Hands-on and First Impressions: Cherry Mobile Cubix Cube 2

Cherry Mobile’s own Cubix brand is here once again to offer another affordable yet feature-packed Android smartphone. The Cubix Cube 2 brings a 5.7-inch 1080p IPS display to the table with One Glass Solution and Octa-core power for under Php 5k.

The Cube 2 is made with a combination of metal and plastic — with the sides composed of the former while the rest of the device comprised with the latter. We first thought that it has a glass back panel but it turned out to be made with polycarbonate, and the significant amount of smudge is just hard to wipe off. Nevertheless, the device feels solid on hand.

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The Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels) display looks great during our short encounter. Even at 5.7-inch, clarity still holds at 384ppi. The IPS and OGS solution significantly gives the panel a boost with color reproduction and viewing stability.

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We weren’t able to properly test the 13-megapixel rear camera and 8-megapixel front-facing shooter yet, but with the short time we’ve spent on it the available indoor lighting performed adequately. Nothing special with the sensors here. Interestingly, there’s a pin connector at the back for wireless charging but you’ll need an additional case for that.

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The major concern with the smartphone is its OS version. With most local smartphones now on Android Lollipop out of the box, the Cube 2 ships with Android 4.4 KitKat. An update to 5.0 is promised but with no exact time frame as of the moment. Another disappointment is the lack of microSD card slot for memory expansion.

While the software and memory might be a deal breaker for some, the device’s built-in NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11 ac are something any sub-P5k smartphone doesn’t have.

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For Php 4,990USD 85INR 7,209EUR 81CNY 619, you’ll get a 1080p IPS display, 1.7GHz octa-core processor, 13MP and 8MP cameras, plus a whole suite of connectivity option. With the pricing, it’s not a bad package with a big catch.

Cherry Mobile Cubix Cube 2 specifications:
1.7GHz Octa-core processor
5.7-inch Full HD IPS OGS display (1920 x 1080 pixels)
2GB RAM
16GB internal storage
13-megapixel rear camera
8-megapixel front-facing camera
3G, HSPA+
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth
NFC
Dual-SIM / Dual-standby (Micro-SIM)
3500 Li-Po battery
Android 4.4 KitKat
156mm x 79mm x 8mm
170g

The Cubix Cube 2 will be sold online only through Lazada starting November 6 at 12NN.

Daniel Morial

This article was contributed by Daniel Morial, a film school graduate and technology enthusiast. He's the geeky encyclopedia and salesman among his friends for anything tech.

http://www.yugatech.com

9 Comments

Easy E says:

9 years ago

Sana pwede ang coupon sa lazada. Sulit na ito. Pang regalo.
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YEAH says:

9 years ago

ganda ng design ah.
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Noli Raves Fernandez says:

9 years ago

Talagang maganda ya cause the original version is Jiayu G6 2yrs ago
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nognog says:

9 years ago

may OTG support po ba toh?
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Chris says:

9 years ago

Ano kaya downside neto except sa OS.
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adminrex05 says:

9 years ago

The only thing na hindi ko nagustuhan sa phone na ito is
hindi sha 4G or LTE ready -_- mashadong tinipid ng cherry ang phone
they didn’t even think that some of flagship phones come from other cheap but high end ones
like alcatel and many more -_-

overall its pretty, ayoko lang nung non-removable and not 4g/lte ready.
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stupidjerker says:

9 years ago

Had this phone since Nov 7, so 7 days as my main driver, these are my thoughts about this:

PROS
1. Gorgeous looking phone
2. Impressive battery life (Lasts a whole day, 3G on and display at 30% brightness)
3. Full HD screen is amazing
4. Above average speaker (Noise is obvious though)
5. Price is definitely a treat.

CONS
1. Bloatware everywhere
2. Making a call is below average even when the signal is very strong — I think there is a problem with the mic cause most people I call could hardly hear me (Went to two CM Service centers and they insist that it’s normal, they were not even aware about cubix 2. Also did not offer to look at the phone further.)
3. Smart wake and screen shortcuts do not work well in unlocking nor pulling up apps.
4. Screen flickers when you put it at the lowest brightness level.
5. Does it lag? More often than usual (Again, CM Service center didn’t bother helping).
6. Connecting to Wifi is sometimes weak even if I’m the only person connecting to it, and I’m right beside the router.
7. Whatever tweak I do, I couldn’t block auto download of apps whenever I try to browse. Even when opening FB in the browser, my unit gets routed to some site that automatically download something. I often times have to press back and try opening it again.

DON’T MIND IT EXISTS
1. Software at 4.4.2 doesn’t matter
2. Memory not expandable (I use cloud service to store my files, streaming service for movies and music.)
3. Camera… I barely use this functionality in any of my gadgets.

CUBIX CUBE 1 vs CUBIX CUBE 2? Overall, CUBIX CUBE 1 for me. Had it for months and it still works better, in terms of productivity use. For multimedia use though, hands down CUBE 2.
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