Database Info

Different Magic - PIPO M8 Dual Core Tablet Hands-on Review

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
​
First, I have to say that I am really very excited that PIPO has chosen me, along with 19 other people, to review this new tablet. I’ve become quite a fan of the device as soon as I laid my eyes on it. As I always go for uniqueness and the feel of black technology (Sorry, Apple!), the PIPO M8 gives me just everything I need!
For people who have never heard of this brand, it is a company focusing on making differentiated tablets in the Chinese markets. It is the first Chinese company to market a 7 inch tablet with 1280*800 IPS display, an 8.9 inch PLS tablet as well as this 9.4 IPS display device we are testing today. As far as I am concerned, this marketing strategy has been quite successful, as PIPO has attracted tens of thousands of fans in just a few months’ time since U1 hit the market.
Highlights
9.4” IPS Capacitive Touchscreen, 1280*800
Slim Magazine-like Design
Support WCDMA/GSM Mobile Internet (Only the 3G version)
Android 4.1 OS
RK3066 Dual Core 1.6GHZ processor, quad-core of Mali-400MP
1GB RAM, 16GB ROM
5.0 Mega-pixels AF Camera
Front facing Stereo Speakers
Bluetooth 2.1
Support OTG, HDMI
Support 2160p video playback
Specifications
Operating System: Android 4.1.1
Model: PIPO M8
Display Technology: IPS Capacitive touch screen
Screen Size: 9.4 inch
Resolution: 1280*800
CPU Manufacturer: Rockchip
CPU Model: RK3066 Dual core A9 Chipset with Mali-400MP4
CPU Speed: 1.6GHz
RAM:1GB [email protected]
Hard Drive Capacity: 16GB
PCMCIA Expansion: T-FLASH (Support 32GB MAX)
Camera: 2MP+5MP Auto Focus
HDMI: HDMI1.4
3G: Internal 3G for 3G version, external 3G for the WIFI version
Bluetooth: Yes
GPS:NO
G-Sensor:Yes
Gyroscope: Yes
Audio: Built in stereo speakers (frontal)/ Built in Microphone
Language:Multi-language support
Battery Type: Li-ion, 6500mAh
Charging Voltage: DC 9V - 2.5A
Color: Black
Item Dimensions/ W*D*H:240x 172 x 9.0mm
Net Weight: 520g
Connectors
Ports: 2 x Micro USB port (USB Host and USB data port)
1 x Micro SD card slot
1 x 2.5mm DC input (9V, 2.5A)
1 x Audio jack
1 x Mini HDMI port
Communications
Wireless Connection:WIFI 802.11 b/g/n; WIFI+3G for the 3G version
Bluetooth 2.1
Retail Package
I received a gigantic delivery package last Friday, within which there are a slim paper back box which holds the tablet and a warranty certificate, another smaller but thicker paper box which holds the fittings and the manual for this tablet. A protection cover which is more likely an optional fitting more than a bundled one.
And above are all the standard fittings for the tablet.
Design
There’s no questioning that PIPO has come up with a stand-out look for this tablet. From the second you see the M8, it’s clear that the company is making a statement about how you’ll live and work with the device. The basic shape calls to mind a folded book or magazine, which is really comfortable to look at even though it feels very different. The device sports a 9.4-inch screen and weighs in at 520g, but it feels lighter in your hands than other tablets on the market because of the way the shape allows weight to be distributed. The tablet is only 9.02mm at its thickest point, and tapers down to a narrow 4.36mm.
Whether or not you warm up to this design is probably a matter of taste, but I found myself a big fan of the magazine shape, in both two-handed and single-hand settings, as well as on a flat surface. The beveled shape makes typing slightly easier when you have the M8 on a desk.
Besides the big screen up front, the M8 features a 2.0 Mega Pixels Front-facing camera, an ambient light detection sensor which enables auto-brightness of the display, and two speaker gates. This is the first time I’ve seen any tablets putting speaker gates on the front, but this is actually a very smart move, as you could never block them again wherever you put your tablet, Both the clarity of the outer sound the stereo speakers produces and its volume is very good, better than any other Chinese branded tablets I have tested.
Most of the ports and all the hardware keys are located on the upper edge, including a menu key, an ESC key. a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 32GB, a Micro USB Host connector, a Micro USB data port, a Mini HDMI interface, an LED notification light and a DC charging jack. The plug PIPO includes is of the 9V-2.5A standard, which ensures great charging efficiency.
​
On the left edge lies a 3.5mm audio jack, and on the right a Power/Standby switch which is artistically designed.
On the back you will find a 5 Mega-pixels AF camera which is able to shoot fairly sharp photos, another outstanding feature for the gorgeous device. All of the ports and buttons on the device feel very reasonably placed and easy to find.
In all, the M8 is a distinct device with a lot going for it in terms of industrial design, and there is almost no misstep here that makes the device underwhelming. The skin-feel metal back cover gives the device all the feel of expensiveness it needs, even comparing to those Apple and Samsung tablets which are priced many times more.
Display
The front is occupied by a 9.4” 1280x800 pixels screen, surrounded by fairly thin bezel. The screen resolution is the main gripe to be held against the M8, in this day and age of flagship slates with 1080p displays and above. Having said that, it is a very good screen in terms of colors, contrast ratio and viewing angles. The display brightness is also really satisfactory, meaning that you would be able to use the M8 outside even on a sunny day.
Internals
Inside the M8, you will find a healthy dose of familiar Android guts. The device is powered by Rockchip RK3066 dual core A9 chipset, running at 1.6GHZ, meaning you’ll get solid performance on all almost all applications. According to previous tests with other tablets powered by this chipset, RK3066 is arguably the most powerful dual core ARM processor. The M8 has 1GB of RAM onboard and 16GB of internal storage. The device also sports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and an array of sensors (gyro, light, accelerometer, etc.).
Software
​
Most tablets these days must be judged on their software. In the case of Android Jelly Bean tablets, that’s not exactly a Herculean effort.
PIPO is no different in the sense that the company has opted for slight tweaks in the software rather than a major overhaul. The M8 utilizes largely the same build of Jelly Bean as other tablets (like the Galaxy Tab 8.9), though there are a few notable differences.
First, PIPO has designed a customized M8 homescreen which does not have a portrait mode, this can be quite annoying sometimes when you exit an portrait-default application like an E-reader or games such as Temple Run.
The widgets and icons of the regular applications have been revised to fit the custom UI. Having seen lots of stock Android UIs, I find myself quite a fan of those cute, crystal-like icons. As the M8 has no hardware controls for volume adjustment, PIPO has put the virtual volume rocker in the permanent android status bar, along with a screenshot button and the regular ECS key, Home key and Task Switcher.
PIPO has also preinstalled a few applications and games on the M8, but one of them PIPO-exclusive. You can easily find them free in any android market app.
Cameras
The rear-facing 5.0 Mega-pixels camera does a great job of capturing images — if you’re into holding a nearly 10-inch tablet up while you snap away. As I’ve said in many other tablet reviews, taking photos with the cameras on tablets are completely silly to me, even though I actually have seen quite a few Chinese and Japanese people doing that in public. I certainly won’t. On the other hand, the front-facing camera here is a step up from most other models, and I’m happy to see PIPO trying to improve the specs on what is normally an afterthought.
Just know this: even though the rear camera is probably the best I have seen on any Chinese tablet, it won’t replace a real camera or decent smartphone option — mostly due to the size of the device and awkwardness in use.
You can also capture 480P videos with the M8, though this seems even more bizarre to me than snapping photos. Quality was solid, though the device’s awkward size made it tough to get steady content.
Performance
As I have mentioned above, the RK3066 chipset, although seemingly a little outdated as a bunch of quad-corers have already hit the market, is still able to provide more than enough power to run the device smoothly over a variety of applications.
Some benchmark scores of the M8 and the comparison to other dual core devices.
In terms of General performance, the device seemed speedy running graphically intense games. And the experience of video playback is also very pleasant as the chipset can easily supports all formats of videos to at least 1080P. Thanks to the updates Google has made for Android4.1, the responsiveness and smoothness is better than ever. It doesn’t pale even compared to the Apple iOS.
Connectivity
As for connectivity, M8 has probably the best WIFI reception of all Chinese tablets I've tested, Online video streaming is possible even when you are 10 meters and some walls away from the WIFI router.
Besides, M8 also has built-in Bluetooth, which is a rare feature for Chinese slates. The WIFI version of the tablet can also get access to 3G network through connecting a 3G network card to the device through an OTG cable. And the 3G version has built-in 3G module which supports WCDMA/GSM SIM card. As I've only received a WIFI version, I cannot tell you how well the 3G module works on the M8.
Battery Life
Battery life on the M8 seemed solid to me, as the device features a 6500mAh rechargeable Li-PO battery. In my intense 720p video playback test, the M8 lasted nearly 8 hours, which is quite something considering that most Chinese tablets can hardly stand 5 hours of screen-on use. However, I did notice a more pronounced drain on the battery when the device was sleeping than my Tegra2 powered Samsung Galaxy Tab8.9 and Motorola XOOM, and I felt it fell short of competitors like the Ainol NOVO10 (8000mAh battery) and FSL Fast (8000mAh battery) in terms of overall battery longevity.
Another annoying issue is that the device does not support charging under the shutdown state, even though the charging efficiency with the 9V-2.5A plug is quite amazing (A full charge only takes as short as 3 hours).
Wrap-up
Good stuff:
Fascinating industrial design
Great looking display
Capable cameras
Excellent front facing stereo speakers
Solid battery life
Wonderful WIFI reception
Not so good stuff:
Incapability of charging under a shutdown state
Pricier than alternative options
Android slates are mostly competing on specs and price these days, rather than with design and overall experience.
The M8 goes for RMB1199 ($193) from PIPO, and, granted, this is $200 less than the market-leading iPad Mini, or the original 9.4 inch Sony Tablet S which is powered by the quad-core Tegra3 chipset. But for the same $200 price you can get the Exynos Qua-core Ramos W30, or the brand new Ployer MOMO19 with quad-core A31 and 2GB of ram.
The M8 does offer some features to differentiate itself from the competition, though, apart from the distinctive looks, like the very capable cameras and battery. Other than that, you can find plenty of decent Android tablets with this screen resolution and processing power for even less.
Overall, those who'd appreciate the more distinctive, elegant look will find the M8 right up their alley. But for those who just want a cheap Chinese tablet with a big screen and decent processing power, there might be other options.

thanks for your report.
questions:
how fast is the gpu clock for the mali mp400mp4 in the m8, ist the clock at 533 mhz???

Thanks for your question, the GPU is clocked at 399MHZ, powerful enough to run all Android games smoothly.
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium

against cube u30gt how does it compete?
thanks

Okay, ive got one for over a week now, the M* 3G (built in), and I must say......it rocks! Can work for about 6 Hrs without recharging, Wifi is perfect, design is a beauty,Im living in the Netherlands and today I tried (without any hopes of working) my built in 3G sim...guess what, no problem, worked right away. Graphic Speed is more than sufficient. The screenres. is perfect, tried to stream from my QNAP 469 (Twonky & Serviio) and the QNAP apps, worked like charm ( besides the mkv of 20+ gb.....but that's normal). When you buy this Tablet, beware of the fact that the OTG cable can be defect (as was mine...) when i tried to hook up a keyboard which i ordered in a sleeve, after replacing it it worked fine (also mouse and HDD). Sufficient power out for the HDD. Conclusion for me (mind...non-gamer, mediafreak yess) for about $185 ex. shipping: A WINNER!

For me, m8 is the better choice, u30gt is much porkier. And I prefer the design of m8.
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium

the 3G version, $185? r u serious? It's priced at RMB1,399 here in China, which is above $200....
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium

You should mention in the negatives that you can't update the android OS by OTA you have to do a whole procedure to do a system update via your pc (so if you have a linux based pc you are pretty much sc....d). In my case I have an Andersson ADT 2.6 which is a rebranded Pipo M8
Sent from my ADT 2.6 using Tapatalk 4

M8 replacement
For those who love their M8 Pro, like I do ...and would like a viable replacement someday, look to the M8HD.
It is the same case with a 10.1" brighter screen installed; thinner screen surrounds; bigger battery.
Pretty sure the M8 Pro is being/has been discontinued. I hated that they might give up the M8 size and style.
Not so, thankfully!
Could be one day we will see a RK3288 in the M8 case. Now that would be nice! ?:good:
Edit on 6/28/15
Amazing that I can still edit this post after so long. My M8 Pro finally died a quiet death. I was going to give it to a family member now that I have my Cube T9; decided to update the RileyRom, and bricked the tablet. Dead android on back; frozen on screen with a triangle above him marking his demise.
Boo hoo! There was a lot about the M8 Pro I really liked!
?

The battery is not even close to what the review is referring. Its last for 2 hours only in daily use and it was something like that from the begging. I have the tablet for 1 and a half year and after 6 months it started to hang, freez, you hard reset it and does not come on easily. As a conclusion DO NOT BUY IT!!! NEVER NEVER!!!

Small, but Powerful – ICOO ICOU7GT Quad Core Tablet Hands-on Review

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
​
Last year, ICOO has made quite an impact with the ICOU7, the cheapest dual core tablet with an IPS display. I bought one for my dad right after it was on sale. The experience with the ICOU7 is nice, but far from perfect. I grew fond of the smoothness it brought, yet constantly bewildered by its terrible battery life.
This year, ICOO brought us the updated version of the ICOU7: the quad core ICOU7GT, which is powered by the Allwinner A31 quad core chipset and 2GB memory, and also features a 7 inch IPS display at the resolution of 1280*800. While the RK3188 is still struggling to get into a 7 inch slate, the ICOU7GT definitely appeared right on time!
Key Features
◇7 inch 16M-color IPS display at WXGA resolution (1280*800 pixels)
◇Weighs 296g, 188*114*8.8mm in size.
◇Allwinner A31 SoC., quad core Cortex-A7 processor, PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU, 2GB memory
◇Stock Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, will soon be updated to Android 4.2
◇16GB of built-in-storage
◇VGA front facing camera; 5.0MP rear-facing camera
◇Stereo speaker
◇Bluetooth2.1
◇HDMI TV-out
◇USB host
◇MicroSD card slot
◇Standard 3.5mm audio jack
◇2160p video playback
◇3600mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery
Retail Package: Parsimonious
​
The ICOU7GT is packaged in a gorgeous paperback box, which also plays host to a USB data/charging cable, an OTG cable, and an earphone, along with the user manual and warranty card. The absence of the charger is quite a shame, who would want a crappy bundled earphone instead a charger?
Design: Fashionable
​
Like the other members of the 7 inch gang, the ICOU7GT employs the minimalist design. Its front surface is adorned with a glossy glass screen, surrounded by a small pure white matte bezel. A VGA front-facing camera designed for video-chatting sits comfortably above the screen.
​
On the back, there's a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera located in the top left with a Logo right in the center. Although the back is made of plastic, the frosted design of it doesn’t feel cheap at all.
All the buttons and connectors are reasonably placed, you will find on its top edge (Portrait Mode) a Micro USB port for charging and data transmission, a Micro HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Micro SD card slot which supports cards up to 32GB.
The speaker gate sits on the bottom edge, according to my test, it has a decent volume.
And the left side of the slate plays host to the two and only hardware keys: a power/standby key and a volume rocker. Personally, I love the minimalist approach ICOO took with the buttons, as we can find the other controls in the status bar of the system UI, why do we need the physical version of them on the device?
The slate is only 8.8mm thick, and weighs less than 300 grams, so it’s very comfortable to hold in just one hand.
Display: Eye Watering
The ICOU7GT sports a 7 inch IPS at the resolution of 1280*800, a pixel density of 216PPI. That’s clearly identical to the Nexus 7’s screen.
Specs aside, the ICOU7GT provided one of the sharpest, most-colorful pictures I've seen from a 7 inch tablet. When I look at the same pictures on both the ICOU7GT and an iFive Mini2, colors were noticeably more vibrant on the ICOU7GT.
System & UI: No Surprise​
The ICOU7GT ships with Android 4.1.1 (Jelly Bean), and ICOO promised an Android 4.2 firmware update will come to the device very soon. There’s not much to talk about the system and user interface, as it’s almost 100% stock Android with the full line of google apps. Third party applications are kept to the minimum, and none of them is ICOO-exclusive.
Probably the only thing I should mention again is the 4K player app designed exclusively for tablets with the Allwinner A31 Soc. It is capable of playing 4 clips of HD videos in different floating windows simultaneously. As much as it shows the video decoding and multi-tasking ability of the A31 chipset, it actually is useless on a screen-tight 7 inch tablet.
Performance: Impeccable
The ICOU7GT is powered by the Allwinner A31 Soc., which is built on quad core of Cortex-A7 processors and 40nm process, each core can speed up to 1.2GHZ. It is also paired with the Imagination Technologies’ PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU and 2GB of DDR3 memory.
Whether I was navigating around the OS, playing an HD video or racing around the car in "NFS 17", the ICOU7GT and its quad core A31 chipset provided smooth performance.
On Antutu, a synthetic test that measures overall system performance, the ICOU7GT scored a solid 12,671, even better than the tegra3 powered ASUS Transformer Prime and almost twice as much as the tablet category average. However, the PIPO M9 and its quad-core A9 RK3188 CPU scored a much-higher 17226.
On Nenamark2, a graphics benchmark, the ICOU7GT scored an incredible 59.1FPS, far better than the rest of the quad core tablet gang, thanks to its impeccable SGX544MP2 GPU.
The only benchmark which the ICOU7GT didn’t do very well with is Vellamo, of which the HTML5 Chapter evaluates mobile web browser performance and the Metal Chapter measures the CPU subsystem performance of mobile processors. The 1128 of HTML5 and 363 of Metal even lag behind the scores of some dual core tablets.
Scores can’t tell everything about this slate, in real use, the ICOU7GT’s performance transcends its benchmark scores. The PowerVR SGX544MP2 GPU is really astonishing when it comes to running graphic-intense games. I’ve never experienced such speediness during playing “Need for Speed 17: the Most Wanted” and “Asphalt7”. Also, you can never find another chipset more capable of video decoding, all formats of 3840*2160 videos can be played smoothly on the ICOU7GT, and you can even output the image to a larger screen via an HDMI cable.
However, what stuns me the most is its capability of multi-tasking. I did some insane tests on the ICOU7GT, streaming three HD videos in different floating windows, running several apps in the background, and try to play “virtua tennis” and then “fruit Ninja” on the ICOU7GT, and guess what, ICOU7GT coped with them all very well. Only when I was streaming 4 HD videos and play the more power-demanding “IRON MAN 3”, the ICOU7GT started to struggle with smoothness.
Cameras: A Joke
The ICOU7GT has featured a 5MP rear-facing camera, but don’t get fooled by the numbers. Even with good lighting, photos shot by the ICOU7GT can turn out fairly grainy and noisy. The front-facing camera is of VGA standard, and it is even worse than the rear side camera.
Connectivity: Solid
There's not a great deal of connectivity options adorning the ICOU7GT, with the Wi-Fi b/g/n and Bluetooth standards making their typical appearances. The wifi reception is solid, yet not so strong as the Samsung P1000, but far better than slates like the CUBE U9GT3 and Aiwa AW920.
Battery Life: Too short
The greatest disappointment of the ICOU7GT is the battery life, as the 3600mAh capacity suggests, the ICOU7GT can barely make it to 5 hours of on screen use. During my video playback test, it lasts 4 hours and 48 minutes before it automatically shuts down due to battery drain, and holds its ground for less than 4 hours streaming online. I don’t care if the 3,600mAh battery capacity is a result of its 8.8mm body, a battery life of less than 5 hours is just too short by any standard!
Verdict​
The ICOO ICOU7GT is the first 7 inch tablet that features the Allwinner A31 quad core chipset, and overall, it is a nice slate, if you can get over its crappy battery life. However, its competitiveness is questionable, as slates like the Hyundai T7 and Viewsonic N710 with more mainstream quad core Soc.s and similar screens are at the same price point.
The Good:
Fashionable design, one of the best-looking 7 inchers around.
Excellent build quality.
7 inch IPS display at the resolution of 1280*800.
Decent overall performance.
The bad:
The rear-facing camera is probably the worst 5MP camera I’ve seen.
The battery life is simply toooooooo short.
The price (USD 145) is not reasonable enough.

I recently purchased it, and it works great, but ... i get HDMI errors.
Connected to my TV using HDMI the screen rotation is wrong, and the image is enlarged.
I tested a lot of software to rotate the screen but nothing, they don't work fine in the HDMI rotation.
I reset the tablet to factory defaults but nothing.
Now Im trying to flash the firmaware again, but the instrutions are in Chinese language, and the translator don't help.
I don't know it is happends with all tablet.

I flashed mine yesterday to the version 0409 and followed the instructions in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If3uUnnypx8
I have it now for one day and it is quite fast but sometimes in applications like Firefox or Maps it does not scroll and rotates smooth but stutters a little bit. Antutu scores a fine over 12000 but this stuttering is a little nerving.
themacboy said:
I recently purchased it, and it works great, but ... i get HDMI errors.
Connected to my TV using HDMI the screen rotation is wrong, and the image is enlarged.
I tested a lot of software to rotate the screen but nothing, they don't work fine in the HDMI rotation.
I reset the tablet to factory defaults but nothing.
Now Im trying to flash the firmaware again, but the instrutions are in Chinese language, and the translator don't help.
I don't know it is happends with all tablet.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

I may be late to read it, but I simply enjoyed this thorough review of the device.
Thanks and keep it up

Now getting a lot of problems with Wi-fi On, all the tablet slow down or freeze.

1.8GHZ Quad Core + FHD display - in depth Review the CUBE U30GT2

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
The CUBE U30GT2 has actually been on sale for quite a while now. The ten inch tablet runs on Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), with 1.8GHz quad-core processor, the display’s resolution is WUXGA (1920 x 1200). It has a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with LED flash and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. It is 9.6 mm thick, comes in black & white.
For:
1. The High-resolution screen rivals the iPad4's display in sharpness and clarity.
2. Extremely powerful, Apps launch quickly, 3D games run smoothly.
3. Excellent battery life, probably the best among all Chinese slates with FHD or Retina displays.
Against:
1. A littile bit heavy and porky.
2. Outdoor visibility is still unsatisfactory.
3. The rear-facing camera is really not much more than just decoration.
Key Features
◇10.1 inch 16M-color super IPS display at WUXGA resolution (1920X1200 pixels), 224PPI
◇Rockchip RK3188 SoC., 28nm quad core 1.8GHZ Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400MP4 GPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM
◇Stock Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
◇32GB of built-in-storage
◇2MP front facing camera, 5.0MP rear-facing AF camera
◇Stereo speakers
◇HDMI TV-out
◇Bluetooth 2.1
◇Anti-rolling frame
◇USB host
◇MicroSD card slot
◇1080p video playback
◇7200mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery
First Impressions​
The CUBE U30GT2 feels like a solid tablet. I really fancy its white plastic chassis, which makes me forget how much a fan I am of the feel of black technology.
Contrary to my worries before receiving this slate, the RK3188 SoC. seems to support the FHD display very well, tasks from scrolling image-heavy webpages to running graphic-intense games were all handled with ease. And the tablet remains incredibly responsive while running several big applications at the same time!
Design and Build​
The CUBE U30GT2 uses the kind of design which most large-screen tablets look like. It’s thinner than its predecessor, the dual core U30GT, at just 9.6 mm. It is also a little bit lighter at just 659 g, but still way too heavy for single-handed use. There’s sufficient amount of bezel on either side of the screen, so you can use it in any orientation comfortably.
A 2MP front-facing camera sits comfortably in the middle of the bezel above the display, which can be used for online video chatting. The intelligent light sensor, which helps the tablet to automatically adjust the display brightness, is located on the upper left corner of this flagship slate, covered by the sticker.
All the keys and connectors are hosted on the left edge. You will find a power button, a volume rocker, a mini HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a 2.5mm DC port there. The metal frame around the edges looks very cool.
The stereo speakers are hosted on the middle of the right edge, which is not reasonable at all, as they are easily covered by our palm while we are holding the tablet with both hands.
The back of the U30GT2 is ABS plastic, which is not only good-looking, but also very durable. The UV coating process also helps with avoiding the feel of plasticky or cheap. The 5MP AF rear side camera and a LED flash sits on the top-left corner, but don’t get excited too soon, the quality of the shots is nowhere near images coming from a 5.0MP cell phone camera.
Display and Sound
The LCD-backlit IPS display on the U30GT2 is a lot better as compared to the MVA screen on the U30GT. The full HD resolution (1920 x 1200) at that size offers a decent pixel count of 224 PPI. This is not too far off from Apple’s 264 PPI on the iPad4, which means you won’t notice a huge difference between them in everyday use. The display is bright and text is sharp and crisp; perfect for web browsing or catching up on your TV shows. The viewing angles are wide -- so wide, in fact, that you can easily watch a movie with the tablet placed face-up on a table in front of you (not that you'd need to do this ever). The display also has a screen guard protecting it, just like the other CUBE tablets, but I left it alone this time.
The brightness of the display is decent, but not amazing as the one on PIPO M9, which can boast 600nit brightness. While I am using the U30GT2 outdoors, the screen glare sometimes overpowers whatever's on screen.
Like many other CUBE tablets, the U30GT2 comes endowed with ACC speakers, which make for some loud, though not exceptionally rich sound. Just keep in mind that the speaker is located on the right edge, which means if you are holding the tablet with both hands, any songs and movie dialogue will sound muffled.
Performance
The CUBE U30GT2 packs an 1.8GHz quad-core Rockchip chip (RK3188), which is built on Cortex-A9 frame and 28nm process, paired up with 533MHZ quad core Mali-400MP GPU and 2GB of DDR3 RAM. Although this is not the first tablet I've tested this setup, it is truly the first one with FHD display, and it didn't disappoint—the U30GT2 scorched the benchmarks, recording some of the highest scores I've seen across the board. The 16,413 overall Antutu benchmark score handily beat the 10,401 notched by the Onda V973 and approached the 18,000-20,000 marked by the Sony Xperia Tablet Z and Asus Padfone Infinity, both of which use Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4 APQ8064 quad core chipset.
High CF-Bench and Vellamo HTML5 scores confirmed anecdotally speedy Web browsing performance during day-to-day use, while Nenamark2 frame rates were among the best I’ve seen. From rapidly switching between multiple running apps to playing graphically intensive games like NFS17, the U30GT2 handled everything I threw at it easily. Sliding between widget-loaded home screens and scrolling down media-heavy websites was smooth, with very rare choppiness.
The U30GT2’s benchmark score compared with other tablets with quad core processor.
The tablet has 32GB of internal memory with the option of adding up to a 32GB microSD card, which will suffice the need of majority of users. If that’s not enough, you can always connect an USB disk or mobile hard drive to the slate via OTG.
Software
The U30GT2 isn’t skinned with CUBE’s much loved yet also much hated Win8-like interface, instead it uses the original launcher of the stock Android 4.1.1. There are indeed some very cool and useful preinstalled applications, but none of them actually developed by CUBE, and you can find them in Google play or any third-party app market.
Multi-media
Media playback is solid with the U30GT2 and it breezed through anything I threw at it, including MPEG-4, RMVB, and MKV files at resolutions up to 1080p. The sound the speakers produce is of relatively high volume and nice quality.
Also, the U30GT2 has HDMI support, you can output the display to much bigger monitor and TV screens in Full HD resolution via an HDMI cable, enjoying movies and funny videos with friends and family.
Communication
New tablets should have an easy time in the connectivity test. However, many voices spoke out about the poor WLAN performance of many of CUBE’s slates. This was not really the case for the U30GT2, as I am pleasantly surprised with its Wi-Fi reception.
The U30GT2 uses 802.11b/g/n WLAN and Bluetooth 2.1. A version with a 3G module has not yet been announced by CUBE. In my standard Wi-Fi reception test, the U30GT2 beats most Chinese tablets in test results:
Cameras
There are two cameras on board here, a 5-megapixel F2.8 rear-facing camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing camera. The rear camera disappointed in my tests, with noticeably grainy images in both indoor and outdoor settings. Images are moderately sharp, but the U30GT2 struggles with dynamic range, blowing out highlighted areas and losing detail in shadows. You can record video at 480p resolution, but I'd use it as a last resort—video is shaky and riddled with image noise. The front-facing camera is serviceable for Skype calls, but not much more. This, however, is pretty typical of most tablet cameras.
Battery
The U30GT2 packs a 7200mAh battery. In my battery rundown test, which loops a video with screen brightness set to 30% and Wi-Fi turned off, the U30GT2 lasted 10 hours, 38 minutes. That's pretty impressive compared to the Onda V973's 8 hours, 5 minutes and the Nexus10's 8 hours, 47 minutes on the same test.
During testing, I also noticed the U30GT2 seemed to charge faster than competing models, a full charge only took about 4 hours with its bundled 12V-2A charger. But, contrary to most other Chinese tablet products with RK3188 chipset, the U30GT2 cannot be charged under a shutdown state. And I believe this is gonna annoy quite a number of people.
The competition
With a 1920 x 1200 screen and a $204 starting price to match, there's little question that the CUBE U30GT2 was intended as a cost-efficient device. By now, most Chinese tablet makers have lowered the price of their goods, leaving the U30GT2 with only a handful of competitors in the 2-hundred-dollar range. Starting with the obvious, there's the ifive X2, which sports an 8.9-inch, 1920*1200 PLS screen, along with a RK3188 processor and 2GB of RAM. All told, these are similar specs, except ifive's model costs $40 less and runs a slightly more skinned version of Android. As it happens, I am in the process of testing one now, but not quite ready to post my impressions and benchmarks results. In the meantime, then, it's at least safe to say that the X2 sits in the same class as the Infinity U30GT2 and is definitely worth your consideration, although it is beaten by the U30GT2 in internal storage (16GB: 32GB).
Within the same price range there’re also the Yuandao N90HD, the Aoson M33 and the PIPO M9 Pro, all of which pack a Retina display and the same RK3188 set-up, posting serious threat to the U30GT2’s market share.
It's also worth noting that the U30GT2 could face competition from within the CUBE line: the U30GT1 has already been on sale for a couple of weeks, at only $169 it is very likely to draw lots of users’ attentions away from the U30GT2.
Conclusion
The U30GT2 is a truly impressive tablet. It's exquisitely designed, exceedingly fast, and has a sharp full-HD display. Throw in extras like anti-rolling frame, built-in Bluetooth, expandable memory, and dual cameras and you have a seriously loaded Android tablet.
If you want arguably the fastest Android tablet with a full HD display for under $250, the U30GT2 is the way to go, since it is much more pleasant to use than those Allwinner A31 powered tablets with Retina displays. But my suggestion remains with the PIPO M9, as a standard resolution still has much better compatibility with most applications.

Price Incorrect - Or Changed?
Hi.
Nice review. I like that I can compare it to your Pipo review.
Question: you state that the cube can be found for around $200.00 or so. Where was that? I realizes prices can change, but your review is just a few weeks ago, and the typical price is around $250.00. The U30GT (version 1) goes for around $200.
Thanks!
-Pie

Hardware is good, but the rom is poor. it is always the problem of china tablet.

EatingPie said:
Hi.
Nice review. I like that I can compare it to your Pipo review.
Question: you state that the cube can be found for around $200.00 or so. Where was that? I realizes prices can change, but your review is just a few weeks ago, and the typical price is around $250.00. The U30GT (version 1) goes for around $200.
Thanks!
-Pie
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The price that I presented here is turned from the retial price in China (RMB) to USD according to the exchange rate, the actual price in your country or some online stores might differ.

jupiter2012 said:
The price that I presented here is turned from the retial price in China (RMB) to USD according to the exchange rate, the actual price in your country or some online stores might differ.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, so they cost less when in China. Makes sense. But a road trip across the Pacific to save $50.00 is probably out of the question for me at this point.
BTW, can U30GT2 do chroot and run Linux distros like Ubuntu under Android? I use LinuxonAndroid and it made the process really easy on my Nook HD+... and it left me wanting for speed, which is why I'm interested in the UG30GT2.
Thanks.
-Pie

The best review i've ever read. Thank you mate!!

antooonn said:
The best review i've ever read. Thank you mate!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank u for your support!
Sent from my XT910 using xda premium

Screen on/off power button no workee
I just got the Cube U30GT2 in the mail earlier this week. You're right, it's got a bit more heft to it, but not so bad, just a tad heavier than my Galaxy tab 10.1. However, unlike that tablet, the U30GT has lots of options for connecting things, micro USB, micro SDHC, micro HDMI. My tab 10.1 couldn't do any of those.
On the bummer side, the momentary power button, screen on/off doesn't seem to be working. The tablet is new with all the wrappings on, but that button is slightly busted. It will reboot the tablet, but won't turn the screen on or off. I worked around it for now with a screen always on app, and screen off app. I also discovered plugging or unplugging the power cord from the tablet also turns the screen back on. But aggravating. I have yet to succeed at getting the attention of the seller (androidtablet.com).
The price was middle of the road: $250 or so. But that's terrific compared to a Galaxy Tab or other recent tablet.
---------- Post added at 08:40 PM ---------- Previous post was at 08:34 PM ----------
I forgot to mention, I read lots of reviews online for the Cube U30GT2 before popping for it. Most rated it as one of the currently best Chinese tablets, and not withstanding the power button issue, I tend to agree. However, all of the Chinese Android tablets seem to suffer from weak wi-fi signals, and in my table at least, this is true.
I tested my Galaxy tab laying right next to the Cube tablet. The Galaxy was able to knock out 10mbs on my wi-fi router from my family which is 15 feet or so away. The cube tablet only hit 2 to 5 mbs. Mind you, I couldn't tell much of a difference when hitting youtube, but it is a distinct disadvantage. I'm going overseas next month and the weaker reception could mean I won't get reliable wi-fi reception in the hotel.

Looks good.
I have the previous one and it's great .
Recommended.

Looks OK. Just wished they opted to put a slightly better GPU in it. The Mali 400 is good for phones but for a tablet that had a 1080p + display needs a bit more power. However, this is a good bargain considering it's original nexus 7 price tag.
Sent from my YP-G1 using xda app-developers app

Thanks for the nice review.
I think according to the price its a good tablet. But I agree to obscuresword, that the GPU it too weak for the Resolution. My Galaxy S3 has the same GPU and many benchmarks show, that its not as good as many people think.
The HP Touchpad tought as, never trust the hardware, if the software isnt good. Because of that, i never bought a Tablet from China. Android is not efficient enough, to ignore new Android versions...

artoni said:
Thanks for the nice review.
I think according to the price its a good tablet. But I agree to obscuresword, that the GPU it too weak for the Resolution. My Galaxy S3 has the same GPU and many benchmarks show, that its not as good as many people think.
The HP Touchpad tought as, never trust the hardware, if the software isnt good. Because of that, i never bought a Tablet from China. Android is not efficient enough, to ignore new Android versions...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
How come I don't understand your last sentence....
Android has its advantages and disadvantages, that all comes down to personal preference. As for myself, I could never get used to the iOS system. I used to own an ipad2, but got too sick of the system after using it for just 2 months and gave it away.

Very comprehensive review! Thanks a bunch!
The deal-breaker for me is the placement of the "stereo" speakers on the righthand side. You'd think they would have separated the two speakers, one on the left side of the tab and one on the right side, but they didn't.

1.8?
I just wanted to point out that the clock is running at 1.6Ghz and not 1.8Ghz as advised. It is still a good choice for the price thought.

vondroid CFW
http://vondroid.com/resources/cfw-vondroid-cube-u30gt2-1-x.374/
4GB Internal Storage
CWM Recovery (ClockWorkMod)
Rooted
Debloated Chinese Software
Add apps (Youtube, ES File Explorer)
Apps updated
Ads block
Partial Build.prop optimise
Solved Settings crash issue
Fully Build.prop optimise
Fully market support
Init.d support
Init.d tweaks
Update apps (GoogleSearch)
General system optimise (Launcher.apk, Framework-res.apk)
Vondroid Boot animation
Support extra .ko files (Tun.ko, cifs.ko, nls,...)

antooonn said:
The best review i've ever read. Thank you mate!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yaah men i agree

WHich one
I have been looking at the cube u30gt2 and still undecided which one to get.
i have looked at.
1. Cube u30gt2
2. Pipo Max m9 pro
3. Ramos W30HD
4. Ramos I9
each seem to have similar pros and cons,
I am just nervous I buy the wrong one and nervous I am buying from china?
Please help me decide

Quite a good review. Ordered mine from China together with the Onda. Yet to receive them. Will post impressions after I drive the two.

Root
I can´t find a rooting tutorial for this tablet. Can some one give a clue about that?
Thks
Pirex

jy_P said:
I just wanted to point out that the clock is running at 1.6Ghz and not 1.8Ghz as advised. It is still a good choice for the price thought.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I got one, and mine is runnig at 1.8Ghz
Cheers

Cube Talk 7X Octa-core hands-on review

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
There is no shortage of budget 3G tablets in the market. Products from brands as well-known as Lenovo and ASUS are now considerately priced. And second-tier Chinese manufacturers are also competing for a slice of the action by making even cheaper slates. The Cube Talk series is arguably the best-selling line of budget 3G tablets in China.
As the upgraded version of the once popular Talk 7X, Talk 7X Enhanced and the Talk 7X Quad-core, the Talk 7X Octa-core (U51GT C8) is powered by the much mightier MediaTek MT8392 octa-core processor, but the rest of the specs remain somewhat the same, so as the price tag of RMB499 ($82).
Key Features
 7 inch PLS display at WSVGA resolution (1024X600 pixels)
 Weighs 260g, 191*111*10.5mm in Size.
 MediaTek MT8392 chipset, 1.6GHZ octa-core Cortex-A7 processor, Mali-450MP4 GPU, 1GB RAM
 Android 4.4.2 Kitkat
 8GB of built-in-storage, expandable by TF card
 VGA front-facing camera & 2MP rear-facing camera
 3G WCDMA/GSM, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
 Stereo speaker
 USB host
 Micro SD card slot
 Standard 3.5mm audio jack
 1080p video playback
 2700mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery, 4-5 hours battery life
Design and Build​
The Talk 7X Octa-core has inherited the design language of its predecessor. The front of the device houses a 7-inch display surrounded by a black bezel. Following the wonderful tradition of this Chinese manufacturer, the front panel of the 7X Octa-core does not include any branding. Also, thanks to the Kitkat's onscreen navigation keys, the front is devoid of physical buttons, leaving simply the black bezel with an earpiece, a VGA camera, a light sensor and a proximity sensor.
On the right side of the device are the rather excellent buttons, with the one piece volume rocker sited just below the power button. They have a very responsive feel and are easy to find with your fingertips. The buttons are colored white to match the finish of the rear side, blending in nicely.
Like its quad-core predecessor, the Talk 7X Octa-core has its micro-USB port located on the top of the device next to the standard 3.5mm headphone jack. While it's uncommon to find the USB port on the top of a tablet of this size, it is ergonomically sound as the Talk 7X Octa-core is simple to use while charging.
As we once mentioned in the review of the Talk 7X Quad-core, the positioning of this port also helps reduce the costs of manufacturing the tablet, as the circuit board has the connection for the port at the top. Cube has avoided running a cable to the bottom of the tablet as it had to on the original Talk 7 (Dual-core version).
The 2MP rear camera is housed in the upper left corner of the white glossy plastic back, which gives the tablet a somewhat cheap feeling.
The upper part of the rear side is removable, underneath are the dual SIM slot and Micro SD card slot. The only speaker gate is located at the bottom of the rear side, along with the Cube Logo and some other printings.
Measuring at 191*111*10.5mm, it has a smaller footprint than most of the 7-inch voice calling tablets on the market. But it is not slim by modern standards, the Cube Talk 9X is significantly thinner at only 7mm.
Display​
Every year that goes by, Chinese manufacturers make progress on the screens of their tablets. The Cube Talk 7X sports a 7-inch PLS panel, a derivative of the IPS technology found on the great majority of today's tablets.
The display of the Talk 7X has an average contrast ratio of 1100:1, which is pretty impressive when compared to the ordinary IPS panels found on most of the budget tablets.
The average screen brightness is 330cd/m², high enough to make this slate easy to look at outdoors. The resolution is a disappointment, though, as it is stays at the WSVGA standard (1024*600) seen on the Galaxy Tab P1000 from many years ago. And its cheaper RMB399 ($65) competition – the Colorfly E708 3G Pro tablet now has an IPS display at 1280*800.
Interface and Software
The Talk 7X Octa-core runs the Android 4.4.2 Kitkat OS, with a healthy amount of customizations on top, but nothing to break the head-to-toe Android feel.
The Google Play store works brilliantly on the Talk 7X, with easy access to all the popular apps and games you could want. Although there remains a dearth of tablet apps, especially when you compare it to the wealth of high-quality apps made for the iPad, 7-inch tablets don’t really suffer that much as almost all phone apps still work brilliantly on this smaller tablet screen.
Performance​
As mentioned above, the Talk 7X Octa-core is powered by an octa-core 1.7GHz MediaTek MT8392 processor with 1GB RAM. Although it isn’t really the most cutting-edge setup for an Android device and can easily be edged out by those Snapdragon 800+ powered flagship tablets and smartphones, for the price, it is still a very powerful slate.
I am personally no fan of benchmarks, but we did run through some common tests on the Talk 7X Octa-core tablet to see its place in the spectrum of tablet performance. Antutu V5.0 returned a score of 31,708, putting the Talk 7X Octa-core ahead of most of the budget smartphones and tablets, and Geekbench3 reported scores of 439 single-core and 2,311 multi-core, which is even higher than the Allwinner A80T Powered Teclast P98 Air. The Vellamo HTML5 test resulted in a score of 2,400, which is even higher than most flagship Android devices.
As for the more concerned graphic performance, the Mali-450MP4 GPU on board didn’t disappoint, either. It is less powerful than the Mali-628MP6, Adreno 330 or the PowerVR G6230 seen on those high-end Android tablets, but it still handles the WSVGA resolution with ease. The 3D Mark returned decent scores in the ice storm, the ice storm extreme as well as the ice storm unlimited tests.
In real day to day use, apps open swiftly, graphically intensive games play smoothly, and Web browsing doesn't disappoint. The Talk 7X Octa-core can handle just about anything you throw at it, but running too many applications simultaneously in the background could cause some slowdowns. Having two browser windows open, for instance, makes both load at a slower clip, while the virtual keyboard can take a moment to load.
Overall, the performance of the Talk 7X is a huge leap forward from earlier budget Chinese tablets, and times better than my first tablet ever – the Samsung Galaxy Tab P1000.
Connectivity
Like other tablets from Cube’s Talk series, the Talk 7X Octa-core has full phone functionalities, which means you have functions such as 3G, voice call, short message services, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS on board.
Voice calls worked as fine as it is on my LG Optimus G Pro2 smartphone, and I could easily pair the Talk 7X Octa-core with my SmartQ Zwatch via Bluetooth. Wi-Fi reception was also brilliant as I had no problem streaming online music and videos 10 meters away from the router.
Battery Life​
The Talk 7X Octa-core houses a 2,700mAh Li-Po battery, which is less capacity than in most of today’s smartphones, and a leap backward from the 3,000mAh battery the quad-core version has on board. With varied usage including frequent e-mails, some video, a few games and a good deal web browsing, the Talk 7X Octa-core lasts 4 hours 45 minutes, on average. Watching movies only adds an extra 15 to 30 minutes. That's rather poor battery life, especially by today’s standards.
Cameras​
The rear camera is quite simply mediocre and can't really do much either in photo or video mode. The front webcam will do the job for online video chatting, as long as you're in good lighting; otherwise the lags quickly add up.
Verdict​
This hesitant successor to the Talk 7X quad-core was not much progress from its predecessor in almost every respect. The only exception is the performance, as the octa-core processor on board generates much more CPU and GPU power to handle heavier tasks smoothly.
The Cube Talk 7X Octa-core is a reasonably priced budget product that can handle the basics, but absolutely not a choice for users with higher requirements.

Any idea on how to root it

I used de Talk 7X quad-core and now this one...
It is really faster than 7X4 !
And with bug soluce like luminosity up and down wich work now...
Thanks for your work.
Best regards.

where can i find the stock firmware for this one with mt 8392, all i find on internet are for mt6592. kindly help

Cube T6 hands-on review: the cheapest 4G tablet

{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
The Cube T7 and T9 have enjoyed great reception from the users, and now Cube introduces a new slate from the T-series to the world – the Cube T6. Like the T7 and T9, the T6 has 4G access and phone functions. However, unlike the other two models which have some advanced features and were once marketed as flagship tablets, the T6 is really just an entry-level slate with a TN screen, some low-end internal specs as well as a RMB399 ($64) price tag.
Cube T6 Specs
OS: Android 5.1
Display: 6.98-inch TN, 5-point multi-touch
Screen Resolution: 1024 x 600
CPU: 64-bit MT8735 quad-core processor (4 cores of Cortex-A53)
CPU Frequency: 1.0GHz
GPU: Mali-720MP2
RAM / Storage: 1GB / 8GB
Function: WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, A-GPS, OTG, Miracast, FM Radio
WiFi: 802.11 b/g/n, WiFi hotspot
GSM: band2, band3, band5, band8
WCDMA: band1, band5
FDD: band1, band3, band7
Camera: 2MP back camera, VGA front camera
Battery: 2,600mAh
Extend Port: Micro SD card card slot, Micro SIM Card Slot 1, Micro SIM card slot 2, Micro USB port, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
Weight & Size: 240 g / 191*99*9.5mm
Design and build
The main design element is the size of the tablet. Although the T6 is just one of the many 7-inch tablets we have seen from Cube, it is certainly the smallest. It’s almost like holding a phone because the device is so small and slender – holding it one-handed is a breeze. The silver frame looks nice, so does the rounded curves of the cover. However, the proportions of the slate looks extremely weird and lanky, I would prefer if the bezel was a little bit bigger.
The T6 has a plastic rear cover which matches that of the Cube T7 and T9, as well as the Samsung Galaxy Tab S. It may look better than the plain plastic back from the U25GT and Talk 7X, and provide better grip than the metal chassis, but it still feels cheap.
The T6 has the minimum number of ports and buttons. The only physical controls you’ll find are the power/lock key and the volume rocker switch on the right hand side of the slate (when held in portrait). The 3.5mm headphone jack and Micro USB port are on the top side of the tablet, while the Micro SD card slot, and the two Micro SIM card slots can only be accessed after removing the cover on the top.
The tablet weighs 240g, not much heavier than many of the large phones, long period of one-handed operation wouldn’t be much of a problem. However, at 9.5mm, it isn’t a slim tablet by today’s standards.
Decent build quality has been maintained with no signs of unwanted gaps in the casing or wobbly buttons. The lack of premium materials such as aluminum is hardly unexpected, given the $64 price tag attached to it.
Display and sound
Here comes the greatest weakness of the Cube T6: a 7-inch TN display at the resolution of 1024*600. Taking the price of this tablet into account, we wouldn’t mind a low-resolution display if they are giving us a PLS or IPS panel to look at. But a TN display is really something we cannot tolerate, especially when lower-end tablet such as the U25GT ($32) are now featuring a Samsung PLS display.
The nice thing is that the TN panel on the T6 looks better than those seen on the tablets released in 2011, as it has better color saturation, brightness and contrast.
However, when compared to better LCD panels such as MVA, PLS and IPS, which we are already accustomed to see on smartphones and tablets, the TN panel doesn’t have equally wide viewing angles.
The colors appear distorted especially when looking at the display from the left (in landscape). Generally the response time of the TN display is also not as short as that of the IPS or PLS displays, but that’s much more difficult to notice than the viewing angles.
Compared to the disappointing camera, the rear-facing speaker is one of the few areas where the T6 unexpectedly impresses. It is loud enough to hear in a quiet room, although the sound quality is not as good as that of high-end slate such as the Samsung Galaxy Tab Pro 8.4. I was okay with the sound the speaker produced while watching YouTube videos, but I was still in desperate need of connecting the T6 to my Monster Clarity HD Bluetooth sound box or plugging in one of my Astrotec headphones whenever I was listening to music.
System and apps
The Cube T6 runs the latest Android 5.1 Lollipop OS, with light customizations on top. Preinstalled applications are kept to the minimum, and you can uninstall most of them without rooting the device.
Although there remains a dearth of tablet apps for Android, especially when you compare it to the wealth of high-quality apps made for the iPad. 7-inch tablets don’t really suffer that much as almost all phone apps still work brilliantly on this smaller tablet screen.
Performance
The Cube T6 is powered by a 64-bit quad-core 1.0GHz MediaTek MT8735 processor with 1GB RAM. It is now the new basic setup for a tablet with 4G and phone functions. As the processor is quite new to us, we need some benchmarks to evaluate the T6’s real horsepower and see where it fits in the spectrum of tablet performance.
Antutu V5.0 returned a score of 18,583, putting the T6 behind most of the budget smartphones and tablets released recently, and Geekbench 3 reported scores of 477 single-core and 1,336 multi-core, which is not good, but decent. The CF-bench test resulted in a score of 17,911, and the Quadrant Advanced gave the T6 a mark of 9,248.
In the more graphic-focused 3D Mark test, the T6 was returned 3,329 in Ice Storm and 1,682 in Ice Storm Extreme, which are expected for a tablet in this price range.
In real day to day use, apps open swiftly, video playback is smooth, and Web browsing doesn't disappoint. However, running too many applications simultaneously in the background could cause significant slowdowns. Having two browser windows open, for instance, makes both load at a slower clip, while the virtual keyboard can take a moment to pop up.
I did also notice some compatibility issues of the GPU, as some of the 3D games weren’t able to run on the T6, and a few graphic-intense games such as Zombie Wood and Asphalt 7 ran at a very low frame rate. Luckily my personal favorite: Virtua Tennis, Crazy Cars and Banana Jungle were very smooth.
Connectivity
Like other tablets from Cube’s T series, the T6 has 4G access and full phone functionalities. While the higher-end T7 and T9 supports both FDD and TDD, the T6 only supports FDD-LTE, but it is not really an issue for people who don’t live in China, as TDD-LTE is currently only used by China Mobile.
Voice calls worked as fine as it was on my HTC Desire, and I could easily pair it with a Bluetooth headphone. Wi-Fi reception was also nice as I had no problem streaming online music and videos several meters and a wall away from the router.
Battery Life
The T6 houses a 2,600mAh Li-Po battery, which is less capacity than in most of today’s smartphones. With varied usage including frequent e-mails, some video, a few games and a good deal web browsing, the T6 lasts 6 hours on average, which was pretty good given the battery capacity. In our standard cngadget battery test, where we loop a 1080P video with 30% screen brightness and 50% volume, the tablet lasted 8 hours and 35 minutes, much better than other entry-level slates.
Cameras
The rear camera is simply bad and can't really do much either in photo or video mode. It is funny that Cube even gives an LED flash to this low-end tablet, instead of giving it to the more capable T7. The front webcam will do the job for online video chatting, as long as you're in good lighting; otherwise the lags quickly add up.
Photo by the rear camera
Verdict
This T6 doesn’t really impress in almost every respect. The only exceptions are the OS and 4G access, as the Android 5.1 brings a lot of new nit features to the table, and the 4G voice call and data can really be quite useful on some occasions. With that said, the TN screen is something that should not be used on a 2015 tablet. According to Cube, an enhanced version of the T6 will be released soon, and the new slate will feature a much better PLS display and possibly a larger battery.
Overall, the T6 is a reasonably priced budget product that can handle the basics, but because of the display I would still suggest that you wait for the enhanced version.
The good
Reasonable price.
Android 5.1 OS.
Decent overall performance.
Nice battery life.
The bad
Low-resolution TN display.
Poor cameras.

Thank you very much for the great review

Krystyna said:
Thank you very much for the great review
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thank you for reading it!

if anyone can explain root for this tablet please for friend useur stuck google services http://www.tablette-chinoise.net/forum/cube-t6-4g-t7219/page10.html

cube t6 good phablet but very low internal memory
Hi all
has anyone tryied to root or repartition the size of internal memory beacause this tablet has very small internal memory partitioned
after a few stock apps google play, gmail,gdrive cannot instasll any app
"there is not enough space to install app"
any idea what to do ?
tryed link2sd but without root cant resolve my problem
or am i alone whit this phablet?
tried kingoroot, supeonclick, kingroot, framaroot ....an a lot more
no succes
regards Steven

LoLaTiOn said:
if anyone can explain root for this tablet please for friend useur stuck google services http://www.tablette-chinoise.net/forum/cube-t6-4g-t7219/page10.html
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi LoL, your friend managed root yet ? Tried iroot yet?
Anyone managed root yet??

Just received an ota for the cube T6-C, dated 26.11.15,not used it for a while.
Did have the 30.06.15 before.
Wasn't able to get root , hopefully will able to with this update due to complaints about storage probs,anyone else have oneof these managed it yet ? :*(

root
Hi guys, i'm new here. I'm italian so sorry for my english.
I have got a cube t6 tablet. I can't able in noway to root it. Did someone do? I just tried all methods founded on the web but noone working. I knew that for rooting it we need a custom recovery twrp for our tablet. I think it's the only way to root but i can't compile and on web i can't find a working twrp for t6. There's someone here that can help me? If yes what device info do you need for compiling recovery? Thanks