Cubot MAX Review - HUAWEI MATE ON A BUDGET!
Cubot MAX looks to provide a Huawei Mate experience on a budget. Can it deliver?
These are my impressions of Cubot's latest 6.0-inch device.
BOX AND PACKAGING:
You get a really nice shockproof silicon case, a guide, a warranty card, 2A/9V charger and a USB cable. A pretty good packaging for 120$.
HANDLING AND LOOKS:
This is a 6.0 - inch device, but the screen-to-body ratio is quite excellent for this price segment. The phone feels very solid and thanks to the texture on the back it feels very great to hold. Did I mention that it also looks COOL? :)
Built quality is super solid for this price segment. All the buttons have good feedback also, the body and screen are very well built. The buttons are not backlight, but there is a notification LED. The Cubot MAX looks and feels well above the asking price.
USER INTERFACE:
Cubot is one of the only Google-certified companies in China(even Xiaomi and Meizu are not certified). This means you get great compatibility with Google apps(Hangouts, Maps, Youtube and more) All google apps and services come pre-installed too! The UI feels and looks like a Nexus UI. Very clean interface and is also bloatware-free!
Cubot MAX runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow out of the box.
GPS lock and positioning were very impressive and works very fast with Google Maps.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS(SPECS):
This device is no slouch when it comes to performance! Packing a 64-bit Octa-Core Processor with 3GB RAM and 32GBs of Storage.
Battery life will also not be a problem with the 4100mAh removable battery. The device is very responsive switching between apps and games. Heavier 3D games also ran well. I tried the latest racing game - Asphalt Extreme and it ran great.
ANTUTU and EPIC CITADEL scores are solid for a 120$ device.
Display is SMASHING for watching videos, like the new Ghost In The Shell trailer:
CPU ：MT6753A , 1.3GHz Octa-coreGPU ： Mali - T720MP3RAM ： 3 GBROM ： 32 GB (Expansion Supported: 128GB)OS : Android 6.0BATTERY ： 4100 mAhLithium battery(removable)CARD ：Micro SIM card X 2TF card X 1DisplaySize : 6.0 Inch 2.5D GlassType : IPS , 5-point touchResolution : HD 720X1280 pixelsMain Camera: 13.0mp OV , Auto focus 4P lens, ƒ/ 2.0 aperture with 0.5A2 LED flashlightBack Camera: 5MP with Beauty Mode
CAMERA:
Cubot implemented a 13MP Omnivision sensor, that is very well known to me. It's one of the best budget sensors out here for taking photos in good lighting conditions. Here is a shot was taken with the main cam in a sunny day.
Make sure to check the link below for full-size photos and videos. CLICK HERE FOR FULL SIZE PHOTOS AND VIDEOS
Let me show you the camera app. Very standard MTK Cam app, but you can use Google Camera from the Playstore.
This sensor's weakness is definitely low light shots, so don't expect to get a good shot at night. The camera shutter speed gets very slow and heavy noise is present in the photos. This camera definitely a step above the IMX219 which Chinese manufacturers use in cheaper devices. Just don't go thinking this is a 300$+ camera on a 120$ phone.
CONCLUSION:PROS:
+Great Built Quality
+Very nice handling for a 6.0-inch device
+Google Apps pre-installed and work great, NO BLOATWARE
+Great camera for shots on a sunny day
+Big removable battery will get you through the day
+Display has great saturation and colours are vibrant, great for youtube and browsing
+ Good multi-tasking and 32GB's of storage(expandable with MicroSD)
CONS:
- Camera is useless in low light
- Front Cam could be better
