You heard it here first! It’s a clone, at least design-wise, of the iPhone 12. But, unlike the iPhone, the Cubot C30 spots a MediaTek processor and an ARM GPU. The overall look and feel are also not as seamless and sophisticated as the iPhone. The camera too, I reckon, will not outperform an iPhone’s camera system in any camera performance test.
The price, on the other hand, the price, that’s where the C30 stands out from the competition. It costs just $170 (76,500 Naira). That’s a one-sixth the money you’d pay for iPhone 12 or half what you’d shell out for an Apple Watch.
There’s no gainsaying that this is a bargain deal in the budget smartphone category. And with looks that mirror an iPhone, the next question then is; does it have enough under the hood to be the ideal phone for you?
I answer that question in this review
Design and build quality
| Form factor | Glass sandwich |
| Build material | Plastic edges | Glass back and front |
| Weight | 190g |
| Thickness | 8.5mm |
| Available colors | Black | Green |
There’s not much to say here, one look at the C30 and its clear where Cubot got the design inspiration of this phone from. The camera bump mirrors the iPhone 12’s boxy camera module, and the flush back of the C30 continues with the iPhone theme as well.
On the front, there’s a slight distinction from the iPhone 12, in that instead of a notch you get a hole punch camera cut-out.
Sturdy and well-built
Overall, it’s a good-looking phone, that’s well rounded around the edges and solid to hold. You can tell that Cubot is proud of the design they’ve been able to recreate – there’s a very distinct Cubot badge on the back of the phone.
Sideways and you get the usual complement of a volume rocker and a power key. There’s a side-mounted fingerprint sensor that feels nice to the touch. From first impressions, it also works well and fast.
If you want the Cubot C30, you can get it in two colour combinations, Black and Green.
Performance and spec-sheet
| Processor (CPU) | Mediatek Helio P60 Octa-core 2.0GHz clock speed |
| Graphics processor (GPU) | ARM Mali G72 MP3 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage capacity | 128GB | 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.1 |
| Micro-SD card support | Yes |
| Micro-SD card capacity | 256GB |
Onboard the Cubot C30 is the well-known MediaTek Helio P30 connected to an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 GPU. Although this processor is a bit dated (made its first showing back in 2018), it is still, by every means, very capable.
It has a healthy 2.0 GHz max clock speed, and on the Cubot C30, it powers the phone to an AnTuTu Benchmark score of 149,166. That’s above the Xiaomi Redmi 9 and the Elephone U2.
RAM
RAM on the Cubot C30 is a whopping 8GB. 8GB is massive, and you’d be hard for choice to find another android smartphone at this price with 8GB of RAM. Paired to the MediaTek Helio P30 on this phone, this RAM module Delivers a smooth and effortless smartphone using experience.
Clicking through apps on the C30 feels smooth and scrolling through Google chrome comes off as effortless. The phone also manages to power through performance intensive apps with no hassle. Of course, this is not to say it beats the fluidity you’d get on recent gen iPhones. What you can say, however, is that it comes close with the difference being more of a factor of iPhone proprietary UI than it is raw Specs.
Storage
There’s enough storage on board too to handle your storage needs. The Cubot C30 comes with either 128GB or 256GB of storage depending on the variant you decide to purchase. Storage is also expandable via a Micro-SD card.
Camera performance and picture quality
| Main camera sensor | Quad 48MP | 16MP | 5MP | 0.3MP |
| Optical image stabilization | Nil |
| Aperture size | F1.8 |
| Selfie camera sensor | Single 32MP |
| Aperture size | F2.4 |
The craze for quad-camera setups in android phones follows through in the Cubot C30. The primary shooter is a Sony IMX586 48MP lens that works with a 16MP ultra-wide lens, a 5MP macro lens and what Cubot calls a 0.3MP photosensitive lens. It’s not really clear what the latter of the bunch does in taking pictures, but what’s clear are the pictures this phone takes.
As you would expect from a 48MP lens, every picture is packed with enough details. They come out sharp and colourful, and if you’re shooting in daylight, there’s no photo distortion or fringe. In darker conditions, you might start to notice a bit of noise in pictures, but that’s to be expected. Again, the Cubot C30 is no iPhone killer and nowhere does this show than the camera department.
Selfie camera
At the front, the Cubot C30 comes with a 32MP shooter, which is on paper very impressive. In real-world usage, the camera does well to take clear selfies with fairly decent bokeh. Details are great, and thanks to the phone’s image processing algorithm, noise is at the barest minimum.
Display quality
| Display type | LCD IPS display |
| Display size | 6.4 inches |
| Display resolution | 2310 x 1080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 392 PPI |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Display protection | 2.5D Scratch resistant glass |
| Display notch type | Hole-punch notch |
The Cubot C30 comes with a full HD plus screen with an actual resolution of 2310 x 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 392 PPI. Those are pretty decent numbers and compared to the competition the C30 stands up tall. For context, Tecno’s Camon 15 only comes with an HD screen at 1080 x 720 pixels.
Display panel
The Cubot C30 display is an IPS panel, and it does well to produce clear and very ‘realistic’ pictures. The screen brightness on this phone is not that great, however, and in very bright conditions you might struggle a bit. Overall, it’s a good screen for the money – viewing angles are great, picture quality is okay, and as long as you’re not using it in direct sunlight on a hot October afternoon, you shouldn’t have problems with the brightness as well.
Battery life
| Battery type | Li-polymer |
| Removable | No |
| Battery capacity | 4200mAh |
| Battery charger | 10W (non – fast charger) |
| Fast charging support | Yes |
| Charging port | USB C |
Inside the Cubot C30 is an unremovable 4200mAh Li-Po battery that should get you through at least a day of mild to moderate use. It’s not the biggest out there, the Umidigi S5 Pro, for instance, ships with a 4680mAh battery. But it should be enough to cover your needs.
Support for fast charging
There’s a USB-C port and charging cable in the box, and the Cubot C30 supports fast charging. Getting this phone from zero to hundred should be something you can do in under 2 hours.
Pricing and availability
| Price | $170 – $193 |
| Amazon | Check current price |
| AliExpress | Check current price |
You can pick up the Cubot C30 on Cubot’s official site for about 179 Euros. On AliExpress the phone retails for about $170 for the 8GB – 128GB model and $193 for the 8GB – 256GB model.
Right now the C30 is available for international buyers to purchase but if you live in Nigeria Cubot’s official store doesn’t ship to the country yet, and the phone is unavailable on Konga or Jumia.
What’s not to like about the Cubot C30?
With the C30, Cubot has tried to include as much hardware as is possible to make the phone an all-rounder. Without mincing words, the spec-sheet is fantastic, the camera is excellent, and the phone comes with all the features that can make a budget phone stand out.
What it lacks, however, is character and uniqueness. Somehow the decision to tap into the design cue of the iPhone 12, makes this phone feel less remarkable than it’s supposed to be. It has what is probably the largest RAM allocation in a phone at this price, and it doesn’t really show on the first viewing.
It’s a phone that needs a review like this to announce it’s presence. And, it’s not far-fetched to assume that you’d probably skip it in a showroom if you’ve never heard about it before.
Verdict – Should you buy the Cubot C30?
| What you’ll like on the Cubot C30 | What’s not so nice on the Cubot C30 |
| Top tier specifications and performance | Copy of iPhone |
| Solid build quality | somewhat pricy |
| Quality display | No headphone jack |
| Excellent battery life |
If you’re looking for a phone that’s packed full on the spec-department without any compromise, then the Cubot C30 is a great bargain. That said it’s not the best all-rounded phone I’ve reviewed. The phone’s design is a little bit cliché. I know it is asking for much when you expect a budget phone to turn heads, but many other budget phones – cue the Umidigi A9 Pro – have managed to achieve that feat.
- Buy the Cubot C30 on Amazon by clicking here
- Or on AliExpress by clicking here
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Cubot C30 full specifications review
| Cubot C30 full specifications | |
|---|---|
| Smartphone name | Cubot C30 |
| Display type | LCD IPS display |
| Display size | 6.4 inches |
| Display resolution | 2310 x 1080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 392 PPI |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Display protection | 2.5D Scratch resistant glass |
| Display notch type | Hole-punch notch |
| Processor (CPU) | Mediatek Helio P60 Octa-core 2.0GHz clock speed |
| Graphics processor (GPU) | ARM Mali G72 MP3 |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage capacity | 128GB | 256GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.1 |
| Micro-SD card support | Yes |
| Micro-SD card capacity | 256GB |
| Form factor | Glass sandwich |
| Build material | Plastic edges | Glass back and front |
| Weight | 190g |
| Thickness | 8.5mm |
| Available colors | Black | Green |
| Android version | Android 10 |
| Main camera sensor | Quad 48MP | 16MP | 5MP | 0.3MP |
| Optical image stabilization | Nil |
| Aperture size | F1.8 |
| Selfie camera sensor | Single 32MP |
| Aperture size | F2.4 |
| Battery type | Li-polymer |
| Removable | No |
| Battery capacity | 4200mAh |
| Battery charger | 10W (non – fast charger) |
| Fast charging support | Yes |
| Charging port | USB C |
| Extras | No |
| Notification light | No |
| Biometric validation | Yes Facial recognition support Side mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Price | $170 – $193 |
| Amazon | Check current price |
| AliExpress | Check current price |
