This post was published 9 years, 4 months ago. Due to the rapidly evolving world of technology, some material it contains may no longer be applicable.
Jide, makers of the Remix Ultratablet and Remix OS, have today launched another Kickstarter campaign for their latest device: an Android PC / media centre called the Remix Mini. It’s super cheap but you’ll have to act fast if you want one at the lowest pricing!
The Remix Mini is a tiny little device which runs a special customised version of Android known as Remix OS and is designed to work well on large displays either as a desktop PC or a media centre.
Despite its size and price, the Remix Mini is a fairly capable little device. It packs a 64-bit 1.2GHz Quad Core CPU, 1GB/2GB RAM, 8/16GB Internal storage + MicroSD expansion, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 and a decent array of ports including 2x full USB 2.0, Ethernet, HDMI, 3.5mm headphone output and a DC power input. It will even be capable of 4K output including H.265 video decoding. We have listed the full specs of both models at the bottom of this article.
Just like a normal desktop PC, the Mini is operated by a keyboard and mouse (which you can connect via USB or Bluetooth) but because it’s running Android you will also easily able to connect game controllers, TV-style remote and even other Android devices so you’ll never be short of input options.
Remix OS is based on Android Lollipop but provides an interface more optimised for larger displays with features such as resizeable windowed apps and a desktop-like multitasking bar. That said, although it has quite a customised UI, Remix OS is still very much Android at heart and comes with full Google Play services support.
Here are a few pictures of what Remix OS 2.0 on the Remix Mini will look like:
Perhaps one of the most eye-grabbing aspects of this device (besides the software) is the price. Like they did with the Remix Ultra campaign before, Jide are offering a limited number of devices for a ridiculously low-cost to try to get as many people as possible on board.
For just $20/£13/€18 (plus shipping) 500 people can get a single base level Remix Mini with 1GB of RAM and 8GB integrated storage which could make a great media centre PC / streaming device for you TV. For desktop use you will probably want the more powerful version with twice the RAM and inbuilt storage (2GB and 16GB respectively) which will set you back just $40 (£25/€36).
Most people were interested in the top model in the pre-campaign survey so they are making just 500 of the base model available for $20. The top model has no limit on the number of backers but will only be available at early bird price for the first 4 (update: now 24) hours and so if you’ll need to be quick about it! If you do miss out, both models will then be available at standard retail price (including after the campaign ends) for $30 and $50 dollars respectively, which is still incredibly good value!
Now, it is important to remember that with Kickstarter you are backing to support the creation of a product not just simply buying a finished product. Because of this, there are always some risks involved and you won’t get it straight away.
However, with the Remix Mini the situation is much better than with most crowd-funded products because Jide is an existing company founded by three ex-Google engineers and they have already had one very successful campaign with the Remix Ultratablet which was delivered on time and as described.
The campaign will run for 45 days starting today and the devices are expected to be delivered in October this year. Amazingly, the Remix Mini has already reached its funding goal of $50k which it hit in barely an hour. We have been told that stretch goals are on the cards – perhaps these could involve cheap bundles with the Remix Ultratablet.
We didn’t manage to get our hands on the Remix Ultratablet during the last campaign but I have been testing Remix OS 1.5 (based on 5.0.2 Lollipop) on my Nexus 10 and I shall have a review coming on that soon for those who want to know more about it. A Remix OS ROM will also soon be available for the Nexus 9.
Anyway, if this all sounds like something you are interested in then you should head over to the Kickstarter campaign which is now live. Both myself and Zac are backers of the 2GB version and so you can expect hands-on reviews of the device when it is released.
Below you can also find the full specifications for both models of the device.
Tech Specs
Source: Kickstarter