The Smart Q5 is really a PMP, albeit an ARM-based one. Instead of leaving it at media playback, though, they outfitted it with a Linux OS (Ubuntu), browser support, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi capability. As such, the device excited people with the potential of being a low-end MID that can significantly undercut Atom-based devices.
Hardware itself is light and compact, almost as portable as most touchscreen phones, making it a good media player for everyday use. Picture viewing is good and up to speed while music playback (via Audocious) is decent but nothing special. Volume is generous, although you’ll need either a pair of headphones or external speakers as the onboard ones just aren’t that nice.
Video playback is disappointing, with common mobile formats such as rmvb and MP4 being largely unplayable. More conventional formats play back well but so what? Video quality for those it can handle is nothing spectacular either.
As far as the Smart Q5′s potential as a MID, it should be fine as long as you’re not too demanding. Browser loads really slow, but things do go uphill from there. Response when viewing webpages is pretty good, even for graphics-heavy ones. There’s no native support for Flash on the Q5, however, so you can forget enjoying all that YouTube goodness.
Bluetooth support on the device is really good with most peripherals (mouse, keyboard, headphones) working seamlessly. Wi-Fi connection is solid and security is great. At the end of the day, though, the Smart Q5 needs a decent graphics processor – the Samsung 667MHz ARM11 CPU just isn’t enough to handle the work. In all honesty, this wasn’t worth the hype, $130 price tag notwithstanding.
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