Tongfang Q5 Rockchip-powered tablet beats RAmos W7 to market
We first heard about the RAmos W7 Android MID and its Rockchip 2808 processor last August when it was just a mysterious concept. Since then new images and brief updates have appeared, but the actual device is still not formally available to consumers with the latest updates indicating it is currently in the final stages of evaluation before release. Now it looks like another product has beaten it to market.
Also hailing from China, the Tongfang Q5 is a fairly similar product to the W7. Running the older Android 1.5, the Q5 features a 4.8" WVGA capacitive touch screen, the Rockchip 2808 processor clocked at 866MHz, 128MB RAM, 4GB local storage, a/b/g WiFi, and a 2200mAh battery good for around 7 hours of video playback or web surfing over WiFi. The tablet is also capable of playing back 720p HD video, supports microSD cards, and keeps a clean, slim profile measuring 4.7 x 3.2 x 0.4 inches and weighing 7.4 ounces.
An early review of the Q5 on Chinese site QQ is positive praising its design, good build quality, impressive overall performance, and excellent video playback performance with it easily handling a 720p, 30fps HD video without any dropped frames. The Tongfang Q5 is available now at Amazon.cn for 1999 RMB (~$293); there is no word on it being brought to other markets as of yet.
With the appealing price, nice design, and good overall performance, the Q5 looks like a pretty decent entry into the tablet market. My only gripe is its use of the older 1.5 version of Android, but hopefully that will be addressed by an update at some point.
Although the Rockchip CPU isn't as powerful as the newer Cortex A8 and Snapdragon chips available currently, it still seems sufficient enough to offer a good user experience with impressive media capabilities especially considering the price. A 600MHz version of the chip will also be used in the upcoming Archos 7 and 8 Home Tablets. Now the only question is when will the RAmos W7 come out! Check out more images and let us know your thoughts below.
