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Cubot King Kong CS smartphone Review - waterproof phone for under 100 euros

3G? Oh dear, oh dear! Cubot wants to prove that outdoor smartphones can be even cheaper and launches the King Kong CS, a phone for less than 80 Euros (~$80) that barely has any memory, an outdated SoC without 4G capability, and a weak camera. But it is water- and dust-proof according to IP68...
Android ARM Smartphone
Cubot King Kong CS
Cubot King Kong CS (King Kong Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6580M 4 x 1.3 GHz, Cortex-A7
Graphics adapter
ARM Mali-400 MP
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.00 inch 16:9, 1280 x 720 pixel 294 PPI, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 11 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD up to 64 GB, Sensors: Distance sensor, G-sensor, Magnetic
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, 2G GSM: 850 MHz / 900 MHz / 1800 MHz / 1900 MHz, 3G WCDMA: 850 MHz / 1700 MHz / 1900 MHz / 2100 MHz, Dual SIM, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 14.9 x 153 x 80.2 ( = 0.59 x 6.02 x 3.16 in)
Battery
4400 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 10
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix AF, video @720p
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker on the rear, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, charger, USB cable, screw driver, , 12 Months Warranty, IP-68 certified, fanless, ruggedized, waterproof
Weight
236.5 g ( = 8.34 oz / 0.52 pounds), Power Supply: 56 g ( = 1.98 oz / 0.12 pounds)
Price
80 Euro
Links
Cubot homepage
Cubot notebook section
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible competitors in comparison

Bewertung
Rating Version
Datum
Modell
Gewicht
Laufwerk
Groesse
Aufloesung
Preis ab
68.6 %7
01/2021
Cubot King Kong CS
MT6580M, Mali-400 MP		236.5 g16 GB eMMC Flash5.00"1280x720
73.5 %7
02/2020
Cubot Kingkong Mini
Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300		124 g32 GB eMMC Flash4.00"1080x540
76.2 %7
08/2019
Ulefone Armor 6E
Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3		268 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.20"2246x1080
73 %7
03/2020
Blackview BV5900
Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300		268 g32 GB eMMC Flash5.70"1520x720

Case, features and operation - IP certification as a highlight

The outdoor smartphones from Cubot's King Kong series are quite popular and some of them do not perform badly in our tests. The features are often not bad at a low price, and the smartphones are robust. However, the manufacturer undercuts itself in terms of price with the King Kong CS: The King Kong Mini for just under 110 Euros was already a price hit, and the CS costs significantly less at just under 80 Euros.

However, the concept here is not a particularly light and slim outdoor smartphone, but a classic ruggedized smartphone in a compact format. This is noticeable in the casing, which is heavier than in the King Kong Mini, but the smartphone is also considerably larger with a 5-inch screen diameter. The casing looks sturdy and also offers classic outdoor smartphone elements with a rubber coating and solid metal sides

However, pressure on the screen is noticeable in the liquid crystal and the screen is not protected by a protruding casing edge, but by a glued-on protective film. The case is IP68 certified, so it can also be used under water. According to the manufacturer, it should also cope well with very low and very high temperatures.

With just 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of mass storage, the Cubot King Kong CS is very poorly equipped in terms of memory. There is also only outdated Bluetooth 4.0 and a micro-USB port where the plug sits a bit wobbly

Two SIM cards can be inserted and a microSD card for expanding the storage, but the smartphone did not recognize any of the microSDs we offered. Buyers should also note that the Cubot King Kong CS is not a 4G phone; it can only transmit according to the UMTS standard.

Quite pure Android 10 is preinstalled, the security patches are from March 2020 and thus hopelessly outdated.

There is no fingerprint sensor, but there is a face recognition that works passably. The hardware buttons on the side are spongy but easy to feel. There are dedicated controls below the screen, but they are touch buttons that cannot be activated with gloves.

Size comparison

❌
166 mm / 6.54 inch 83 mm / 3.27 inch 13.3 mm / 0.524 inch 268 g0.591 lbs159 mm / 6.26 inch 80 mm / 3.15 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 268 g0.591 lbs153 mm / 6.02 inch 80.2 mm / 3.16 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 236.5 g0.521 lbs119 mm / 4.69 inch 58 mm / 2.28 inch 12.1 mm / 0.4764 inch 124 g0.2734 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Cubot Kingkong Mini
802.11a/b/g/n
204 (174min - 216max) MBit/s ∼100% +313%
Blackview BV5900
802.11a/b/g/n
75 (68min - 79max) MBit/s ∼37% +52%
Ulefone Armor 6E
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
52.3 (48min - 56max) MBit/s ∼26% +6%
Cubot King Kong CS
802.11 b/g/n
49.4 (37min - 61max) MBit/s ∼24%
iperf3 receive AX12
Cubot Kingkong Mini
802.11a/b/g/n
181 (109min - 210max) MBit/s ∼100% +318%
Blackview BV5900
802.11a/b/g/n
101 (97min - 104max) MBit/s ∼56% +133%
Ulefone Armor 6E
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
58.7 (57min - 60max) MBit/s ∼32% +36%
Cubot King Kong CS
802.11 b/g/n
43.3 (31min - 49max) MBit/s ∼24%
051015202530354045505560Tooltip
Cubot King Kong CS; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø42.9 (31-49)
Cubot King Kong CS; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø49.3 (37-61)

Cameras - Little sharpness, little light

Recording front camera
Recording front camera

There is only one camera lens on the back, which has a resolution of 13 megapixels. The pictures look grainy and blurry, and details are rarely visible. In the picture of the plant, for example, they are completely lost in the sky, and objects at the edge of the picture, such as the church tower, also look strangely distorted.

In low light, some details are still present, but at the same time the pictures become very grainy and the lens glass tends to reflect. The camera also proves incapable of taking really sharp pictures in the test lab, and they also look pale at the edges. However, the contrast is at least okay in the center of the picture. At 1 lux illumination, almost nothing can be recognized in the photos.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Hauptobjektiv PflanzeHauptobjektiv UmgebungHauptobjektiv Low Light
click to load images
ColorChecker
7.8 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
15.3 ∆E
9.1 ∆E
14.1 ∆E
9.6 ∆E
7.5 ∆E
15 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
6.6 ∆E
7.4 ∆E
6.3 ∆E
6.6 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
6.7 ∆E
8.1 ∆E
1.9 ∆E
2.9 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
2.6 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
ColorChecker Cubot King Kong CS: 7.51 ∆E min: 1.88 - max: 15.31 ∆E
ColorChecker
28.3 ∆E
54 ∆E
39.4 ∆E
35.5 ∆E
44.9 ∆E
62.7 ∆E
52.9 ∆E
36 ∆E
42.6 ∆E
28.3 ∆E
64.3 ∆E
63.2 ∆E
31.4 ∆E
47.1 ∆E
36.6 ∆E
75.5 ∆E
43.2 ∆E
44.5 ∆E
92 ∆E
70.6 ∆E
52 ∆E
37 ∆E
23.9 ∆E
13.4 ∆E
ColorChecker Cubot King Kong CS: 46.65 ∆E min: 13.42 - max: 92.04 ∆E

Display - Gloomy 16:9 screen

Subpixel recording
Subpixel recording

The screen resolution of 720p is OK for the price range. It is pleasant that the smartphone offers a 16:9 screen, so the entire screen can be used for videos in the currently common format. The screen brightness should be better for an outdoor smartphone, and the brightness sensor also reacts quite sluggishly.

The contrast ratio on the screen is in great need of improvement, as is the color accuracy. A clear blue cast is visible in the grayscale. We did not notice any PWM.

398
cd/m²		400
cd/m²		407
cd/m²
403
cd/m²		418
cd/m²		411
cd/m²
405
cd/m²		420
cd/m²		421
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 421 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 409.2 cd/m² Minimum: 17.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 95 %
Center on Battery: 418 cd/m²
Contrast: 624:1 (Black: 0.67 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.27 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 10.1 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
91.5% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 1.705
Cubot King Kong CS
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00		Cubot Kingkong Mini
IPS, 1080x540, 4.00		Ulefone Armor 6E
IPS, 2246x1080, 6.20		Blackview BV5900
IPS, 1520x720, 5.70
Response Times
-16%
-17%
-45%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
34 ?(19, 15)
48 ?(25, 23)
-41%
36 ?(21, 15)
-6%
52 ?(25, 27)
-53%
Response Time Black / White *
22 ?(9, 13)
20 ?(7, 13)
9%
28 ?(15, 13)
-27%
30 ?(13, 17)
-36%
PWM Frequency
845 ?(15)
100 ?(15)
Screen
22%
30%
26%
Brightness middle
418
545
30%
357
-15%
476
14%
Brightness
409
545
33%
352
-14%
473
16%
Brightness Distribution
95
84
-12%
91
-4%
92
-3%
Black Level *
0.67
0.53
21%
0.24
64%
0.47
30%
Contrast
624
1028
65%
1488
138%
1013
62%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.27
6.46
11%
6.08
16%
6
17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
12.79
12.86
-1%
9.46
26%
10.09
21%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.1
7.4
27%
7
31%
5.4
47%
Gamma
1.705 129%
2.652 83%
2.292 96%
2.092 105%
CCT
9339 70%
7448 87%
7695 84%
7661 85%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
3% / 14%
7% / 21%
-10% / 12%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 13 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.4 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 37 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (22.5 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 19 ms rise
↘ 15 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 35 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (35.5 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19232 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.


CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN color accuracy
CalMAN color space sRGB
CalMAN color space sRGB
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation
CalMAN Saturation

Performance, emissions and battery life - Outdated SoC

The MediaTek MT6580M is almost 5 years old, but Cubot still uses it in its outdoor phone. The fact that it was not enough for high performance rates back then does not make things any better, and the smartphone has a hard time coping with current benchmarks. Thus, those who have somewhat more demanding favorite apps that they want to run on the King Kong CS should be prepared for possible problems

Unfortunately, we do not have any data from the comparison devices for the few benchmarks that ran on the King Kong CS. Therefore, we use other, recently tested smartphones to classify the performance.

As mentioned, the microSD reader did not cope with any of the cards we used. The internal memory is extremely slow.

There is no noticeable heating even under high load in the Cubot King Kong CS. The speaker is at most suitable if you do not have any alternative, after all it gets relatively loud.

In terms of battery life, the Cubot King Kong CS is actually not that bad, but on the other hand it does not last as long as the King Kong Mini with a much smaller battery. However, the runtimes are suitable for everyday use; it should be enough for two days without a battery charge.

Geekbench 5.4 | 3DMark
Geekbench 5.4
Single-Core (sort by value)
Cubot King Kong CS
Mediatek MT6580M, Mali-400 MP, 2048
63 Points ∼8%
Oppo A73 5G
MediaTek Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3, 8192
516 Points ∼65% +719%
Gigaset GS4
Mediatek Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
305 Points ∼39% +384%
Vivo Y70
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610, 8192
314 Points ∼40% +398%
Vivo Y20s
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, Adreno 610, 4096
256 Points ∼32% +306%
Average Mediatek MT6580M
 
63 Points ∼8% 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 1885, n=253, last 2 years)
791 Points ∼100% +1156%
Multi-Core (sort by value)
Cubot King Kong CS
Mediatek MT6580M, Mali-400 MP, 2048
248 Points ∼10%
Oppo A73 5G
MediaTek Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3, 8192
1638 Points ∼65% +560%
Gigaset GS4
Mediatek Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
1469 Points ∼58% +492%
Vivo Y70
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610, 8192
1421 Points ∼56% +473%
Vivo Y20s
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, Adreno 610, 4096
1155 Points ∼46% +366%
Average Mediatek MT6580M
 
248 Points ∼10% 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (472 - 5538, n=253, last 2 years)
2536 Points ∼100% +923%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Cubot King Kong CS
Mediatek MT6580M, Mali-400 MP, 2048
2920 Points ∼6%
Oppo A73 5G
MediaTek Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3, 8192
23548 Points ∼45% +706%
Gigaset GS4
Mediatek Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
22144 Points ∼42% +658%
Vivo Y70
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610, 8192
23613 Points ∼45% +709%
Vivo Y20s
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, Adreno 610, 4096
16441 Points ∼31% +463%
Average Mediatek MT6580M
  (2841 - 2946, n=12)
2912 Points ∼6% 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (23273 - 113147, n=10, last 2 years)
52518 Points ∼100% +1699%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Cubot King Kong CS
Mediatek MT6580M, Mali-400 MP, 2048
2463 Points ∼3%
Oppo A73 5G
MediaTek Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3, 8192
29682 Points ∼38% +1105%
Gigaset GS4
Mediatek Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
22988 Points ∼29% +833%
Vivo Y70
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610, 8192
25333 Points ∼32% +929%
Vivo Y20s
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, Adreno 610, 4096
16732 Points ∼21% +579%
Average Mediatek MT6580M
  (2396 - 2485, n=12)
2464 Points ∼3% 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (24973 - 200519, n=10, last 2 years)
78992 Points ∼100% +3107%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Cubot King Kong CS
Mediatek MT6580M, Mali-400 MP, 2048
8324 Points ∼32%
Oppo A73 5G
MediaTek Dimensity 720, Mali-G57 MP3, 8192
13664 Points ∼52% +64%
Gigaset GS4
Mediatek Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3, 4096
19622 Points ∼74% +136%
Vivo Y70
Qualcomm Snapdragon 665, Adreno 610, 8192
19080 Points ∼72% +129%
Vivo Y20s
Qualcomm Snapdragon 460, Adreno 610, 4096
15499 Points ∼59% +86%
Average Mediatek MT6580M
  (7498 - 8913, n=12)
8034 Points ∼30% -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (15179 - 44810, n=10, last 2 years)
26356 Points ∼100% +217%
Cubot King Kong CSCubot Kingkong MiniUlefone Armor 6EBlackview BV5900Average 16 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
203%
223%
141%
67%
1709%
Sequential Read 256KB
45.6
246.9
441%
287.5
530%
179.6
294%
164.5 ?(9.66 - 294, n=256)
261%
1111 ?(90.5 - 3867, n=245, last 2 years)
2336%
Sequential Write 256KB
34.2
129.7
279%
103.3
202%
101.7
197%
43 ?(8.74 - 106.3, n=256)
26%
657 ?(13.6 - 2834, n=245, last 2 years)
1821%
Random Read 4KB
20.5
26.9
31%
43.4
112%
40.9
100%
21.7 ?(2.49 - 62.1, n=256)
6%
197.3 ?(22.2 - 543, n=245, last 2 years)
862%
Random Write 4KB
10.6
17
60%
15.8
49%
7.6
-28%
8.08 ?(0.49 - 44.9, n=256)
-24%
203 ?(13 - 552, n=246, last 2 years)
1815%

Temperature

Max. Load
 35.6 °C
96 F		33.7 °C
93 F		36 °C
97 F		 
 36.5 °C
98 F		33.8 °C
93 F		37 °C
99 F		 
 36.4 °C
98 F		33.8 °C
93 F		35 °C
95 F		 
Maximum: 37 °C = 99 F
Average: 35.3 °C = 96 F
31.5 °C
89 F		30.6 °C
87 F		34.2 °C
94 F
32 °C
90 F		30.1 °C
86 F		37.9 °C
100 F
31.6 °C
89 F		32.4 °C
90 F		36.6 °C
98 F
Maximum: 37.9 °C = 100 F
Average: 33 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.7 °C = 103 F | Room Temperature 20 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.3 °C / 96 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.9 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.1 °C / 86 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.


Heatmap back side
Heatmap back side
Heatmap Front
Heatmap Front

Loudspeaker

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2042.540.52539.334.23130.429.84033.733.85036.940.86333.231.88024.221.610024.626.612517.121.216016.921.920015.124.425013.235.331512.9454001253.150013.66063015.864.280020.667100019.774.3125014.274.4160014.674.4200015.275.8250015.475.1315016.872.5400017.970.8500019.172.563001973.2800019.771.51000021.565.8125002158.31600021.942.3SPL74.771.130.184.7N27.323.71.257.4median 16.9median 65.8Delta2.715.539.644.345.342.837.132.737.438.540.239.23733.228.627.927.526.126.926.524.924.522.925.122.531.421.439.42345.721.151.722.254.92057.619.865.418.373.617.87617.679.616.876.31776.416.777.317.875.916.872.717.167.617.258.817.452.917.441.730.986.71.557median 18.3median 57.62.617.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseCubot King Kong CSCubot Kingkong Mini
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Cubot King Kong CS audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 36.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (31.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 91% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 93% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%

Cubot Kingkong Mini audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 10.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 14.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (41.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 99% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 99% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 0% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%

Battery life

Cubot King Kong CS
4400 mAh		Cubot Kingkong Mini
2000 mAh		Ulefone Armor 6E
5000 mAh		Blackview BV5900
5580 mAh		Average of class Smartphone
 
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
955
997
4%
942
-1%
1153
21%
883 ?(424 - 1252, n=254, last 2 years)
-8%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
15h 55min

Pros

+ IP-68 certification
+ relatively sturdy case
+ 16:9 screen
+ runtimes suitable for everyday use

Cons

- 3G only
- outdated SoC
- lame and very tight memory
- blurry camera
- microSD reader does not work with any of the test cards

Verdict - Too cheap

In the test: Cubot King Kong CS.
In the test: Cubot King Kong CS.

With many benchmarks that do not run or break on the smartphone, the weak screen brightness, the mediocre camera quality, and the extremely tight storage, the Cubot King Kong CS is not exactly predestined for a recommendation. Especially since it cannot even use the LTE network.

The Cubot King Kong CS is an IP-certified phone at a bargain price, but it looks very cheap in many places and does not even offer 4G.

And then Cubot also has the fiercest competitor itself in house: Sure, the CubotKing Kong Mini is even smaller than the CS, but it offers more power, more storage and 4G for almost the same money.

Only those who absolutely want a well-protected phone at the lowest price and only use the smartphone for making calls anyway can consider the King Kong CS. At the same time, you should keep in mind that the German network providers, for example, have already announced that they will soon shut down their 3G network completely. This means that the King Kong CS will be cut off from the mobile Internet completely and can only be used for surfing via WLAN, where it was also quite slow and sometimes susceptible to interference in our test.

Considering all that, you should rather invest a few Euros more and get an outdoor phone with 4G like the Cubot King Kong Mini, which offers much more for a minimal surcharge, but there is no IP certification.

Price and availability

The Cubot King Kong CS is available from the manufacturer for approximately 80 Euros (~$80) at the time of testing. It is also available on Amazon, where there are numerous different offers. The cheapest, also for just under 80 Euros, can be found here.

Cubot King Kong CS - 01/17/2021 v7
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
77%
Keyboard
64 / 75 → 85%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
29 / 70 → 42%
Weight
87%
Battery
91%
Display
80%
Games Performance
2 / 64 → 3%
Application Performance
38 / 86 → 44%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
46 / 90 → 51%
Camera
26%
Average
63%
69%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Cubot King Kong CS smartphone Review - waterproof phone for under 100 euros
Florian Schmitt, 2021-01-17 (Update: 2021-01-17)