The Zidoo X1 is an Android mini PC powered by the Allwinner H3. Featuring a really unique design and custom ZIUI launcher, the Zidoo X1 packs in 1GB of RAM and 8GB of storage into it’s cool looking insect-like carapace.
I want to say thanks to Zidoo and GeekBuying for sending me a sample of the Zidoo X1 to review. Click here to view the latest price.
Zidoo X1 Technical Specifications
- Operating System: Android KitKat 4.4.4
- Chipset: Allwinner H3
- CPU: ARM Quad-core A7 up to 1.5 GHz
- GPU: Octo-Core Mali-400 GPU
- Memory: 1GB DDR3
- Internal Storage: 8GB NAND + MicroSD card slot
- Connectivity: 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0
- Audio/Video Output: HDMI 1.4, SP-DIF, Composite Video Out
- Interfaces: 2 x USB 2.0
What’s in the Box?
Inside the box, Zidoo have provided:
- 1 x Zidoo X1 Unit
- 1 x IR Remote
- 1 x HDMI Cable
- 1 x Power Adapter
- 1 x Instruction Manual
Zidoo X1 Impressions Video
Zidoo X1 Initial Impressions
Opening up the package, I was surprised at just how compact the unit is. I know the Allwinner H3 can fit into some tiny cases, but I just expected the Zidoo X1 to be bigger. I’m happy it’s so compact as finding a space for it will be no issue.
The case looks fantastic. It reminds me of an insect’s carapace and Zidoo should be commended for putting some investment into the design of their units rather than going with the standard black square/rectangle.
All the ports are located around the back of the unit. Going from left to right, we’ve got the composite video port, USB 2.0 port, Ethernet, another USB port, microSD card slot and DC power input.
The included remote is pretty solid, with a comprehensive set of Android buttons (including a task switcher). There are also 3 customisable shortcut keys and the top set of buttons can be used to learn your TV remotes IR signals.
The Zidoo X1 automatically powers up when plugging it in, taking around 49 seconds to boot. It’s a little long but the device resumes instantly from standby so it’s not really an issue but worth mentioning.
The X1’s preloaded with Android 4.4 and a custom Kodi fork call ZDMC which supports the Allwinner’s hardware decoding. The device was rooted once I updated the firmware.
The ZIUI looks great which isn’t surprising given what Zidoo showed us with the Zidoo X9. It’s locked at 720p like the Tronsmart Draco H3, but videos play at their native resolution. I really appreciate the ability to set apps to boot on launch, allowing you to boot straight into Kodi rather than ZIUI.
WiFi performance was good during testing and I didn’t experience any buffering when playing back my 4K or 1080p samples from an NFS share on my server. I did experience some playback issues however. My 4K 30Hz sample didn’t play back being particularly smoothly and I had an odd aspect ratio issue for some of my samples in the Zidoo Kodi fork. Jumping across to Kodi from the Google Play store greatly improved the situation.
Gaming performance was good, with both Jetpack Joyride and Beach Buggy Racing playing well. Beach Buggy Racing on maximum settings was fairly playable, although there were some significant dips in framerate if the action got too heavy.
Brief benchmarking via Antutu returned 17152, which is roughly the same as what we saw on the Tronsmart Draco H3.
Verdict So Far
The Zidoo X1 appears to be a good unit. It’s design and UI are fantastic and Zidoo have already been hard at work releasing regular firmware updates already. Playback was generally fine but I did experience some minor playback issues with 4K content but I’m sure they’re fixed in future updates. Zidoo have an excellent track record for releasing patches.
Getting One
You can get the Zidoo X1 from GeekBuying. Click here to view the latest price.
Alternatively, it’s also available at Amazon or AliExpress.
