Boyue Likebook Mars Features an Octacore CPU
The Likebook Mars has a 7.8″, 300 ppi Carta E-ink screen with frontlight and capacitive touchscreen. According to the description on Youtube, it runs Likebook OS on an octa-core Rockchip CPU with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage.
[…] Likebook OS is based on Android 6.0.1.
Weighing in at 290 grams, the Likebook Mars has a 2.8Ah battery and measures a mere 9.3mm thin. It also has Wifi, BT, a microSD card slot, and a headphone jack.
This is the first eInk device since the Nook Simple Touch to grab my interest beyond a first impression (which I had with the Kobo Aura One). It can apparently be turned into a full-fledged Android tablet — given the eInk and RAM limitations, that is.
But what matters to me is the possibility of Google Books PDFs!
The stock reading app:
Boyue Likebook Mars / Icarus Illumina XL6 (read PDF)
Opening a large PDF (with Adobe Acrobat — bah! — who uses that?):
[Comparison] Likebook Mars & Onyx Boox Note Plus open a massive PDF file (300 MB)
Here are three tests of it running the Kindle Android app:
Likebook Mars Kindle App Review – 7.8″ Kindle?
Boyue Likebook Mars / Icarus Illumina XL6 Amazon Kindle testing
And some Gee-Whizzardry…
Typing with a Bluetooth keyboard:
Boyue Likebook Mars / Icarus Illumina XL6 Bluetooth keyboard typing on Evernote
Playing YouTube in the stock browser (not the most impressive clip to try!):
Boyue Likebook Mars / Icarus Illumina XL6 Video play back on Youtube using stock browser
As for making this an Android tablet (so it can run the apps shown above), it depends. Here’s the Google Play Store being installed:
Likebook Mars How to install Google play
But, as usual, always read the YouTube Comments!
Commenter:
There is no enable Google framework option in “configure apps”. I noticed in the video you already had Google play services + app store installed before making the video.
Reply:
maybe you need to double check with the seller where did you buy if the software version support Google play or not. If your software is chinese version, I think it will not support Google play… but my software is overseas version, so it is ok to install google play)
The word going around is that an update is coming that will permit, if not also include, the Google Play Store. In fact, the main AliExpress seller claims they will ship it with the Play Store already installed.
An overall review (from a site I don’t otherwise endorse but they have the only such video):
Boyue Likebook Mars – Review- The Best e-Reader of 2018!
The YouTube Channels of K Hu and Sherry each have many videos putting the Mars through tests. There are some very impressive videos there.
What appeals to me are the 7.8″ screen, 128GB microSD card expansion, and the dual-light. Plus, I would have fewer worries carrying this around than an iPad Mini. No one wants to steal something with a monochrome screen! An iPad Mini can stay at home, safe.
Additional:
Mike Cane's Atomic Supermen 