Pipo W12: A 2-in-1 Microsoft Surface alternative with LTE, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 850 and a 3:2 display for under US$450
The Pipo W12 is finally available to purchase, having been announced in October 2019. While the device may look like many other cheap 2-in-1s already on the market, the Pipo W12 relies on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 850 chipset.
The device supports Windows, but CNX Software notes that Linux may be possible through the AArch64 laptops project. The tablet itself measures 255 x 289 x 9 mm, within which Pipo has included a 12.3-inch IPS panel. The 3:2 display runs natively at 2,880 x 1,920 pixels and is bordered by what look like fairly thick bezels. There is also a capacitive Windows button and a 5 MP front-facing camera.
Additionally, Pipo offers the W12 with 256 GB of flash storage and 4 GB or 8 GB of DDR4 RAM. There is a microSD card reader for adding expandable storage, though. However, the W12 has a hybrid card slot, meaning that you can either have dual-SIM connectivity or microSD card expansion and a single SIM card.
The W12 has a 37 Wh battery too, along with a 3.5 mm headphone jack, a 13 MP rear-facing camera and a USB Type-C port. Apparently, the W12 should last up to 12 hours on a single charge. Pipo sells the W12 with a detachable keyboard and active stylus in the box. The latter supports up to 1,024 pressure levels, while the former also serves as protection for the display.
The Pipo W12 is orderable from AliExpress for US$443.74 with 8 GB of RAM. By contrast, Microsoft currently charges US$692.97 for a Surface Go 2 with 8 GB of RAM, a keyboard and a pen. You do not get LTE connectivity for that price either, while a Surface Pro X is even pricier.
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