Onda V975M launched, it’s a $160 iPad Air with Retina display!

Yesterday Chinesetablet maker Onda launched their new Onda V975M 9.7-inch tablet for 999 Yuan high-resolution display and an iPad Air design!

Onda have made some quite attractive mini Android tablets over the past few months, but their latest offering is a 9.7-inch device similar in design to the recently launched Apple iPad Air.

The Onda V975M has some attractive features including a quad-core processor, 2GB RAM, 8-core GPU and narrow 8.3mm body, but by far the most impressive feature is a the 9.7-inch display. Rather than skimping on the display the Onda V975M goes all out and features a Retina panel with a resolution of 2048 x 1536!

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The design of the V975M is as attractive as it’s previous 7.9-inch models and features 11.8mm bevels for easy grip and a narrow body measuring 8.3mm. Other features include 5 mega-pixel rear camera and customised Android 4.2.2 operating system which has been fully optimised for the quad-core CPU allowing the tablet to score over 30,000 points in Antutu!

The Onda V975M is on sale in China now for just 999 Yuan, international resellers are sure to pick it up soon!

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

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Andi

Alex
December 4, 2013
Is there a front cam? There was no mention of a front cam, only the 5MP rear… Also did they skimp on the battery like the No.1 mini pad 7 did, not to mention several other manufacturers from the region…
- - highwind
    December 4, 2013
    Accoring to some shops which already post the Onda as pre-order item it is 8500mAh
    Not sure how reliable that is and without knowing more about the M802 and its efficency it doesnt say much anyways

Markoff
December 4, 2013
the most impressive is for sure the old Android 4.2.2 and wifi reception probably too weak already 3m from router with this “Onda” brand, always choose chiense tablet by wifi reception, 90% of them suck and are useless
- highwind
  December 4, 2013
  Because Android 4.3 and 4.4. brings dozens of new features one cant life without, right? /ironie off
  - Markoff
    December 4, 2013
    yeah, becaue buying already outdated version of any OS is always the smartest idea, if there is newest Android 4.4 I ain’t going to buy 2 generations/updates old OS especially from brand known for not releasig firmware updates because you will be stucked with this
    even my months old Chuwi V88s which was released quite long time ago got 4.2.2 update, so selling now something on par with months old devices is very smart
    - highwind
      December 4, 2013
      my nearly 2 year old sony xperia s still runs 4.1.2 and my (quite high-end) desktop pc still runs win7 x64… and guess what: both work flawless!
      if you want “new” just because it is new and not because it offers any benefits, than go right away and buy your ugly and overpriced google nexus or whatelse…no need to “discuss” with an update-hipster
      - Markoff
        December 4, 2013
        you think it work flawless and smooth because you don’t know better, same as thinks someone with 4.2.2, same as think someone with 4.3 and everyone who doesn’t tried ART runtime etc. etc.
        someone who is all life using some crappy car or crappy 540×960 display will be defending it’s great display and it works fine and why would anyone need 720p or even FHD until they try…
        no need to discuss with backwardish people not following new technologies, I was working on development and testing meego, symbian, android and windows phone, so why am I wasting time here with someone defending usage of 3 updates old worthless phone, because “he is happy with it”…
        btw. i feel sad for you, branded phone abandonded in development, even my crappy chinese phone got update from 4.1.1 to 4.2.2, same as my chinese tablet but that was one of he reasons why i chose brands i’ve chosen because very few brands receive updates, especially the famous international brands are one of the worst like Sony and other
        
        highwind
        December 4, 2013
        omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
        as someone working in an pc and mobile service center I never had a newer device in my hand
        omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
        I use a crappy 960×540 display on my xperia s all the time (well, xperia s usually has a 720p display but it was a conversion which was done just for me because I am backwardish) and therefore just dont know any better
        omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
        android 4.3 and 4.4. is the holy grail, everbody not using it lives in a cave, hunts animals and eats their raw flesh
        omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
        EDIT:
        To answer your question “why am I wasting time here with somebody blablabla…”:
        probably because you are some kind of self-opinionated nerd, who just cant accept that 99.9% of the customers give a f*ck on your superstitious “I need the newest firmware asap!!!!!!!!!”-opinion and can enjoy their device without updating every second.
        The famous international brands like Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG, etc. are for sure the worst… thats why they dominate the European and US smartphone markt and make millions of cash every day xD
        highwind
        December 4, 2013
        on a sidenote:
        http://www.phonedog.com/2013/10/03/jelly-bean-climbs-to-48-6-percent-in-latest-android-version-distribution-stats/
        wow, a staggering majority of 1.5% (in words: ONE POINT FIVE PERCENT!) was using the latest Android 4.3 two month ago! Everybody else was a backwardish cave ape!
        and thanks for feeling sad for me… I do the same because you choose products / product brands on so unimportant negligibilities like decimal digit versions
- Aaron
  June 8, 2014
  WIFI is excellent on the Onda V975m tablets, mine will pick up all the neighbor’s networks from a quarter mile away! Battery life is only about 5-6 hours on a good day if you are lucky. New ROM’s will hopefully improve battery life and Netflix. Netflix runs super bad and choppy to say the least, any other HD video website and YouTube run fine and smooth though, don’t know why Netflix is so bad ?

Texan_Passe
December 4, 2013
Hey Alex do you have an idea when it will be available for sale. This would be an excellent stocking stuffer.
WeskerRazer
December 4, 2013
nice, but if it have a31 cpu its sucks
- highwind
  December 4, 2013
  It should have the new AMLogic M802 with 8-Core Mali 450
  Preview Benchmarks suggested that it is a quite powerfull SoC with especially good GPU Performance, even on the high-res display
  It should beat A31 and RK3188 easily
  - Markoff
    December 4, 2013
    hahah, yeah, some people believe in God, some people believe in Santa Claus and well, some people believe in Chinese benchmark scores from advertorial posts…
    - highwind
      December 4, 2013
      and some people have no clue at all but talk nevertheless
    - Darren
      December 13, 2013
      Hey! I happen to believe in God…and Chinese benchmark…not so much in Santa Claus :0

Alex
December 4, 2013
Is there a front cam? There was no mention of a front cam, only the 5MP rear… Also did they skimp on the battery like the No.1 mini pad 7 did, not to mention several other manufacturers from the region…
- Andi Sykes
  December 4, 2013
  yes a VGA front camera, battery details I couldn’t find.
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  Accoring to some shops which already post the Onda as pre-order item it is 8500mAh
  Not sure how reliable that is and without knowing more about the M802 and its efficency it doesnt say much anyways

Markoff
December 4, 2013
the most impressive is for sure the old Android 4.2.2 and wifi reception probably too weak already 3m from router with this “Onda” brand, always choose chiense tablet by wifi reception, 90% of them suck and are useless
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  Because Android 4.3 and 4.4. brings dozens of new features one cant life without, right? /ironie off
- Markoff
  December 4, 2013
  yeah, becaue buying already outdated version of any OS is always the smartest idea, if there is newest Android 4.4 I ain’t going to buy 2 generations/updates old OS especially from brand known for not releasig firmware updates because you will be stucked with this
  even my months old Chuwi V88s which was released quite long time ago got 4.2.2 update, so selling now something on par with months old devices is very smart
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  my nearly 2 year old sony xperia s still runs 4.1.2 and my (quite high-end) desktop pc still runs win7 x64… and guess what: both work flawless!
  if you want “new” just because it is new and not because it offers any benefits, than go right away and buy your ugly and overpriced google nexus or whatelse…no need to “discuss” with an update-hipster
- Markoff
  December 4, 2013
  you think it work flawless and smooth because you don’t know better, same as thinks someone with 4.2.2, same as think someone with 4.3 and everyone who doesn’t tried ART runtime etc. etc.
  someone who is all life using some crappy car or crappy 540×960 display will be defending it’s great display and it works fine and why would anyone need 720p or even FHD until they try…
  no need to discuss with backwardish people not following new technologies, I was working on development and testing meego, symbian, android and windows phone, so why am I wasting time here with someone defending usage of 3 updates old worthless phone, because “he is happy with it”…
  btw. i feel sad for you, branded phone abandonded in development, even my crappy chinese phone got update from 4.1.1 to 4.2.2, same as my chinese tablet but that was one of he reasons why i chose brands i’ve chosen because very few brands receive updates, especially the famous international brands are one of the worst like Sony and other
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
  as someone working in an pc and mobile service center I never had a newer device in my hand
  omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
  I use a crappy 960×540 display on my xperia s all the time (well, xperia s usually has a 720p display but it was a conversion which was done just for me because I am backwardish) and therefore just dont know any better
  omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
  android 4.3 and 4.4. is the holy grail, everbody not using it lives in a cave, hunts animals and eats their raw flesh
  omniscient markoff is right, his words are law
  EDIT:
  To answer your question “why am I wasting time here with somebody blablabla…”:
  probably because you are some kind of self-opinionated nerd, who just cant accept that 99.9% of the customers give a f*ck on your superstitious “I need the newest firmware asap!!!!!!!!!”-opinion and can enjoy their device without updating every second.
  The famous international brands like Samsung, HTC, Sony, LG, etc. are for sure the worst… thats why they dominate the European and US smartphone markt and make millions of cash every day xD
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  on a sidenote:
  http://www.phonedog.com/2013/10/03/jelly-bean-climbs-to-48-6-percent-in-latest-android-version-distribution-stats/
  wow, a staggering majority of 1.5% (in words: ONE POINT FIVE PERCENT!) was using the latest Android 4.3 two month ago! Everybody else was a backwardish cave ape!
  and thanks for feeling sad for me… I do the same because you choose products / product brands on so unimportant negligibilities like decimal digit versions
- Aaron
  June 8, 2014
  WIFI is excellent on the Onda V975m tablets, mine will pick up all the neighbor’s networks from a quarter mile away! Battery life is only about 5-6 hours on a good day if you are lucky. New ROM’s will hopefully improve battery life and Netflix. Netflix runs super bad and choppy to say the least, any other HD video website and YouTube run fine and smooth though, don’t know why Netflix is so bad ?

Texan_Passe
December 4, 2013
Hey Alex do you have an idea when it will be available for sale. This would be an excellent stocking stuffer.
riggeton
December 4, 2013
Is this a good buy or not? I’m reading crappy wifi, bad CPU..?? which Chinese tablet has the most value for it’s money??
- Yuesir Smith
  January 11, 2014
  you get what you pay, considering onda it’s a brand tablet manufactory with great reputation, IMP, onda v975m is worth buying, as for the most valuable Chinese tablet you can try pipo u8 at http://www.tinydeal.com/pipo-u8-79-android-422-rk3188-quad-core-16gb-tablet-pc-p-98222.html
WeskerRazer
December 4, 2013
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  It should have the new AMLogic M802 with 8-Core Mali 450
  Preview Benchmarks suggested that it is a quite powerfull SoC with especially good GPU Performance, even on the high-res display
  It should beat A31 and RK3188 easily
- Markoff
  December 4, 2013
  hahah, yeah, some people believe in God, some people believe in Santa Claus and well, some people believe in Chinese benchmark scores from advertorial posts…
- provokanter Tabellenführer
  December 4, 2013
  and some people have no clue at all but talk nevertheless
- Guest
  December 13, 2013
  Hey! I happen to believe in God…and Chinese benchmark…not so much in Santa Claus :0

Freeje
December 4, 2013
Chinese branded tablets are still not up to par with the branded ones. You get lucky if the firmware gets updated. Not saying that all branded ones do get updated regularly. I’m happy with my Tegra Note 7! Quite good for gaming and for note taking. Cheaper alternative to a Note 8.
- Peter
  December 15, 2013
  I can hear you do not own an Onda tablet…
  We never got 4.3… but got 4.2.2 back before all the samsungs and getting 4.4 this month…. From my experience that is A LOT better than any branded tablet you can get (appart from nexus).
  My onda v972 has been worth every penny of the 212 $ i payed for it.
  Much better than anything samsung can offer at that same price range..
riggeton
December 4, 2013
Is this a good buy or not? I’m reading crappy wifi, bad CPU..?? which Chinese tablet has the most value for it’s money??
- Yuesir Smith
  January 11, 2014
  you get what you pay, considering onda it’s a brand tablet manufactory with great reputation, IMP, onda v975m is worth buying, as for the most valuable Chinese tablet you can try pipo u8 at http://www.tinydeal.com/pipo-u8-79-android-422-rk3188-quad-core-16gb-tablet-pc-p-98222.html

Guest
December 4, 2013
Chinese branded tablets are still not up to par with the branded ones. You get lucky if the firmware gets updated. Not saying that all branded ones do get updated regularly. I’m happy with my Tegra Note 7! Quite good for gaming and for note taking. Cheaper alternative to a Note 8.
- Peter
  December 15, 2013
  I can hear you do not own an Onda tablet…
  We never got 4.3… but got 4.2.2 back before all the samsungs and getting 4.4 this month…. From my experience that is A LOT better than any branded tablet you can get (appart from nexus).
  My onda v972 has been worth every penny of the 212 $ i payed for it.
  Much better than anything samsung can offer at that same price range..
dbrett1992
December 25, 2013
Does this tablet have Bluetooth or not it seems like a shocking omission considering it a high end Chinese tablet.
- Yuesir Smith
  January 11, 2014
  Checked http://www.tinydeal.com/onda-v975m-97-retina-ips-android-43-4-core-32gb-tablet-p-118370.html but nothing about it’s bluetooh, asked TD’s staff and they Confirmed that onda v975m doesn’t have Bluetooth, what a pity.
Guest
December 25, 2013
Does this tablet have Bluetooth or not it seems like a shocking omission considering it a high end Chinese tablet.
- Yuesir Smith
  January 11, 2014
  Checked http://www.tinydeal.com/onda-v975m-97-retina-ips-android-43-4-core-32gb-tablet-p-118370.html but nothing about it’s bluetooh, asked TD’s staff and they Confirmed that onda v975m doesn’t have Bluetooth, what a pity.

mat33n
February 6, 2014
I bought a teclast P89 with a intel processor and its impressive! no
crappy Chinese processor! so chinese tablets are getting better and
better!!! it is really impressive it scored 21XXX and thats a true score since its a intel tablet! so yes chiense tablets are really awesome! also people are saying about updates a lot are getting updated to 4.4 just google it!
how techlast is bringing out the p90 which has a retina display !!
mat33n
February 6, 2014
I bought a teclast P89 with a intel processor and its impressive! no
crappy Chinese processor! so chinese tablets are getting better and
better!!! it is really impressive it scored 21XXX and thats a true score since its a intel tablet! so yes chiense tablets are really awesome! also people are saying about updates a lot are getting updated to 4.4 just google it!
how techlast is bringing out the p90 which has a retina display !!

Andi

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