Conclusion

The Cube i7 Stylus is a strange beast. It’s a small brand device and few users outside of Asia will ever get a chance to try it out. While Cube has been around for years, the company does not appear to be focusing on the international market. Considering the price/performance ratio of this particular device, perhaps it’s time to give western markets a go.

The Cube i7 Stylus costs as much as a mid-range tablet with a big brand sticker on the back, yet it is based on a processor that would not feel out of place in a device twice its price. Storage and RAM are fast as well, and overall performance is excellent for a tablet (not just a cheap tablet, but any tablet). If you choose to get the keyboard dock, you’ll end up with a quite powerful 2-in-1 with stylus support on top. It’s a pity there’s no 11.6-inch version, or 128GB model, but who knows, perhaps we will see them in the future.

There are a few shortcomings. The blue metal chassis is sensitive to fingerprints and grease. The speakers are woefully inadequate and they are our biggest disappointment. Sure, you have to save money somewhere, but Cube would have been better off with a couple of speakers used in $100 phones. As a result, content consumption suffers, but this tablet is no toy anyway. It’s supposed to augment or replace ultraportable notebooks, and it should excel in that use case.

It’s a pity we did not get a chance to try out the keyboard, which is sold separately for $58. The stylus is also an option, but it’s relatively cheap at $35. The kicker is the price of the tablet itself – it’s just $327 via GearBest, who kindly supplied this review sample.

Bottom line; the Cube i7 Stylus is a very powerful piece of kit with a surprisingly low price tag. In case you want a serious tablet or convertible, with a Wacom stylus as icing on the cake, it’s a good value alternative to similar big brand devices.

Cube i7 Stylus Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Excellent performance
• Good display
• Stylus support
• Value for money

Cons:

• Woefully inadequate speakers
• Fingerprint prone metal finish
• No full-size USB slot