Cubot phones ?

[padiho]

I'm looking for a very cheap smart phone to be used only periodically. I have an iPhone for my everyday use and find that very easy to use. I'm not very technical and have never used android, don't know what rooting etc. means.
I have spotted the cubot on Amazon, ebay etc. For about £40-50 ...do they work or not? I would just need it for text, making and receiving and making the odd call.
Would appreciate some input .....it's only cheap but if it doesn't work then it's £50 wasted....

[aaront903]

If your going android route, stick to samsung if you ask me, can get a s3 mini from carphone warehouse for about same price and its an authentic shop, can never trust ebay lol

[Deleted]

padiho buy any of the nokia range you can pick em up for less than £20
if using for call and texts

no need a 50£ phone for calls and text

Nokia-108 £19.99
www.amazon.co.uk/Nokia-108-Free-Mobile-Phone/dp/B00IBDRU8I/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1431866655&sr=8-5&keywords=nokia

also browse the nokia store on amazon
some bargains

www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=bl_dp_s_web_560798?ie=UTF8&field-keywords=Nokia&index=electronics-uk&search-type=ss

[phatfil]

Fwiw 'root' is the generic out of the box admin ID for all *nix type O/S, and rooting is simply gaining admin privileges over the basic system..

[Ripshod]

The problem with buying 'cubot' or any chinese copy/clone is there won't be a root available for them, nor updates. As per aaront903 go for the S3 mini, or even a nokia as suggested by @zuza. Failing that a visit to a local 'cash converters' may prove fruitful

[Deleted]

i still got my nokia 5110 and 3310 and 8110 boxes are even perfect these will be worth more than gold Ripshod

[Ripshod]

May 17, 2015 13:11:43 GMT @zuza said:

i still got my nokia 5110 and 3310 and 8110 boxes are even perfect these will be worth more than gold Ripshod

My 3210 is still like new - but I switched to android ages ago so it's a little unloved.

[Deleted]

cant beat a nokia Ripshod these are built to last i will do the car park challenge with any of these new phone
drop from 3rd floor and you still can call from the nokia while others will be in 100 bits

[kingofswords]

if your on payg this is only 99p www.carphonewarehouse.com/phones/lg-l20/ppayupg?intcmp=paygup_lgl20_140415

dont think its upgradable to lollipop thou:s

[djs]

I have a spare phone or two (or 10) and the old tech ones are the best for texts and talk. Immense battery life, totally reliable.

You might even be able to get close to Motorola Moto E with some providers (on PAYG) for not much more than you are talking. Got to be worth the extra, even if it's not quite as cheap.

[Ripshod]

May 17, 2015 20:45:37 GMT kingofswords said:

if your on payg this is only 99p www.carphonewarehouse.com/phones/lg-l20/ppayupg?intcmp=paygup_lgl20_140415

dont think its upgradable to lollipop thou:s

Just an FYI. I got the L20 on this recommendation. Wanted it just for a work phone. Even at the current price it`s a great workhorse. Using it right now to post this.
So long as your fingers ain't too fat, or if ypu have a suitable stylus to hand it's a great 'entry level' android device.
Only tip with this is to set the default app directory to '1' with adb or you'll quickly run out of memory


ETA: Takes a 32GB micro-SD card.

[buggritt]

May 17, 2015 8:34:06 GMT padiho said:

I'm looking for a very cheap smart phone to be used only periodically. I have an iPhone for my everyday use and find that very easy to use. I'm not very technical and have never used android, don't know what rooting etc. means.
I have spotted the cubot on Amazon, ebay etc. For about £40-50 ...do they work or not? I would just need it for text, making and receiving and making the odd call.
Would appreciate some input .....it's only cheap but if it doesn't work then it's £50 wasted....

The cubot brand is fine. Some time ago they made a HTC One rip off that was brilliant. Which one would be helpful though. Like others have said, if that's all you want to do with it - why a smartphone?
I bought a THL purely for the battery life. 4000 mah. It's a cracker. £60, latest android, all the bells and whistles without the rip off premium price of my HTC.
All Android phones can be rooted by the way.

[hijack]

May 17, 2015 13:07:03 GMT Ripshod said:

The problem with buying 'cubot' or any chinese copy/clone is there won't be a root available for them, nor updates. As per aaront903 go for the S3 mini, or even a nokia as suggested by @zuza. Failing that a visit to a local 'cash converters' may prove fruitful

This is the main thing with buying Chinese Gadgets and some I have had experience with since i have been away.
The Chinese are starting to make some excellent tablets and phones, and you can grab an absolute bargin...As long as you do you research before committing.
I read up on some forums Feaktab is one of the places to get all the pro's and con's and a few of their members make ROM's for quite a few of the best and most popular China has to offer.
After doing this I bought a CUBE X9 U65GT from Tinydeal.com , Who delivered with no problem.
Then i downloaded the ROM and Software etc. for doing the flash after rooting the Tab. Also grb a few nice extra's from the freaktab site, Like cool loading screen and decent easy to use recovery.
The whole thing was a bit daunting but if your slightly tech minded and computer sav'y you should manage the loading of the drivers, for instance and the flash software after a little prep work.
Ended up with a great Tablet the performs as good as a Galaxy tab for £150. 8-core 1.7mHz, 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage, with a 32GB flash card for extra storage.
It uses the same 9.7' high res Retina screen as in the latest i-pad 1960x1280 i think it is, with gorilla glass protective screen.  really crisp images.
Has a 10,000 mAh battery, yeh thats a battery that will keep it running with the screen on for about 14 hours use.
Play stuff like World of Tanks Blitzkrieg great, even on a screen with so many pixels.
Great tablet, Have had it 6 months now and it never misses a beat........but only if support by ROM flash.





4mm thickness dont know where they put all that battery


Made from aluminium for the chassis so strong and no creaking when your handling it.


I put Vire Launcher to replace standard Andriod interface. Has some cool 3D page turning settings and nice folders the appear recessed into your Backgroud when opened.
The latest one the Cube T9 is even better. with 64bit 8core chip and higher performing graphics chip and its 4G twin Sim, my older model is 32Bit and 3G single sim

BTW padiho Cubot although similar sounding is not the same as Cube and if its on ebay for £40-50 then they got it from China for £25 you would do better looking at that forum i listed and finding out what was good and supported with custom ROM and buying from Tinydeal.com. if you spend £50 youll get something thats selling over here for £100. People were selling the one i got with the rom preflashed for £260 on EBay at the time.

Anyone looking for a ROM for Chinese tablet or phone or other devices like tvbox should check out Freaktab Forum They cover a lot 

[mart166]

Just quick bit of advice, avoid Huawei products like the plauge, had one as first forray into smartphones, it was a piece of s**t, screen lock never worked resulting in a 2 hour call i never knew about, pocket got damp in rain phone packed up, 8 weeks to repair under waranty, no replacement supplied, and phone that was returned was secondhand and not my original.

MP

[Deleted]

Well I actually downgraded my Samsung S3 in the summer to a Cubot s208 - it was a great phone! Till I dropped it! and that was the end of that. 1gb ram and ok - you can't upgrade android but you don't need to - worked like a dream . Made a case for it (crocheted) - sorted. padiho.

If you just want a cheap android phone then look at the reviews. I now have an asus zenphone 5 (maybe more than your budget) but that is great as well...

I just won't go back to popular brands . Contract is like an HP but for a phone - just so not worth it!!!