Polaroid PMID701i Andriod 4.0 Icecream Sandwich

[SingleDad]

If it is identical specification wise, one would think you could download the firmware update for the 701i when it comes available and install it on the 701c.

Or you could get a rom dump from the 701i and try to flash it to the 701c.

They are literally identical as far as what is posted on the box. The only difference is the 701i runs ICS. I compared my 701C box with the photos of the 701i box posted here. The tablets even look identical and the boxes are identical except for the model number and the ICS sticker.

I'm not convinced there will be an official firmware update. I certainly hope so but they don't have much up in the way of firmware support on their site. I wonder if these were supposed to be priced at two different levels and Big Lots didn't...or just dropped the ball because of how similar they are? After all the 701C hasn't been out for very long.

I'm sure somewhere around here will eventually get the 701i rom dumped but when and how easy that will be is anyone's guess.

[Nux]

I'm really thinking they're the same device with different OS's

They are literally identical as far as what is posted on the box. The only difference is the 701i runs ICS. I compared my 701C box with the photos of the 701i box posted here. The tablets even look identical and the boxes are identical except for the model number and the ICS sticker.

Like I said I didn't even realize the difference until I actually booted it and saw ICS for the first time. I'll post some pics showing the details (from within the settings in the OS) from the device in the morning, they both look identical physically and I think they are both running the same proc, RAM, etc... just one is 2.3.4 GB & the other ICS 4.0, had company over tonight and haven't got to fully play with it yet to give a fair comparison, promise I'll be all over it tomorrow!

Also, Netflix runs fine on my 701C, there is a slight sound delay but it's tolerable. I'll see if I can get Netflix on the 701i as well.

[Nux]

Comparison Pics running 'Smart System Info'



I did notice immediately the battery life on the 701i is very good. I didn't give it a full charge out of the box and my daughter was playing with it for a few hours as well, she did throw it on the USB though for about 30 min, noticed when I got into the Smart System app the battery was at 100%, very nice!





Codename, CPU & Hardware all the same!

I'm going to toy with it some more when I get home from work. Wanted to get a few pics out this morning before I left. Enjoy!

[SingleDad]

Hey guys! I emailed Southern Telecom/Polaroid support last night. I already got a response back this morning assuring me there would be an update to give 701c owners an upgrade to ICS. However according to this Customer Service Support Manager, it's not going to be available for at least 2 weeks.

I'm a little confused as to why they can't get it out sooner if they've already released the 701i running a working ICS os. They are identical tablets...just post the update already

[Nux]

Successfully rooted!

I was able to root the 701i, got the Google Play App Market up and running!


I will post a walk through here in a bit.

[Nux]

2 is better than 1

Well I broke down and went to see if there was another at Big Lots and just my luck they had only one of the 701i in stock and about 4 of the 701C. I grabbed it up and hurried home to root it as well! Now everybody in my house will have a tablet.


Here's a pic of all my 701 boxes! They sure look purdy!

[SingleDad]

Sweet!

Building a little stockpile there aren't ya? Too cool.

I'm curious, how fast is Ice Cream Sandwich on the 701i vs. Gingerbread on the 701C? Any noticeable difference between the two?

Also, have you had any chance to run Netflix on the 701i to compare how it runs versus the Gingerbread 701C?

[Nux]

Building a little stockpile there aren't ya? Too cool.

I'm curious, how fast is Ice Cream Sandwich on the 701i vs. Gingerbread on the 701C? Any noticeable difference between the two?

Also, have you had any chance to run Netflix on the 701i to compare how it runs versus the Gingerbread 701C?

The ICS seems a bit sluggish, it is not as simple an interface as the 701C so I'm still getting used to it. Everything is in different places, I have an Android 1.5 Pandigital Novel 7" that operates more like the 701C than this does, the 701C & 701i may be the same device but the OS's are really different!

The Netflix sound is out of sync pretty bad on the 701i, noticed this on the 701C too but I don't think it's as bad as the 701i.

Also I've rooted both of my 701i units and they both took w/ no problems, funny though the second unit said it was partially rooted when I ran Super One Click, the first unit had no such partial-root.

((NOTE: see my "PMID701i Root Walk Through" post for info on Super One
Click: http://www.freaktab.com/showthread.p...t-Walk-Through))

[SingleDad]

The ICS seems a bit sluggish, it is not as simple an interface as the 701C so I'm still getting used to it.

I was afraid of that. I was worried the 701i would be a little bogged down because I'm assuming ICS would be a little heavier on RAM and CPU than Gingerbread. 512MB of RAM isn't a ton. Then again you can't expect a ton for just under $100.

I'm still trying to decide whether I want to swap out this 701C for the 701i. (I'm not holding my breath that the upgrade will really be up in two weeks) I'm a little less inclined to try to return this for the 701i now that I know the ICS is a little slow and now that I know there is no significant improvement in Netflix. (I was hoping the Netflix app just didn't like the way Gingerbread was set up on the 701c).

Maybe I'll just wait until they release the update for the 701c. Maybe by then we'll also have a copy of the old firmware and I can revert back if I hate the way it runs ICS.

Thanks so much for the insight and feedback Nux!

[Finless]

FYI, us guys that make ROMs and have ported even semi working ICS to single core 1ghz proc tablets have noted that performance honestly sucks with ICS. It's not great with honey comb either (but better than ICS) which by the way was never an officially released OS.

What I am seeing is that most the new stuff coming out on the higher end for ICS is dual core 1.2ghz minimum and 1 gig of RAM (not NAND but RAM).

So I keep telling people that keep begging for ICS on these single core tablets running 1g.... Don't wish to hard. Having the slick interface of ICS is not "ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS!".

Like Windows 8 preview, I think it sucks. Too bloated and flashy for what I want to do on a tablet!

My .000003 cents.

Bob

[mahjikk]

I have the onda ICS firmware v5 on the 701c and Netflix runs perfectly. The media plays fine, and its great. it's just the navigation which is a little sluggish, and I guess thats what you should expect for $99. Everything else is fast however, the screen transitions on the home page are smooth, much more than it was with the V1 ICS firmware, which I'm going to assume is similar to the one Polaroid will be sending out, since that one was laggy as well. However, the only thing wrong with it is the sensor. Its reversed. I use a rotationlock app to deal with it, but it's not a fix. You can give it a try if Netflix is that important for you (it was for me). It was easy, and once I figured out how to do it once, I did it again in less than 7 minutes.

[sabercatpuck]

the rotation thing is my current project.

i figure that is about as simple a project as i can try for my first foray into rom customization. with the added bonus of something worthwhile on the other end. mind you it may take a bit since i am just learning.
one question, do your menu and back buttons work in v5? mine arnt and i wasnt sure if i buggered something when i popped the case for a look yesterday.

[Finless]

i figure that is about as simple a project as i can try for my first foray into rom customization. with the added bonus of something worthwhile on the other end. mind you it may take a bit since i am just learning.
one question, do your menu and back buttons work in v5? mine arnt and i wasnt sure if i buggered something when i popped the case for a look yesterday.

Good luck with that sabercatpuck..... Some things are in insmod kernel.ko files and you cannot fix it. TRUST ME... the Arnova line, people do not like that portrait default is hardware buttons down instead of up, and we all came to the conclusion trying to fix it, that it is kernel modules that we would need source code for to change! Not saying you can't but be aware that some manufacturers do not make it as easy as editing a resource description file!

Sure you can make some tweaks but depending on what the ro. kernel module supports major things like reversing the movement sensors..... So far we have found it's kernel stuff! But every ROM is different so you never know. Have at it but don't get too frustrated chasing dead ends.... Fenice57 and I must have spent a week trying to do what you want only to find we needed kernel source.

Bob

[SingleDad]

FYI, us guys that make ROMs and have ported even semi working ICS to single core 1ghz proc tablets have noted that performance honestly sucks with ICS. It's not great with honey comb either (but better than ICS) which by the way was never an officially released OS.

What I am seeing is that most the new stuff coming out on the higher end for ICS is dual core 1.2ghz minimum and 1 gig of RAM (not NAND but RAM).

So I keep telling people that keep begging for ICS on these single core tablets running 1g.... Don't wish to hard. Having the slick interface of ICS is not "ALL THAT AND A BAG OF CHIPS!".

Like Windows 8 preview, I think it sucks. Too bloated and flashy for what I want to do on a tablet!

My .000003 cents.

Bob

Very well put. I'm totally new to tablets and Android..but I have a decent PC background. Of course there are similarities between the two.

I was a little ticked when I discovered they have released an ICS version but then it dawned on me that the hardware specs are a little anemic. Don't get me wrong...I still think this is a decent tablet for the price. However I'm wondering how well it can run ICS when you start loading it with apps etc. Of course the ONLY real way to tell is to get my hands on one and play around with it.

I can't, or better stated, shouldn't afford another one. Otherwise I'd just quit thinking out loud and go buy an 701i and have two. We definitely appreciate you taking the time to offer up your opinion Bob!

[SingleDad]

I have the onda ICS firmware v5 on the 701c and Netflix runs perfectly. The media plays fine, and its great. it's just the navigation which is a little sluggish, and I guess thats what you should expect for $99. Everything else is fast however, the screen transitions on the home page are smooth, much more than it was with the V1 ICS firmware, which I'm going to assume is similar to the one Polaroid will be sending out, since that one was laggy as well. However, the only thing wrong with it is the sensor. Its reversed. I use a rotationlock app to deal with it, but it's not a fix. You can give it a try if Netflix is that important for you (it was for me). It was easy, and once I figured out how to do it once, I did it again in less than 7 minutes.

Yeah I was waiting to see if the rotation issue got worked out before I pulled the trigger on V5. Then they released the 701i and I've just been sitting on the fence with whether I wanted to return the 701c or not.
Once I decide which tablet I'm going to "keep" I'll probably end up giving V5 a try!