Eve"s crowdfunded Windows 10 tablet has been in development for some time now, but it"s about to enter production, with shipments starting next month. The device was developed with input from the community, and funded through an Indiegogo campaign in November, which reached its target in just one hour. Originally aiming for $75,000, the company has since raised over $1.4 million.
Previously referred to by its development codename "Pyramid Flipper", the device will launch as the Eve V, featuring a range of desirable specs and features. The Indiegogo campaign originally estimated that shipments would begin in February, but that schedule has clearly slipped.
However, the company said that it will begin its "first pilot production run at the actual factory floor on 25th of April" to ensure that its production process runs smoothly, before ramping up for larger-scale assembly. Eve explained that "this stage will take us around 10 days and then assembly of the remaining units will take 2-3 days more after which they will be immediately shipped", adding:
We will start production of second batch of units immediately after first batch is produced. Second batch production is as before planned to be done in 30 days. We are considering splitting up production runs for the 2nd batch so like producing 500 devices first and shipping them 2 weeks after the first batch, making 500 more and shipping them few days later and so on before all 2000 devices are produced. This would help us to ship part of the limited birds faster than in 30 days! The exact timeline of the second batch will become clear after the first batch is produced.
Eve also said that "each screen will be calibrated individually" in partnership with US firm Portrait Displays, "to make sure each and every V leaving [the] factory floor will follow our color calibration requirements."
The Eve V is similar in concept to Microsoft"s Surface Pro 4, with a tablet form factor and retractable kickstand, along with a detachable keyboard. But the Eve device offers some even more attractive features than the Surface, including a wireless mode for the keyboard, so that it can be used without being directly connected to the tablet; USB 3.1 Type-C ports; and Intel"s latest 7th-generation (Kaby Lake) processors.
Here"s an overview of the Eve V"s key specs:
- 12.3-inch IGZO LCD with 2736x1824px resolution and Corning Gorilla Glass
- 7th-generation (Kaby Lake) Intel Core m3, i5 or i7 processor
- 8GB or 16GB LPDDR3 RAM
- 128GB, 256GB or 512GB SSD storage
- 2MP front-facing camera
- 5MP rear camera
- 802.11ac Wi-Fi with 2x2 MU-MIMO
- Bluetooth 4.2
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C port with Thunderbolt 3 support
- 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C port (Gen1)
- 2 x USB 3.1 Type-A port
- 3.5mm audio port
- microSDXC card reader
- 2 x noise-cancelling microphones
- 4 x 1W speakers
- Fingerprint sensor, hall sensor, gravity sensor, light sensor, gyroscope
- GPS
- N-trig stylus (Surface-compatible) with two buttons, and 1024 pressure levels
- Keyboard with Pogo-pin connectors and wireless connectivity; backlight; glass Clickpad by Synaptics
- Up to 15 hours of battery life
"Early bird" pricing for the Eve V has now ended, so full pricing will apply for future sales. You can find details of the cost and configurations for each model here.
The company"s CEO, Konstantinos Karatsevidis, referred to the Eve V, with tongue-in-cheek, as a "Surface-killer" in an interview with Neowin last year. Microsoft is likely to launch its new Surface Pro 5 in the next few weeks, but the device is not expected to differ significantly from its predecessor, featuring a similar design to the Pro 4, along with new Kaby Lake processors.
Source: Eve via Digital Trends