Boyue T61/T62 / Icarus Illumina E653 review and Onyx T68 comparison

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by hob

Nah that's Boyue T61D (D = Carta). You can see a T61C (E-Ink Pearl) in the link bellow:

http://www.banggood.com/Boyue-T61-4G...-p-931746.html

The main advantages of T62[C] over T61[C] were the higher battery capacity, audio output, and a larger internal memory (and a better front-light system in the last update T62D). Now the device in the link you posted is obviously a T61 but a modified one which is equipped with an E-Ink Carta panel (like T62D aka T62+) and also 4GB more internal memory which would be 8GB just like the T62 series; but still the battery capacity is smaller than the T62's and there's no audio output just like the previous T61 models.

It's also blue instead of black! and this would most probably be the firmware on it.


Boyue Shine on the other hand seems to be a little bit larger and the physical buttons are all replaced with touch-sensitive ones. The software would probably be and look the same as the T61 and T62 models, tho!

Oh, good. We have the firmware. This confirms my suspicions.

[petrovich]

I'm starting to get disappointed in my Boyue T62D.

1)It seem to drop "sleep on timeout" setting, going to sleep on timeout first several times after reboot, but then forgetting about it completely till the next reboot.

2)Being not in sleep, it drains the battery like a hungry beast, dropping a percent once in, say, half an hour at start, but rather quickly changing it to something like a percent in 10 minutes. I don't mention page turns intentionally, it doesn't seem to be a contributor –– at least not the major one.

3)It does so even being "sent to sleep" manually, by a single press of the power button –– looks like it just turns the display off, but the battery continues to drain off, and next time when I "wake it up", the power drop is the same as if it was just left in a non–sleep state.

4)I've checked the battery usage, it shows about 43 hours on a single charge –– less than two days, and indeed almost linearly, without any horizontal intervals for nights, when I left it in this pseudo–sleep mode. No front-light except maybe 10 minutes a day at eve. The battery usage says "Display 100%" –– thus no other consumers are reported.

The whole miracle of the first e-ink readers was that power was wasted only on page turns, just to redraw the picture. Now I've got a e–ink guy with a battery lasts slightly longer than a laptop one. You can leave it on your desk, go away, come back –– oops, the clock still shows the old time, so there is no redraw, right? –– but wow, the battery dropped another several percents.

My first guess would be that it is just e-ink Android's feature –– but no, NST also runs Android, though an older version. And the battery was lasting for several days, typically about a week, with rather intensive reading and front–light usage.

[nhedgehog]

That is a common problem that is extensively discussed in another thread and there are certain possible steps to get a much better batterylife. Some are:
- change ROM
- deactivate updates in Google Play, uninstall/freece apps
- install an app to change the cpu speed

I think about 0,2% battery reduction per hour in sleep is possible (which adds to about 14 days batterylife), didn't know if anybody else got more out of the device.
The Nook had a much better energy management, no doubt about this.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by petrovich

I'm starting to get disappointed in my Boyue T62D.

1)It seem to drop "sleep on timeout" setting, going to sleep on timeout first several times after reboot, but then forgetting about it completely till the next reboot.

2)Being not in sleep, it drains the battery like a hungry beast, dropping a percent once in, say, half an hour at start, but rather quickly changing it to something like a percent in 10 minutes. I don't mention page turns intentionally, it doesn't seem to be a contributor –– at least not the major one.

3)It does so even being "sent to sleep" manually, by a single press of the power button –– looks like it just turns the display off, but the battery continues to drain off, and next time when I "wake it up", the power drop is the same as if it was just left in a non–sleep state.

4)I've checked the battery usage, it shows about 43 hours on a single charge –– less than two days, and indeed almost linearly, without any horizontal intervals for nights, when I left it in this pseudo–sleep mode. No front-light except maybe 10 minutes a day at eve. The battery usage says "Display 100%" –– thus no other consumers are reported.

The whole miracle of the first e-ink readers was that power was wasted only on page turns, just to redraw the picture. Now I've got a e–ink guy with a battery lasts slightly longer than a laptop one. You can leave it on your desk, go away, come back –– oops, the clock still shows the old time, so there is no redraw, right? –– but wow, the battery dropped another several percents.

My first guess would be that it is just e-ink Android's feature –– but no, NST also runs Android, though an older version. And the battery was lasting for several days, typically about a week, with rather intensive reading and front–light usage.

I've been very frustrated for the exact same reasons. I don't want to have to root to get this device to behave properly. I keep hoping for a firmware update that will fix these issues. I wonder if they are aware of them and working on correcting this very major problem.

[petrovich]

Originally Posted by nhedgehog

That is a common problem that is extensively discussed in another thread and there are certain possible steps to get a much better batterylife. Some are:
- change ROM
- deactivate updates in Google Play, uninstall/freece apps
- install an app to change the cpu speed

I think about 0,2% battery reduction per hour in sleep is possible (which adds to about 14 days batterylife), didn't know if anybody else got more out of the device.
The Nook had a much better energy management, no doubt about this.

I probably wasn't clear, sorry. This thing doesn't sleep at all. I'll try to find this another battery life thread you're mentioning, though. Thanks a lot.
There's no Google Play on the device, I didn't root it, and it comes without GP. Don't know any particular CPU manager, but I'll google for it. They all probably do require rooting anyway.

Originally Posted by blue_skies

I've been very frustrated for the exact same reasons. I don't want to have to root to get this device to behave properly. I keep hoping for a firmware update that will fix these issues. I wonder if they are aware of them and working on correcting this very major problem.

Thanks for confirming my complaints. Do you have also the same issue with not going to sleep on timeout? Now I feel a bit happier –– don't get me wrong, not because somebody else has the same troubles, but just because it means the problems are general and not caused by some individual defects of my device. Hope Boyue guys are aware of the situation and will update the fw soon.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by petrovich

I probably wasn't clear, sorry. This thing doesn't sleep at all. I'll try to find this another battery life thread you're mentioning, though. Thanks a lot.
There's no Google Play on the device, I didn't root it, and it comes without GP. Don't know any particular CPU manager, but I'll google for it. They all probably do require rooting anyway.


Thanks for confirming my complaints. Do you have also the same issue with not going to sleep on timeout? Now I feel a bit happier –– don't get me wrong, not because somebody else has the same troubles, but just because it means the problems are general and not caused by some individual defects of my device. Hope Boyue guys are aware of the situation and will update the fw soon.

Rooting won't necessarily solve this problem. I have a Boyue T62+. I used the Boyue firmware and then tried the Energy Sistem firmware. Both were rooted and I used a CPU management app. I installed Google Play Store and all that goes with it.

I found that power management in general, and especially in sleep mode, is very inconsistent. I had one stretch when the battery, after eight days, with an hour or two of reading each day and in sleep mode the rest of the time, still showed 52%. The next morning, it was dead. Then, the next time, using it the same way, the battery lasted maybe three or four days at most. I never knew how long a charge would last.

Now, I'm experimenting with the Onyx Boox C67ML Carta ROM (1.7.2). So far, sleep on timeout works flawlessly. Battery life seems to be better, but I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude on that. The Onyx ROM comes with Play Store. I rooted it anyway, so I'd be comparing apples to apples (or android to android!).

My hypothesis is that the Boyue T62+ with the Onyx C67ML Carta ROM may be the best of both worlds put together. I'm using it every day to find out, and so far I like what I see.

I'd like to see Boyue fix power management in their fw, too. In the meantime, this solution seems to work.

[petrovich]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Now, I'm experimenting with the Onyx Boox C67ML Carta ROM (1.7.2). So far, sleep on timeout works flawlessly. Battery life seems to be better, but I'm taking a wait-and-see attitude on that. The Onyx ROM comes with Play Store. I rooted it anyway, so I'd be comparing apples to apples (or android to android!).

My hypothesis is that the Boyue T62+ with the Onyx C67ML Carta ROM may be the best of both worlds put together. I'm using it every day to find out, and so far I like what I see.

I'd like to see Boyue fix power management in their fw, too. In the meantime, this solution seems to work.

Thanks a lot, this sounds great. I'm searching now for this ROM and instructions, would appreciate any links you could throw in. The "reROMing" still requires rooting first, right?
I've found these two places for Root Master, not sure which one is the god one –– or maybe both?
http://www.androidpot.net/root-maste...nglish-chinese
http://root.ngemobi.com/android-root-master.html

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by petrovich

Thanks a lot, this sounds great. I'm searching now for this ROM and instructions, would appreciate any links you could throw in. The "reROMing" still requires rooting first, right?
I've found these two places for Root Master, not sure which one is the god one –– or maybe both?
http://www.androidpot.net/root-maste...nglish-chinese
http://root.ngemobi.com/android-root-master.html

Do you have a T62D (or T62+)? That's what I have. This won't work on a T62 B or C.

I used the ROM dumper tool found here - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=254042. You can check out instructions of how to backup your device and how to install img files. You need a system.img and a slightly edited boot.img (that edit enables the Onyx front light control to work on the Boyue). In post #89, you'll find my boot.img as boot.zip. In that thread, you can find other people who have done this. I have my system.img in my Dropbox, and it worked for aceflor. If you want it, PM me and I'll send you a link.

Oh, the reROMing does NOT require root.

I don't remember where I got Root Master. There are two versions that I know of, but I'm told that both work just as well.

[petrovich]

Originally Posted by downeaster59

Do you have a T62D (or T62+)? That's what I have. This won't work on a T62 B or C.

I used the ROM dumper tool found here - https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=254042. You can check out instructions of how to backup your device and how to install img files. You need a system.img and a slightly edited boot.img (that edit enables the Onyx front light control to work on the Boyue). In post #89, you'll find my boot.img as boot.zip. In that thread, you can find other people who have done this. I have my system.img in my Dropbox, and it worked for aceflor. If you want it, PM me and I'll send you a link.

Oh, the reROMing does NOT require root.

I don't remember where I got Root Master. There are two versions that I know of, but I'm told that both work just as well.

Thanks a lot! Yes, mine is T62D.
Gosh, the tool is for windows, and I'm on Mac now, need some time to revive an old windows laptop. Well, I was planning to do it anyway -- to burn a new fw on Wexler Flex One... In a meantime PMing you for the dropbox link, thanks again.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by petrovich

Thanks a lot! Yes, mine is T62D.
Gosh, the tool is for windows, and I'm on Mac now, need some time to revive an old windows laptop. Well, I was planning to do it anyway -- to burn a new fw on Wexler Flex One... In a meantime PMing you for the dropbox link, thanks again.

Yeah, it's a Windows tool. I have a Mac, too, and have Windows on a virtual machine for times like this! There is a place on Microsoft's website where you can download a Windows 7 virtual machine for free and use it for 90 days. Wish I could remember the site.

[blue_skies]

Originally Posted by petrovich

Thanks for confirming my complaints. Do you have also the same issue with not going to sleep on timeout? Now I feel a bit happier –– don't get me wrong, not because somebody else has the same troubles, but just because it means the problems are general and not caused by some individual defects of my device. Hope Boyue guys are aware of the situation and will update the fw soon.

Yes, same problem with the device failing to sleep on timeout. It does seem to do it correctly once or twice after a full battery recharge, and then fails to after that. I posted about this a while back. It was so frustrating I ended up turning it off and just packing it away. I don't want to have to keep charging an ereader every few days, especially when I barely use it.

[nhedgehog]

I'm running on the same C67ML firmware but for the pearl displays.
I can confirm what downeaster59 said about battery life, it looks promising.
If another launcher is used (f.i. Relaunch) the system settings allow much more tinkering (disabling automatic updates/syncs etc.). That should also limit the number of wakeups in sleep. Still testing batterylife since I flashed the ROM only yesterday.

[Nate the great]

New images of the Boyue Shine (I think):
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3826632740

According to the poster it has a 300ppi screen.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

New images of the Boyue Shine (I think):
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3826632740

According to the poster it has a 300ppi screen.

Thanks! I am glad I missed getting the T62+ now so I can get this one.

[downeaster59]

Originally Posted by Nate the great

New images of the Boyue Shine (I think):
http://tieba.baidu.com/p/3826632740

According to the poster it has a 300ppi screen.

Some are calling it the T63, from what I see. I wonder if it will be basically the T62 with an upgraded display, or a truly new device through and through. I'm curious to see more specs besides the 300 dpi (though that's a pretty good start).