There are many Windows 10 tablets on the market. Labeled as “transformers”, “2-in-1s” or “convertibles” – they mostly pack a decent specs list. The same can be said for Android tablets. However, it seems the two operating systems mentioned do not satisfy their customers and it isn’t surprising to see dual boot tablets coming out of Far East. Of course, there are some technical issues related to the compatibility, but devices such as Onda OBook 20 seem to solve such problems.
The design of the device is slick and thin. Back of the OBook 20 features a clean plastic back-plate in an champagne color. Front shows a 10.1 inch IPS display in all of is glory. What makes this product appealing is that the display features 1920×1200 resolution, the 16:10 aspect ratio, rather than the almost ubiquitous 16:9 – and a 2MP front camera. On the sides one can find a Micro-USB, Micro HDMI, a 3.5 mm Headphone jack, TF/microSD card slot and a DC power jack.
This dual OS tablet/laptop is featuring Windows 10 and Android 5.1. The transition between two is easy – if you want to start Windows from Android just long-press power down button and select Windows, the device will then turn off and start booting Windows. However, if you want to go on Android OS you have dedicated application called Dual OS Switcher. In a way, this is a pretty affordable way to check the compatibility of your application in a “x86 on Android” environment, as well as enable you to use your favorite Android application which can run on an x86 or Lollipop OS.
Onda Obook 20 is powered by an Intel Atom Z8300 quad-core processor. Formerly known as “Cherry Trail”, this processor features the same 14nm process node as the Broadwell, Skylake and Kaby Labe architectures inside mobile, desktop and server environments. Z8300 is clocked at 1.44 GHz and a single core can be boosted up to 1.84GHz. Cherry Trail brought x86-64, a 64-bit architecture into the world of tablets last year, and is a quite the popular choice among Chinese tablets and other compact gadgets which need to run Windows 10. Thanks to an Intel Turbo Boost Technology, it delivers dynamic extra power when you need it. The Onda OBook 20 Plus is also equipped with an 8th generation of Intel HD Graphics “GPU”, optimized to use less power. The GPU carries 12 execution units and can address up to 2GB of shared LP-DDR3 memory.
Given that the system in total features four gigabytes of LPDDR3 RAM “for advanced multitasking”, we would wage against putting a dedicated limit on the memory and let it arrange itself, depending on the application you can use. Built-in storage packs a 64GB eMMC ROM, expandable up to 320GB should you use a 256GB microSD card inside a TF card slot. Finally, the tablet features a 6000 mAh battery that should be enough to provide between 3-5 hours of normal usage.
We ran a series of benchmarks on the device and well – its not exactly a screamer. However, at a price of $180, this might be an ideal gift to a relative which is not tech savvy and wants a simple Facebook / Browsing / YouTube / eBooks / eComics machine. It plays Full HD videos without a hitch, which is not something you could say for a budget smartphone in a similar price range.
When it comes to productivity, this tablet for the already mentioned price of $180 – is a real beauty. I was skeptical at first, but the feedback from my parents and elderly relatives was delightful. We tried maxing out the configuration and connected the external USB 3.0 hub, connected a fast external drive (4TB USB 3.0), Mice and a proper Keyboard (not the magnetic one), this tablet really punches above its weight. There are many pros of this tablet, design, keyboard, dual OS, GPU and price.
The only two cons I managed to find is that it comes only in Champagne color and the processor’s graphic performance. Although, for the tablet of this price is not that big of an issue. If you want to check this tablet/laptop you can do it at Onda OBook 20 website (magnetic keyboard sold separately). From the time we received this unit to today’s review, this convertible tablet/laptop is getting even a bigger price drop during the big Happy November Chinese sale on Gearbest (starting November 9th or on 11.11) and you can even buy it as a bundle. If you want to check that out you can do it here.
To summarize, this product is not the one that will take the fight to Skylake-based champions, such as the Microsoft Surface Pro. This product is for the road warriors that want the best value for their buck and know that for the price of a Surface Pro, they can purchase OBook 20, external Full HD monitor, 4TB USB 3.0 drive, a keyboard and a mouse. If you’re mostly using cloud for work and storage, OBook 20 represents a potentially great value. And for that reason alone, we give OBook 20 our Bronze Award.
