New Chinese brands: Chuwi - tablets, laptops and mini PCs


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Chinese manufacturers are actively exploring the international market. In the spring, the Chuwi brand held its fifth

crowdfunding campaign, collecting on Indiegogo andKickstarter over half a million dollars for the release of a new transformable tablet UBook. Today we will try to figure out where this brand came from and how Chuwi attracts its customers.

The story of Chuwi began in 2004 with the companyShenzhen Manyin Technology Co., Ltd., which has been developing MP3 players. The debut model Little Beibei (NA700) was equipped with a miniature monochrome OLED-panel and storage capacity from 128 to 512 megabytes. Later the line was replenished with more advanced devices with color screens and support for MP4 format. In March 2007, the manufacturer registers the Chuwi brand (驰 为), all new music players are already released under it. Among the first such gadgets was a metal Chuwi S50 with 2 GB of memory. On his images you can also see the old version of the logo:


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Towards the end of 2007, the company is breaking intoThe portable media player segment - rectangular boxes with screen sizes up to 7 inches were very popular at the time. The 5-inch model of the 2009 Chuwi P7 became a landmark for the brand. At a cost of about $ 100, it was able to play Full HD video and was omnivorous in terms of formats. A year later, the proprietary e-book Chuwi P7 Book comes out with a color TFT panel instead of the E Ink screen. After several more readers of the same format (P500, P700), the topic disappeared.

In 2010, Chuwi agrees to cooperatewith MediaTek, Huawei (the company's main interest was the company's 3G modems) and Internet giant Google. The closed software in MP5 players is gradually replacing the young and fresh Android, but this is not yet the answer to the iPad. The first branded tablet saw the light only at the end of 2011, it became the Chuwi V1 with an 8-inch HD screen, Android 2.3 OS on board and the stated four hours of battery life:


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Outside China, the brand began to recruitpopularity in 2012, when tablets Chuwi appeared on popular online sites (models V9 Extreme, V80, V99 and others). In 2013, the manufacturer announced a partnership with Microsoft and the processor giant Intel, which was then trying to gain a foothold in the mobile market. In the summer of 2014, Chuwi introduces the V99i Android tablet on the Intel Bay Trail-T chip. Behind him comes the Chuwi VX8 3G, which was sold in two versions - with Android 4.4 or Windows 8.


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Chuwi Vi8 Super Edition

In early 2015, Chuwi launchesmodification of the Vi8 tablet with "hot" switching between Windows and Android (over time, similar firmware has been part of the already released models). I did not forget about the manufacturer and accessories - branded keyboards and styluses are on sale. In 2016, Chuwi decides to try his hand at the laptop market and launches a new line of LapBooks. The first project of the team at Indiegogo was the Chuwi SurBook transformer tablet with the design in the style of Surface Pro. In the summer of 2017, it was possible to collect over one million dollars for its release.

Since 2014, the company has been promoting the ILIFE robot vacuum cleaner brand, but this is a topic for a separate material - you first need to deal with the Chuwi device line. So let's get started.

1. Chuwi AeroBook


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The “air” laptop also appeared thanks toIndiegogo user support. It is equipped with a good 13.3-inch Full HD display with thin frames. Inside is a dual-core Intel Core m3-6Y30 processor with integrated HD Graphics 515. A configuration with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD is available in the official AliExpress store. The Chuwi AeroBook keyboard is equipped with a two-level backlight. And although the manufacturer can only offer stickers with the Cyrillic alphabet (don’t forget to ask for this in the comments to the order), the keys lend themselves well to laser engraving. Despite the four built-in speakers, their sound is average.


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The laptop comes preloadedmultilingual Windows 10 OS. The case is made of an alloy of aluminum and magnesium. Plastic only the surface around the keyboard, but it is well disguised as painted metal. There is a dual-band Wi-Fi adapter, Bluetooth 4.0, two full-sized USB 3.0 ports, a symmetrical USB Type-C, mini-HDMI, 3.5-mm mini-jack and a power connector. If you wish, you can use USB Type-C charging, but this will require a powerful charger with support for the Power Delivery 2 standard. A battery with a capacity of 38 Wh provides up to 8 hours of operation.

The bottom of the Chuwi AeroBook can significantlyheat up, but only under load. It is also worth noting that the F1-F12 function keys work through Fn, and you cannot change the behavior of the top row in the BIOS.

Cost: $ 440.62. Want to buy!

2. Chuwi Lapbook Pro


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More simple model with fine frame 14.The 1-inch Full HD display is built on a four-core Intel Celeron N4100 processor (Gemini Lake) with a frequency of up to 2.4 GHz and integrated ninth-generation graphics. RAM 4 GB, built-in - 64 GB (eMMC). Not so much, although the laptop has an M2 slot for installing an SSD drive, to which, if desired, you can transfer the Windows 10 operating system. The Lapbook Pro is metallic, but the palm rest is made of plastic. Below are two speakers.

The symmetric USB Type-C port is also used forpower supply, and to connect compatible (low-power) devices. There is also a “regular” USB 3.0, micro-HDMI and audio jack. The keyboard is equipped with a backlight, with localization everything is the same: we ask the seller for stickers or carry them to the engraving after purchase. The battery at 37.24 W · h is designed for 8 hours of work in the typewriter mode.

Cost: $301.12. Want to buy!

3. Chuwi HeroBook


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The brand's most affordable laptop was equipped with 14.A 1-inch screen with a “budget” resolution of 1366×768 pixels, and although it claims to be an IPS panel, the viewing angles are not the widest. But the surface is matte. The heart is the already middle-aged quad-core Intel Atom X5 E8000 processor, 4 GB of RAM. The manufacturer installed a 64 GB eMMC drive, and the M.2 slot for connecting an SSD is still there. The new modification has a backlit keyboard. Multimedia keys are again made the main ones.

The laptop is enclosed in a plastic case, paintedunder the metal. From the interfaces are available two USB 3.0, mini-HDMI, slot for SD-cards, 3.5-mm jack and charging port. Four built-in speakers are average in quality. Battery 38 W · h, declared up to 9 hours of work without recharging.

Cost: $ 274.99. Want to buy!

4. Chuwi Hi9 Plus


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So we got to tablets.Chuwi Hi9 Plus is the top model in the line with a 10.8-inch 2.5K screen (2560×215;1600 pixels) and support for 4G LTE networks. The performance is ensured by a 10-core MediaTek Helio X27 processor with a Mail-T880 MP4 graphics accelerator. It copes with everyday tasks, but you will have to forget about heavy games. There is 4 GB of RAM, and in addition to the 64 GB drive there is a hybrid slot for a microSD card or a second SIM card. In the new revision, the power button was painted dark red, and a second speaker appeared at the back, although stereo sound was not introduced.

Both front and main cameras of the tablet8 megapixel. Behind the metal back cover is a 7000 mAh battery. The manufacturer promises 10 hours of operation in video viewing mode. You can connect storage devices and other devices to the USB Type-C connector. Wi-Fi 5 GHz and GPS are supported. Operating system - Android 8.0 Oreo. An active stylus powered by an AAAA battery and a keyboard case with a magnetic connector are optionally available. When ordering, you should remind the seller about stickers with Cyrillic alphabet.

Cost: from $ 189.74. Want to buy!

5. Chuwi Hi10 Air


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At one time, Chuwi bundles produced inexpensiveWindows tablets, but now only Hi10 Air remains in the line. It is built on an elderly Intel Atom x5-Z8350 chip, 4 GB of RAM. Productivity is enough for web surfing, working with documents and watching videos. With games it is more difficult - even something simple can start to slow down after a while, since the processor resets the frequencies during heating. If the built-in 64 GB drive is low, you can expand the available memory using a microSD card.

Among the branded accessories there is a stylus anda keyboard with two USB ports; when connected, the Chuwi Hi10 Air turns into a laptop. Both cameras are 2 megapixel tablet. At the ends of the body are stereo speakers. In addition to the Micro USB port, there is a universal USB Type-C, micro HDMI and audio jack. The battery capacity of 6500 mAh supports fast charging. With an average screen brightness, the time in mixed mode is more than 5 hours.

Cost: from $ 178.12. Want to buy!

6. Chuwi Hi9 Air


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Chuwi Hi9 Air is equipped with 10.1-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels. In terms of hardware, there are no surprises: a 10-core Helio X20 chipset (quite vigorous, although not gaming), 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of flash memory. The body is almost entirely metal, with antennas and three slots for a microSD card and two SIM cards hidden behind a plastic cover on the back. The rear camera is 13 megapixels, the front camera is 8 megapixels. There are two speakers, but no stereo effect. There is also Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac and a GPS module (without compass). The model comes with Android 8.0 Oreo OS on board.

The thickness of Hi9 Air is only 7.9 mm, while inside the battery capacity of 8000 mAh. One charge is enough for about 7 hours of watching videos on YouTube, tablet autonomy at a good average level. An accessory case is available in a regular case, without a keyboard.

Стоимость: от $168.62. Хочу купить! 

7. Chuwi Hipad


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Chuwi Hipad looks like it was rolled out with a rolling pingaming smartphone Nubia Red Magic. In any case, the tablet should not be considered as a gaming tablet: the 10-core Helio X27 chip is not capable of all games, and with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal memory you won’t get much use either. Pleasant bonuses include a metal body and a good IPS display with a diagonal of 10.1 inches (1920×1200 pixels). The device runs on the Android 8.0 Oreo operating system. The two 5-megapixel cameras take mediocre pictures, but this is common in the budget segment.

To charge the battery with a capacity of 7000 mAhUSB Type-C port is used. The battery life depends on the load, on average, you can count on 10 hours of screen activity. There are dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.1. For microSD memory cards for some reason, they made a hybrid tray. You can not insert a SIM-card - Chuwi Hipad does not react to it in any way.

Cost: $ 139.99. Want to buy! 

8. Chuwi Hi9 Pro


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The more compact Chuwi Hi9 Pro received 8.4-inch screen with a resolution of 2560×1600 pixels and 2.5D effect. Inside is a ten-core MediaTek Helio X20 processor with a frequency of up to 2.3 GHz. One 3/32 GB configuration is available. The tablet supports GPS and two SIM cards (you can use microSD instead of the second). The main camera is 8 megapixels, the front camera is 5 megapixels.

The Chuwi Hi9 Pro case is metal,except for plastic inserts for antennas above and below. The battery capacity of 5000 mAh provides more than 9 hours of work in the mode of watching videos and surfing the Internet. Charging port - symmetrical USB Type-C.

Cost: $ 129.99. Want to buy!

9. Chuwi Hi9


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Ultra-budget model with a decent 8.4-inch screen (2560&#215;1600 pixels) and quad-core MediaTek MT8173 chip with a frequency of up to 1.9 GHz. The tablet is suitable for watching videos, browsing and simple games. It won't be enough for more, despite the full 4 GB of RAM. In addition to the 64 GB drive, there is a slot for microSD cards. The main camera is 5 megapixels, the front 2 megapixel module is only suitable for video calls. There is only one speaker, but the sound quality is good.

Battery autonomy meets capacity5000 mAh, the operating time on a single charge reaches 8 hours. Chuwi Hi9 is controlled by an older version of the Android OS 7.0 Nougat. Among the shortcomings of the device, users note a squeaky plastic case and perceptible heating at the top of the back panel, if the tablet is loaded. Both problems are partially solved by buying a case. Some craftsmen even install a copper plate inside to remove heat from the processor.

Cost: $ 103.12. Want to buy!

10. Chuwi GBox


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In addition to tablets and laptops, Chuwi is developingmini-computers, although this is not the main brand profile. The low-cost GBox on the quad-core Intel Celeron N4100 is equipped with 4 GB of RAM and a 64 GB eMMC drive. The RAM is soldered to the board, but for data storage, you can additionally install a 2.5-inch disk and a fast SSD-drive in connector M.2. Behind there are two ports USB 2.0, Gigabit Ethernet, HDMI 2.0, VGA, audio jack and Reset button. Front - USB Type-C, two USB 3.0, a slot for microSD cards and a power button.

Chuwi GBox comes with an operating systemWindows 10. Mini PC can be used as a media player. It supports 4K video playback, and comes with a remote control with mouse cursor function. Economical chip allowed to do passive cooling. If necessary, the black box is easily attached to the back of the monitor using a VESA-bracket.

Cost: $ 179.99. Want to buy!

The publication of the material coincided with the summer sale of AliExpress, in which the brand store Chuwi decided to please us with discounts. Catch the moment - promotional prices are valid only until June 24.