Cubot C30 Smartphone Review: Powerful performance | Budget Camera Phone

Cubot is a third-tier Chinese company that does not shy away from copying designs from more famous brands. Recently, its range has been expanded with the new Cubot C30.

In early October, sales of the Cubot C30 smartphone, equipped with a quad camera, started. Besides, there is an eight-core platform, an NFC module, a 4200 mAh battery. Released versions of 128GB and 256 GB of internal memory. We started testing it back in October.

After placing the picture in the feed, users noted its visual resemblance to the new iPhone. It belongs to the inexpensive segment, in which the manufacturer feels quite confident. At the next sale, version 8GB/128 GB.

Outwardly, C30 certainly looks attractive. But what’s hidden under the pretty wrapper? Let’s find out together. After reading our Cubot C30 review, you will find detailed information about the key features of the gadget.

Key Features:

• Display Size: 6.4Inch
• Display Resolution: FHD+ hole-punch screen, 1080 x 2310
• Processor: Helio P60, Octa-core
• GPU: ARM Mali- G72 MP3 GPU
• Operating System: Android 10
• Rear Camera: 48MP +16MP +5MP+0.3MP
• Front Camera: 32MP
• Storage: 128GB /256GB
• RAM: 8GB
• Battery: 4200 mAh Undetachable
• Network: Dual Nano SIM Card and 4G
• Sensors: Finger Print Scanner, Face ID, NFC, Proximity, Magnetic, Gyroscope, Accelerometer

Accessories:

Packaged in a black painted cardboard box. The kit includes a silicone case, power supply, USB cable, user manual and warranty card.

Design:

The device comes with a protective film that is pre-glued to the screen, a case, an adapter for removing the tray, a power supply, a cable and documentation.

The front panel of the smartphone is represented by a screen with a front-end cut into the upper left corner. The frames here are quite thin, which makes the surface look cool enough. You cannot immediately guess the cost of the device.

The backdrop is made of plastic. The main element here is the main camera block, made following the trends of 2020. It is large, and the sensors are arranged in a square shape.

The design of the smartphone is copied from the new iPhone 12. It has long been known that it will have angular edges, as it was in the iPhone 4. The frames of the hero of the review are straight, on the bottom there is a Type-C port and a speaker, on the right are the power button and a fingerprint scanner. The latter works well, I don’t want to criticize it for speed or accuracy. But we didn’t like the shape. The fact is that it goes flush with the frame, so finding it blindly is still a challenge.

On the opposite side, you can find a hybrid tray and a volume rocker. There is no minijack in the device. The case is non-separable, a pair of SIM or SIM and a memory card are placed in a pull-out tray. It is a hybrid here.

Charging is carried out via the current USB Type-C. Along the edges of it are a neat row of the speaker and microphone holes.
Side face with beveled edges. The phone frame is made of metal, which ensures high rigidity. Unlike the previously tested CUBOT Note 20 Pro, here the camera is shifted to the right and only comes with a slight edge.

Proximity and lighting sensors have been moved to the upper edge. The screen occupies almost the entire front side area. There are no protrusions.

The dimensions of the model are quite modest by modern standards. However, it will not be so comfortable to use at first because of the angular edges. True, it’s easy to get used to this and after a couple of hours of using the device, you will stop paying attention to this moment. The smartphone does not have any protection, so it is better not to acquaint it with water and hard surfaces.

Display:

The display of the gadget is made using IPS technology. The diagonal is 6.4 inches, the resolution is 2310 by 1080 pixels. The viewing angles are wide. The screen makes a good impression. There are no areas with highlights around the perimeter. The touch layer reacts precisely to pressing. It is clear that the refresh rate here is ordinary 60 Hz. The pixel density is not bad at 398 units per inch. As a result – a clear picture without grain. The finger glides on the screen comfortably, it collects fingerprints reluctantly, so you don’t have to constantly wipe the display with a cloth.

There is nothing special to say about the panel. She has traditional cold colors for smartphones at such a price, which you quickly get used to. The brightness margin is not a record one, but it will be enough for comfortable operation in direct sunlight.

Camera:

The main camera of the smartphone consists of a set of sensors with a resolution of 48 Mp Samsung S5KGM1, 16 megapixels wide-angle, 5-megapixel macro, and 0.3-megapixel depth sensor. You can switch between the three cameras in the app. If the purpose of the first two modules is clear – the leading sensor and the ultra-wide, then why the last two sensors are installed here is not clear. These are typical number gags.

Looking at the photos from the main sensor, you can’t immediately say that it has a resolution of 48 MP. The pictures are not clear, flashes, and errors in determining the exposure and white balance often occur. The contrast is poor and the colors look dull. Also, problems with over sharp are noticeable to the naked eye.

The quality of the ultra-wide photo is also poor. The detail is noticeably lacking, the sharpness at the edges of the frame is lower than in the center, the colors look overcooked.

Additional creative modes are available. Determination of age. Face decoration. In the daytime, it shoots with a good level of detail. The resolution of the front camera is 32 MP. Suitable for taking selfies and using them during video calls.

Performance and software:

Consider the characteristics of the Cubot C30. The smartphone comes with an Helio P60 processor under the hood. The company is 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage. There is support for microSD flashcards, but for them, you will have to sacrifice a second SIM card.

In AnTuTu Cubot C30 is gaining about 160 thousand points. As for practice, the performance of the smartphone, of course, allows you to shoot in PUBG and World Of Tanks, but you will definitely have to lower the settings to medium or even low in order for the frame rate to be sufficient for comfortable gameplay.

In household use, the situation is better. Most of the time, the smartphone runs smoothly and does not slow down. Lags only happen when launching demanding applications and when multitasking when switching between them. But they are not unloaded from memory.

From the unpleasant moments – the processor throttles a lot. Moreover, this happens even during the moments of idleness, when the device is not loaded at all.

In a word – MediaTek. It is not for nothing that the manufacturer has such a reputation. It seems that in the reviews the owners will once again go through it with a roller. The device is running a clean version of Android 10. Unlike most manufacturers, there is no third-party software or adware. During testing, the smartphone received updates.

Battery:

The capacity of the installed battery is 4200 mAh. By the standards of 2020, this is a modest result. However, in a medium-intensity operation, the device survives the rest of the day in autonomous mode.

If you are too active and do not let go of your smartphone at all, then by the middle of the working day the device will be asked for a pit stop. A complete replenishment cycle with the included adapter takes about two hours.

Communication and Internet:

The smartphone is no worse than the flagships, it works in the 4G LTE bands, so the owner will not have problems with mobile communications and the Internet.

The positioning accuracy via the GPS module is not bad – about 7 meters. The download speed is high. Wi-Fi with 5GHz ac support. Unfortunately, only supports one range. But there is NFC for contactless purchases. Google Pay and other payment systems are supported by default.

Speaker and sound quality:

It has only one multimedia speaker in the smartphone. We really tried to find reasons to praise him, but we failed to do so. The sound is loud, but there is no need to talk about detail. Distortion, noise, and frequency balance drops are noticeable. If the lower frequencies are completely absent, then the middle is lifted by mom to grieve.

I also don’t like the manufacturer’s refusal from the minijack. It is clear that Cubot is trying to imitate its eminent colleagues in the workshop, but she clearly should not adopt such habits. To connect headphones, you will have to use Bluetooth 4.2. There is no aptX support here, but the sound quality is generally good.

Final Verdict:

Cubot C30 in the segment of inexpensive smartphones of internal memory, good shooting quality, long battery life, no frames and protrusions on the display. Attractive appearance, the presence of a cover in the kit, contactless payments. You may not be satisfied with the need to choose between a second SIM and a memory card.