Index
Review: Ultrathin, metal, inexpensive
Chinese smartphone maker Cubot recently upped the ante in the $150 to $200 budget smartphone segment with a couple of ultrathin phones. Both sport a metal frame, good build quality, and look like pricey devices, but they offer limited performance due to their anorexic profile.
We already had a chance to review the Cubot X16, and today we will be looking at the Cubot X17. So what are the differences? Well, there aren’t that many. Both phones share the same frame, same processor and OS. The Cubot X17 has more RAM, different camera optics, and a metal back in lieu of glass.
Both devices are designed around a 4.1mm alloy frame, topped off by gently curved glass at the front. They are identical from the front. However, at the back the X17 boasts a different camera lens and an alloy plate on the back, flanked by two plastic strips at the top and bottom.
The Cubot X17 is just 6.2mm thick, which is impressive for such an inexpensive device. Granted, there are quite a few powerful phablets in the same bracket, but none of them is as compact as the X17. The Cubot X17 is based on MediaTek’s MT6735 processor, it has 3GB of RAM, 16GB of internal storage, a 13-megapixel main camera, and a decent 5-inch 1080p panel. The phone costs $169 via EverBuying.
