PIPO smart s1 review


Bad points
On the plus side the tablet beats the Cube U9GT4 (similarly specd and designed); the screen is at least rotated in the most user friendly orientation (landscape), although as mentioned it cant be rotated and some apps default to portrait and cant be changed, annoying! However its not running an Android phone OS like the U9GT4.
The compatibility is good, beating most of our tablets. Twitter and ITV Player apps work so no need to go to the websites. The hardware kept up with our tasks well and the animated backgrounds look cool.
In summary the tablet is good, but it is fairly transparent after using it for a half hour that Pipo intends the S1 to be a e-book reader or mini smart pad, rather than a full android tablet. It is much better specd than Cubes version though, with HDMI out and a proper charger jack. Its also cheaper.
If you want a high spec 7inch and can live with the display software issues then theres no reason to buy anything else really.
Heres the spec...
We sell it, check it out: PiPO SMART-S1 7 INCH DUAL CORE RK3066 1.6GHz ANDROID 4.1 JELLY BEAN TABLET PC - Android Tablet
We tested these apps:


Bad points
- home screen only landscape
- itv player and Netflix only portrait
- apparently we filled up the desktop after downloading the 20 or so apps we test
- the screen resolution is poor making the tablet look and feel a bit cheap
- the resolution also stretches the contents, either making it wider (landscape) or taller (portrait)
On the plus side the tablet beats the Cube U9GT4 (similarly specd and designed); the screen is at least rotated in the most user friendly orientation (landscape), although as mentioned it cant be rotated and some apps default to portrait and cant be changed, annoying! However its not running an Android phone OS like the U9GT4.
The compatibility is good, beating most of our tablets. Twitter and ITV Player apps work so no need to go to the websites. The hardware kept up with our tasks well and the animated backgrounds look cool.
In summary the tablet is good, but it is fairly transparent after using it for a half hour that Pipo intends the S1 to be a e-book reader or mini smart pad, rather than a full android tablet. It is much better specd than Cubes version though, with HDMI out and a proper charger jack. Its also cheaper.
If you want a high spec 7inch and can live with the display software issues then theres no reason to buy anything else really.
Heres the spec...
Spec | |
Model | Pipo Smart S1 |
Operating System | 4.1.1 |
Display | 7 inch Capacitative touch screen |
Resolution | 800x480 pixels |
CPU | Dual-core 1.6 GHz RK3066 |
GPU | Quad-core Mali 400 |
RAM | 1GB |
ROM | 8GB |
Camera | Dual Cameras Front 0.3, Back 2.0 Megapixel |
WiFi | Yes, 802.11 b/g |
3G | via Dongle |
Microphone | Yes |
G-sensor | Yes |
Bluetooth | No |
HDMI | 1080p |
GPS | No |
Flash | Yes |
Android Market | Yes |
3D Gaming | Yes |
Connectivity | |
To PC | via USB (Micro Type B) |
To 3G Dongle | via USB OTG Cable into Micro USB Type B |
To HD Device | via HDMI Mini |
To External Storage | via USB (Micro Type B) |
Power | |
Battery | 3200 Mah, 3.7V |
Working Time | About 4 Hours |
Power Device | AC USB Adapter |
Appearance | |
Color | Black |
Dimensions | 193.5 x 119.5 x 11 mm |
Net Weight | 340g |
Aditional Info | |
Ports | 1 x DC In |
1 x Micro SD Card Slot | |
1 x Earphone Jack | |
1 x HDMI Mini Slot | |
1 x Micro USB (Type B) | |
What's in the box | 1 x Smart S1 Tablet |
1 x AC Charger (USB) | |
1 x Micro USB Cable (Type B) | |
1 x OTG Cable (Micro Type B) | |
1 x Manual | |
We sell it, check it out: PiPO SMART-S1 7 INCH DUAL CORE RK3066 1.6GHz ANDROID 4.1 JELLY BEAN TABLET PC - Android Tablet
We tested these apps:
App | |
Google Play store | INSTALLED |
Google Maps | INSTALLED |
Youtube | YES |
YES | |
Skype | YES |
YES | |
NO | |
MSN | YES |
Viber | NO |
Tango | YES |
iPlayer/BBC Media | YES |
SkyGo | NO |
ITV Player | YES |
4od | WEBSITE |
Netflix | YES |
TV Catchup | YES |
Angry Birds | YES |
eBay | YES |