The Dingoo-Scene JXD S7800B (Rockchip 3188 SoC) Android Gaming Console Review

1. Introduction

DSC05246

     Since the introduction of the somewhat venerable Yinlips YDPG18, Android handheld gaming devices have been released pretty much continuously, by any number of Chinese manufacturers.

     They’re not released with retrogaming in mind however.  Dedicated Android handhelds with physical controls for the consumption of nostalgic childhood memories are simply not in great demand in China, and accordingly, these devices have never been well supported by their makers, as far as the multitude of little tweaks and twerks that the Western retrogamer demands in the quest for ultimate emulation fidelity are concerned.  The view of China based manufacturers seems to be that the physical controls are an adjunct to the primary function of the device – hey, it’s an Android tablet, what else do you want?  Foremost among such frustrations has been OASS: “ornamental analog stick syndrome”, which sadly afflicts many of the devices released to date. What use are any physical controls if they do not work with popular games and emulators?

     Among manufacturers however, JXD has been rather more prolific and attentive to such concerns. JXD appears to at least try to listen to the Western retrogaming/Android gaming crowd who are natural buyers for this sort of niche device.  This is not an easy task when you factor in the language and cultural barriers involved. Considering that it is a small manufacturer, making disposable devices in perhaps one of the most competitive, high churn, “gotta have the latest gear”, dog-eat-dog consumer tech markets in the world, let alone one where punters have no teary eyed attachment to the playing of old 8/16 bit games, and it’s a small miracle they are still making these things at all.
But nonetheless, here we are, and we should sing hymns of joy or at least a few Katy Perry songs, because they’re up to version three of this thing! 

     Announced in around August 2013, the JXD S7800 is the third iteration of JXD’s range of 7 inch Android gaming tablet console.  Both the JXD S7100 and S7300 were successful, relatively speaking: they sold well enough to warrant an ongoing model range and, as evidenced by the existence of community third party developer support for customized firmware, found some favor with Western users.  Both were impressive but flawed devices, with the main gripes of users being limited battery life, performance limitations, button location and design issues, and controller mapping flaws.

     As a quick refresher, here are the S7800B’s predecessors – first the JXD S7100:
JXD S7100
The JXD S7300:
JXD S7300

     And now, the S7800:
JXD S7800B

     At a glance on the key specs you’re certainly getting more device per buck:
Model CPU GPU RAM Screen Battery OS version
S7100 800MHz Cortex A9 Single-core
(MTK 6577 SOC)
Mali 400 GPU 512MB DDR2 7 inch
800 x 480
3800 mAH Android 2.2
S7300 1.3GHz Cortex A9 CPU, Dual core(Amlogic 8726 MX SOC) Mali 400 GPU 1 GB DDR3 7 inch
1024 x 600
4000 mAH Android 4.1
S7800A 1GHz  Cortex A7 Quad Core GPU
(All Winner A31s SOC)
Power VR SGX 544 1 GB DDR 3


7 inch
1200 x 800

5000 maH Android 4.2.2
S7800B 1.6GHz Cortex A9 Quad Core
(RockChip 3188 SOC)
Mali400 2 GB DDR3 7 inch
1200 x 800
5000 maH Android 4.2.2

     The S7800 comes in A and B variants. The S7800A is powered by the Allwinner A31 system on chip (SOC), which is not on the basis of the SOC alone, necessarily an inferior product.  While there seems to be an ongoing debate about the differences between both SOCS and what this actually means in real world use, the great Dingoonity hive mind seems to have concluded that the S7800B is the contender to watch, so much so that there has been little buzz around the S7800A, which was quietly released a few weeks ago.  Its stablemate however, the S7800B, which is powered by a Rockchip 3188 SOC, has received most of the online anticipation.
Has the S7800B been worth the wait?

2. Specifications

JXD S7800B Specifications
  • Price: ~ USD$175-$200 including shipping
  • Screen: 7 inch IPS LCD, Resolution: 1280x800
  • Touch: 5 point Capacitive Screen(G+G LCD)
  • Chip: RockChip 3188, Quad Core, 1.8GHz (cortex A9 CPU, ARM mali400 mp4 GPU)
  • DDR: 2GB DDR3
  • OS: Android 4.2.2
  • Physical Controls: 4 x L/R Shoulder Buttons, L and R analog sticks, 1 x Dpad
  • Buttons: ABCD, Select, Start, Vol+/-, Reset, POWER, Home, Back, Menu, Toggle Controller Map Mode button
  • Storage: 8GB
  • Network: Wi-Fi(802.11 b/g/n)
  • Gravity Sensor: 3 Axis Gravity Sensor
  • Cameras: Back and Front cameras
  • Charge and Battery: Built-in 5000mA rechargable Li-polymer battery
  • Charge with 5V 2A DC adaptor and USB claimed [USB Charging does not seem possible]
  • I/O: USB2.0 High Speed
  • OTG: Connect Keyboard, mouse, Ethernet, 3G dongle, U disk and Hard disk
  • 3.5mm Stereo earphone mini jack
  • Micro TF card slot, max 32GB [Some success reported with 64GB Cards]
  • HDMI: HDMI Dual screen display, up to 1080P
The above specs have been amended from JXD’s published specs – most notably:
  • There is a back facing camera
  • Charging through USB port does not seem to be possible

3. Design and Form Factor

     And here is my very own real life JXD S7300B, without makeup or decent lighting, but still resplendent IMHO, all Sandra Bullock in Gravity-like:

DSC05289-001

     The JXD S7800B departs significantly from its predecessors’ rectangular lines, with rounded sides that make it look more gaming console, and less tablet.  The new shape could be a less than subtle declaration that by the third iteration, JXD believes the gamer tablet niche is one to be taken seriously, a fact that is further reinforced by JXD’s inclusion of certain pieces of software in its stock firmware that is clearly meant to appeal only to the retrogaming market (see Section 9 below). More importantly, the rounded sides serve to make the main shoulder buttons on the S7800B more accessible, as they are now pressed at a less straining 45, instead of 90 degree angle.  The curvature is also more palm friendly overall, and noticably so during extended gaming sessions. 

     Another design note of interest is that the S7800 is available in half as many colours as its older siblings – that is a choice of black, black or black.  The black does allow the screen to dominate more visibly than before, with the overall impression presenting an illusion of a slim bezel along the top and bottom.  These edges are also angled sharply, to further reduce the prominence of non-screen plastic when viewed straight on.  Some thought has been put into this, and the whole effect, while not the epitome of sleekness, is pleasing, given that what is being attempted here is the fusion of a game controller to a tablet.  The results from an aesthetic point of view, could have been much much worse (*cough*nvidiashield*cough).

     There are two handstrap handles on the left and right sides, catering to the southpaws among us (or perhaps to hang it on your neck like an SLR). It’s another subtle feature, but one that reveals an unexpected attention to detail in a design sense. Admittedly, this may be driven by practical necessity as well: handstraps should come standard in the box (they don’t), for this is a big device, likely to fall hard should this unfortunately ever occur. JXD gets the handles right anyway – I’d encourage anyone who gets one of these to cannibalize a Wii remote or old digicam and install one before using it.

4. Handling

     The device feels solid and well built. Sure, it’s not cast from a single unibody block of ultra sexy aluminium, but for a budget device, there are no misaligned edges, or uncut flash residue, bucket grade plastic or poor finishing either. 

     The JXD S7800B is heavy, weighing in at 500 grams, 20% heavier than the S7300. That’s porker territory for a portable device, however you put it:

Device Weight
JXD S7800B 500g
JXD S7100a 455g
JXD S7300 408g
Google Nexus 7 290g
Galaxy Tab 3 302g
Ipad Air 470g
Ipad Mini 312g
Nvidia Shield 570g
Dingoo A320 110g

     Ergonomically speaking, the JXD S7800B reminded me of handling one of these:



     You’d not expect any 7 inch Android device to be pocketable, but its weighty heft makes it quite unsuitable for jeans pocket on the run gaming. Even pre-bedtime sessions of emulation goodness are not physically enjoyable without some sort of support as in addition to its weight, the S7800B is also too physically long for comfortable use while lying down. 

     So, this is strictly a sitting upright, comfy sofa device, and you’re going to be sorely disappointed (and more so around the wrist) if you buy this for extended portable handheld gaming on the bus in mind. Going on about the device’s weight is probably unfair, given its price range, the size of JXD’s design department compared with major manufacturers, and the fact that despite its relatively heavier weight, it is far from being so unacceptably heavy or bulky as to be unusable, and in fact, is quite the opposite. Still, if you’re on the weedy side arm wise, a trial run simulated with a heavy novel might be in order before fully committing.

     On the positive side, the S7800B does feel heavily solid and well built. 
There are 2 noticeable bumps on the underside of the device to assist with gripping it, and these do make the S7800B feel decent in hand, especially when finger scrambling during hyperactive action games.

2013-11-07T00-38-22

     As can be seen from the above, the central part of the back of the device is textured plastic, which provides friction to assist while holding the device. The plastic on the outer edges, by contrast, are smooth, which feels better against your palm.  Once again, it is evident some thought has been put into this.

5. Controls

     The R and L analog sticks look like those on the Playstation Vita, and feel like them too:

2013-11-07T00-24-26

     The tops are textured plastic, providing thumbs with the grip needed for fine use.  Critically, the self centering is firm and assured, with no sign of any looseness at home position. Their height from the base makes them graspable with your index finger and thumb, for when a game demands the tactile feel of a joystick, and while this is tiring unless you have strong fingers, it’s nice to be able to do this at all.

     Most importantly, these are true analog sticks that actually work out of the box.  Both MUPEN64 and PSPPP for example, recognized the left stick on launch with no need for any configuration. Sadly, the right stick did not seem to work with any current tested emulator, but it is indeed fully functional as showcased by the Android game Expendable Rearmed, which comes helpfully preinstalled.  Hopefully, this will be remedied in short order by emulator or future firmware tweaks, and it is comforting to know that this is not a hardware issue per se.

     The DPad is of the solid T piece type, and has low-moderate travel; think NDS XL.  It’s a little too spongy to my touch, but perfectly usable. I prefer them firmer and mounted higher myself, but this is a matter of personal taste.  There are no responsiveness issues, though if you’re fond of hadouken, you’ll be better served using the analog stick keymapped.

     I’ve commented on the well placed R1 and L1 buttons above due to the rounded case design.  R2 and L2 are conversely, harder to reach, and a fair bit of hand contortion is required if you have short fingers, like me. I found myself winding my index finger over the top of the screen, and pressing on the upper edge of R2/L2.  This, surprisingly, doesn’t work too badly at all, but I can see it getting irritating if you have to press them a lot.

     There’s not much to be said about the ABCD buttons; they work just fine.

     Controls aside, the JXD S7800B comes with 6 function buttons.  On the right, START and SELECT are self explanatory, and the welcome Android BACK and MENU buttons, while redundant, are never missed until they are not there. As they are largely mappable in various emulators as well, this wealth of hardware buttons provides considerable flexibility.

     On the left is the self explanatory Android HOME button, and this:

controller button

     The button formerly known as a messy omelet launches what appears to be JXD’s own game controller key mapping software (which is also available from the slide up Android screen menu).  The function is always accessible whatever app you’re in.  This is what the manual says about it:

7800Manual Page 2

Right.

     The written instructions are actually quite clear, but the poor picture quality and their small size - made them difficult to decipher. Being somewhat slow in my dotage, it took me a while to figure the mapping out.  Once I did however, mapping keys with this feature was a breeze, and particularly impressive because the function is only a keypress away to invoke and available in any app  – provided the app running has overlaid virtual onscreen controls.

     Simply drag an icon for the relevant hardware control or button you want mapped over the running app’s corresponding onscreen control, press SAVE/HIDE and you’re done. Remember to press SAVE/HIDE or it won’t work. Gratifyingly, the JXD S7300B also stores the unique key maps required of each app, so you’ll only have to do this once for each app that needs it.

DSC05309
DSC05310

     The mapping feature is much more intuitive than using the inbuilt configuration menus of the various emulators, with the downside of course is that you’ll have to put up with onscreen controls being displayed when you play games. It also means that pretty much any Android game with onscreen controls is playable with the hardware controls. More impressively, the JXD S7800B also comes with an auto update app to provide access to updated and new keymaps for popular Android games:


P1090430

     This function is similar in spirit to Valve’s Steam Controller Configuration Library, which allows users to download the most popular keymap configurations for games for use on the new Steam Controller. If JXD follow through properly with this feature, it’ll be an impressive outcome, and a first for any budget Android device.

     If you think all of the above approach to keymapping is a little too fussy, there are of course many Google Play alternatives. It is however incredibly refreshing to find a decent attempt already built into a budget device of this pedigree. Kudos to JXD.

6. Screen and battery life

     The 7-inch, 1280x800 IPS touchscreen, has good contrast and brightness, updates well, and viewing angles are very good. It’s not quite the ultra high res of the 2013 Nexus 7 (1920 x 1200) or iPad mini (2048 x 1536), but is certainly a step up from the S7300’s 1024 x 600 screen.  In any event, higher resolutions also consume more processing resources to maintain a smooth experience, and 1280 x 800 is a good match to the aspect ratios of many 8/16 bit game system resolutions.

     JXD claims 8 hours of battery life out of the S7800’s 5000 mAH battery.  Actual life will depend on your use profile of course, but I can confirm this is certainly not one of those ultra cheap devices that loses its charge within 60 minutes of light use.  On standby, with no use, the battery dropped to 85% over 24 hours.  With 2 to 3 hours use (casual web surfing and Android/emulator gaming) over a day, the battery was still at 55% at day’s end for me.

7. Android – General

     How well does the S7800B perform as an Android tablet? You can chuck stats, specs, hardware differences and benchmarks around, but the truth is that generic made in China Android tablets that are perfectly functional are everywhere, and they all work much better than the generic Android tablets of six months ago. The S7800B is blessedly, no exception.

     Android tablets are clearly like the clone IBM PCs of the early 1980s, and as time goes on, are destined to become the white box equivalents of today’s desktops.  This so, Android is the MS-DOS of this decade, and like its spiritual ancestor, while there will naturally be quirks and peculiarities between platforms, if all you’re doing is the things that you’d expect to be able to do on a stock Android tablet – surf, check emails, consume media, download Google Play apps and run apps - you’ll find that the S7800B hardware performs admirably, and never gets in the way.

     Perhaps the highest compliment I can offer it then is that it was remarkably easy to forget that I wasn’t using using an Asus/Nexus, Samsung or other major brand device. The JXD S7800’s Android implementation is a smooth, lag and trouble free experience, and it did not crash once over days of use.  It did slow once, becoming choppy when I had too many apps opened, but recovered after a few minutes and was fine again.

     For the purists, here is the device making 19056 points of Antutu bragging rights:



     Here it is, defiantly eking out 3777 marks in 3d Mark:



     While its results are respectable, this is not a top of the range tablet as far as benchmark performance is concerned, placing around the Google Nexus/Galaxy Tab (2012 generation) performance levels in Antutu.  For 3D Mark, the S7800B is clearly a weaker performer, coming in in the bottom third of devices, largely due to the reliable and highly compatible, but now relatively long in the tooth, Mali 400 GPU.

     User experience aside, the device is not all roses or without technical issues. A list of emerging concerns from early users has already surfaced here.  Some of these are notable and hardware related (such as the device not charging through the USB slot), while others are on the high end of irritating (such as the main partition containing only 1GB of space, imperfect rooting, and some Google Play download incompatibilities). Whether they affect your ultimate enjoyment will depend on your tolerance for imperfection, your thirst level for poking around under the hood of stuff, and, almost certainly, your philosophical attitude towards fast food.  A firmware update, by the way, is already available from JXD, though it might be best to wait a little longer before installing it, as it’s not completely clear what the update does.

     On the other hand I can honestly say that none of the numbers or flaws above manifested in any impaired normal user experience.  This is a stable, very usable Android implementation that you can happily abuse out of the box. 

8. Android Gaming

     For Android gaming use, the device is capable of running very playable instances of 3D games like Expendable Rearmed, Riptide GP2 (both of which come installed), ExZeus, Modern Combat 4 or Nova 3, Dead Trigger 2. See here, here, here, here, here, here for some other people’s videos:






     My own experiences of these games running on the S7800B are similar to those shown in the videos: controls are fluid and responsive, and while framerates do suffer from time to time, I never once encountered unplayable stutter vision or crashing.  This’ll be my Android gaming device of choice over anything without controls for now.

     It’s however worth noting that the JXD S7300A has a theoretically better 3d GPU (although it has 1Gb less RAM) than the Mali 400 used in the S7800B.  Bearing in mind that the S7800B is already perfectly playable running these games, if your focus is on squeezing the maximum possible framerates from your next Android gaming console, you might want to find out more about the S7300A before you commit to the B model.

9. Retrogaming

     For retrogaming there is always a system threshold that reveals the upper limit of any device’s capabilities.  With the S7800B, the threshold is the Dolphin Emulator which reputedly runs Gamecube and Wii games – but dissing the S7800B for this is a little unfair as no Android device at present can seems equal to the task of running Dolphin.

     Pushing the envelope aside, the S7800B emulates newer systems like the Playstation 1, N64, PSP (though, check compatibility first) and NDS admirably.  Most games work on playable framerates, some have choppy sound, and as is to be expected some don’t run at all. When things go swimmingly though, which is more often than not, the device fades into the background as any good tool of this nature should. I would have been left in awe of how far things have come since emulating this generation of consoles appeared to be an insurmountable hurdle for a handheld, except that I was too busy trying to remember old tactics, controller combos and just generally, how to play.

     Once again, other people’s videos say it best:




     The emulation of older systems has an even better success rate, nearing perfection, with practically all such platforms as supported, and performing as well as the best emulators that run on Android might be expected to.  Whether it be SNES (which emulation passes the Starfox/Yoshi Island tests); MAME, NeoGeo, NES, Megadrive, PC Engine, SMS, GBA, GBC, GB, C64, Atari ST, MSX, Sinclair Spectrum, DOS - whatever your poison of choice, my experience was that you’ll pretty much be able to play any game for these systems with no issues.

     Here are some other people’s vids, yet again:




(I do apologise for not inserting self-made videos on Android gaming/emulator performance above, but there are just not enough hours in the day, and there is very little they would really add to the surfeit of videos already out there.  I do promise that what you’re seeing on Youtube is reflective of what I found the S7800B capable of.)

     No discussion of the S7800’s retrogaming chops would be complete without mentioning that it comes installed with an app of shady predilections, a presence best put down to a discrepancy in cultural understanding over what is a quintessentially incompatible Western construct, the law of copyright.  Or maybe they just don’t give a shit.

     In any case, “GameX” or “Happy Chick” is another measure of JXD’s apparent commitment to serving the retrogaming market, albeit in this case one that is probably best characterized as way beyond the call of duty. Those  ancient enough may recall the long extinct Happy Puppy game review website from the pre-Paleolithic internet era, from which the Happy Chick undoubtedly draws naming inspiration.  Whatever its muse, the Happy Chick serves to deliver the ultimate in convenience, not unlike  Steam for oldie gamers (another Valve inspired feature here!).  It is best seen in action rather than described:



     Ironically, this game is not available on it:


10. Is it for me?

     What’s the JXD S7800B for?

     Let’s all agree what it is not. It’s not a Dingoo-type device.  It’s too big and too heavy for pocketable retro goodness, its screen resolution is arguably too high for purists who like native screen res to match the systems emulated, and Android itself can get in the way when all one wants to do is launch immediately to emulators.  So if you’re looking for something like a Dingoo, this isn’t it, even though it will emulate everything a Dingoo can, and then some.  If you absolutely must have a dedicated retrogaming handheld akin to a 2013 version of the Dingoo A320  you’ll probably want to go to GCW Zero land (and be prepared to wait a bit for actual delivery).

     What’s the JXD S7800B for? Any analysis would begin by asking what you need it to do for you. Here’s the thing though: the JXD S7800B isn’t about what you need.  It’s entirely about what you want, and it is only successful when measured by that metric, because it will do what you want, straight out of the box, whether you need it to or not.

     Without the physical controls, the device would be a rather cumbersome 2013 clone tablet.  With them, the decent physical design, convenient in-built keymapping function, the Happy Chick, the generally solid Android performance, and critically, the playability of both Android and emulator games, the use case for the JXD 7800B becomes quite distinct.  It excites the want want must have bright shiny thing part of one’s reptilian brain: it’s a Wii U Gamepad you can use without tethering; an Nvidia Shield that is functional as a tablet; a Razer Edge Pro mere mortals can afford; the Nintendo XL of generic 5 inch Android gaming tablets; a reason not to carry a separate bluetooth controller – it can be all this, but is also so much less if you’re seeking perfection, and so much more if you’re seeking value.  The internal struggles that will presage this purchase decision are clear. No one needs a S7800B as their primary device. It’s a guilty luxury and an unnecessary unnecessity, a bit of cream on the cake of life.

     For under $200 then, it is the perfect disposable Christmas gift this year, and with one considerable upside. While not without its flaws, its price is right and its modest winsome charms out of the box might see you using it well beyond both your reasonable expectations - and your better judgment.

11. The Low Down

Positives Negatives
* Decent design
* Good build quality, solid feeling and handling
* Controls that work largely as advertised, and largely universally
* In built keymapping function always accessible
* Puk, puk, puk, have you made me an egg today little Happy Chick?
* Technical specifications very decent for a 2013 Android clone tablet
* Good battery life – quoted 8 hours seems to be real
* Stable and reliable real life Android implementation
* Very playable Android 3d Gaming performance
* Good hit rate emulating newer systems; excellent hit rate on classic systems
* Runs Android, not closed walled garden OS
* Great value for sub $200 device of this type
* Heavy
* Be prepared for rough edges: http://wiki.dingoonity.org/index.php?title=Other_Devices:JXD_S7800B
* Emulation of newer systems not perfect
* Controls that work largely as advertised, and largely universally, but not 100% so 
* Runs Android, not closed walled garden OS
* Happy Chick might cause moral outrage
* No choice of colour
* As always with non-mainstream devices of this nature, don’t expect much after sales service (so that if you do get any, you’ll be pleasantly surprised)


Want one? Where to buy a JXD S7800B


I bought mine from Willgoo.com for USD $199.95. It was not a free review device. If you think this is for you, and would like to get one, please consider using this link, or this link for the JXD S7800B SPECIAL SUPERPACK OFFER WITH FREE DHL SHIPPING (Only $209.99), and I’ll get a few bucks to help me out.  You can get this cheaper from other places, but Willgoo.com has a good reputation, and besides, why wouldn’t you want to help l’il ol’ me?Smile


(Or click to buy something else, I’m not proud).


Happy silly season all!

Comments

  1. What a well written and expansive article.
    I would LOVE to set up one of these as a toy, but the bad experience with my S7300 has me so very wary now.
    Since my S7300 self destructed I've encountered the Sero 7 Pro and more recently the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Yeah I said 2) and found them great for gaming when used with a BT gamepad.
    Lately it is the gamepad from Ouya, which seems perfect for use with other Android devices.
    I'll have to go lurk the forums and see what the buzz is...

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a well written and expansive article.
    I would LOVE to set up one of these as a toy, but the bad experience with my S7300 has me so very wary now.
    Since my S7300 self destructed I've encountered the Sero 7 Pro and more recently the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 (Yeah I said 2) and found them great for gaming when used with a BT gamepad.
    Lately it is the gamepad from Ouya, which seems perfect for use with other Android devices.
    I'll have to go lurk the forums and see what the buzz is...

    ReplyDelete
  3. Excellent, well written article. I wish you wrote about the capacitive screen and how responsive, or not, it was when playing touch based games.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very nice review with well stated points although a bit too much on the theatrics and build up of statements. Cheers for this review.
    I will get mine soon.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Would like to know if you already own a 7300, does it make any sense to switch to a 7800, or just to keep the 7300 and wait for the "next" JXD? I only use mine for emulation, and most of it is already running fine on my 7300.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great Review. I'm still waiting for mine to be delivered :( I have the s7300 already and as much as I love it, its always playing up, eg screen freezing, touch screen going wild, weak WiFi connection :( I'm hoping all these flaws are better in the s7800 :) fingers crossed aye :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Would be helpful, if the reviewer answered the questions raised in the comments !!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. I've been playing with my JXD7800b over the weekend and must say, it is a step up from my previous devices (JXD5100, JXD7100 and Archos GamePad). The screen is gorgeous and bright and the controls feel solid for a change. I replaced the stock rom with the overclocked Supercharged one and it still performs very well. My main concern (and only reason to upgrade from the GamePad) is battery use. I travel a lot and I would like to have a device that can last me a whole flight on one charge. The 7800 doesn't disappoint! After a day of playing, loading apps and watching YouTube there is still 54% of juice left! It charges quickly too. From 0 to 100% takes about 3 hours. This is the first Game Tablet (Gablet?) I feel I can use for other things too. I normally use a Sony Xperia Z tablet for entertainment and work but I might just use this for my viewing pleasure. The Z is great but is plagued by phantom touches that close and open apps randomly sometimes. I don't really like the plasticky feel of the screen when typing so I may keep the Z on for real work. Unfortunately the 7800 screen-size is too small to properly read comics (I like to have a whole page onscreen at a time).

    One feature that hasn't been mentioned is the ability to use Miracast to display your screen on a big screen TV. It works moderately well but not nearly as trouble free as Airplay. There is a noticeable lag which is irritating for games and connecting it with the dongle in my TV takes a bit of experimenting. Then again that isn't the 7800's fault as my Z has the same problems.

    The software needs optimizing though. Even with the Supercharged rom, screen flips feel slow and I still get the dreaded "...doesn't respond do you want to close?" message, something I haven't had since my JXD5100 times. I really hope that JXD keeps supporting this device or open-sources the system (fat chance) because this really looks like a step in the right direction.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Update. Yup, 18 months later and I'm still using the 7800. I have experimented with different ROMs and have finally installed one that is as smooth as it gets. My new favorite emulator is Classic Boy which can handle almost all retro consoles at full speed. So far there has been no reason to look for anything else and I doubt anything will come along soon as the Chinese developers seem to have jumped of the band wagon.

      Delete
    2. Can you please tell me the rom you have install and where did you download it? Thank you

      Delete
  9. I just recently sold my JXD 7300... as much as I loved it, it had issues. 1) The battery life was weak & 2) the over heating issues. Other than that, I loved it and need to replace it; plus I had my eye on the 7800 since it was announced. I'll be testing out android games I'm creating and this seems like the best gaming tablet to showcase them on.

    The article answered the battery life on the 7800 but what about overheating? Does it heat up like the 7300? I ask because I'm about to buy the 7800 to replace the 7300 and overheating is a deal breaker. Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Not gonna lie, this sucker is what I thought it was gonna be. Pretty pumped at first, get everything going, there's an update an happy chick won't start up afterwards. Reset the system and download the games I had, download and play metal gear solid for ps. as soon as I'm done... happy chick won't respond. Turned off console numerous times to reset, have to download everything again. Bought mine off eBay for just shy of two hundred. If I wanted to be disappointed I would of had sex with my mirror

    ReplyDelete
  11. straight forwards its (CRAP AND HAS ALOT OF PROBLEMS AND JXD WILL NOT ANSER BACK TO ANY EMAILS YOU SEND THEM THEY ARE A BUNCH OF W***ERS)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Nice review and a pretty nice device. I especially like how JXD has gotten better at design with each iteration; starting with a PSP-look, then moving onto a Wii U Gamepad (first version) look, before finally having something that could be considered original. I'm looking forward to their next 7 inch gaming tablet, for the next evolution in their design skills and for better specs. I want a 7 inch gaming tablet to fill my mid-tier Android slot (my Xperia Play is my low-tier and I'm waiting for the next Nvidia Shield to be my high-tier), but I want something that's higher than the old Mali-400.

    ReplyDelete
  13. besides emulation, does it use the regular google play store??? I would like to use it as a manga reader, youtube browser, and the normal tablet stuff.

    ReplyDelete
  14. I also would like to use it as a manga reader, youtube browser, and the normal tablet stuff.Best Game Console
    | Best Video Game Console

    ReplyDelete
  15. I am finding it a challenge to map the fire/action buttons so i can play a game via DOSBOX has anyone overcome this hurdle whom can offer advice?

    ReplyDelete
  16. These edges are also angled sharply, to further reduce the prominence of non-screen plastic when viewed straight on. Tera Gold

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Dingoo A380 Review

Mancala for Dingux released (Mandingoo was released in 1975)

Idiot’s Guide to installing Dingux using Windows released

An interview with the creator of the Tauon PC-1, Volodymyr Mishin

How to show all your 17,083 c64 games from the c64 romset (archive.org) on the C64 Mini or C64 Maxi loader

Tauon PC-1 review

Dingoo representative at a320.freeforums.org !

The latest Dingoo A380E emulators in one spot