Freescale i.MX6 quad-core CPU benchmarks (Ampe A10 tablet)

Freescale’s i.MX6 Quad processor is a 1.2 GHz quad-core chip with support 1080p HD video playback and 3D graphics. Tablets and other devices with the chip started shipping recently, and the folks at PandaWill sent me an Ampe A10 tablet with an i.MX6 processor to review.

You can pick one up from PandaWill for $219.99.

I’ll have mode details on the tablet soon (it’s a mixed bag — with at least one dead pixel and a bubble under the screen — but a pretty zippy processor and decent looking design). But for now I wanted to share some preliminary benchmarks. Keep in mind, RAM, storage, and other components also play a role in benchmark results, so not all i.MX6 devices will get identical scores.

The Amp A10 has a 1280 x 800 pixel display, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, HDMI, WiFi, and Bluetooth. It features the Vivante GC2000 graphics engine and ships with Google Android 4.0.4.

There are a number of popular benchmarking utilities for Google Android. Some of the best look at overall CPU and graphics performance. While they don’t always tell you much about how a tablet will perform in day-to-day usage, they do at least help you get an idea of which tablets are generally faster than others.

If you take a look at the chart above, you’ll see that I pitted the Ampe A10 tablet against a Google Nexus 7 (with a 1.2 GHz NVIDIA Tegra 3 quad-core processor), and the B&N NOOK Tablet (with a 1 GHz TI OMAP 4430 CPU).

In 2 out of 3 tests, the Ampe A10 trailed the Nexus 7… but not by very much. In Quadrant, the Ampe A10 actually came out ahead… but again, not by a very large margin.

Both of those tablets trounced the NOOK Tablet in all tests. And the NOOK Tablet isn’t exactly a sluggish tablet by any means.

I saw similar results in the SunSpider web-based benchmark which looks at JavaScript performance. For this test, lower scores are better — and the Ampe 10 was faster than the NOOK Tablet, but not as speedy as the Nexus 7.

The Antutu and CF-Bench utilities also include charts that compare the device you’re testing with other products, including many I haven’t had a chance to test. Based on my results, I’m not surprised by the Ampe A10′s placement in the charts.

The HTC One X, Samsung Galaxy S III and other new superphones and top-tier tablets outperform the Ampe A10, but it still scores higher than some relatively recent devices such as the Samsung Galaxy Nexus smartphone.

While the Freescale i.MX6 clearly isn’t the fastest processor on the market (and 4 cores aren’t always faster than 2), it’s certainly not a bad option for low cost devices like the Ampe A10.

This is one of the fastest 10 inch tablets I’ve tested, which is pretty impressive for a device that sells for just $220.

Unfortunately the tablet has a few other quirks that could take a little getting used to. Stay tuned for a more detailed review.

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Hiapad Hi-802 PC-on-a-stick with Freescale quad-core CPU

Chinese device maker Hiapad plans to ship one of the first Android TV dongle’s with a quad-core processor starting in November. The Hiapad Hi-802 features a Freescale i.MX6 quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 chip and 1GB of RAM.

According to ARMDevices, it will be available next month for $89.

Like the MK802, UG802, and other Android TV sticks, the Hi-802 is basically a tiny computer packed into a case the size of a chunky USB flash drive.

At one end there’s a USB port for connecting a keyboard, mouse, or other peripherals. At the other end is an HDMI connector that lets you plug the device directly into a TV or monitor so you can use it as a display.

There’s also 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth, internal storage, and a microSD card slot for removable storage.

Just because this device has a quad-core processor doesn’t mean it’s twice as fast as a model with a dual core chip though. Freescale’s processors prioritize low power consumption over raw performance. But you should be able to watch HD video or play most Android games on this device.

I actually just got my hands on one of the first tablets to ship with Freescale’s quad-core processor and I’ll have some benchmark scores to share soon. But while the tablet seems pretty zippy so far, it actually doesn’t score as well as my HTC One X (with a dual core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor) in benchmarks.

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News : Chinese tablets with quad-core Freescale i.MX6 chips pop up for $225

It’s been nearly two years since Freecsale introduced its i.MX6 processor. The 1.2 GHz quad-core ARM Cortex-A9 processor hasn’t exactly taken the world by storm since then… but there are now a number of inexpensive tablets powered by Freescale’s chip.

And the 10 inch tablets are reasonably cheap, with prices around $225 or less.

Retailer W2Comp contacted me today to let me know about the Ampe A10, which the store calls the first Chinese quad-core tablet. You can pick one up for $225 plus free shipping.

But a quick check of AliExpress shows that the Ampe A10 isn’t alone. Several sellers are offering tablets with virtually identical specifications. They’re selling for as little as $204, but you’ll have to pay around $25 for shipping from China on those models.

Interestingly, if you search AliExpress for “Ampe A10,” you get a bunch of listings for tablets with single-core Allwinner A10 ARM Cortex-A8 processors.

It looks like all of these tablets feature 10.1 inch, 1280 x 800 pixel IPS display, 1GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, WiFi, Bluetooth, front and rear cameras, and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandiwch software.

They feature 10-point multitouch capacitive touchscreen displays and USB, SD card, and HDMI ports. The tablets have ARM Mali 400 graphics.

According to the product listings, they also feature support for the Google Play Store, which should make downloading third party apps easy.

I wouldn’t expect the same build quality or performance from one of these tablets as from an iPad, Kindle Fire, or Nexus 7. But $225 isn’t a bad price for a 10 inch tablet with a quad-core processor.

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