Definitely worth a shot at the price , 7.85inch screen, Quad core 1.3 cortex A9 , 1GB Ram , 8GB onboard memory Expandable , Android Jellybean , Wi - Fi , Bluetooth , HDMI and USB , Free Bluetooth Keyboard included .
Top comments
Uridium
24 Dec 153#14
Actually as long as there is enough space on the C:\ drive of your PC for your page file (which is reserved anyway) and any writes to the ntuser.dat file in your profile windows will run just the same until it hits 0k free.
btw you are mistaking memory and storage on the tablet. The tablet has dedicated Ram that android uses for running programs and the operating system then another 8gb for storage (although android will use some of this for Swap) When you add an SD card all you are doing is adding extra storage space for the installation of programs, this space has nothing to do with how fast the device runs...once you've opened the program it is running in Ram.
Latest comments (41)
PureMAD4
22 Jan 16#41
Bought one it didn't come with a bluetooth keyboard. And the power button didn't work properly had to send it back in the end for a refund.
Jefft
7 Jan 16#40
I bought two and found them OK they came with play store already installed. I bought another and that came with Amazon apps installed and would not connect to my WiFi.
KASOOR66
31 Dec 15#39
Ordered 2 for kids. Price has increased to 34.99 but seems OK for kids with the Bluetooth keyboard
mboarder
31 Dec 15#38
Last update on this then i'm out , I've been playing around with it over the last few days and found a bit more useful info , Here are a few useful steps .
1. Buy and use an SD Card , Transfer downloaded apps to SD Card , The device is limited for built in storage memory
2. Two devices are circulating the market , An amazon based Linux device and Google play based device (If amazon follow the next steps)
3. Download new amazon uk tablet app direct from the website , This will replace current outdated non working pre installed app
4. Download Opera Browser From amazon , The pre installed browser on the tablet again is outdated and slow , Opera browser will speed up internet browsing and allow you to watch videos on youtube and other streaming sites .
5. Download officesuite pro / OneNote and OneDrive for office production suites , Also ES File explorer for easy file and app management
6. Charge with the mains charger rather than USB for quick charge
7. If you wish , Play with the performance settings , Go to developer settings and change the animation settings , Force GPU rendering or go to accessibility and select system performance for various options
8. Go to accessibilty , De-select auto rotate screen if using the keyboard , allow enhance web accessibility
9. Save battery by turning off google locations
10. Enjoy!
nn137db
31 Dec 15#37
I cannot send PMs. I contacted box.co.uk (not the retailer I purchased from) to see if there was any support for the GD8 but the answer was no.
Looks like Mark (with a box.co.uk email address) is keeping the geminidevices.com domain alive.
If anyone finds any more recent android or recovery firmware please post a link.
AndyRoyd
30 Dec 15#36
No ADHD or other "problems" here, but this thread is suffering from being a source of disinformation being dispersed from the seemingly ignorant to the uninformed, although I have every confidence it is with the best of intentions. GD has not deceased as such, but active support from GD has effectively ceased. The GD site still currently hosts the device's spec sheet and user manual, both of which can be viewed in any broswer and/or downloaded, with pg19 of the manual indicating how to reset to factory default, if required: GD8 spec sheet GD8 manual.
There are avenues you could follow in an attempt obtain GD support from the company but I would suggest not worthwhile considering the value of this lump. PM me if reqd, it's not productive posting such info on a public forum as misinterpretation could attract unpleasantness.
IIRC GD were using clones of Ainol tablets, in this case probably a derivative of the Ainol 8 Dream or Ainol 8 Mini (think Ainols had options of 0.5GB/1GB RAM with 8GB/16GB storage, but I can't recall which combinations). Whilst the Ainols may have similar spec, I wouldn't feel comfortable with interchangeablity of ROMs but wifi drivers may be compatible. Suggest some targetted googling may prove useful. URL below may be a start if you can find suitable translator: http://www.ainol.com/plugin.php?identifier=ainol&module=download
and if you can be bothered to treasure hunt: http://www.slatedroid.com/forum/415-actions-semi-atm7029-quad-core-arm-cpu-devices/
nn137db
29 Dec 15#35
The support boards are hosted by a company called Zendesk and not by Gemini Devices (sadly now deceased). Unfortunately a final android update is still hosted on an OTA server. I would not allow the original ROM to be updated until you have checked the WiFi thoroughly first. My impression was that the WiFi was OK until after the (optional) update was downloaded. I contacted another seller of this tablet and they confirmed there is no product support available. If anyone finds a similar tablet with a later version of android that could be downloaded I would be interested to hear about it.
The chipset is the Actions ACT ATM7029 quad core with dual core GPU renderer GC1000 by Vivante. 1GB RAM, 8GB flash, 1024 x 768 7.85" IPS screen.
mboarder
29 Dec 15#34
what is your problem ? do you have ADHD , Can you not move on and go enjoy life , I only posted the deal and explained my experience with the tablet , Additional ram do you mean additional storage memory , either way i don't really care that much to be arguing over it
nn137db
27 Dec 15#32
I bought one of these from Misco a few days ago. It appears that Gemini Devices has disappeared from the face of the earth. Has anyone spotted a similar specification tablet with a later version of android that could be installed instead? After starting up the tablet I was prompted to download an update which appeared to be a mistake and the wireless performance is now very poor. Also any ideas about how to boot into recovery mode too? The tablet seems quite well constructed but isn't of merchantable quality without manufacturer support.
AndyRoyd to nn137db
28 Dec 15#33
That seems a little unfair considering GD has an extensive support portal with posts dedicated to this GD8 model. https://geminidevices.zendesk.com/categories/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=gd8&for_search=1
Seems to be a temporary issue with the downloads mentioned at that portal but no doubt they can be found elsewhere with a little patience.
Or maybe ask the OP, he seems to be able to magically enable the device to access additional RAM so maybe he can magically sort your wifi issue.
alasdair67
26 Dec 15#31
Showing as £34.99 now.
djyhkr
25 Dec 15#30
This is from someone who work for this company or who never used this tablet. This tablet is a complete disaster. Improve your quality and customer service, this is the only way to have good reviews.
djyhkr
25 Dec 15#28
Extremely bad experience with this tablet. Poor customer service. Not recommended.
mboarder to djyhkr
25 Dec 15#29
Happy xmas everyone !! I will give you a quick update on this from own personal experience . The tablet is best used as a creativity/workshop tablet rather than multimedia , I can confirm officesuitepro works great with the supplied keyboard , Very fast and responsive for doing work , Email client and google now are also included on the tablet and work great . The browser is simple and easy to use and the calendar is also very handy .
Games and apps are supported via amazon but you do need to redownload amazon uk app store for tablets from amazon uk which will replace the current stock version which doesn't seem to work or only compatible in certain regions. The onboard memory is quite short however there are work arounds , Most apps allow writing to USB SD or EXT SD , For example i have Bards tale running in HD which is a 5GB app installed but the app allows you to write to EXT SD from the follow up download page , also just to note performance wise if you go into settings options their are multiple performance options under one of the settings which allows you to change from interactive to performance which will boost the speed of the tablet , also allowing rendering and setting to .5animation will also improve speed, I have had no problems running bards tale and goat simulator mmo at a steady speed even on higher graphics options , If you are prepared to play with a few settings you can actually get far more out of the tablet . Obviously some devs are still making life difficult for example GTA which requires 2-3gb memory and won't write to any other memory format will not work unless you can copy the files over via another android device .
Battery life is normal to be honest , Bare in mind a few things , The screen brightness setting is set high out of the box , Locations services are already on , Bluetooth is always on if you are using the keyboard which drains the battery quicker .
The other thing is there are two charger options via micro usb or a seperate slot for the DC Charger , If you are using the DC Plug charger it will charge in no time at all , The USB charger takes a lot longer , Also the initial charge out of the box takes long but the instructions do say to charge the device for at least 8 hours upon first use and the first charge did take a while to reach maximum , Afterwards it was charging as normal .
If you can live without Googles Play and multimedia features then i see nothing wrong with the tablet whatsoever , Most apps can be found via amazon , Flash player built in means the browser can serve most other uses such as youtube and blogger etc , OK built in storage is low but it is managable if you have the patience , Overall for the price its a real bargain , I wouldn't recommend it for people who want to jump in and have everything already prepared on a plate but if you are willing to go without a few things out of the box and play with the settings to customize performance then it's definitely a worthwhile buy , I would also recommend it for travelers who need an inexpensive small and light work tool to take anywhere.
alasdair67
25 Dec 15#27
Voted this cold only because I've owned two Gemini tablets and both stopped working as a result of the same fault, namely they stopped charging. This was in spite of trying three (yes, three) different chargers. The first was replaced for the second by Misco, but the second stopped after just over two years.
Cheap? Yes.
Cheerful? Yes, but slow.
Good value? Only if it's your first foray into Android tablets and you don't expect it to last or have superior build quality. Otherwise buy something like an Asus or a Samsung.
balmots
25 Dec 15#26
Is this tablet as good as a Blackberry Playbook ?
amour3k
25 Dec 15#25
Interesting thread this ..... lol.
thekanester
25 Dec 15#24
Liked your post because you speak the truth, but with respect I don't believe most Android installations use swap. They use mmap functions to memory map large files, but they don't page out memory to file the way Windows does; largely due to storage speed and space restrictions and flash usage restrictions. You may correct me if I'm wrong of course, but that is my understanding.
BigVern1984
25 Dec 15#23
Same here, got the kids £30 android tablets. £30 is all they are worth, not good. Saying that, to replace them this year I got the 2015 Amazon Fire for £35 on Black Friday. Ten times better, even at the normal price of £50 it's worth the extra. And you can side load google play too!
savingbritainmoney
24 Dec 151#22
Is this a deal site or a 'I know more than you about boring nerd stuff' site?
Uridium
24 Dec 15#21
It's no vendetta, my apologies if you saw it that way...I was just unfortunate enough to buy one of these a couple of years back and sadly it was a disappointing purchase. The battery life was very poor (often less than a couple of hours screen on time) it was very slow to charge and the performance is poor. £30 spent on this tablet is £30 that could be put to better use on a far better tablet by adding £20 to the budget.
up to you though, give it a try..was just trying to save some people's disappointment.
Denbi
24 Dec 15#20
Ive come to the conclusion that its not worth a shot gettibg cheap tablets.Have bought a couple of cheap tablets (different brand now binned)for the kids as I thought be OK. unresponsive, inaccurate screens and badly built with charge ports breaking loose etc.
Qman
24 Dec 15#19
I dont know if this Gemini tab is the same but I bought 2 about a year ago and they only had amazon apps not google play and box were bloody useless.
rickj
24 Dec 152#18
Jesus it's getting a bit heavy for Xmas eve .chill out guys your sounding like total jobsworths.
Happy Christmas. Let's keep to ..is it a good deal and we will all be friends.
mboarder
24 Dec 15#17
talking even more rubbish , funnily enough yes you can move apps onto sd card from this tablet , You CAN sideload googleplay and install apps or simply use your phone to download the apk and transfer files over in a folder to the tablet ,Also no i'm not confusing ram with storage , Have you tried running your pc with hardly any storage space left? I would love to see it perform as well as it would with more storage space , You can twist the words all you like for your own satisfaction but i don't know why you seem to have a vendetta against the tablet it's £30 nobody said it was going to be a nexus or kindle fire .
Uridium
24 Dec 15#16
Here's the hat-trick....
Not as easy as it sounds actually as Google removed the ability to move Apps to SD in Jellybean....
If you want to move apps to SD you would need to root the tablet, install Link2SD and create a split partitioned SDCard with an EXT4 partition for app storage and have Link2SD mount the EXT4 partition at boot for App storage.
So without doing all that the only stuff you can move to an SD card is pics, videos and music.
Spend another £20 and get a Lenovo tablet from Argos clearance on Ebay or an Amazon fire tablet.
AndyRoyd
24 Dec 152#15
Even more of a bizarre comment, and I'm wondering if the hat-trick is imminent.
And to add a potentially useful (and definitely factual) comment: there's a workaround to correct the upside down HDMI output from this tablet. It's mentioned at the manufacturer's support site, although the ROM required for this fix is no longer available for download, but I'm sure somebody can find an alternative somewhere. https://geminidevices.zendesk.com/entries/26929881-My-GD8-Pro-GEMQ7851-tablet-HDMI-is-upside-down
but let's not be confused bewteen ROM and RAM, the latter of which in this instance appears to be a TLA for Random Access Magic.
This could provide hours of entertainment, but it's Christmas, so in the interests of goodwill to all: enjoy your tablet (and memory card(s) as required, or not).
Uridium
24 Dec 153#14
Actually as long as there is enough space on the C:\ drive of your PC for your page file (which is reserved anyway) and any writes to the ntuser.dat file in your profile windows will run just the same until it hits 0k free.
btw you are mistaking memory and storage on the tablet. The tablet has dedicated Ram that android uses for running programs and the operating system then another 8gb for storage (although android will use some of this for Swap) When you add an SD card all you are doing is adding extra storage space for the installation of programs, this space has nothing to do with how fast the device runs...once you've opened the program it is running in Ram.
Uridium
24 Dec 151#13
I bought one of these just before christmas last year, I'm sorry to say I even posted it on here. I apologise now for anyone that bought one.
It's slow and takes forever to charge and the battery drains very fast..Spend another £20 and get a better tablet, you'll be grateful you did in the long run.
msharif911
24 Dec 15#12
I had one of these over a year ago. The build quality is really very good but a bit heavy. I sold mine on on Amazon but only because I bought it on impulse. At this price, I'd suggest jumping all over it.
mboarder
24 Dec 15#11
So what you are saying is if you have 500mb of say 64gb left on your pc it will not start to slow down? A quick update on this device though , The amazon app store already installed needs to be updated , If you go onto the browser and download appstore for tablets this will automatically replace the current app.
BigVern1984
24 Dec 151#10
Sorry but you don't understand anything about IT. Adding more ram will ONLY increase speed if you have used up the current amount of ram with running programs. For a pc, going from 4gb to 8gb ram will not make any difference if you only ever use 3gb. For SD cards the speed classes make little difference, it only really matters for like dslr digital cameras when shooting on burst and having to save 100's MB per second.
mboarder
24 Dec 151#9
how is it bizarre , It works just like any other computer , Add additional memory and the device will perform better , If you add a class 1 memory card it will work to optimum speed , why don't you try it and see. The device comes with amazon appstore as standard but play can be installed from the internet page , But hey again this isn't trying to be a groundbreaking device it's a cheaper option for people to use if you can work around some of the limitations.
datalossfs
24 Dec 15#8
These won't have the play store by default, but can be added. Also be aware storage space for apps is limited to 1GB and go over 700mb the device will begin to crawl....
AndyRoyd
24 Dec 151#7
Somewhat bizarre comment, but each to their own.
xela333
24 Dec 15#6
What do you mean? An SD card won't speed up the tablet, unless your critically low on storage
mboarder
24 Dec 15#5
Maybe so but what did the user expect? most tablets take forever to charge , The battery says 4000mah on this which is the average for a small tablet . Also , Did he /she just boot up without installing an SD Card? Again most tablets even quad cores are slow without the additional memory of an sd card , Most of the lesser known brands will not hold your hand the same as the kindles and asus of the world.
I'm tempted to upgrade from my crappy 512MB RAM tab, especially as this also has a HDMI - which is why I got the other one, but the stupid thing failed on any TV catchup apps.
malm
24 Dec 15#1
Voted this hot how bad could it be for £30 granted you will need a 32gb card.
mboarder to malm
24 Dec 152#2
The kool kids will run away because of the name or a few specs which are outdated but for the price it's definitely worth it for a few downgraded specs , For example the 8gb storage isn't great but anybody with half a mind can figure that you can move most things straight onto sd card via pc or via files folders , THE OS is getting on abit but if you look in the playstore most apps are supported from either 2.3 or 4.1 upwards so it's unlikely you will be missing out on anything major other than a few added os features. The tablet though has some standout specs which sets apart from other budget options , HDMI output , Free Keyboard , A9 processor and the tablet is thin and easily portable which to me makes it a great value take anywhere option.
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
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Opening post
Top comments
btw you are mistaking memory and storage on the tablet. The tablet has dedicated Ram that android uses for running programs and the operating system then another 8gb for storage (although android will use some of this for Swap) When you add an SD card all you are doing is adding extra storage space for the installation of programs, this space has nothing to do with how fast the device runs...once you've opened the program it is running in Ram.
Latest comments (41)
1. Buy and use an SD Card , Transfer downloaded apps to SD Card , The device is limited for built in storage memory
2. Two devices are circulating the market , An amazon based Linux device and Google play based device (If amazon follow the next steps)
3. Download new amazon uk tablet app direct from the website , This will replace current outdated non working pre installed app
4. Download Opera Browser From amazon , The pre installed browser on the tablet again is outdated and slow , Opera browser will speed up internet browsing and allow you to watch videos on youtube and other streaming sites .
5. Download officesuite pro / OneNote and OneDrive for office production suites , Also ES File explorer for easy file and app management
6. Charge with the mains charger rather than USB for quick charge
7. If you wish , Play with the performance settings , Go to developer settings and change the animation settings , Force GPU rendering or go to accessibility and select system performance for various options
8. Go to accessibilty , De-select auto rotate screen if using the keyboard , allow enhance web accessibility
9. Save battery by turning off google locations
10. Enjoy!
This is interesting: http://whois.domaintools.com/geminidevices.com
Looks like Mark (with a box.co.uk email address) is keeping the geminidevices.com domain alive.
If anyone finds any more recent android or recovery firmware please post a link.
GD has not deceased as such, but active support from GD has effectively ceased. The GD site still currently hosts the device's spec sheet and user manual, both of which can be viewed in any broswer and/or downloaded, with pg19 of the manual indicating how to reset to factory default, if required:
GD8 spec sheet
GD8 manual.
There are avenues you could follow in an attempt obtain GD support from the company but I would suggest not worthwhile considering the value of this lump. PM me if reqd, it's not productive posting such info on a public forum as misinterpretation could attract unpleasantness.
IIRC GD were using clones of Ainol tablets, in this case probably a derivative of the Ainol 8 Dream or Ainol 8 Mini (think Ainols had options of 0.5GB/1GB RAM with 8GB/16GB storage, but I can't recall which combinations). Whilst the Ainols may have similar spec, I wouldn't feel comfortable with interchangeablity of ROMs but wifi drivers may be compatible. Suggest some targetted googling may prove useful. URL below may be a start if you can find suitable translator:
http://www.ainol.com/plugin.php?identifier=ainol&module=download
and if you can be bothered to treasure hunt:
http://www.slatedroid.com/forum/415-actions-semi-atm7029-quad-core-arm-cpu-devices/
The chipset is the Actions ACT ATM7029 quad core with dual core GPU renderer GC1000 by Vivante. 1GB RAM, 8GB flash, 1024 x 768 7.85" IPS screen.
https://geminidevices.zendesk.com/categories/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=gd8&for_search=1
Seems to be a temporary issue with the downloads mentioned at that portal but no doubt they can be found elsewhere with a little patience.
Or maybe ask the OP, he seems to be able to magically enable the device to access additional RAM so maybe he can magically sort your wifi issue.
Games and apps are supported via amazon but you do need to redownload amazon uk app store for tablets from amazon uk which will replace the current stock version which doesn't seem to work or only compatible in certain regions. The onboard memory is quite short however there are work arounds , Most apps allow writing to USB SD or EXT SD , For example i have Bards tale running in HD which is a 5GB app installed but the app allows you to write to EXT SD from the follow up download page , also just to note performance wise if you go into settings options their are multiple performance options under one of the settings which allows you to change from interactive to performance which will boost the speed of the tablet , also allowing rendering and setting to .5animation will also improve speed, I have had no problems running bards tale and goat simulator mmo at a steady speed even on higher graphics options , If you are prepared to play with a few settings you can actually get far more out of the tablet . Obviously some devs are still making life difficult for example GTA which requires 2-3gb memory and won't write to any other memory format will not work unless you can copy the files over via another android device .
Battery life is normal to be honest , Bare in mind a few things , The screen brightness setting is set high out of the box , Locations services are already on , Bluetooth is always on if you are using the keyboard which drains the battery quicker .
The other thing is there are two charger options via micro usb or a seperate slot for the DC Charger , If you are using the DC Plug charger it will charge in no time at all , The USB charger takes a lot longer , Also the initial charge out of the box takes long but the instructions do say to charge the device for at least 8 hours upon first use and the first charge did take a while to reach maximum , Afterwards it was charging as normal .
If you can live without Googles Play and multimedia features then i see nothing wrong with the tablet whatsoever , Most apps can be found via amazon , Flash player built in means the browser can serve most other uses such as youtube and blogger etc , OK built in storage is low but it is managable if you have the patience , Overall for the price its a real bargain , I wouldn't recommend it for people who want to jump in and have everything already prepared on a plate but if you are willing to go without a few things out of the box and play with the settings to customize performance then it's definitely a worthwhile buy , I would also recommend it for travelers who need an inexpensive small and light work tool to take anywhere.
Cheap? Yes.
Cheerful? Yes, but slow.
Good value? Only if it's your first foray into Android tablets and you don't expect it to last or have superior build quality. Otherwise buy something like an Asus or a Samsung.
up to you though, give it a try..was just trying to save some people's disappointment.
Happy Christmas. Let's keep to ..is it a good deal and we will all be friends.
Not as easy as it sounds actually as Google removed the ability to move Apps to SD in Jellybean....
If you want to move apps to SD you would need to root the tablet, install Link2SD and create a split partitioned SDCard with an EXT4 partition for app storage and have Link2SD mount the EXT4 partition at boot for App storage.
So without doing all that the only stuff you can move to an SD card is pics, videos and music.
Spend another £20 and get a Lenovo tablet from Argos clearance on Ebay or an Amazon fire tablet.
And to add a potentially useful (and definitely factual) comment: there's a workaround to correct the upside down HDMI output from this tablet. It's mentioned at the manufacturer's support site, although the ROM required for this fix is no longer available for download, but I'm sure somebody can find an alternative somewhere.
https://geminidevices.zendesk.com/entries/26929881-My-GD8-Pro-GEMQ7851-tablet-HDMI-is-upside-down
but let's not be confused bewteen ROM and RAM, the latter of which in this instance appears to be a TLA for Random Access Magic.
This could provide hours of entertainment, but it's Christmas, so in the interests of goodwill to all: enjoy your tablet (and memory card(s) as required, or not).
btw you are mistaking memory and storage on the tablet. The tablet has dedicated Ram that android uses for running programs and the operating system then another 8gb for storage (although android will use some of this for Swap) When you add an SD card all you are doing is adding extra storage space for the installation of programs, this space has nothing to do with how fast the device runs...once you've opened the program it is running in Ram.
It's slow and takes forever to charge and the battery drains very fast..Spend another £20 and get a better tablet, you'll be grateful you did in the long run.
What do you mean? An SD card won't speed up the tablet, unless your critically low on storage
http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/gemini-quad-core-1gb-8gb-micro-sd-slot-7-85-ips-tablet-34-97-laptops-direct-2291217?p=26091174
Aha, more info
http://www.imei.info/phonedatabase/13909-gemini-devices-gemq7851bk-gd8-pro/
Screen is 1024x768
I'm tempted to upgrade from my crappy 512MB RAM tab, especially as this also has a HDMI - which is why I got the other one, but the stupid thing failed on any TV catchup apps.