I have one of the most exciting smartphones on the market. First, this is a rugged phone, but it is not even its main feature. The highlight of this mobile device is a compact size. It has only 4.5-inch display.
Comparing to my iPhone 12, it is very small, but it is much more comfortable to hold in one hand.
It also has good specifications, such as Helio G85 chipset, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, 20MP main camera.
What do you think the price of this smartphone? It is only $100.
So, today we will do a full review of Cubot KingKong Mini 3.
Cubot KingKong MINI 3 - Aliexpress
$129.99
Unboxing
The new Cubot smartphone comes in this box.
Inside the box, there is s smartphone itself.
Then, we have user manual and other documentations in a box.
A power adapter and a charging cable are also included.
Design
Design is definitely the main feature of this smartphone. You know, the most rugged phones are bulky and heavy, but Cubot KingKong Mini 3 has a small display, so the mobile device is very compact.
All the corners and rear panel are covered by a soft plastic to absorb shock and damage, while the side faces are metal.
The smartphone also has a lanyard attachment, but you need to buy it additionally.
By the way, let’s check a speaker quality.
Speaker
In fact, I am very surprised by the speaker, because despite a small size of the smartphone, it is very loud.
Display
Talking about display, as I said before, it has a diagonal of 4.5 inches, and qHD+ resolution, 480 x 1170 pixels.
Software
It looks like the smartphone runs on the stock Android operating system. The Android version is 12.
You know, the most rugged phones have a Toolbox with some useful functions, such as compass, bubble level, pressure, etc, but the new Cubot smartphone doesn’t even have it.
The user interface is very fast and smooth, because of the clean Android and a good hardware.
Hardware
You know, looking at this little smartphone, you don’t think it is powerful, but it is.
Benchmarks
I want to recall you the price of this phone – it is only $100.
Games
Moreover, you can play any games on this phone, such as Genshin Impact, PUBG Mobile, and Call of Duty Mobile. The performance is really good.
Curiously, the small display is both an advantage and a disadvantage of this smartphone.
Camera
Talking about the camera, there is a single 20MP sensor on the back, and 5MP sensor on the front.
Camera App
However, in the camera app, you can choose a mono shooting mode, video, picture, beauty, night, pro and scan.
You can also enable anti-shake, geo-tagging, white balance, ISO, and other settings.
Photos and Videos
If we talk about quality of photos, they are really good during the day in sunny weather.
As I said, there are no portrait, macro or wide-angle modes on this smartphone, but you can zoom in up to 4x through the camera app.
A daytime video footage is also good, but it is very jerky because of the lack of stabilization.
Talking about night shooting, it was a big problem for me to get even one photo. Perhaps because of the extreme cold, but the smartphone didn’t want to focus. I was only able to take these two normal pictures.
Battery
Cubot KingKong Mini 3 is a very compact smartphone, so it has only 3000mAh battery. It also supports 10W charging.
So, despite the small battery, the battery life of Cubot KingKong Mini 3 is decent.
Connectivity
You know, the processor of this smartphone doesn’t support 5G networks, but you can use 4G LTE on the both SIM cards.
Pros and Cons
So, after about a week of testing the new Cubot smartphone, I am ready to share with you what I liked and disliked about it.
Price
First, the price is definitely the main feature of this mobile device.
Compact Size
You know, it is very difficult to find a compact smartphone in 2022, but Cubot KingKong Mini 3 is one of them. The smartphone has a very comfortable size, thickness and weight. It is pleasant to hold in one hand or carry in a jeans pocket.
Rugged Design
However, Cubot KingKong Mini 3 has not only compact size, but also rugged design. Many rugged phones are bulky and heavy, but not this one.
The smartphone is waterproof and dustproof, so it is a great option for active people.
Good Performance
In addition, I am surprised by the performance of this budget phone. It is powered by a good Helio G85 chipset, and it comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Daytime Photos
Cubot KingKong Mini 3 has only a single 20MP main camera, but it takes decent photos in daytime.
Battery Life
The smartphone has only 3000mAh battery capacity, but the battery life on a single charge is very good. You can get about 9.5 hours of screen on time.
The battery life is good because of the small display with qHD resolution, and energy-efficient processor.
NFC
Finally, I like NFC support in the new Cubot smartphone.
Cons
No Fingerprint Reader
OK, talking about shortcomings of Cubot KingKong Mini 3, first, it doesn’t have a fingerprint reader. I cannot remember when I have tested a mobile device without a fingerprint scanner.
It is a very useful feature to unlock a smartphone, but it is missing here.
Small Screen for Watching Movies and Games
I said that the compact size is an advantage of this phone, but it is also a disadvantage.
Night Photos
Also, night shooting is a big challenge on this smartphone. I was only able to take a few pictures because the focus works very badly in low light conditions.
Slow Charging
The new Cubot phone has only 10W charging, and it takes more than 2 hours to fully charge a battery.
Conclusion
Overall, I definitely liked Cubot KingKong Mini 3, even though there are many shortcomings.
It’s been a long time since I have tested such compact smartphones, and even more with a rugged design.
Cubot KingKong MINI 3 - Aliexpress
$129.99
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