I love value-for-money! I am always on the lookout for a good bargain. I don’t mean a cheap knockoff from China Town or sale items that will last one “wear and wash”. I mean good value for money that doesn’t break the bank BUT still makes you really feel like you have spoilt yourself.
What’s my point? Well, Cubot (admittedly one of our favourite, affordable, Dual-SIM cellphone brands) has launched the King Kong. This is an affordable, rugged smartphone and it may just be the Cubot “golden goose”. The King Kong finds itself competing in a fairly specialized battle against some limited but better-known brands; Samsung and Caterpillar come to mind – but, for only a fraction of the price.
Design:
Cubot wasn’t playing around with the design. The King Kong has been built with a solid mix of metal, plastic and rubber – this phone has been designed for the outdoors. It has IP68 water and dust resistance rating and is 1,5 meters shockproof tested, so it lives up to its “rugged” title. All charging ports, headphone jacks and even the sound grille are covered with a water-tight seal.
The Proof of the Pudding is in the Tasting:
Now, anybody that knows me will know, I am not just going to rely on the marketing material to put my rubber stamp on a product. I personally test each and every device I review. Even more so, when it comes to “rugged” smartphones – Cheap knockoffs are no good to anyone.
First up: I placed the phone in a bucket of water – and not for a moment. I let it sit in there soaking up some high-quality H2O for-a-while. And the result? Even while wet, there was no disruption to its responsiveness, signal or sound. The device is still being used as a working demo with no issues – a resounding pass.
Second were the drop tests: With the number of cracked screens and broken chassis, I have seen this probably made me the most nervous… but, I had to do it. For the first part of this test, I dropped the King Kong face first, flat on the screen. Barring some minor scuff marks on the screen protector the phone made it out completely unscathed – not a crack in sight. The second part of this test saw me dropping the King Kong on its sides. The rubberized sides absorbed the shock and the phone was completely unharmed. I also have to add; all the drop tests were done onto cold hard tiles and from my head-height (about a meter and a half).
Battery
Another win for the King Kong is the battery life. Cubot came in to prove a point with its 4400 mAh battery. Even with consistent use, the King King lasted two full days. For anyone who likes to camp or spend considerable time outdoors, this is a definite plus.
In the Engine Room:
When you consider the price point that Cubot has managed to hit, they have produced the most affordable rugged phone to date. It comes with a Quad-Core processor and 2GB RAM. With its bloat-free Android 7, the processing power isn’t being used up by unwanted and unknown apps, so this is a fair compromise.
The camera offers you another fair deal with a 13MP rear camera and 8MP Selfie camera. It’s not in the premium range but it stands up nicely in the sub R3000 price point.
In our current climate, the demand for affordable and quality alternatives is on the rise. Cubot has managed to offer an excellent device at an incredible price which can confidently compete with its more expensive counterparts – honestly, this is one of the reasons we love the Cubot brand.
Our Final Word:
This phone is meant as an outdoor companion, not boardroom buddy. It is great for tradesmen, outdoors people and even for kids (or families with kids) and it is worth every penny.
The Cubot King Kong is retailing for R2899 and is available at selected Cellucity stores nationwide or buy it online here
