And people think Nintendo updates the DS series a bit too often… Amateurs!
Yinlips have updated their flagship Android gaming handheld. Following on the heels of their recently upgraded YDPG17, they have announced an upgrade to their 5″ offering, the new YDPG19.
The G19 shares a lot of specs with its predecessor the G18A, in that it is an Android powered game tablet with a 5″ five-point capacitive multi touch screen at 800 x 480 pixels, 4 GB of internal memory, a Micro-SD slot supporting up to 32 GB on a flash card, a front-facing .3 MP camera, a rear-facing 5.0 MP camera, Mini-USB 2.0 port, Micro-HDMI, same size, same weight, same basic controls – (although if the renders can be trusted, the face buttons appear to be shaped like a d-pad now, sadly). But there are differences.
The main upgrades between this and the G18A are faster CPU (1.2 Ghz from 1.0 Ghz) the Virtual Mapping feature so more games will work with the controls, upgrade from Android 2.3 to 4.0 standard (the G18A supported it, but shipped with 2.3), and the no-Internet-needed local WiFi play, they call it “Kumite function”. There’s also a “new private mold” – although the renders look nearly identical (aside from the aforementioned d-pad inspired face buttons). And they improved the heat emission, so it won’t be as warm in your hands. (The back of my G18A does tend to feel a might warm after extended use – but not where you naturally hold it – just on the back center.)
Both WillGoo and Yinlips seem to point out the “Dual Stereo Loud Speakers” as if that was a new feature, but the 18A has dual speakers as well. Maybe they aren’t actually stereo (as in both speakers playing the same thing instead of 2 channels)? I don’t know, (they seem to be stereo on my G18A).
No word on if the “Analog” slider nub is truly analog or not. If you get one and find out, please let us know in the comments below.
The one feature that really makes me want to upgrade from my not-3-month-old G18A is the virtual key mapping. I’m sure that could be added to the G18A through a firmware upgrade, but I don’t know if Yinlips will be offering that, since it would take away the incentive to buy a new one. We shall see.
If you are interested, you can check out the good folks over at WillGoo for more information and to order yours.
Just so you know – you can blame any typos or grammar issues or inaccuracies on the new guy. I’m Chad. Nice to meet you.
Hey chad!! I’m just wondering if “conker’s bad fur day” runs well on the ydpg19?? 😀
I would be happy to tell you if I had a YDPG19, or if I had ever played Conker’s Bad Fur Day. Sadly, I haven’t, so I can’t.
Got my YDPG19 from a coworker who was actually in China. He picked one up from Yinlips at a trade show directly. Saved several $$. So far, I like it.
PS1 games like Crash Bandicoot play well. N64 games (some of them) play well too, like Mario Kart.
Unfortunately, the stock emulator does not run Rogue Squadron for N64, but this is a good device IMO.
Received my YDPG19 today, so far I am impressed.
One mayor issue I cannot ge OTG USB to work!
Android 4.0 should take care of the audio lag problems. I’m very interested in the key mapping feature. That seems to be the direction the icontrol pad has taken. I still think it’s going to take Yinlips at least another gen before they decouple the d pad from the analog nub and several more generations after that before that nub is true analog and not just another d pad. Hopefully Archos will deliver on real analog control.
Capacitive? Woah.. But I was hoping for a dual core device. Can it really emulate n64 games? Nice to meet you too, Chad.. 😀
The red one looks nice.
I don’t have a 19, but my 18a can and does emulate N64 games. It is some what limited, because you don’t have all the controls, and it’s not 100% full speed, or it doesn’t seem like it to me. But it is playable for games that only need the controls you have.