Thanks for this fascinating insight. The jankyness you describe lines-up exactly with what I'm seeing here.

If H616 was the mainstream/volume chip box to have in 2021, then I'm super-interested to see what their 2023 H618 boxes look like. They are all over Amazon with loads of reviews on YouTube, just like its predecessor.

Considering the interest this write-up has generated I'm inclined get one and 'take the bullet' to see if this behaviour is continues. Given your insight about how these chips get sold, chances seem quite high.