Look on Ali Express at Industrial tablets. Most of them are POE and have no battery.
Watch out before spending money on a display - HA is a headless server. Connecting a monitor directly to the hardware on which it’s running will not show a dashboard like you expect, but a text console.
You access the HA dashboard and display a dashboard on another device with an internet browser (or the companion app). The Yellow doesn’t even have an HDMI port to connect to.
It’s been over a year since I installed that Android tablet and I felt it worth posting a quite update.
The Good
It has been very reliable aside from a few screen glitches. which I mention below.
Popping up camera feeds when the doorbell rings, a car comes onto the drive or there is motion in the back garden is very nifty and myself and my wife like the peace of mind. It’s also nice to get a brief heads-up that my in-laws are coming ![]()
We can quickly check and control hot water, house temperature, solar output, battery status, car location etc.
Quick access to some automations like Guest Mode [https://youtu.be/E1GghAyfx0g]
I’m use an Aqara FP2 to control the screen, turning it off when the kitchen is empty.
Guest wow factor. People are always curious about the “tablet in the wall”
The Bad
The hardware’s performance is lacking. My camera popups using browser_mod are very slow to respond. The age of the Android version is beginning to really bother me. The company even tried to justify what it used an older version.
The screen glitches from time to time, rendering crazed colours or grey lines. I’ve had to resort to cycling the power on two occasions to resolve this.
The screen is better than it needs to be. I think a 10" screen would be sufficient. I was also never happy with the makeshift frame I created to cover the gaps around the edges.
We don’t use the tablet for control as much as I expected we would. As I automate more and more, we use less and less of the controls on the table. Having small, localized controls like Zigbee wheels for controlling lights and brightness means we don’t resort to the tablet like we once did.
We certainly looked at it more in the summer to check solar and battery status before putting on washing etc. That said, I think a small e-ink screens in the utility/laundry room would be a better solution.
I tried using the in-built camera on the tablet too, but it struggled. Again, related to performance.
The tablet is suitable as a Point-Of-Sale, but under powered for some home control stuff ![]()
What’s next?
I’m beginning to plan out a replacement using a Raspberry Pi and dedicated touch screen (like previous commenters on here). It would be more difficult to setup initially but once running it should be far more upgradable and powerful. I was also wondering if it’s possible to 3D print a mount that could be plastered into the wall to create a perfect holder for the screen. Of course I don’t have a 3D printer, but I can still dream.
I’m also more fond of non-proprietary solutions so I’m using a RPi3 with the original 7" display in my office.
It’s running Raspbian with GUI and installed Chromium.
There is a small delay when opening browser_mod popups but the standard buttons work immediately.
Also, opening a cam view in a BM window is to much for the RPi3 apparently (lack in response & cpu temp goes up till the temp icon is showing)
Years ago, I did a test with just Raspbian Lite, some way to get a browser running, which also worked.
Some day I might do it that way.
Just like you, I’m not using it that much since I’m relying heavily on automations.
I suspect this will be my summer Home Assistant project ![]()
I have to slap myself for using the full-blown cam views on the RPi.
After I wrote this, I got the idea to use a stream with lower resolution. ![]()
I’ve got three Lenovo tablets that I have had nothing but troubles with. They are sitting on the shelf right now. Basically they tend to drop the wifi. What versions do you use. Were they successful?
Hello everyone.
I take advantage of this post to ask you for suggestions regarding a tablet not for a wall but for a desk with its own docking station that can charge it and maybe integrate speakers. I have a Lenovo Tab x606f that doesn’t satisfy me at all… Looking around I found very little.
Thank you!
What’s not satisfying exactly? Please be as specific as possible.
In the last year it has slowed down considerably as a graphical response, I managed to install a custom image that makes it a little more responsive. This is in the mountain house, I would like to take something more customizable for the main house.
Walmart make their own brand of Onn tablets which are quite decent and cost effective (you can get a brand new 10" for $100 something). They are very close to stock Android. We have bought a number of them over the last years and been very happy with them. You can even find them on sale/clearance some times.
Using Wallpanel.xyz and a smart plug to keep the battery between 30 and 70%.
Out of curiosity, how do you manage screen on/off for the ONN + wall panel setup? Are you using a screensaver, or does it have a proper screen-off function? I’m asking because I’d prefer to keep the screen off most of the time, but I’ve noticed it sometimes goes into a deep sleep state or turns off Wi-Fi using fully kiosk. Curious how others are handling that.
I am using the screen saver functionality built in to Wallpanel.xyz (which is a F/LOSS alternative to Fully Kiosk). I am not bothered by the screen staying on, in fact it’s nice having another clock in the house. ![]()
Wallpanel.xyz has a pretty neat facial recognition feature to turn the screen on, but it does not seem to be perfect either, not sure if that’s the app or the tablet itself (or some combination) but every once in a while I have to touch the screen or reset something it seems.
Hi Everyone, we are manufacture for wall mounted tablet which is perfect for smart home control panel, here are some reference pictures from the end customer, DM me if you are interested.
Can you share your store?
Here it is
yixu-elec.aliexpress.com/store/414435
Yikes, not cheap!
@Fiona any plans to release this in european shops? I’m not buying from Aliexpress
Fiona’s tablet looks not bad on the specs ! Using a Fire HD10 for 3 years now but with the nuclear plant level that my HA reached, my dashboards became more and more laggy. Asking an acceptable refresh rate on a dashboard with 6 live cameras does not work on a Fire HD. If reliable, I am not against buying one. Other solution would be to swap the Fire HD10 with a Samsung, as many seem happy with it.
Did you end up finding an alternative? Why does your Lenovo doesn’t suit you? I have been hearing good things about that device, and was planning to buy one.
Additionally, @karma are you still using the Nexus 7? I was trying to repurpose one of my old ones, and that doesn’t even load the dashboards. Might be associated with the many HACS I have.
