Boyue T63/Shine update (sort of)

[stangri]

Originally Posted by atonement

I have been meaning to get an ereader for nearly two years now. The Boyue T63 looks to fulfill my basic requirements. Can anyone please tell how easy/difficult is it to operate one-handed?

As supplied -- it's impossible to use single-handed if you want to switch hands on occasion. The vendor-supplied firmware does not allow you to assign both side buttons to flip page forward. Unless you want to use a reading app just for its ability to handle buttons or hack the files on the system partition, T63 won't be a great buy until the firmware is updated.

Originally Posted by parkher

So they both, T63 and Kepler Pro have the same number of buttons?

There's a capacitive "back" button on T63 which Kepler Pro lacks.

[carltonbp]

Does this happen to anyone. You tap the side of the screen to turn the page forward, nothing happens, you do it again, there's a lag then the screen changes to really large text and you have to go to the menu and press reduce font 10 times (for me anyway) to get it back to original size? Happens once every evening when I read.

[seth05]

Good day, someone has an opportunity to lay out the international firmware from this Divays, and that could not be found except the Chinese.

[SlantedChanter]

I was just about to pull the trigger on a T63 when I saw that Boyue is releasing an updated 6-inch called the JDRead Venus.

Its main features are a glass screen, thinner body (6.5 mm), Android 4.4, and a freescale processor. The battery is rather small (2000 mAh vs 2800 in the T63) though they claim the new processor will be much more power efficient. It maintains the home button and page turn keys on either side [correction: there are no page turn keys, what I was seeing was the power button]. It looks like it is partly metal. The screen is also still 300dpi.

It's only available through their Chinese website and ships to Hong Kong and Taiwan as well as China. The current deal is 1100 yuan (~160USD) for the reader, a case, some kind of subscription to their ebook market, and free shipping. This is limited to the first 2000 customers, so the final retail price may be a bit higher (with more markups if you're ordering from a re-seller of course).

I'm pretty interested though I know there are risks since we don't know whether the firmware includes English or if there are any new roadblocks to sideloading apps, rooting, or installing the play store.

Here's the product page:
https://z.jd.com/project/details/75997.html

[downeaster59]

This Venus looks interesting in a number of ways. Looks like they're trying a crowdfunding project to get it off the ground. We don't know much about it, so it's difficult to say anything with any degree of confidence. However, given that the T63 was only in Chinese at first, and that the Venus is (for now) aimed at the Chinese market, I seriously doubt it will have English as an option. Not yet, anyway.

Boyue has never made it difficult to sideload apps or root their devices, so the Venus should be fine with these things as well. If it has a freescale CPU, it could need a different rooting technique than the T62 and T63 did, but that shouldn't be a big problem. Once rooted, installing Play Store should be relatively easy.

My only hesitation would be the likelihood that, for now, it may have only Chinese as a language option. But if that guess is proved wrong, no need to wait. Go for it.

[Purple Lady]

It only has 512 mb ram. I want to be able to use the Kindle app, but on my T62+ it takes so long to start up that I'm not sure it even works anymore. I'm guessing it needs more ram.

Also, with Android 4.4.2 you have to root and use the SDFix app to be able to use an SD card normally.

[SlantedChanter]

Thanks for the advice downeaster59 and Purple Lady. I'm still torn.

The t63 is only about $125 on Taobao and comes with the screen protector and flip cover I would like. It seems to already improve in the areas I didn't like about the t62: dimmer screen for night reading, slightly lower weight, and improved resolution for occasional manga reading + bragging rights.

Getting in early at a discount on the sleeker and smoother Venus is enticing but is mainly for kicks rather than solving any deficiency in the t63. From the product page Q&A area it looks like rooting is mandatory for side-loading apps. Perhaps this was the same for the t63?

Anyway, I'll report to the forum if I do opt for the Venus over the t63 and wait with interest for reports from any other early adopters.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by SlantedChanter

Thanks for the advice downeaster59 and Purple Lady. I'm still torn.

The t63 is only about $125 on Taobao and comes with the screen protector and flip cover I would like. It seems to already improve in the areas I didn't like about the t62: dimmer screen for night reading, slightly lower weight, and improved resolution for occasional manga reading + bragging rights.

Getting in early at a discount on the sleeker and smoother Venus is enticing but is mainly for kicks rather than solving any deficiency in the t63. From the product page Q&A area it looks like rooting is mandatory for side-loading apps. Perhaps this was the same for the t63?

Anyway, I'll report to the forum if I do opt for the Venus over the t63 and wait with interest for reports from any other earl adopters.

Elsewhere in this forum, you can find the T6x Toolkit, which will automate both rooting the T62 or T63 (I've done it with both) and installing Google Play Store. I happen to like my T63 specifically because of the lower light level and the 300 dpi display. The Kindle app is way too slow, but that's no problem for me. I run my ebooks through Calibre and then transfer them to my T63 through Calibre Companion. Then I can read them on whatever reading app I want. The stock app is okay, but I usually use Moon Reader Pro.

In my experience, battery life for my T63 seems a little less than it was with my 'old' T62+. But this is the only real criticism I can throw at the T63. Even here, the difference in battery life isn't huge.

In short, I think you'll be most satisfied with the T63. Others may have their reasons for saying otherwise, but we all have our own reading priorities! The T63 serves mine well.

[SlantedChanter]

I found an early review of the Venus (http://www.jiemian.com/article/1196677.html) that clarifies that there are no page turn keys. I had mistaken the power button for a side-mounted key like those on the Kepler pro.

[carltonbp]

I'm hoping for an update to the T63 because at the moment the faff changing the page buttons around is too much and if I tap the screen far too frequently it counts as a double tap and I have huge text which is then a faff to sort. I've been using my ES PRo HD instead, I've also got the T62+ (es version) and both of those at the mo are preferable to the T63. However if Boyue sorts it out and I'll be a happy T63 user.

[SlantedChanter]

Have you tried Xposed Framework to solve the key issue for your T63? Maybe you can assign both of the page turn keys to turn the page forward with a single press and turn back with a long press. I use it on my T62+ to add a "home" and "recents" button through long presses of the two small buttons above the page turn keys.

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...ght=t62+xposed

Originally Posted by carltonbp

I'm hoping for an update to the T63 because at the moment the faff changing the page buttons around is too much and if I tap the screen far too frequently it counts as a double tap and I have huge text which is then a faff to sort. I've been using my ES PRo HD instead, I've also got the T62+ (es version) and both of those at the mo are preferable to the T63. However if Boyue sorts it out and I'll be a happy T63 user.

[Dopedangel]

Are T63 and JDread the same device?

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by Dopedangel

Are T63 and JDread the same device?

Yes, the JDRead is a T63. Mine is named both. I don't know if Boyue has any other T63s that are not the JDRead, but as far as I know, the two names are for the same device.

Love your JFK quote, BTW.

[stangri]

I can't figure out why my T63 has started running out of battery within a day or so while powered off, so I'm considering reflashing it with the newer firmware. Has anyone flashed any of the images available for T63 off the baidu file sharing and can confirm wherever it includes english UI?
Thanks!

[SlantedChanter]

Originally Posted by stangri

I can't figure out why my T63 has started running out of battery within a day or so while powered off, so I'm considering reflashing it with the newer firmware. Has anyone flashed any of the images available for T63 off the baidu file sharing and can confirm wherever it includes english UI?
Thanks!

I tried a number of images and updates last week. None of the official Boyue updates I could find had an English option--a pain since many apps automatically use the system UI language as the default language. It seems that later official updates disable USB debugging/adb too, though there is at least one modified image that is rooted and enables USB and adb. Boyue's later updates improve the front light settings and perhaps fix other bugs, but it may not be worth it.

The other option is a modified onyx c67ml Carta2 image. I found two on baidu, version 1.74 and 1.8 if I'm not mistaken. Both worked quite well and have many language choices. Neither included a built-in play store and I had some trouble getting sideloaded gapps to fully work, but that may have just required more patience or a fresh reboot after flashing.