Boyue T80 – Android 4.2, 8″ E-ink Screen, $197
Chinese ereader maker Boyue (aka Boeye) has been teasing the 10.3″ T103 as its next ereader, but in the meantime it has quietly released a rather unimpressive 8″ ereader.
The Boyue T80 runs Android on a dual-core CPU, and can be bought today from Banggood.
Like other Boyue ereaders, the T80 runs Android 4.2 and natively supports Epub, PDF, and a number of other formats.
The Boyue T80 has a dual-core 1Ghz CPU with 512MB RAM. It has 8GB of storage, a microSD card slot, Wifi, and a headphone jack. Weighing in at 278 grams, it measures 8.4mm thin and has a 2.8Ah battery.
That’s not a bad spec sheet so far, but then we get to the screen.
The t80 has a relatively low resolution 8″ screen with frontlight and touchscreen. The screen resolution is 1024 x 768, or about 160 ppi.
The screen on the T80 is about half as sharp as the latest E-ink screen tech, and yet this ereader costs only $30 less than the Kobo Aura One, which has a 7.8″ 300ppi screen.
I do not know why Boyue even bothered. Yes, there’s a market for 8″ ereaders, but it makes little sense to release an ereader that is so obviously inferior.
Edit: It’s been so long that I forgot, but someone at Mobileread noticed the T80 is the same hardware as the Icarus Illumina XL and the Inkbook 8. o it’s less that Boyue released a disappointing ereader than that they recycled a two-year-old design.
Don’t buy the Boyue T80. If you need a device with a similar screen size, buy the Aura One.
Comments
Frank May 23, 2017 um 10:29 am
While this e-reader is not a good product for the NA and European markets, I think it is good a Chinese company is continuing to produce new e-readers so it builds expertise that may lead to a decent product.
John Smith May 23, 2017 um 10:37 am
In my experience, this screen size is pointless. Even Kobo Aura One with KOReader, probably the best software support you can get, just feels a little too small. If you’re going to read PDFs on eInk, definitely get a 10″ or even 13″ device. If you’re going to read ePubs and such, get a 6-6.8″ device.
This screen size tier is redundant.
Lemondrop May 23, 2017 um 3:25 pm
$200 8″ with Android, and you say it’s "a rather unimpressive"? WTF?
Nate Hoffelder May 23, 2017 um 5:26 pm
Because the screen resolution stinks.
Lemondrop May 24, 2017 um 10:56 am
'Cos you really need super high res to display, ur, ascii.
Hrafn May 23, 2017 um 11:10 pm
My big question now with any new Boyue product is 'will the manufacturer-firmware support English?' With the T62 the only English support was (somewhat buggy) third-party firmware provided by some retailers.
Hrafn May 23, 2017 um 11:11 pm
Err — that should have read T63
Jim May 24, 2017 um 9:00 am
Hey Nate,
Let know what you think of the Boyue T62 Mega eReader with 300 PPI Carta and Android for $120 when it is available.
Martin Ly November 5, 2017 um 11:46 pm
Just after 2 months of normal usage, my T80 screen was somehow turn down. Part of the screen ( almost 1/2 of it ) do not change anymore. Other parts seem work.
Don’t know how to fix it?
Please advice how I can reset it or fix it?
Thanks
Nate Hoffelder November 6, 2017 um 7:29 am
This is one of the standard screen deaths. Either the screen broke, or the cable.
It can be fixed but the repair will be expensive.
c w November 15, 2017 um 2:02 pm
I want to want the Kobo Aura Uno,
but what a I really want is to be able to do epub and Kindle on the same wifi/bluetooth/e-ink device WITH SUPPORT of at least 8″ screen size.
I WANT e-ink.
It seems I’m going to have to take Samasung S2/3.