Hisense A5

[charlie - uk]

The original Cect-Shop Rom is barely multilingual. It seems to have two options. Chinese and American English. If it were not for the e-ink screen, I would probably install a custom Rom to improve this and get rid of the installed bloatware. But unfortunately e-ink screens need highly specialised and unavailable drivers. That companies spend a lot of money developing, to improve performance and display qualities. Installing a custom Rom, without these specialised drivers would not improve the e-ink display, but make it much worse. It's a problem, but at this point I can live with the drawbacks, to gain the advantage of a decent e-ink smartphone, greyscale or colour...

[orebmur]

Originally Posted by charlie - uk

The original Cect-Shop Rom is barely multilingual. It seems to have two options. Chinese and American English.

This is valid for the standard ROM choice "Original (ENG/CHN)" and i already have this myself.

But there is a second firmware option to choose called "Multi Language (ENG/ESP/ITA etc.) - WITH Google Play Store (No OTA Updates)". I am interested to know about the actual language support of this very second multilingual firmware option.

This can probably only be answered by someone actually owning an A5 with this particular multilingual firmware choice.

[orebmur]

Originally Posted by orebmur

But there is a second firmware option to choose called "Multi Language (ENG/ESP/ITA etc.) - WITH Google Play Store (No OTA Updates)". I am interested to know about the actual language support of this very second multilingual firmware option.

Reading the 'Customer Questions & Answers (75)' on the CECT-Shop page for the Hisense A5 reveals a video URL at youtu.be/2ic0GuNKosI which clearly shows a 'Settings' menu ('Einstellungen') which is much better, albeit not perfect either, localized than the A5 i bought at Aliexpress.

Anyone on mobilread who uses the A5 with multilanguage ROM from CECT-Shop in Spanish and can provide some ideas?

[aom]

Does any of the happy owners have problems playing stereo via bluetooth?
I have firmware L1657.6.09.00.ls, bought from 'Shen Zhen Frank Technology Co., Ltd'

[aom]

This was due to an unoriginal firmware. After the L1657.6.09.00 original firmware was flashed it started working normally.

[milady133]

Originally Posted by orebmur

Reading the 'Customer Questions & Answers (75)' on the CECT-Shop page for the Hisense A5 reveals a video URL at youtu.be/2ic0GuNKosI which clearly shows a 'Settings' menu ('Einstellungen') which is much better, albeit not perfect either, localized than the A5 i bought at Aliexpress.

Anyone on mobilread who uses the A5 with multilanguage ROM from CECT-Shop in Spanish and can provide some ideas?

I own one with the Google Play store.

It came with the phone configured in German, I had to tinker a bit too find the option to change the language to English and then install the Spanish language.
Almost all the settings are in Spanish, falling back to English when it's not translated, and then I think there was a deeper option in the settings that was in Chinese, but it didn't seemed important.
I use it as a eReader, not as a phone, I haven't inserted a SIM card, I have installed several readers and applications from the play store without problems, I have found two problems:
It's not possible to change the lock screen, including the lock picture, you can only put the pictures that come with the phone. I have tried installing a couple of launchers (although I have not uninstalled the POCO launcher that comes with the phone, I have only deactivated it to use other launchers) and I have installed an application to manage the lock screen (Hi locker is the app), but that application comes out after you unlock the phone, so if I use ir, I have too unlock it twice. A minor annoyance, but I can live with it. It seems that with the original firmware you can change it, is a bug of the Play store firmware
Another problem you might find is I think applications that check that your phone isn't rooted won't work, so maybe you won't be able to use bank apps in this phone. I think this because I have tried installing a Spanish app some libraries use, eBiblio, and although it's installed I can't open it, it says that the DRM won't work (I don't have the phone here, so I don't know the exact wording). The usual applications, including Kindle, work, eBiblio is the only one I have tried that hasn't work

[danacsi]

Hello, I also bought the hisense a5 in Cect Shop with the multilingual version with google play and I am delighted with the store and with the mobile. I am using it with a SIM card and everything is perfect. All applications at the moment work perfectly. I have put Spanish, and there are menus that are in English, but it is not a problem. I only saw a few Chinese melody names, nothing more. So everything perfect. I could put an image on the lock screen, you simply search for the image you want and it gives you the option to put it as a lock screen like other mobiles. What doesn't work is the eink button, but I'm not concerned. To read books I always use Google Books and also perfect. I have installed whatsapp, telegram, instagram, google maps ... without problem, the battery lasts more than two days with music and videos. I have no problem seeing it in black and white. My eyes no longer suffer and I can be as long as I want using the mobile, and I can read in the sun!

[tracey1]

Can the people who own the hisense a5 tell me if it could be used as a main phone only ? (Browsing, phone calls, whatsapp, apps ) - And whether you'D recommend to get the modified one with google play or the non-google play but with android updates ?
And if you use it as a main phone - do you miss having an LCD phone ? I loved my yotaphone 2 for being able to have both if necessary.

[rowe]

I carry my A5 with me all the time and really like it, but only use it as a reader. My iPhone 8 is too much better as a smartphone for me to consider fully switching.

[milady133]

Originally Posted by tracey1

Can the people who own the hisense a5 tell me if it could be used as a main phone only ? (Browsing, phone calls, whatsapp, apps ) - And whether you'D recommend to get the modified one with google play or the non-google play but with android updates ?
And if you use it as a main phone - do you miss having an LCD phone ? I loved my yotaphone 2 for being able to have both if necessary.

I use it as a reader, so I can't help you there, but unless you have a visual problem that makes it difficult to work with normal phones, I wouldn't use it without a backup "normal" phone. Phone calls and the like will probably work without problems, and even watching not demanding short videos work, so in situations where you can wait to reach your computer or another phone for things where the screen is not going to perform as well as you would like you can use it without problems.
I definitely recommend getting the version with the Google play store, you'll be tinkering too much to get normal applications to work without that. And keep in mind the phone is marked as "rooted" so applications that check that the phone isn't rooted are not going to work (possibly bank applications and applications for payments with your phone)

[cartz]

I use the A5 as my only phone. Works great. Browsing, phone calls, messaging, maps navigation., etc. Probably best to get the one with Google Play if you.want to be sure all the apps you need will work.

I generally don't use it for video, but for everything else it's great.

[orebmur]

Stumbled over this very well written article explaining in detail how to root the A5 based on the tools posted by Joygram on xda-developers:

www.chinahandys.net/hisense-a5-playstore-guide-english

[visually]

Does anyone know how to flash the original firmware and where can I get the original firmware file?
My A5's firmware version is L1657.6.09.00.ls and bought from Aliexpress - Shen Zhen Frank Technology Co., Ltd. I think it is modified firmware which include many languages--seller call it multi-langauge version.
This firmware doesn't support OTA.

[orebmur]

Originally Posted by visually

Does anyone know how to flash the original firmware and where can I get the original firmware file?

Did you read the former entry of this thread right before your contribution? It shows a link with all information you need.

Also have a look at the Mobileread Wiki at wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Hisense_A5.

[visually]

Thank you very much, orebmur.

I found official firmware at Mobileread Wiki, you mentioned.

I clicked your link about the guide but I didn't click the 2 popups--(one for subscription-ish thing and one for something else, which I wasn't sure because I don't understand the language).
So I couldn't see the web page.