KODAK PRINTOMATIC

KODAK PRINTOMATIC

After
giving some thought to what I wanted I went to the usual place,
Amazon, I did a search for “instant camera” and the first one
shown was an Instax Mini but on reading some of the specifications I
realised it needed batteries and that was not an option for me, I
wanted a camera that has a rechargeable battery so the Instax is not
an option. So let me scroll down a little further and near the bottom
I find the Kodak Printomatic and, on paper, it ticks all the right boxes.






 Console

 Kodak Printomatic 


 Dimensions
 3” high, 4.7” wide, 0.9” deep 


 Battery
 7.4V Lithium-Ion


 Paper Capacity 
 Can hold up to 3 images


 Print Tech
 ZINK (Zero Ink) High-Quality, Smudge-Proof & 
 Water-Resistant Prints


 Image Sensor 
 5MP Lens: wide-angle 8mm

 Aperture
 f/2

 Indicators
 Printer, Low Battery, Low Paper, Low Memory Storage 

 Storage
 External Memory: microSD up to 32GB



24
hours after purchase and it arrives at my front door while I am in, however it
arrives at my front door without my knowledge, most annoying. It is
left on my doorstep in an Amazon package stating it contains electrical equipment in the pouring rain, thankfully on checking my emails on
my laptop I see I have been left a package. I also made sure to
purchase extra Zink (Zero Ink) paper at the same time. I have used Zink paper
before in a small handheld printer I have so I know the technology is
tried and tested.



Seeing
the camera above you may think it looks more like a toy than a
camera, personally I thought exactly the same thing when I saw it but
that wasn't an issue for me. On opening the packaging and reading the
quick start guide  it took me less than one minute to be taking
pictures. It was literally a case of opening the back, placing the
included 5 sheets of Zink paper in the rear of the camera, face down, closing the back then
just point and click, it even makes the noise of an old 35mm camera
shutter.

My
camera skills are not the best so I wasn't expecting Lord Lichfield
quality pictures but I was expecting some quality. Maybe I was
expecting too much of this budget camera. A 5MP lens is not the ideal image resolution for photographs. I think I'll try taking photos outside and in other locations to see if I get better results.

Would I Recommend This Camera?
The quick answer is no. Having seen the pictures I had taken I wasn't impressed. My first picture was overexposed so I thought bad lighting, I took a picture elsewhere in the house and it was almost black. I took three more pictures around the house and not a single photo I would want to show anyone.

Next Step?
There is the Kodak Printomatic+ but exactly how much of a step up is that? I have had a quick look at the specifications online and it appears the only real difference is the lens is now 10MP, personally not really worth it.

Michael

iPOD TOUCH 7TH GENERATION IN 2026

iPOD TOUCH 7TH GENERATION

On my search around the house for microSD cards, USB
leads, power leads etc (quite a common practice) I found my old, blue, iPod Nano 7th Generation and my iPod Touch 5th Generation, both great MP3 players. I
liked the size of the iPod Nano and brightness of the display, I also thought
it the perfect size for just throwing in a pocket or bag but on charging and
starting up I found the screen to be corrupt and unusable as for the iPod Touch 5th Generation I found the storage space a bit lacking, only 64gb, for my catalogue of music
as it stands now. So now to purchase the most up to date iPod Touch I could, the last
produced was iPod Touch 7th Generation so I decided to get myself one with 256gb storage.


I think that most people these days would say, "Why do
you need an MP3 player when you have your smartphone with you?" Personally,
I always thought it was handy to have a music player that has one purpose that
it does extremely well, which iPods (all makes and models) used to do, and
they did it exceptionally well. When you consider that the original iPod which was
released on 10th November 2001 and my recently purchased iPod Touch 7th
Generation which was originally released on May 28th 2019 and discontinued on
May 10th 2022 still functions as they were originally intended 7 years on. Apart from the iPod Nano screen which is probably fixable, not looked into this though.


 Nano 7th Gen 
 Touch 5th Gen 
 Touch 7th Gen 
 Release 
 Sept 7 2005
 Oct 11th 2012
 May 28 2019
 OS
 1.0.4/1.1.2
 iOS 6.0
 iOS 12.3
 CPU
 X 
 Cortex-A9 Apple A5 
 Apple M10
 Graphics 
 X
 SGX543MP2 
 GT7600 plus
 Memory
 X
 512MB DRAM 
 2GB LPDDR4 
 Storage
 1-16gb
 16, 32 or 64gb
 32, 128 or 256gb
 Display
 2.5" LCD
 4" Multitouch LED
 4" Multitouch IPS
 Rear Camera 
 N/A
 5MP
 8MP
 Front Camera 
 N/A
 1.2MP
 1.2MP
 Wi-Fi
 N/A
 802.11a/b/g/n
 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac 
 Bluetooth
 4.0
 4.0
 4.1

When it comes to the software needed for the computer
side of things, everyone used iTunes which was also released in 2001 alongside
the original iPod. I loved the coverflow view in iTunes on my computer and once
installed on a modern(ish) laptop it is just as I remember. Easy to navigate and find the music I want.


Once the iPod Touch 7th Generation is connected via a
lightening connector, this connector now discontinued, to the laptop iTunes
recognises it straight away and it is ready to sync my music and music videos.
Unfortunately some of my music is in WMA and MP4 format which has caused a few
issues such as duplicate files and the need to convert files to MP3, this is no
great hardship just a little time consuming.

Is iTunes still needed?
Doing a quick search online it does appear that iTunes
is no longer the only software available and that there are paid and unpaid
alternatives that can be used such as WinAmp, MediaMonkey but for that
authentic feel I decided to go with iTunes.

Official & Primary Software
Apple Music/iTunes: The default for managing and
syncing music, movies, and other media between your computer (Mac/PC) and your
iPod.

Third-Party Alternatives (Windows & Mac)
CopyTrans (Manager/Transcoder): Excellent for managing
music and transferring files to/from your iPod without iTunes on Windows
TouchCopy: Transfers music and other content from your
iPod to your computer or iTunes on both Mac and PC, supporting older
click-wheel iPods
MediaMonkey: A powerful media manager for Windows that
can sync with iPods and use tools like qaac for high-quality encoding.
Syncios: Offers comprehensive file transfer and
management for iOS devices, including iPods.
Sharepod: One of the original tools for transferring
music from iPods back to your computer.

MediaMonkey

Custom Firmware & Advanced Options
Rockbox: An open-source firmware replacement for
certain older iPods, adding features, file format support, and customization.

Key Considerations
iPod Model: Older iPods (Classic, Nano, Shuffle) work
best with older iTunes versions or dedicated managers, while iPod Touch uses
iOS.
Apple Music Subscription: Most older iPods cannot use
the Apple Music subscription service; they play purchased or ripped music.
Direct Transfer: You can often treat older iPods as
external drives to drag-and-drop files, bypassing playlist management.

Would I recommend someone getting a second-hand iPod
these days?
If you are planning on purchasing an iPod in 2026 do a
lot of research, examine what storage space you may need for your music
catalogue and how much music will you need while you’re out, do you travel a
lot and therefore need a lot more music storage space with you. If you find
your smartphone adequate for your needs then a separate music player is
probably not for you, however if your smartphone is used for phone purposes
only but you want music while out and about then the answer is probably yes. I
also found a music player handy while hoovering.

Do you need a music player with a screen?
Having a screen is nice but is it essential for your
needs, only you can decide. I have had music players with screens and without
and I prefer a music player with a screen just so you can look at the player
and see the album artwork and know straight away who the artist is and the
album name.

Michael

EVERCADE BARTOP CABINET

EVERCADE BARTOP CABINET

The are three variants of the bartop cabinet, they are the Mega Man Edition, the Street Fighter Edition and the Taito Edition, with the first two having 6 built-in games and the Taito variant having 4 extra with 10 built-in games. Below is a list of the variants and their built-in games.









 Mega Man 

 Street Fighter 

 Taito 

 




 1

 Mega Man - The Power 
 Battle 
 Street Fighter II 
 Champion Edition


 Bubble Bobble


 2


 Mega Man 2 - The Power 
 Fighters


 Super Street Fighter II 
 Turbo


 Space Invaders

 3



 Final Fight
 Street Fighter Alpha
 Elevator Action 
 4
 Strider
 Street Fighter Alpha 2
 Puzzle Bobble
 5
 Carrier Air Wing 
 Street Fighter Alpha 3
 The Legend of Kage
 6
 Knights of the Round
 Super Puzzle Fighter II 
 Turbo


 Cadash

 7

 N/A

 N/A


 Growl

 8


 N/A


 N/A


 The New Zealand Story 

 9

 N/A


 N/A


 The Fairy Story

 10  

 N/A

 N/A

 G-Daius

I got the Mega Man Edition of the Evercade bartop cabinet for Christmas but had to wait until after Christmas lunch and clearing the table before giving it a go. Of the 6 games built-in, Strider is the one I remember most so plumped for that one to give a go first and it seemed to me to be, as expected, a smaller version of the original arcade cabinet and ran no different to the original.


The hardware for all variants of the bartop cabinet are:
Processor: Rockchip RK3326 1.5GHz Quad-Core
GPU: Mali 450
OS: Customised Linux
RAM: 512MB DRAM
Storage: 4GB internal (for OS, game saves)
Screen: 8" IPS, 4:3 aspect ratio
Resolution: 1024x768, 60Hz
Controls: Competition-grade arcade stick and buttons
Audio: Built-in stereo speakers, 3.5mm headphone jack
Connectivity: Built-in Wi-Fi, 2 x USB ports
Cartridge Slots: Dual slots for all Evercade cartridges
Dimensions: Approx. 410mm H x 244mm W x 316mm D
Power: USB-C power supply included
Software Features: Display settings (aspect ratios, scanlines, bezels), game manuals, quick save/load
Authentic Feel: Wooden cabinet construction and quality controls
Expansive Library: Plays any Evercade cartridge for hundreds of games
Customization: Swappable marquee panels
Bluetooth: Does not support Bluetooth controllers, only wired USB

Below are the three previous consoles from Evercade, two of which were handhelds
Evercade Vs Spec:
Released: December 2021
Processor: Arm Cortex A53 1.5GHz Quad-Core
OS: Customised Linux
RAM: 512MB RAM
Storage: 4GB
Screen: Monitor/TV Used
Resolution: Multiple screen ratios (4:3, Pixel Perfect, Full Screen) and scanline filters for authentic visuals
Connectivity: HDMI Out (1080p)
Battery: Mains Powered
Multiplayer: 4 USB ports, supports various USB controllers, wireless controllers via wireless dongles and the handheld itself as a controller
Cartridges: Supports two at once, physical manuals included
Wi-Fi: For Firmware Updates
Modern Conveniences: Save states, visual game library, save states transferable to handhelds
Game Support: Excellent for 8-bit, 16-bit and 32-bit era games from consoles, computers and arcades; some handheld-exclusive Namco carts aren't compatible

Evercade Handheld (EXP) Spec:
Release: 15/12/2022
Processor: Arm Cortex A7 1.5GHz Quad-Core
GPU: Mali 450
OS: Customised Linux
RAM: 256MB
Storage: 4GB
Screen: 4.3" IPS
Resolution: 800x480 (16:9 Aspect Ratio with 4:3 Option)
Connectivity: Micro-USB charging, Mini-HDMI Out (720p), 3.5mm Jack
Battery: 2000mAh, 4-5 hours life
Cartridges: Plays Evercade cartridges, physical manuals included
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi for firmware updates
Modern Conveniences: Save states
Game Support: Excellent for 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit era games from consoles, computers and arcades
Special: TATE Mode for vertical screen orientation

Evercade Handheld (Original) Spec:
Release: 22/05/2020
Processor: Arm Cortex A7 1.2GHz Quad-Core
GPU: Mali 400
OS: Customised Linux
RAM: 256MB
Storage: No Built in Memory
Screen: 4.3" LCD
Resolution: 480x272 (16:9 Aspect Ratio with 4:3 Option)
Connectivity: Micro-USB charging, Mini-HDMI Out (720p), 3.5mm Jack
Battery: 2000mAh, 4-5 hours life
Cartridges: Plays Evercade cartridges, physical manuals included
Wi-Fi: None
Modern Conveniences: Save states
Game Support: Excellent for 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit era games from consoles, computers and arcades

There are also 6 Hyper Mega Tech hanheld consoleswhich are of a similar size to the Nintendo Game Boy.

As you can see over the past five and a half years the hardware has not changed much, a slight bump up from the Evercade (original handheld) to the Evercade (EXP) but very little after that through the Evercade Vs console to the new bartop cabinet, this may seem like Evercade are not putting a great deal of thought into their hardware evolution, but no evolution is really needed, the specifications are ample for the job it is designed to do and any more would be overkill and a waste of R&D time and expense in unnecessary hardware. For example there is no need for the latest SnapDragon Elite processor, a screen resolution of 1920x1240 running at 120Hz, dual screens etc. The following statement fits this scenario: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. I also understand Bluetooth being omitted from the specifications as this will have reduced costs, if you wish to play with a second controller then you are not going to be sat on the sofa watching a TV you would be stood next to the cabinet anyway and so a wired controller is more than enough for this need.

The bartop cabinet would be a good addition to any Evercade collection, now, not only do Evercade cater for handheld users and those who like to connect a console to a TV they have now introduced a bartop cabinet. With this bartop cabinet Evercade seem to have everyone covered. There are also over 50 unique cartridges released to date, offering access to more than 600 retro and indie games with numbers growing as collections are announced and released.

Would I recommend any of these bartop cabinets?
If you wish to start a cabinet collection then a bartop cabinet is a good starting point and the Evercade, with its cartridge slots, caters for retro gamers and modern indie gamers and all genre of games are catered for, shooters, platformers, adventure games etc. If you are wishing to expand your Evercade hardware collection then this is the next logical step from the handheld to console and then to the bartop cabinet maybe even a full size cabinet in the future. If you already have a selection of cabinets or even just the one then I would still say this is a good purchase due to its cartridge slots. If you like reminiscing about spending time in amusement arcades when growing up I would say this is for you. I would not say it is a replacement to other cabinets you may own but it is a lovely addition and the size means it is quite portable. If you have already found your niche either handheld gaming, modern hardware or computer gaming this may not be the hardware for you but it may be worth trying before deciding for certain.

Are there other cabinets?
Yes, but this is a diminutive variant of a cabinet and takes up very little space and is not overly heavy which makes it seem more toy like in some peoples eyes, not mine. Would I like an original Tron cabinet or an original Galaga cabinet, yes, but the Evercade would still be a good companion cabinet and not a replacement these due to its expansive cartridge catalogue.

What the future holds for Evercade cabinets?
Possibly a full size, free standing cabinet in the vein of Arcade1Up or Iconic Arcade which could give you dual joystick/button configurations allowing for multiple players without the need for additional controllers. Possibly incorporate some sort of TATE functionality for vertical gaming, this may need a wide screen monitor and some way of rotating it 90 degrees or Evercade could produce a dedicated TATE bartop cabinet. More power, as stated earlier not needed.

In conclusion I can say I am looking forward to trying out some of the cartridges I own, such as the Duke Nukem games, the Tomb Raider games, some Commodore 64 games and probably excited for trying the Bitmap Brothers cartridges.

Michael

AYN ODIN 3

AYN ODIN 3

Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god. My most powerful Android handheld has just arrived, 23/12/25, that I contributed to the campaign for on Indiegogo, I originally donated to the campaign on 08/09/2025. Am I bothered by the amount of time the campaign has taken from start to doorstep? No.

I decided to go with the Super Early Bird Ultra version in black with 24GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, in the box with the consoles is a charging lead and a user manual. The accessories I purchased at the same time are the Bag with Grip and the TPU grip. Should they have other accessories, headphones etc? Are they needed or of any use?


I need to follow the usual set-up for all handheld retro consoles, language, location, Wi-Fi. I intend to use the AYN Odin 3 as a high end console and therefore I need a microSD card large enough for my PlayStation 3 and Switch ROMs so the search is on around the house for a card. I found one in my Anbernic RG 557, a 1.5TB Sandisk microSD card.

Below is a chart showing the evolution of AYN Odin in specification form and how it seems to have advanced very nicely over the years, a steady increase in CPU power, RAM increases, OS updates and Wi-Fi & Bluetooth advances, AYN obvisouly know what their market is and how to please them.


 AYN Odin 3 
 AYN Odin 2 
 AYN Odin 1 
 CPU
 SnapDragon Elite 
 SnapDragon 8 Gen 2 
 SnapDragon 845 
 GPU
 
 Adreno 740
 Adreno 630
 Screen
 6" 120Hz AMOLED 
 6" IPS/OLED
 5.98" IPS
 Resolution
 1920x1080 (FHD)
 1920x1080p
 1920x1080p
 RAM
 24GB LPDDR5X
 16GB
 up to 8GB
 Storage 
 1TB UFS 4.0
 1TB UFS 4.0
 256GB
 Ex Storage 
 microSD
 microSD
 microSD
 OS
 Android 15
 Android 13
 Android 10
 Wi-Fi
 7
 7
 5
 Bluetooth
 6
 5.3 
 
 Battery
 8000mAh
 8000mAh
 6000mAh
 Connectivity 
 USB-C
 USB-C
 Micro HDMI & USB-C 
 Misc
 Active Cooling
 
 

I need to install the high end emulators such as RPCSX3 for PlayStation 3 and Eden for Switch, this may be it depending on microSD card space and catalogue size for these consoles. Other high-end consoles such as GameCube, Wii, N64? Setup of emulators.

Possibly use it for some game streaming from my Xbox series X and PlayStation 4, can try my new Terminator 2D game (review will follow). Native Android gaming which I'm only just getting into, mainly after the Broken Sword campaign I contributed to. Setup of streaming.

I wanted to try some TV streaming services, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime. The setup of streaming TV is very straightforward, dowload and install the apps, setup an account or login once you have setup accounts for the services you require then just select something to watch and away you go. Is TV streaming on this device worth it? I would say yes, the screen is not too small for viewing and the speakers are of a good enough quality for movie audio.

Will I use it outside the home? Probably not, the console is too large to just throw in a pocket or a backpack so not really worth taking out for a day trip, if I were to go away for an extended period of time then, due to its versatility for gaming and TV streaming, I would consider taking it with me.

Can it be improved in any way? Screen, audio, grips.
With the state of hardware and software as it is at the moment such as screen quality, Android version, processors etc my personal belief is that AYN have hit it just right for the rice point and probsbly exceeded what most would expect.

Has AYN reached its pinnacle? 
For the present I would say that AYN has gone as far as it can with present technology available, however technology advances at quite the pace and so in future I believe there is more to come from AYN and I can't wait for whatever they put out next.

Does it meet all my needs? 
Simple answer is yes, I can emulste, play Android games, stream from consoles and watch TV streaming, what more could I possibly need?

Should AYN have another go at a Windows handheld? 
I think it would be a great waste of time for AYN to take another foray into Windows handhelds, for me Windows consoles are too bulky, too expensive and give a poor emulation experience as they feel more like a portable Windows computer and less like a console.

Has Retroid still got a long way to go to catch up AYN (different markets)?
This is a difficult question to answer, AYN and Retroid consoles appear to be aimed at different markets (unless you're a collector), AYN seems to be high end and Retroid seem to be mid range. I do beleive Retroid have it in them to reach the high end market but why bother when they produce great products for there target market.

As a collector I love this consoles and as someone that likes gaming I LOVE this console and would highly recommend to anyone, even a beginner as there are plenty of good guides available on YouTube.

Michael

MERRY CHRISTMAS 2025

 

Here on Life-of-Tech I would like to wish all the 

Techno Crazies who visit here 

a Very Merry Christmas 

and 

a Very Happy New Year

Everybody enjoy the season 

and all it has to offer.

ANBERNIC RG DS

ANBERNIC RG DS

Anbernics first foray into the dual screen clamshell form factor handheld, however it is very low powered. So what market is it aimed at, who would want one?


It appears to be aimed mainly at the Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance and Nintendo DS gaming market, not the Nintendo 3DS market as it may not be powerful enough, even though the promotional video showed 3DS being playable. I will give it a go though.

Accessories wise there are only the items in the box, these are a type-C charging cable, capacitive stylus, screen protector, user manual, lanyard. There doesn't seem to be any other accessories such as replacement thumbsticks, grips etc available on the Anbernic store.




Of the three colours available, Black & Crimson, Turquoise Blue and Polar White I selected the turquiose varient as blue is my favourite colour and it looks very similar to the turquoise varient of the Nintendo DS.

With regards to power you can see below Anbernic seemed to be taking a step back as the Anbernic RG DS (December 2025) seems a lot less powerful than the Anbernic RG Slide (June 2025) released only 6 months earlier, why the step back could it be that Anbernic didn't want to be left out in the cold when it comes to dual screen handhelds? Possibly wanting to release anything while dual screens are the next big thing.

 
 Anbernic RG DS 
 Anbernic RG Slide 
 Top Screen 
 4" IPS
 N/A
 Resolution

 640x480

 N/A
 Bottom Screen 
 4" IPS
 4.7"
 Resolution
 640x480 (Both Screens)
 1280x960
 Processor
 RK3568 Quad-core
 Unisoc T820
 GPU 
 ARM G52 2EE
 Mali-G57
 RAM
 3GB
 8GB LPDDR4X
 Storage
 128GB UFS2.2
 128G UFS2.2
 OS
 Android 14
 Android 13
 Wi-Fi 
 2.4/5G 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 
 2.4/5G 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 
 Bluetooth
 4.2
 5.0
 microSD
 Up To 2TB
 Up To 2TB
 Battery
 4000mAh

 5000mAh

There are three main contenders when it comes to clamshells at the moment, there is the Retroid Flip 2 which is a clamshell and there are a couple of dual screen clamshells on the market, the AYN Thor and now the Anbernic RG DS however all three are probably for different markets. AYN Thor the mpost powerful of the three and then the Retroid Flip 2 aimed at mid range use and the Anbernic RG DS the least powerful of the three.






 AYN Thor 

 Retroid Flip 2 

 Anbernic RG DS 

 CPU

 SD 8 Gen 2 
 SD 865
 RK3568 Quad-core 

 GPU

 Adreno 740
 Adreno 650
 ARM G52 2EE


 OS

 Android 13

 Android 13
 Android 14


 Battery

 6000mAh

 5000 mAh
 4000mAh

 Top Screen

 6" AMOLED

 IPS
 4" IPS

 Resolution 

 1920x1080

 1920x1080
 640x480

 Bottom Screen 

 3.92" AMOLED

 N/A

 4" IPS

 Resolution 

 1080x1240

 N/A

 640x480
 RAM
 16GB LPDDR5x 
 8GB
 3GB
 Storage
 1TB UFS2.2
 128 GB UFS 3.1 
 128GB UFS2.2
 Ex Storage
 microSD
 microSD
 Up To 2TB
 Connectivity
 Wi-Fi 7
 Wi-Fi 6
 Wi-Fi
 Bluetooth
 5.3
 5.0
 4.2

As with most if not all clamshell designed handhelds they can be best used when out and about as they tend to be of a size that can be thrown into your pocket or a backpack and being a clamshell design the screen(s) have their own built in protection once closed.

Setting up the Anbernic RG DS was a doddle, I put ROMs on a microSD card for Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, Mega Drive and of course the one I really was excited to try, Nintendo DS. I also included Nintendo 3DS just for fun. I jumped straight in with Drastic for emulating Nintendo DS and it took no tinkering with settings it ran straight out of the box as though the games were running on native hardware and it was silky smooth. GBC for Game Boy Color emulation again after selecting the folder with the ROMs in it ran on the bottom screen which may be the way for some but after checking the settings and changing one option I had it running on the top screen and I was much happier with that.

Did the Anbernic RG DS live up to the hype? Apart from the trailers showing gameplay for the Nintendo 3DS which would be nice but not a deal breaker if it didn't work I would say "YES" it does, well and truly, live up to the hype.

Would I recommend? It really depends on your passion for gaming or passion for collecting handheld consoles. For people wanting to replace their aging Nintendo DS, I would definitely say "YES", if you are wanting to play more demanding consoles then the answer would be "NO". I would consider myself a collector and for me the answer is definitely "YES". If you want to play PlayStation 1, PlayStation 2 or PlayStation 3 or other high end consoles then this is not the hanheld for you. The Anbernic RG DS definitely has it's demographic and I think Anbernic are aware where their market lies.

My final thoughts are that I'll give Nintendo 3DS a go, I tried Azahar but it only reconised 1 of my ROMs so I uninstalled Azahar and installed AzaharPlus which recognised a few more of the ROMs, a promising start. On opening one of my ROMs it seemed a little jurky so I tried another and that didn't start, more testing needed and setting will need changing.

Michael

INNIOASIS G3 MP3 PLAYER

INNIOASIS G3 MP3 PLAYER

You may have read earlier that I wanted a good music player for use while out and about and that I was rather disappointed with the Joliker X58 MP3 player due mainly to its file structure or lack there of. So I thought I'd try another MP3 player, spending a little more in the hope that you get what you pay for. I still knew I wanted one with a microSD card slot but this time with a more tried and trusted user interface, Android.

After spending a little more time on Amazon I found the Innioasis G3 MP3 player which runs an Android operating system which is something I am quite familiar with.

On arriving, the contents of the box are exactly what you would expect, the device, manual, headphones, USB charging lead and 128GB microSD card. First thing to do is find the settings and get the Wi-Fi setup and with any Android device this is quite straightforward and done within a minute, now to do a check for any system update and it appears to be on the latest version straight from the box.



I have placed my entire music collection onto a 128GB microSD card and placed it with the G3 only for the G3 to notify me that a new SD card has been detected and giving me the options of set up or eject, I ignored this to start with as I wanted to see which music app I would use, the following are available: Spotify, Pandora, Amazon Music, MP4 MP3 Player for Kids with Libby, Audible, Spotify Kids (White+ Sky-blue). As I have used Amazon Music before on my laptop and mobile phone I thought I would open that and get logged in using my Amazon account and this proved to be such an easy process as it is on other devices.

To play the music all I have to do is select albums and all the albums that are on the microSD card are listed, it was that easy. They are all shown with cover art, some of which is incorrect but fixable. The albums are shown in order they were last added but this can be changed to sort via album name, artist name or recently added (default). This is indeed leaps and bounds over the Joliker.



 
 Innioasis G3 MP3 Player 
 Joliker X58 MP3 Player 
 Storage
 160GB internal
 128GB
 Storage
 upto 1TB microSD
 upto 256GB microSD 
 Processor
 8-core
 
 RAM 
 2GB
 
 OS
 Android
 
 Display
 4" touch screen 
 2.4" LCD touch screen 
 Resolution 
 1080p
 
 Wi-Fi
 Dual Band 2.4GHz & 5GHz 
 
 Bluetooth
 4.2
 5.3
 Battery
 1500mAh
 410mAh

On my first go of listening to music using the Amazon music app and the included headphones I am taken aback by the quality of the audio through the included headphones, crystal clear but what I really need are some in ear headphones connected via Bluetooth and I just happen to have a spare pair that I don't use, a tried and tested set of Poounur wireless earbuds. The earbuds took a while to pair but once done I finally had my ideal portable music setup.

I wanted a case to keep the player in along with the charging lead and headphones and doing a search on Amazon I find there are official cases so immediately ordered one. Once the case arrived I placed all the bits and pieces in it, unfortunately I couldn't fit the earbuds in but I'll live.

Michael