UPDATED – Haleron iLet Mini HAL – too good to be true after all?
**UPDATED** – See update at bottom of page
A few days ago, we reported that a company called Haleron were going to be releasing an indifferently spec’ed, but temptingly cheap, 7″ Android tablet. Well, the folks over at Pocketables have cast some doubt on the authenticity of the offer. A commenter called Brad had this to say:-
In an attempt to verify Haleron a month or two ago, I tracked the iLet design back to a french company which has an active forum. They in fact do sell the design to be remanufactured abroad. I inquired if they had licensed to Haleron, and received a solid NO.
If you look at the whois on the haleron domain, it is registered to a shipping district office in Miami Fl. Google the CEO’s name and you get several other failed companies, and a business bankruptcy filing in Colorado.
Based on my research, I believe the company is a scam.
Gizmodo have been investigating the claims too and, like Brad, they also seem unconvinced by Haleron’s authenticity.
Doing a bit of digging, it is difficult to come up with any actual evidence of Haleron as a company, and although I’m seeing a lot of mentions of kit that the company have released over the past few months or are planning to release in the future, I’ve yet to find a review of any of their actual hardware, or even a post from a satisfied customer. However, it’s worth mentioning that this in itself isn’t conclusive proof that what we are seeing is a scam. For now, I’d be wary of ordering until we’ve seen more evidence that these units actually exist. The company have stated that they expect the units to be available via Amazon at some point in mid-March. If you’re tempted by this unit, it might be advisable to hang fire until (and if) it appears on Amazon. In the meantime, I’m going to continue investigating and see if I can dig up any hard facts.
UPDATE- (I’m actively trying to find out more information on Grupo Haleron and I’ll continue to update my findings as I go along.)
The first thing that struck me, was that the support forums on the Haleron website are a little odd – they have only a handful of posts, and none of them seem to come from any user who actually owns a device. I did find a link inside one of the posts which gives information on where to get downloads for a Haleron “Swordfish” netbook that they sell. The link is apparently for the Swordfish community pages at sfmovil.com. If you check out sfmovil.com, you’ll see it’s little more than a mobile phone review blog and has been for months judging by the archives. In fact, some of the archive posts go back to before the site was linked on the Haleron support forums. Not only that, but if you search sfmovil.com for the term “swordfish” there are no articles found at all. Now, all of that seems more than a little fishy to my mind.
I’m still waiting on someone from Haleron getting back to me on my questions. I’ve also tried to get in touch with someone from the office building that Haleron claim to operate from in Medellin, Colombia.
UPDATE 2- I’ve been checking around further and found a Spanish language site, possibly from Colombia, where the authenticity of Haleron is discussed. Two translated quotes there from a poster called “solidfoxdx” are of particular note-
Gentlemen, on the address of HALERON- Monteria is located in a residential area, more exactly in the Gold Coast neighborhood CRA 16 # 28-08. I have not heard of any such company there and in my experience with things of this town, I can say that this seems more like a Vaporware Phantom Console.
I do not think that (neither) the technology nor the engineers needed exist in this town of farmers and paramilitaries to make such a feat possible. Surely (they) are importers of Chinese pods. I will take the task of going to visit them.
And this second, also from solidfoxdx a couple of days later-
Good CONFIRMED. Haleron is a ghost.
There is no such company at the address: CRA 16 # 28-08 Monteria – Cordoba. What exists (there) is a school teaching English for children LOL!
UPDATE 3 – I sent Haleron an email asking if they could point me in the direction of reviews of their products or any reseller that happened to be selling their kit, here’s what they had to say:-
“Our units are sold in South America on your equivalent of Ebay. In europe on Mercaway. and after 20 March in the U.S. on Amazon.
Thank youSusana”
I’ve checked Mercaway and found that it is listing the iLet Mini, but only the iLet Mini – where are the other netbooks and tablets that Haleron claim to manufacture? Also, Mercaway is similar in function to eBay, they are not resellers as such. I note also that there was no mention of a review in the response I received. So, we still have no proof. I’ve emailed Haleron to ask them to take a photograph of one of the units, stressing that I don’t want them to send me one of the concept images from their website. I’m still awaiting a response.
So folks, it’s not looking very convincing. If you can vouch for the authenticity of Haleron (maybe you have one of their netbooks or tablets), please get in touch, as we’d like nothing more than to be able to announce that this is legit (we want one of the tablets!).
**UPDATE 4**- There are suggestions that the Haleron iLet Mini HAL has started shipping, so the company may be genuine after all. See here.
It may be, after all this, that the reason Haleron look so dodgy, is because, rather than being a manufacturer, they are merely selling another manufacturer’s units rebranded as their own. Here’s hoping this is the case.
Thanks to Luiz Rodriguez for the heads up on this story.
[...] UPDATE- We’re starting to see some doubts being cast on the authenticity of this tablet (see comments). We’re going to investigate further and report back our findings – See here [...]
[...] is te goed om waar te zijn dus ook gewoon niet waar. Hier is iig genoeg twijfel over te zaaien: link [...]
I am very interested in buying one of Haleron’s Ilet tablets as I am looking for a budget tablet computer. Does anyone know of any good ones available now as Haleron sounds like they may be a scam. Please email me ritchard_mckie7@yahoo.co.uk Thankyou Ritchard Mckie.
[...] tablet. Happily, this inexpensive tablet doesn’t look like a potential scam, unlike the Haleron iLet Mini, which we’re still bitter [...]
honestly? “sounds like”?! 100% clearly a scam. sheesh.
Thanks for the information, at me have crept in at once doubts in a reality of the given project. For two weeks could not find not one review of the device. Most likely it is a deceit. Excuse for bad English, I use the electronic translator.
Those of you who are looking for a low cost tablet – check out the Hott MD500, which, assuming it gets sold outwith the Far East, looks like it could be a decent, low price tablet. Or, alternatively, the Archos 7 Home tablet should be out later this month. It’s dirt cheap, has a 7″ screen capable of running video in 720p and it’s running Android.
[...] March 1, the ship date slipped to the March 19, then the March 24, now it’s set at April 1. Some folks are concerned that this is a scam. Some of the points that critics are bringing up are [...]
3 weeks ago I made the request of the tablet ilet Mini, after reading comments on your page, send them an email to cancel the order and the return of money.
I wanted to comment that I could still get my money and I have already written about 20 e-mail I think are not serious and is a scam
[...] iLet HAL starts shipping Posted in: 7 inch, android, tablet, tags: haleron, iLet mini HAL One friendly commenter gave us a heads up on Haleron a while back, making me doubt if they are legit or not. Well, it [...]
[...] of you who follow this site regularly will know that we ran a story a few weeks back detailing some doubts which were raised over the authenticity of the Haleron iLet [...]
The ‘Haleron Mio iLet’ tablet is made in China by a company called Probus. If I am reading their website correctly, Haleron are passing it off as their own. One thing selling an OEM product, but claiming to have developed it is another?
naughty naughty..
Yep. That’s actually what I’m beginning to suspect – perhaps the Haleron thing isn’t actually a scam as such, but they’re merely resellers of devices rebranded as their own, and they’d been unable to ship their units because they havdn’t actually received them yet from the true manufacturers. At the end of the day, they’ve not done themselves any favours as there’s quite a bit that doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. At the end of the day though, as long as all those folks that placed an order get their kit, I guess it doesn’t matter does it?
I have the Probus tablet in front of me – had one delivered a couple of weeks ago. it’s actually remarkably good for the price ($369 for a sample with trial version of windows 7 pro) and for me, even though it’s a bit chunky and has cooling grills all over the place, it beats the Archos 9 hands down! The slightly bigger screen makes a load of difference, and the Archos 9 virtual keyboard is a pain in the neck. Oh, and it’s at least $100 cheaper with a better version of windows installed – 7 Starter is truly pants!
@Pat
Can you tell us the link or contact info for Probus ?
I would like to purchase a sample of iLet 10, but youhave to know that i am interested in reselling these products, of course i am searching for a better price ( than Haleron ), because if there would be many resellers, we wouldnt be able to provide a better price to customer.
Thanks in advance.
Pat….you received this device, Congratulations.
Can you do us ( all of us who want to buy this MID) a favor and publish few nice pictures of it and place a link here. This will also provide a solid proof to us that this device really and truly exist.
I wrote several times to Haleron and never received any answer….so I still believe it is a scam, until its proved contrarily.
@schodry–PR:- The device Pat has is the original, Probus version of the device Haleron are passing off as one of their gadgets, it is not a device purchased from Haleron. Probus exist, and they do sell tablets and netbooks, but there are still question marks over Haleron. As I’ve mentioned, it’s looking more like Haleron are not running a scam, but they are also possibly not tech manufacturers, rather they may be a small business trying to pass themselves off as a manufacturer by selling rebranded gear. That doesn’t necessarily mean that the company are a scam as feared, but they’ve certainly not done themselves any favours with a pretty flimsy and suspicious looking background.
So… how can we finguare aout from where to buy a sample item of this ilet 10, in order to test it ?
Thank you Mr. Russell for this clarification.
I have gone to their website but don’t feel any activity there. I don’t think they are selling these tablets yet.
I have written them various eMails but no response which make me think the seriousness of their business. There is another Windows mobile Internet device that i am interested in, Mangrove 7″ from C-Motech. It would have been a great replacement to my small screen win-mo PDA on which I run many medical applications and books. It sounds like this device is not out yet if you have another bigger screen between 5 and 7inches device please let us know .
Thanks in advance.
@schodry-PR- Actually, there are quite a few 5+ inch Android devices just about to come out. The Enso ZenPad (which is a re-branded Smit 560), the Neophonie WePad and the Archos 7 and 8 home tablets are either available for pre-order now, or will be in the next few weeks. We’ll be covering them as they come in, so keep checking back here. For your needs, the Archos 7 or 8 would probably be perfect, and they look like being exceptionally cheap too (I’ll probably be buying one and I have no need for a tablet!)
[...] not even mention those that have been promised yet don’t even seem to actually exist like this one). Most of them seem to be of around the same sort of spec too – a 5″ 800×480 [...]
[...] images of the Ezy Ebook (see above and below)….this is exactly the same unit that Haleron may or may not have been selling to punters as the Haleron iLet Mini HAL. So,we’re guessing that Kami are [...]
[...] chance of this particular tablet turning out to be vaporware like the Enso ZenPad, or the Haleron iLet Mini HAL. Further good news on this front is the fact that Archos have stayed true to the very low cost at [...]
Like most, i have been extremely interested in one of these Haleron devices for a couple months now. This week i decided to contact them to see if they could ease my comfort level. I have now exchanged a couple emails with the Haleron team and they have been very responsive (will paste emails below). I am waiting on SSL security on their site and i will even test out ordering an iLet 10.
My first email asked about delivery time on the iLet 10, website security and bluetooth on the base model. Here is the response:
Regards,
Eric
My second email informed them of my concerns and the general vibe on US blogs. I also asked why the website was not more professional. Here is the response:
Yes, I am told by our tech that many of the companies that wanted free evaluation units and did not get them are blogging that we are not real. We only release 5 test units and they went to pre chosen reviewers. We actually do not sell to the public normally. These are new products which we build for others. In June we will revert bck to OEM as we have contracts with large telecoms for the units in their names and logos. We will be offering sample units only to the public.
With that we will allow the big clients to have the fancy websites, as we are concentrated on development of products.
Thank you for your input.
Regards,
Roberto Molonari
General Manager
So it seems that a lot of the speculation about the products is probably true. It also seems that purchasing one of these units from Haleron would be quite risky.
I still plan on giving it a shot (I’ll rely on my credit card company’s fraud protection for backup). I’ll report any news back here.
Many Chinese sellers are selling this device on ebay for under 200 bucks loaded with Android os, I believe v1.5.
THIS IS manufacturer:
http://www.ekengroup.com/en/product/show.asp?id=780
It seems Haleron has updated their website and removed the credit card option. Their internet distributor does have SSL and take credit cards (including Google checkout). The distributor has a pretty significant markup but may be worth it. This is in accordance with my last post, so the scam fear is degrading in my opinion. I will definitely be ordering a unit within the next 24 hours. I’ll report back my results.
Hi Cory, thanks for getting in touch. It does look as though they are going to sell these devices, yes, however, there’s no denying that they went about everything in a decidely dodgy way, not to mention the outrageous claims that they are actually designing and manufacturing these devices (see the Eken and Ezy Ebook reader versions of the exact same piece of kit). Also, it’s worth checking out the Engadget review of the device (the Eken branded one) as it doesn’t exactly score very highly and it appears to be much cheaper than Haleron are selling their version for.
Haleron does indeed sound fishy (although their tech support did indeed respond to me, and there is an actual photo of an iLet on the Web site (see the bottom of the iLet page, linked from http://www.haleron.com.
But assuming for the moment that the whole thing is a scam, what possible motivation could there be for creating such an elaborate ruse? If they don’t accept credit cards, how could they make any money on a scam?
Perhaps I’m too innocent, but I’m not seeing the benefit here.
H
@Harlan Lebo – Thanks for your comment. No, I don’t think you’re too innocent. As I mentioned at the end of the article, it’s looking very much like this isn’t a scam as such, more a collection of mis-truths. Haleron, it would seem, are merely resellers of rebranded kit, not, as they are claiming, manufacturers. The iLet Mini HAL is exactly the same as the Eken MID recently seen on Engadget and the Ezy Ebook Reader, which we mentioned here in another article. Haleron made a rod for their own back with a number of paper thin claims (as per the article above). Had they just been open to start with, the scam allegations would never have appeared (it’s worth pointing out that it wasn’t just us that brought the doubts to light). As it is, Eken are selling the same kit cheaper (quite a bit cheaper apparently), so if you’re really keen on the iLet Mini HAL, I’d recommend you look into the Eken branded version first.
Order Update
I have now ordered the iLet tablet with Windows 7 and pretty much all options. I have received order info and tracking info but it has not shipped yet. I’ll be monitoring this and provide updates as I have them.
Most of the posts on here regarding the Haleron resale of other devices are referring to the Android device. This may be true, doesn’t really matter to me but i did want to clarify that I’m only referring to the Windows tablet. Being that there are no other comparable windows tablets on the market (tablets, not tablet PC), especially at this price level is what is most intriguing to me. On the other hand, there are tons of comparable Android devices available.
There is no doubt that Haleron has been very sketchy through this whole process and anyone ordering from them or their “distributor” are doing so at a considerable risk.
Thanks, Martin. I get it about Haleron as you describe it — pretty shabby, I’d say. Not a great way to endear yourself to customers!
I have since looked at the Eken, and it’s real, tested, and available — for $120 on Merimobiles!
Many thanks!
H
I’ve ordered haleron device April, 1. I’m calling to their support every week and every time they promise to ship during a week. It’s terrible. Has somebody really received something from them?
30.04.2010 pay $255. iLet Mini HAL have not received
Sorry! 30.03.2010!
Haleron on Skype, e-mail does not answer.
I ordered the iLet 10 Extreme back in late February and initially had good communication with Haleron regarding features and possible shipping dates. After reading a lot of bad reports about them and many many ship dates passing, I decided to ask for a refund. Since then all communication from them has ceased. I am totally convinced that this is a scam and I strongly advise everyone to stay away from this company. I have launched a mini Twitter campaign to “out” them so no one else gets scammed! Please pass this along and feel free to repost wherever you think it might do good. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Scott
Haleron on contacts does not go
$86! Deceit?
http://www.ekengroup.com/en/product/show.asp?id=780
http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=android+tablet&_sacat=0&_odkw=android+tablet&_osacat=0&bkBtn=&_trksid=m270
I’ve cancelled the order more than 2 weeks ago. No money yet. They lie in every talk.
Ordered ILet mini to see if Haleron is real.
Looks like it’s a sham.
My credit card was charged by http://www.megbytes.com in Medellín, Columbia.
Site registration data does not say much:
http://whois.domaintools.com/megbytes.com
http://whois.domaintools.com/haleron.com
Will have to call VISA to report fraud.
Haleron is scam
This is the factory
http://www.ebendagroup.com/Products/HTML/32.html
This is the price
http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/313431851-Hotsale-7-inch-MID-Tablet-PC-with-Wi-Fi-ebook-wholesalers.html
http://www.aliexpress.com/product-fm/310119394-New-7-inch-Wi-Fi-Mini-Laptop-Netbook-MID-Tablet-PC-Free-Shipping-Google-Android-7-wholesalers.html
Hi! Fraud! I ordered Ilet Extrem February 26. Managed to get through to Haleron. Again promised to send in a week. They say that they have problems with certificates. Pay through manybookers. Who knows how to return the money back?
[...] still geworden um das Gerät. Kaum jemand verfolgte das weitere Vorgehen der Firma. Auf der Seite “thisandroidlife” können einige interessante Kommentare von Bestellern des Geräts gelesen werden. Anfangs schien [...]
No money yet. Every time they said that they’ve sent them. Fucked thieves.
I leave in China and was able to get some of the low cost touch panels. They are all put together by a company in Baoan District of Shenzhen. Company is called Eken Electronic Co. Factory is called Shenzhen Puge Electronics both are in Shenzhen.
http://www.ekengroup.com/en/product/index.asp
The device you refer to above is called the M001. I just purchased for 650RMB about 100 US$ the M003 and opened it. Inside is a chipset from WonderMedia. http://www.wondermedia.com.tw/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1
WonderMedia is a Taiwan company owned by Via. Of course we all know Via as they are the primary chipset that does the bus intefaces on most Intel based PC systems.
http://www.via.com.tw/en/company/
Via showed of most of the products at Computex 2010 which was in Taipei from June 1-5.
http://www.computextaipei.com.tw/
So in summary, Via designed the chipset, uses wondermedia to market the chipset. Eken engineers were very fast to adopt the chipset and put a product together and put it out on the market for 100 US$.
The heavy lifting to design the chipset, drivers, and run Android was all done by Via.
Hi everybody…!!
I read reviews and articles here pretty often. Comments of wise individuals here add information to our knowledge. Mr. Russelle is great author and his critics are greatly informative & reflect his HiTech knowledge.
BTW….I am looking for a Windows Mobile (6.xx) Device with at least 6 or 7 inches touch screen & of course not very expensive.
If someone know any information about these MID’s please, let me know. Matter fact I read about MANGROVE 7INCHES WinMo 6.1 but it was never came to the market or released.
Well, again, any related information will be appreciated.
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