CUBE Talk 9X - Review of a 9.7-inch tablet with 3G / GPS
The fact that Chinese manufacturers are actively copying A-brand devices has long been a surprise to no one. To the maximum from Apple, a part of Samsung, but we take this chip from ASUS and spice it all up with Google's operating system. But while one part of people is outraged by such actions, each time expressing their opinion in the comments, the other one is exploiting pleasant devices in terms of price / quality ratio. Today we look at the tablet from the already proven Chinese brand Cube.
The tablet is a very controversial thing, and I still adhere to the thought that this is more a nice addition to my ecosystem of gadgets than an essential item. ONDA V972 is my previous device, which I also wrote about here, in general, and in general, I was happy with everything (except for the absence of Bluetooth and the general system’s slow pace), but the review did not suit the local community, primarily the lack of 3G and GPS. The hero of our today's review, Cube Talk 9X (U65GT), is equipped with a modification of the mobile chip Mediatek MT6592, which in turn indicates the presence of all the necessary communication capabilities.
Screen: 9.7 ", 2048x1536 pixels, IGZO, IPS
Processor: MediaTek MT8392 (8 cores, 1.66 GHz)
Video accelerator: Mali-450 MP4 700 MHz
Operating system: Android 4.4.2
RAM: 2 GB
User Memory: 16 GB or 32 GB + microSD
Camera: 8 MP rear and 2 MP front
Communication: Slot for micro SIM: 2G GSM (850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz) + 3G W-CDMA (900MHz, 2100MHz)
Optional: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, OTG, Miracast, FM Radio, accelerometer, light sensor and distance
Battery: 9600 mAh (3.7 V)
Dimensions: 236 x 168 x 7.4 mm
Weight: 569 grams
Price: $ 250 (~ 9000 rubles)
')
Cube U65GT Talk 9X comes in a box of thick unpainted cardboard, there is no information about the tablet itself, besides the model and amount of user memory on the side face.
Despite the minimum configuration, everything you need is in the kit. In the main box, only the tablet itself, a clip to remove the tray under the SIM card and a set of instruction cards (including the English version). In an additional white box, which was quite battered during transportation, there is a USB cable, a power supply unit (5 V, 2 A) and an adapter for it.
There are problems with the charger. With mine, everything is in order, just sometimes a bundle comes with a low-power PSU with 0.5 A "output" - so you will charge your tablet for 20 hours, if the conditions are perfect and the battery capacity actually corresponds to the declared 10 Ah.
Taking into account the support of OTG technology, I would like to see the corresponding cable in the bundle, since it costs quite a trifle, but the manufacturers have long refused to buy their earphones, for which they are thankful.
Apple iPad is evolving, and Chinese manufacturers continue to imitate one of the best devices in this market. Is it bad or good? - Decide for yourself, but I will say that CUBE is on a very, very good level in quality. The 9.7-inch display is covered with glass; here, on the front panel, there is a camera and an ambient light sensor (it works smoothly, without “brakes”).
The back cover is made of aluminum painted black with a barely noticeable bluish tint. In the center is the text in Chinese, which, let's face it, does not decorate the tablet, and below is information about the device in English.
In the upper left corner of the camera module with LED backlight, to the right is a plastic insert covering the antenna. On the right side are located the plastic power and volume buttons with a noticeable tactile response.
There is also a tray for Micro-SIM cards, the right side is empty. The thickness of the tablet is only 7.4 millimeters, which is even less than that of the notorious “daddy”.
At the top there is a slot for a Micro-SD card (cards up to 32 GB are officially supported) and a 3.5-mm audio jack. By the way, the chamfer on the body is not painted (anodized).
Bottom - Micro USB connector and stereo speakers. The quality of the latter is rather mediocre, but the volume margin is sufficient in most cases.
The aluminum case, well-fitted parts, high-quality assembly, this is not the first year that Chinese manufacturers have been experiencing, and this, I must say, definitely pleases.
The same can be said about displays. The first Chinese tablets with Retina-like (resolution 2048x1536 and 4: 3 aspect ratio) displays appeared 2 years ago and since then they have not left the niches of devices of a similar form factor. The screen is juicy, bright, but what can I say - most people at least once, and over the past 2 years they have held an iPad or another tablet with such a display.
The film pasted on the plant, in addition to being tactilely unpleasant, also spoils the picture causing a crystallization effect, and therefore was immediately removed. Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the overestimated level of minimum brightness - when reading or watching a video in the pitch darkness, I would like to underestimate the level of illumination by 10 percent.
Behavior in the sun, despite the lack of OGS , is tolerable, because even in bright sunlight I was able to parse the information on the cards or respond to the message. Neither anti-reflective nor oleophobic coating here, unfortunately, and does not "smell".
The resolution of the main camera module is 8 MP, and the front one is 2 MP. While talking about the design, I forgot to mention that the camera module protrudes slightly beyond the case. Often this solution leads to a defect in the protective glass of the camera, but here the developers have crafted and drowned the glass with the camera in a protruding module. In simple words, if the tablet touches a flat surface, the contact will occur with an aluminum edging, and not with glass protecting the camera.
Examples of images can be found below. As for the tablet, the quality of the camera is at a good level, autofocus is working properly. Speed, of course, could be higher, but I doubt that you are going to shoot sports events through this unit.
An example of macro photography.
The video is written in HD resolution and 3gp format (H.264 codec). Despite such modest characteristics, the clips are of very tolerable quality (as for a tablet) and take up little space in the device’s memory. In the bright sun may be missed when measuring exposure.
In general, there are no complaints to the camera, they are often put in such devices for a tick, and you can immediately get a good shot, with proper straightforward hands. I almost forgot - the front camera will be enough for video calls, no more.
I'm getting old ... No, well, really. Previously, it was somehow interesting to dig into the firmware of devices, launchers on Android to install and learn new applications, and now even icons from the menu on the desktop are too lazy to drag. I would like to buy and work. In the case of the tablet, it's just surfing, watching videos, social networks, forums and this tablet copes with it, but with a big stretch and with an eye to the price. In the role of the operating system Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
The tablet is very sparing for RAM, after downloading about 1.3 GB of the two are available. And you can call yourself quite successfully from this device (have you already imagined yourself with a 10-inch shovel in the face and in the middle of the street?) - when connected to a contact, the speakerphone turns on. Audibility in both directions is at a good level.
As part of the optimization and general work of Android, everything has become better. Especially in comparison with some instances of one year old that passed through my hands, but the ideal is still far away. The pre-installed Chinese software has become smaller, this time only MX Video Player is useful, and everything else is to be demolished. I repeat that I did not change the firmware and use the device as it came from the factory. This is where problems come up, for example, Google Chrome does not work. Although, to be honest, it does not work on more recent firmware, it starts up, but then it “crashes”. For me, the problem did not become, I use the Dolphin Browser for my needs, and for someone it will turn out to be a critical drawback. And also lays the Play Market, especially wildly his "sausage" when downloading and installing applications.
The heart of CUBE Talk 9X is the MediaTek MT8392 system-on-chip. This is a modification of SoC MT6592, which we know from numerous Chinese smartphones. Compared with the "telephone" version, the manufacturer announced an increase in the processor clock frequency to 2 GHz (the plate is set at 1.7 GHz in the tablet) and ... everything, there were no other differences. For the rest, we still have the same 8-core processor and graphics core Mali-450 MP4 with a clock frequency of 700 MHz. Also, the tablet is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB of user memory.
In fact, I am not a supporter of synthetic tests, no matter what numbers these programs show, they still cannot tell you about the real behavior of the device in everyday use. On the other hand, what remains to the people sitting on the other side of the monitor? Believe the author's word? - As an option, but I am sure that there will be those who are not satisfied, and that is why I publish the results of testing devices in various benchmarks. Well, about my personal impressions, I have already told the head above.
Test results of AnTuTu Benchmark, 3DMark and Vellamo Mobile Benchmark (a full-size version of the screenshot will open on click):
Lowering the inability to install the Google Chrome browser, we can say that the tablet copes well with surfing the World Wide Web. Page load time is 3-4 seconds, scrolling smooth, pleasant to surf.
Let me remind you that CUBE Talk 9X is one of the few 9.7-inch tablets that has a built-in cellular communication module. In addition to the Chinese standard TD-SCDMA, GSM and W-CDMA accepted by us are also supported. The SIM card of the Ukrainian 3G mobile communication operator 3mob took the tablet without question, speed indicators in one of the districts of Kiev:
With the included A-GPS (requires an Internet connection), the tablet literally in a few seconds finds the first satellites and determines the location, a full start to idle takes up to 2 minutes. Further connection - 3-4 seconds.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth do not cause any complaints, receiving a signal sure even through several walls. Summing up the performance: there is a good hardware, but there is no optimization of the software part. Of course, for everyday use the tablet is already good, but when you know what is better, it’s hard to put up with it, even with an eye to the price.
Regarding the declared in the characteristics of 10 A * h, the manufacturer is definitely cunning, and without hiding it. Just look at the paper instructions and there on the last page in the “Battery Capacity” column is the capacity of 9600 mAh, 3.7 Volts. In fact, I'm sure - even less, since the tablet from the complete storage device with the maximum possible current of 2 A charges around 4 and a half hours. Even taking into account the ideal and so far unattainable 100% efficiency, the capacity of the battery is no more than 9 Ah.
And it is worth remembering Apple iPad Air which is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 8827 mAh. Well, okay, even if there is 8 A * h there is already good, in practice, the results were quite adequate, as for a 10-inch tablet with a constantly active communication module. For example, this summer I had a period when I was left without a smartphone (the old one sold, but the new one had not yet arrived) and used the tablet as the main and unified device. In this mode, CUBE lives for a day and a half: several episodes of the beloved sitcom, social. networks, mail and a few conversations on Skype or cellular communication (a separate push-button telephone was used as a “dialer”).
In a quieter, “bedside” mode of use (several hours a day), you can achieve 5 days of battery life.
As a result, the Chinese manufacturer once again turned out a good tablet, but not very good (by my standards). When you buy, you are pleased with the metal case and good assembly, excellent display quality, availability of a workable communication module, but with subsequent operation, the software part is disappointing: an excessively high level of illumination, the inability to use some programs, periodic drops and hangs of applications. As for the “use cases” (usage scenarios), thanks to the presence of 3G and GPS, the tablet can be used as a navigator with a display that is comfortable for operation, and no one has canceled the usual bedside / daily use - tablet performance is sufficient for all modern toys, and browsing and watching movies and so much the more. The price is still happy.
Low price
Quality of materials and assembly
Display
Availability of GPS and 3G modules
Nice appearance
Latest OS Version
Optimization, optimization and optimization of firmware again
Increased minimum screen brightness
Mediocre sound built-in speakers
You can purchase the device in the online store TinyDeal.com . Currently, only the black version of the tablet with 32 GB of user memory and the 16-gigabyte white version are available for $ 264 and $ 220 , respectively. As the store representative explained, such a difference in price was solely due to problems with the supply of the black version, and the 16-gigabyte price, which cost was $ 250, was sold out in a matter of days.
For readers of our blog provides a discount, which ends August 31. For the black 32 GB version there is a 16% discount on the b9x16off code and for the white 16-gigabyte version a 20% discount on the w9x20off code.
Talk on w3bsit3-dns.com
Cube U65GT on the manufacturer's website
Review from the Chine Review portal
I remind you that you can subscribe in order not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: 
Vkontakte , in 
Google + , in 
Twitter
The tablet is a very controversial thing, and I still adhere to the thought that this is more a nice addition to my ecosystem of gadgets than an essential item. ONDA V972 is my previous device, which I also wrote about here, in general, and in general, I was happy with everything (except for the absence of Bluetooth and the general system’s slow pace), but the review did not suit the local community, primarily the lack of 3G and GPS. The hero of our today's review, Cube Talk 9X (U65GT), is equipped with a modification of the mobile chip Mediatek MT6592, which in turn indicates the presence of all the necessary communication capabilities.
â–Ś TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Screen: 9.7 ", 2048x1536 pixels, IGZO, IPS Processor: MediaTek MT8392 (8 cores, 1.66 GHz) Video accelerator: Mali-450 MP4 700 MHz Operating system: Android 4.4.2 RAM: 2 GB User Memory: 16 GB or 32 GB + microSD Camera: 8 MP rear and 2 MP front Communication: Slot for micro SIM: 2G GSM (850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz) + 3G W-CDMA (900MHz, 2100MHz) Optional: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, OTG, Miracast, FM Radio, accelerometer, light sensor and distance Battery: 9600 mAh (3.7 V) Dimensions: 236 x 168 x 7.4 mm Weight: 569 grams Price: $ 250 (~ 9000 rubles)')
â–Ś PACKING AND COMPLETE SET
Cube U65GT Talk 9X comes in a box of thick unpainted cardboard, there is no information about the tablet itself, besides the model and amount of user memory on the side face.
Despite the minimum configuration, everything you need is in the kit. In the main box, only the tablet itself, a clip to remove the tray under the SIM card and a set of instruction cards (including the English version). In an additional white box, which was quite battered during transportation, there is a USB cable, a power supply unit (5 V, 2 A) and an adapter for it.
There are problems with the charger. With mine, everything is in order, just sometimes a bundle comes with a low-power PSU with 0.5 A "output" - so you will charge your tablet for 20 hours, if the conditions are perfect and the battery capacity actually corresponds to the declared 10 Ah.
Taking into account the support of OTG technology, I would like to see the corresponding cable in the bundle, since it costs quite a trifle, but the manufacturers have long refused to buy their earphones, for which they are thankful.
â–Ś DESIGN, DIMENSIONS, CONTROL ELEMENTS
Apple iPad is evolving, and Chinese manufacturers continue to imitate one of the best devices in this market. Is it bad or good? - Decide for yourself, but I will say that CUBE is on a very, very good level in quality. The 9.7-inch display is covered with glass; here, on the front panel, there is a camera and an ambient light sensor (it works smoothly, without “brakes”).
The back cover is made of aluminum painted black with a barely noticeable bluish tint. In the center is the text in Chinese, which, let's face it, does not decorate the tablet, and below is information about the device in English.
In the upper left corner of the camera module with LED backlight, to the right is a plastic insert covering the antenna. On the right side are located the plastic power and volume buttons with a noticeable tactile response.
There is also a tray for Micro-SIM cards, the right side is empty. The thickness of the tablet is only 7.4 millimeters, which is even less than that of the notorious “daddy”.
At the top there is a slot for a Micro-SD card (cards up to 32 GB are officially supported) and a 3.5-mm audio jack. By the way, the chamfer on the body is not painted (anodized).
Bottom - Micro USB connector and stereo speakers. The quality of the latter is rather mediocre, but the volume margin is sufficient in most cases.
The aluminum case, well-fitted parts, high-quality assembly, this is not the first year that Chinese manufacturers have been experiencing, and this, I must say, definitely pleases.
â–Ś DISPLAY
The same can be said about displays. The first Chinese tablets with Retina-like (resolution 2048x1536 and 4: 3 aspect ratio) displays appeared 2 years ago and since then they have not left the niches of devices of a similar form factor. The screen is juicy, bright, but what can I say - most people at least once, and over the past 2 years they have held an iPad or another tablet with such a display.
The film pasted on the plant, in addition to being tactilely unpleasant, also spoils the picture causing a crystallization effect, and therefore was immediately removed. Among the shortcomings, it is worth noting the overestimated level of minimum brightness - when reading or watching a video in the pitch darkness, I would like to underestimate the level of illumination by 10 percent.
Behavior in the sun, despite the lack of OGS , is tolerable, because even in bright sunlight I was able to parse the information on the cards or respond to the message. Neither anti-reflective nor oleophobic coating here, unfortunately, and does not "smell".
â–Ś CAMERA
The resolution of the main camera module is 8 MP, and the front one is 2 MP. While talking about the design, I forgot to mention that the camera module protrudes slightly beyond the case. Often this solution leads to a defect in the protective glass of the camera, but here the developers have crafted and drowned the glass with the camera in a protruding module. In simple words, if the tablet touches a flat surface, the contact will occur with an aluminum edging, and not with glass protecting the camera.
Examples of images can be found below. As for the tablet, the quality of the camera is at a good level, autofocus is working properly. Speed, of course, could be higher, but I doubt that you are going to shoot sports events through this unit.
An example of macro photography.
The video is written in HD resolution and 3gp format (H.264 codec). Despite such modest characteristics, the clips are of very tolerable quality (as for a tablet) and take up little space in the device’s memory. In the bright sun may be missed when measuring exposure.
In general, there are no complaints to the camera, they are often put in such devices for a tick, and you can immediately get a good shot, with proper straightforward hands. I almost forgot - the front camera will be enough for video calls, no more.
â–Ś OPERATING SYSTEM AND SOFT
I'm getting old ... No, well, really. Previously, it was somehow interesting to dig into the firmware of devices, launchers on Android to install and learn new applications, and now even icons from the menu on the desktop are too lazy to drag. I would like to buy and work. In the case of the tablet, it's just surfing, watching videos, social networks, forums and this tablet copes with it, but with a big stretch and with an eye to the price. In the role of the operating system Android 4.4.2 KitKat.
The tablet is very sparing for RAM, after downloading about 1.3 GB of the two are available. And you can call yourself quite successfully from this device (have you already imagined yourself with a 10-inch shovel in the face and in the middle of the street?) - when connected to a contact, the speakerphone turns on. Audibility in both directions is at a good level.
As part of the optimization and general work of Android, everything has become better. Especially in comparison with some instances of one year old that passed through my hands, but the ideal is still far away. The pre-installed Chinese software has become smaller, this time only MX Video Player is useful, and everything else is to be demolished. I repeat that I did not change the firmware and use the device as it came from the factory. This is where problems come up, for example, Google Chrome does not work. Although, to be honest, it does not work on more recent firmware, it starts up, but then it “crashes”. For me, the problem did not become, I use the Dolphin Browser for my needs, and for someone it will turn out to be a critical drawback. And also lays the Play Market, especially wildly his "sausage" when downloading and installing applications.
â–Ś HARDWARE PLATFORM, PRODUCTIVITY
The heart of CUBE Talk 9X is the MediaTek MT8392 system-on-chip. This is a modification of SoC MT6592, which we know from numerous Chinese smartphones. Compared with the "telephone" version, the manufacturer announced an increase in the processor clock frequency to 2 GHz (the plate is set at 1.7 GHz in the tablet) and ... everything, there were no other differences. For the rest, we still have the same 8-core processor and graphics core Mali-450 MP4 with a clock frequency of 700 MHz. Also, the tablet is equipped with 2 GB of RAM and 16/32 GB of user memory.
In fact, I am not a supporter of synthetic tests, no matter what numbers these programs show, they still cannot tell you about the real behavior of the device in everyday use. On the other hand, what remains to the people sitting on the other side of the monitor? Believe the author's word? - As an option, but I am sure that there will be those who are not satisfied, and that is why I publish the results of testing devices in various benchmarks. Well, about my personal impressions, I have already told the head above.
Test results of AnTuTu Benchmark, 3DMark and Vellamo Mobile Benchmark (a full-size version of the screenshot will open on click):
Charts + test NenaMark2:
The results are quite good, I would even say good, as for the device for such a price. There are no problems with toys either: GTA: San Andreas, NFS: MW and more simple toys go without problems, though not at the maximum graphics settings. In demanding applications, the tablet warms up to 50-55 degrees. It does not cause much discomfort, but on a hot summer day it was not pleasant.More screenshots:
Leo`s Forunte - despite the high cost, it is a rather pleasant and interesting platformer.Lowering the inability to install the Google Chrome browser, we can say that the tablet copes well with surfing the World Wide Web. Page load time is 3-4 seconds, scrolling smooth, pleasant to surf.
Let me remind you that CUBE Talk 9X is one of the few 9.7-inch tablets that has a built-in cellular communication module. In addition to the Chinese standard TD-SCDMA, GSM and W-CDMA accepted by us are also supported. The SIM card of the Ukrainian 3G mobile communication operator 3mob took the tablet without question, speed indicators in one of the districts of Kiev:
With the included A-GPS (requires an Internet connection), the tablet literally in a few seconds finds the first satellites and determines the location, a full start to idle takes up to 2 minutes. Further connection - 3-4 seconds.
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth do not cause any complaints, receiving a signal sure even through several walls. Summing up the performance: there is a good hardware, but there is no optimization of the software part. Of course, for everyday use the tablet is already good, but when you know what is better, it’s hard to put up with it, even with an eye to the price.
â–Ś BATTERY, CHARGING, TIME OF WORK
Regarding the declared in the characteristics of 10 A * h, the manufacturer is definitely cunning, and without hiding it. Just look at the paper instructions and there on the last page in the “Battery Capacity” column is the capacity of 9600 mAh, 3.7 Volts. In fact, I'm sure - even less, since the tablet from the complete storage device with the maximum possible current of 2 A charges around 4 and a half hours. Even taking into account the ideal and so far unattainable 100% efficiency, the capacity of the battery is no more than 9 Ah.
And it is worth remembering Apple iPad Air which is equipped with a battery with a capacity of 8827 mAh. Well, okay, even if there is 8 A * h there is already good, in practice, the results were quite adequate, as for a 10-inch tablet with a constantly active communication module. For example, this summer I had a period when I was left without a smartphone (the old one sold, but the new one had not yet arrived) and used the tablet as the main and unified device. In this mode, CUBE lives for a day and a half: several episodes of the beloved sitcom, social. networks, mail and a few conversations on Skype or cellular communication (a separate push-button telephone was used as a “dialer”).
| Mode | Time |
| 3D games (GTA Vice City, NFS Most Wanted) | 4 hours ~ 30 minutes |
| 720p video playback via MX Player (50% brightness, WiFI enabled) | 8 ocloc'k |
â–Ś RESULTS
As a result, the Chinese manufacturer once again turned out a good tablet, but not very good (by my standards). When you buy, you are pleased with the metal case and good assembly, excellent display quality, availability of a workable communication module, but with subsequent operation, the software part is disappointing: an excessively high level of illumination, the inability to use some programs, periodic drops and hangs of applications. As for the “use cases” (usage scenarios), thanks to the presence of 3G and GPS, the tablet can be used as a navigator with a display that is comfortable for operation, and no one has canceled the usual bedside / daily use - tablet performance is sufficient for all modern toys, and browsing and watching movies and so much the more. The price is still happy.
â–Ś ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Low price Quality of materials and assembly Display Availability of GPS and 3G modules Nice appearance Latest OS Version Optimization, optimization and optimization of firmware again Increased minimum screen brightness Mediocre sound built-in speakersâ–Ś PRICE AND PURCHASE
You can purchase the device in the online store TinyDeal.com . Currently, only the black version of the tablet with 32 GB of user memory and the 16-gigabyte white version are available for $ 264 and $ 220 , respectively. As the store representative explained, such a difference in price was solely due to problems with the supply of the black version, and the 16-gigabyte price, which cost was $ 250, was sold out in a matter of days.
For readers of our blog provides a discount, which ends August 31. For the black 32 GB version there is a 16% discount on the b9x16off code and for the white 16-gigabyte version a 20% discount on the w9x20off code.
â–Ś USEFUL LINKS
Talk on w3bsit3-dns.com
Cube U65GT on the manufacturer's website
Review from the Chine Review portal
I remind you that you can subscribe in order not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: Vkontakte , in Google + , in TwitterSource: https://habr.com/ru/post/213491/
All Articles