my friend bought fake phone from Aliexpress and he even reported fake display and processor data using various system information apps. Some applications tested reality and some just read out the pushed (fake) informations.

Also Your post can make some light into it. I think there are two Poke 2 devices. Original and fake. Please, if Your device is not tottaly broken, please make some tests.

In some apps I tested it I see all cores running on the same frequency: Simple System Monitor, Droid Info, Device Info, SystemGlow, CPU-Z ...
It's not normal in processors without no same tasks.

Simple System Monitor https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US in card "CPU FREQUENCIES" shows frequencies and graphs, but graphs i see correct for cores 1,2,4,7 and partially visible for cores 5, 8.
Thats mean display of this "Poke 2" is not 1072 x 1440px? Whay services like https://whatismyresolution.com/ show 662 x 491 Please try it.

Device Info https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US

Droid Info (In store "Droid Hardware Info") https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US can see in card Features also GPS (NO!) and USB accessory (OTG?).

Hardware Info https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US see unknown processor.

In some apps i see refresh rate of display 88Hz. Does a eink display have any refresh rate? Webpages with default browsers flashed every around 2 secs. With EinkBro is ok.

Interesting is in one app i saw test for count of simultaneously pressed fingers and count is 5!

I tried CPU Throttling Test https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...throttlingtest and performance was 67 - 80,6 GIPS.

PassMark PerformanceTest https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...mark.pt_mobile or from APKpure https://apkpure.com/passmark-perform...mark.pt_mobile
Tests results:
21981
3482
5.0 mil. primes/s
6955
449
35.6
94.5
524
568
...

Summary
System 3401
CPU 1613
Memory 6333
Disk 22642
2D graphics 9140
2D graphics 7522

Submitted as BL# 8011889

In device list i cant see my submission, but there is Poke 3 (or "Poke 3") https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke3 Maybe in few hours or days.

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by 8poke2

I think, what I bought is not 8 cores device, but 1-2 cores. I bought my Poke 2 on Aliexpress (for faster delivery before new regulations in EU valid from 1.7.). I have another Ebook reader with 1 core 1GHz processor with 512MB RAM and I have 8 core mobile phone with also 2GB RAM and I think I can compare it.

Few years ago my friend bought fake phone from Aliexpress and he even reported fake display and processor data using various system information apps. Some applications tested reality and some just read out the pushed (fake) informations.

Also Your post can make some light into it. I think there are two Poke 2 devices. Original and fake. Please, if Your device is not tottaly broken, please make some tests.

In some apps I tested it I see all cores running on the same frequency: Simple System Monitor, Droid Info, Device Info, SystemGlow, CPU-Z ...
It's not normal in processors without no same tasks.

Simple System Monitor https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US in card "CPU FREQUENCIES" shows frequencies and graphs, but graphs i see correct for cores 1,2,4,7 and partially visible for cores 5, 8.
Thats mean display of this "Poke 2" is not 1072 x 1440px? Whay services like https://whatismyresolution.com/ show 662 x 491 Please try it.

Device Info https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US

Droid Info (In store "Droid Hardware Info") https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US can see in card Features also GPS (NO!) and USB accessory (OTG?).

Hardware Info https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...hl=en_US&gl=US see unknown processor.

In some apps i see refresh rate of display 88Hz. Does a eink display have any refresh rate? Webpages with default browsers flashed every around 2 secs. With EinkBro is ok.

Interesting is in one app i saw test for count of simultaneously pressed fingers and count is 5!

I tried CPU Throttling Test https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...throttlingtest and performance was 67 - 80,6 GIPS.

PassMark PerformanceTest https://play.google.com/store/apps/d...mark.pt_mobile or from APKpure https://apkpure.com/passmark-perform...mark.pt_mobile
Tests results:
21981
3482
5.0 mil. primes/s
6955
449
35.6
94.5
524
568
...

Summary
System 3401
CPU 1613
Memory 6333
Disk 22642
2D graphics 9140
2D graphics 7522

Submitted as BL# 8011889

In device list i cant see my submission, but there is Poke 3 (or "Poke 3") https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke3 Maybe in few hours or days.

I don't think there's anyone out there making fake Poke 2s.

Whatismyresolution.com does not work correctly for mobile devices, it even says it on the page. 662x441 is extremely low and you'd tell off the bat. That's worse than an original Kindle. Nobody makes eink screens that size either. 88hz is probably the App not knowing what to do. AIDA64 is the best for reporting and correctly returns eInk screen.

All of the cores in the Snapdragon 625 in the Poke 2 are the same and they all have the same base frequency so it's not that weird to see them all sit at the same frequency when there isn't much to do.

And I ran passmark on my Nova 2 and got similar scores to you and they have similar hardware.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

... the app button issue is actually the Boox software automatically optimizing the app and is the result of the "Whiten Apps Background" setting. If you long press on an app and click "optimize" and then uncheck that you'll be able to see the buttons...

I totally missed seeing this setting on my Poke3.
That's the "ugly text" issue mentioned here: https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=339999

A radical suggestion for those who don't want to deal with any of that:

# pm disable com.onyx

This gets rid of everything from Onyx, 64 Megs of gobble-dee-gook.
Yes, you do have to be rooted.

[salamanderjuice]

Which I mentioned in the other thread too...

I wouldn't get rid of everything. Some of the optimizations like the animation filter make certain apps bareable to use. Doesn't seem worth saving 64MB.

[Renate]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Which I mentioned in the other thread too...

Yes, but it wasn't clear to me you meant an accessible setting.

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Some of the optimizations like the animation filter...

I haven't run into any animations.
The default Android settings_global.xml already has these set to zero.

• window_animation_scale
• transition_animation_scale
• animator_duration_scale

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by Renate

Yes, but it wasn't clear to me you meant an accessible setting.


I haven't run into any animations.
The default Android settings_global.xml already has these set to zero.

• window_animation_scale
• transition_animation_scale
• animator_duration_scale

It will filter in-app animations that can't be turned off like the page turn animation in Marvel Unlimited. There's other useful tweaks like being able to set how often an app page refreshes that have no base android equivalent.

[8poke2]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

Whatismyresolution.com does not work correctly for mobile devices, it even says it on the page.

I think so also, but after this situation with processor I can't believe to my mind.

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

And I ran passmark on my Nova 2 and got similar scores to you and they have similar hardware.

Will we see it in the list? Did you share it?

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

All of the cores in the Snapdragon 625 in the Poke 2 are the same and they all have the same base frequency so it's not that weird to see them all sit at the same frequency when there isn't much to do.

Yes, base frquency at time where processor do nothing ok, but at time, during various tasks? Try it on computer. And on usuall mobile phone You have 4 cores for battery efficiency and 4 cores for fast work on the front. When this device/processor have 8 cores but every do this same think, or only one is working and 7 do nothing, is stupid device/os/processor, or it's fake device with os hack to show you that it has 8 cores.

___________________________________________
Passmark area

Poke2 (or "poke2") https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke2
Just my "Poke2" https://www.passmark.com/baselines/V...d=801188931617

Total rank https://www.androidbenchmark.net/passmark_chart.html
Poke3 Rank: 973, score 4008,
Poke2 Rank: 1166, score 3401,
Huawei Honor 6X with 4 cores 1,1GHz + 4 cores 1,4GHz Rank: 1275, score 3,161 (total score from 3 devices 2600-3400)

CPU rank https://www.androidbenchmark.net/cpumark_chart.html
Poke3 854, CPU Mark: 2116 https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke3
Poke2 (my) 1196, CPU Mark: 1613 https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke2
Huawei Honor 6X Rank: 1255, https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...ious+Models%29 CPU Mark: 1547 (total score from 3 devices 1300-1600)

As i set, my phone is much faster as this device. I tried also Geekbench 5 and my phone in multitasking test have similar results as Snapdragon 430. My phone 0.32 Mnodes/s, Snapdragon 430 0.48 Mnodes/s. Snapdragon 625 can be in generating views from webpages (HTML 5 test) around 3 times faster. https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-compar...snapdragon-430

___________________________________________
Geekbench 5 area

Geekbench 5 (117MB) have real multi tasking test, but file format is xapk and for install without Google play we need APKPure app. But why APKPure need manage phone calls? No problem with ereader.
https://www.geekbench.com/download/
https://apkpure.com/geekbench-5/com....abs.geekbench5
-----------------
Poke2
Single core ? (crashed. i wrote to author of the test)
Multi core ?

Snapdragon 625 (results from next link)
Single core 168
Multi core 1008
-----------------
Honor 6X
Single core 105
Multi core 386

Snapdragon 430 (results from next link)
Single core 173
Multi core 984
-----------------
And standart tasks Snapdragon 625 vs Snapdragon 430 from https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-compar...snapdragon-430
Image compression 75.05 Mpixels/s 21.95 Mpixels/s
HTML 5 1.4 Mnodes/s 0.48 Mnodes/s
SQLite 366.8 Krows/s 136 Krows/s
Snapdragon 625 is 3x faster than Snapdragon 430.

In reality my phone is faster than Poke 2. And Snapdragon 625 can handle Bluetooth 5.0. Why this device have only 4.x?

[Renate]

Poke3:/ $ cat proc/cpuinfo
Processor       : AArch64 Processor rev 2 (aarch64)

processor       : 0
BogoMIPS        : 38.40
Features        : fp asimd evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x51
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant     : 0xa
CPU part        : 0x801
CPU revision    : 4

[same thing another 3 times]

processor       : 4
BogoMIPS        : 38.40
Features        : fp asimd evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x51
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant     : 0xa
CPU part        : 0x800
CPU revision    : 2

[same thing another 3 times]

Hardware        : Qualcomm Technologies, Inc SDM636

As far as resolution goes...

[salamanderjuice]

Originally Posted by 8poke2

I think so also, but after this situation with processor I can't believe to my mind.

Will we see it in the list? Did you share it?

Yes, base frquency at time where processor do nothing ok, but at time, during various tasks? Try it on computer. And on usuall mobile phone You have 4 cores for battery efficiency and 4 cores for fast work on the front. When this device/processor have 8 cores but every do this same think, or only one is working and 7 do nothing, is stupid device/os/processor, or it's fake device with os hack to show you that it has 8 cores.

___________________________________________
Passmark area

Poke2 (or "poke2") https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke2
Just my "Poke2" https://www.passmark.com/baselines/V...d=801188931617

Total rank https://www.androidbenchmark.net/passmark_chart.html
Poke3 Rank: 973, score 4008,
Poke2 Rank: 1166, score 3401,
Huawei Honor 6X with 4 cores 1,1GHz + 4 cores 1,4GHz Rank: 1275, score 3,161 (total score from 3 devices 2600-3400)

CPU rank https://www.androidbenchmark.net/cpumark_chart.html
Poke3 854, CPU Mark: 2116 https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke3
Poke2 (my) 1196, CPU Mark: 1613 https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...one=ONYX+Poke2
Huawei Honor 6X Rank: 1255, https://www.androidbenchmark.net/pho...ious+Models%29 CPU Mark: 1547 (total score from 3 devices 1300-1600)

As i set, my phone is much faster as this device. I tried also Geekbench 5 and my phone in multitasking test have similar results as Snapdragon 430. My phone 0.32 Mnodes/s, Snapdragon 430 0.48 Mnodes/s. Snapdragon 625 can be in generating views from webpages (HTML 5 test) around 3 times faster. https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-compar...snapdragon-430

___________________________________________
Geekbench 5 area

Geekbench 5 (117MB) have real multi tasking test, but file format is xapk and for install without Google play we need APKPure app. But why APKPure need manage phone calls? No problem with ereader.
https://www.geekbench.com/download/
https://apkpure.com/geekbench-5/com....abs.geekbench5
-----------------
Poke2
Single core ? (crashed. i wrote to author of the test)
Multi core ?

Snapdragon 625 (results from next link)
Single core 168
Multi core 1008
-----------------
Honor 6X
Single core 105
Multi core 386

Snapdragon 430 (results from next link)
Single core 173
Multi core 984
-----------------
And standart tasks Snapdragon 625 vs Snapdragon 430 from https://nanoreview.net/en/soc-compar...snapdragon-430
Image compression 75.05 Mpixels/s 21.95 Mpixels/s
HTML 5 1.4 Mnodes/s 0.48 Mnodes/s
SQLite 366.8 Krows/s 136 Krows/s
Snapdragon 625 is 3x faster than Snapdragon 430.

In reality my phone is faster than Poke 2. And Snapdragon 625 can handle Bluetooth 5.0. Why this device have only 4.x?

I didn't bother submitting it. A Snapdragon 625 can't do Bluetooth 5.0, it launched before Bluetooth 5.0 was released even.

Your Geekbench probably wants the Google Play frameworks or you need to make sure it doesn't fall asleep during the test. It runs fine on my Nova 2, I get 170 Single, 1000 multicore which is inline with what you posted and what's on notebookcheck.net.

Are you confusing the slowness of the eInk screen vs. your LCD phone or something? I really doubt it's a fake Poke 2 or that Oynx bothered to fake it so the device looks like it has a 4 year old low to mid-range Snapdragon 625. It just doesn't make any sense. Why?

[8poke2]

CPU Throttling Test v 1.3.5 (link few posts up)

Default 20 threads test

1 core 1GHz eink reader (on this device i had a problem install v 1.3.5, so 1.3.1 is here)
Performance 0.9 GIPS* (max 1.26, min 0.1 - 1 core device!)
Single thread Java 214
Multi thread Java 58
Single thread C 1026
Multi thread C 236
Total 1534 points
(1 core device is really flooded with 20 default threads. )
* What is GIPS i don't know, maybe Giga instructions pr sec. In the help of app is answer: Basic single instruction. In Google play comments is nothing.

1 core 1GHz eink reader 3 threads
Performance 0.9 GIPS (max 1.2, min. 0.2)
Single thread Java 211
Multi thread Java 59
Single thread C 1026
Multi thread C 266
No way....

Poke 2
Performance 77.6 GIPS (max 84.2,min. 70.2)
Single thread Java 1638 (Java vs C tests)
Multi thread Java 12634
Single thread C 2579
Multi thread C 18097
Total 9908 points (without GIPS) But sum is different from total points.

Honor 6X
Performance 44.3 GIPS (max 46.7, min. 37.5)
Single thread Java 871
Multi thread Java 5941
Single thread C 1402
Multi thread C 9275
Total 17489 points
______________________________

7 threads test
I think there is one master thread so i reserved 1 core for this one if there are 8 cores.

Poke 2
Performance 54.4 GIPS (max 59.8,min. 50.0)
Single thread Java 1637
Multi thread Java 12588
Single thread C 2584
Multi thread C 17977
Total 9899 points (without GIPS)

Honor 6X
Performance 40.7 GIPS (max 42.2, min. 36.0)
Single thread Java 868
Multi thread Java 5925
Single thread C 1421
Multi thread C 9247
Total 5235 points
______________________________

3 threads test
I reserved 1 core for this one if there are 4 running cores.


Poke 2
Performance 37.0 GIPS (max 47.1,min. 35.1)
Single thread Java 1637
Multi thread Java 12591
Single thread C 2585
Multi thread C 18108
Total 9913 points (without GIPS)

Honor 6X
Performance 24.9 GIPS (max 25.4, min. 23.6)
Single thread Java 869
Multi thread Java 6047
Single thread C 1401
Multi thread C 9373
Total 5228 points
______________________________

40 threads test

Poke 2
Performance 94.2 GIPS (max 98.9,min. 87.8)
Single thread Java 1644
Multi thread Java 12617
Single thread C 2588
Multi thread C 18018
Total 9923 points (without GIPS)

Honor 6X
Performance 46.5 GIPS (max 50.4, min. 38.9)
Single thread Java 869
Multi thread Java 5973
Single thread C 1396
Multi thread C 9388
Total 5214 points

Impossiiiiiiibbbllleeeee results for meee!!! But it's aI probably expected more from Poke 2! I think something is not good with android or communication with display or something else. there. I will wait until the author of Geekbench 5 fixes it. In Passmark test Poke 2 is only 4 and 8% faster than my phone but in this test 2 times faster. In "reality" i think my 1 core 1GHz reader is faster!

[8poke2]

Originally Posted by salamanderjuice

I didn't bother submitting it. A Snapdragon 625 can't do Bluetooth 5.0, it launched before Bluetooth 5.0 was released even.

Your Geekbench probably wants the Google Play frameworks or you need to make sure it doesn't fall asleep during the test. It runs fine on my Nova 2, I get 170 Single, 1000 multicore which is inline with what you posted and what's on notebookcheck.net.

Are you confusing the slowness of the eInk screen vs. your LCD phone or something? I really doubt it's a fake Poke 2 or that Oynx bothered to fake it so the device looks like it has a 4 year old low to mid-range Snapdragon 625. It just doesn't make any sense. Why?

1.) Yes, only Bluetooth 4.1. I had wrong info not from producer page. https://www.qualcomm.com/products/sn...obile-platform

2.) Geekbench doesn't fall asleep. Hm... Nova 2 have also Android 9.... I'll try later.

3.) I think as I set in previous post, my old 1 core 1GHz reader with 512MB of RAM is faster that this 8 core 2GHz 2GB RAM.

Original producer have no one piece of Poke 2 today https://www.aliexpress.com/item/4000960082832.html Price was $189.99. Also nothing in https://eu.boox.com/ and https://www.boox.com/poke2/

Reader with small resolution, small storage, 1 core processor:
eBook eReader Kobo Aura N514 e-ink 6 inch resolution 1024x758 WiFi 4GB 72 USDhttps://www.aliexpress.com/item/32810232320.html

Reader with small storage, 1 core processor:
e-Book Reader Tolino Shine2 HD e-ink 6 inch Built in Light WiFi ebook Touch Screen 1024x1448 300ppi retina Carta2 (carta2?) screen Reader 77 USD https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1005001394064290.html
Backlight: Yes
1.000 MHz Freescale i.MX6
If noname producer will do this one with Night Backlight for +10USD = 87 USD.
Price of my was 140 EUR. Difference minimal 50 USD. You'll find out later that you have little storage.

Reader with 1 core processor:
300ppi Kobo GloHD electronic book e-ink 6 inch eBook Ereader N437 HD screen 1448x1072 e-books Reader 4/16GB WIFI 87 USD https://www.aliexpress.com/item/32886511943.html?
Probably also Freescale IMX6 1 Ghz Photo: https://mobile.hdblog.it/2015/04/22/...e-kobo-glo-hd/ direct link https://hd2.tudocdn.net/427324
This one technology plus Night Backlight for +10USD = 97 USD. Difference 40USD. Is this answer for question why to do it?

Originally Posted by Renate

Poke3:/ $ cat proc/cpuinfo
Processor       : AArch64 Processor rev 2 (aarch64)

processor       : 0
BogoMIPS        : 38.40
Features        : fp asimd evtstrm aes pmull sha1 sha2 crc32
CPU implementer : 0x51
CPU architecture: 8
CPU variant     : 0xa
CPU part        : 0x801
CPU revision    : 4
...
Hardware        : Qualcomm Technologies, Inc SDM636

Thanks, but this is only result from console. They (not Onyx BOOX) can replace original linux info(proc/cpuinfo).

[Renate]

The Qualcomm EDL (Emergency DownLoader) runs in internal ROM and gives the hardware ID.
On the Poke3, using my own code, I get 0x0cc01e = SDM636

[8poke2]

Originally Posted by Renate

The Qualcomm EDL ...
On the Poke3, using my own code, I get 0x0cc01e = SDM636

Thanks, regarding to tests before it looks as fast processor with many cores. But Your solution is not safe, when is not Qualcomm processor. Anyone can make result with this code https://www.tme.net/device/snapdragon-636-sdm636/

And why 0x0cc01e = SDM636? 0x0cc01e are 3 chars.

Thanks also for new level of informations for me: https://www.getdroidtips.com/5-metho...ce-to-EDL-Mode

[Renate]

Originally Posted by 8poke2

Anyone can make result with this code...

Not really, you're going to fabricate a chip?

Originally Posted by 8poke2

And why 0x0cc01e = SDM636?

Here's one list of Qualcomm processor ids. Do you know a better one?
https://github.com/bkerler/edl/blob/...comm_config.py

I've also taken my Poke3 all apart so I've seen that the markings on the processor say "SDM636".

I'm open to the possibility that everything is fake, but it seems to me that the evidence should be good.
I find the performance of the Poke3 blows the Barnes & Noble Glows (with the NXP single core iMX6SL) out of the water.
In the final analysis, what I require from the processor is that it be able to open a large EPUB fast enough that the Eink is the limiting factor.

[8poke2]

Originally Posted by Renate

Not really, you're going to fabricate a chip?

No, every producer (not only Qualcomm)of chips use this feature? If so, OK.

Originally Posted by Renate

Here's one list of Qualcomm processor ids. Do you know a better one?
https://github.com/bkerler/edl/blob/...comm_config.py
I've also taken my Poke3 all apart so I've seen that the markings on the processor say "SDM636".

Aha, because 0x and hexadecimal code for 3 chars is not SDM636. I did not known about code to chip model translating table?

Originally Posted by Renate

I'm open to the possibility that everything is fake, but it seems to me that the evidence should be good.

Niiice. As I set before, processor is fast enough, but somewhere else is bottleneck.

Originally Posted by Renate

I find the performance of the Poke3 blows the Barnes & Noble Glows (with the NXP single core iMX6SL) out of the water.
In the final analysis, what I require from the processor is that it be able to open a large EPUB fast enough that the Eink is the limiting factor.

I need also show webpages, reflow PDF files, search strings, switching apps and maybe this is problem here.