Onyx E-Ink Smartphone Launching Today!

[ev8383]

beachwanderer I understand that you had the phone for a couple of days so this could be only a tentative comment but what can you say about the battery life?

[beachwanderer]

Originally Posted by ev8383

beachwanderer I understand that you had the phone for a couple of days so this could be only a tentative comment but what can you say about the battery life?

As I put in the SIM-Card for some rather short tests (calls/download) only and did not start to use the more battery-intensive features (light to max, GSM/EDGE connection/WLAN) for longer time yet I can't say anything about that but will report later.

But I doubt that it will last for more than a few days with the phone on mobile standby and the phone idle.

Mind you:

I expected this to be a small eInk-eReader with an adapted Android and the extra possibility of some phone-functions.

And that is about what it is. This will not hold as an "Android-Phone with an eInk-Screen". Anyone expecting this will be disappointed and should rather have a look at the yotaphone or some extra cover-reader.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by beachwanderer

I expected this to be a small eInk-eReader with an adapted Android and the extra possibility of some phone-functions.

And that is about what it is. This will not hold as an "Android-Phone with an eInk-Screen". Anyone expecting this will be disappointed and should rather have a look at the yotaphone or some extra cover-reader.

It's a shame it's not using the same version of Android (4.0) that the T68 eInk tablet is; that would have allowed it to run a lot more apps than Android 2.3 will.

[beachwanderer]

Originally Posted by HarryT

It's a shame it's not using the same version of Android (4.0) that the T68 eInk tablet is; that would have allowed it to run a lot more apps than Android 2.3 will.

I guess it would be too weak for that and people would rant even more about it running not smoothly enough. I can see why Booxtor gave it a pass and does not want to sell it but find it useful for my own purposes. At the moment I think I will keep it.

[Mike76]

What about the basic phone functions as starting/receiving calls, writing SMS messages? If those works without problem and there is no any serious issues of e-reading capability using third-party apps like AlReader or CoolReader than this e-ink phone would be an ideal substitute of my current old smartphone.

[beachwanderer]

Originally Posted by Mike76

What about the basic phone functions as starting/receiving calls, writing SMS messages?

Those are ok with my device.

Further note:

If the "A2"-Mode that Onyx implemented on this reader too (refreshing the screen not in greyscale but only black and white and thus far faster but with less detail) is activated, input is a bit faster and, using webbrowser-apps (like OperaMini), scrolling down websites is done without the display flickering.

In A2-Mode even drawing notes in apps like "Note everything" begins to make some sense (very slow but usable).

@ev8383:

Battery first loaded on monday, 07.07., various short tests since then with OTA Firmware Update, WLAN, reading, installing four apps and some books. Shutting down the device completely. Then turned on again and inserted SIM. Phone uptime now 16:40:00 with phone mostly idle, some test-calls, some sms, some short period reading with light to max, some webbrowsing. Now on 10.07.14 at 8:00 CEST: 35 % battery level left if android-status is to be trusted.

[ev8383]

Originally Posted by beachwanderer

@ev8383:

Battery first loaded on monday, 07.07., various short tests since then with OTA Firmware Update, WLAN, reading, installing four apps and some books. Shutting down the device completely. Then turned on again and inserted SIM. Phone uptime now 16:40:00 with phone mostly idle, some test-calls, some sms, some short period reading with light to max, some webbrowsing. Now on 10.07.14 at 8:00 CEST: 35 % battery level left if android-status is to be trusted.

Thanks beachwanderer.
Not very promising initial result. Certainly not as long as advertised 2 weeks but certainly more than an average android sub-€150 smartphone. Maybe it's just 1st charge that is lousy and things will get better after four or five discharge/recharge cycles.

[Open sesame]

Still cannot use phone or SMS function. further as per my provider the phone is not legal as the imei they are using is licences to Nokia in fact it is same imei range as Nokia 7610. A mail from GSMA tech support confirm this. So it's a matter of time before they block this phone from networks.

[beachwanderer]

Originally Posted by Open sesame

Still cannot use phone or SMS function. further as per my provider the phone is not legal as the imei they are using is licences to Nokia in fact it is same imei range as Nokia 7610. A mail from GSMA tech support confirm this. So it's a matter of time before they block this phone from networks.

Ah. Not good.

Did a quick ceck. You are indeed right. It seems that Onyx grabbed some IMEI instead of getting individual numbers assigned. The device here sports a number that does belong to a different manufacturer (not Nokia) but, as a webside told me, a device with this number would be blocked on a certain carrier.

This will hurt Onyx. They will have to address that.

Thanks for pointing that out.

[Sil_liS]

Originally Posted by beachwanderer

Ah. Not good.

Did a quick ceck. You are indeed right. It seems that Onyx grabbed some IMEI instead of getting individual numbers assigned. The device here sports a number that does belong to a totally different manufacturer than Nokia but, as a webside told me, a device with this number would be blocked on a certain carrier.

This will hurt Onyx. They will have too address that.

Thanks for pointing that out.

Perhaps ArtaTechPoland could comment on this.

Originally Posted by ArtaTechPoland

Hi everyone!

Yes, we have just started selling MIDIA InkPhone :-) Thank You for your patience.

[beachwanderer]

Originally Posted by Sil_liS

Perhaps ArtaTechPoland could comment on this.

They should say something. Even if they didn't know. I did send them a message after reading what Open sesame posted and after I saw what an IMEI testsite returned as a result for my device.

[rollei]

Playing video on e-ink devices

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by rollei

Playing video on e-ink devices

Cool ...retro

We could watch old Charlie Chan and Tarzan movies on it. I bet the Roswell aliens were using this grayscale tech back in '47.

[ArtaTechPoland]

Originally Posted by Open sesame

Still cannot use phone or SMS function. further as per my provider the phone is not legal as the imei they are using is licences to Nokia in fact it is same imei range as Nokia 7610. A mail from GSMA tech support confirm this. So it's a matter of time before they block this phone from networks.

Hello,

when you encounter problems please contact us @ https://onyx-boox.com/support/

[bluefan]

If some of you still want an e-ink option with your phone but don't want to buy a brand new one, I recently came across a nifty Kickstarter.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...?ref=discovery