Cubot KingKong ES Pro Review: specs and features, camera quality test, gaming benchmark, user opinions and photos

Cubot KingKong ES Pro - Several Years Behind

Smartphone manufacturers' desire to sell off their remaining components is not uncommon. Some time after a model's launch, it might be released with some changes, targeting a different user base. However, today's review subject largely duplicates its predecessor at a higher price, and it's also being released a couple of years after the original. It seems unlikely that such a device will find a fan base.

The new device's appearance doesn't exactly evoke positive emotions. Yes, it has IP68 water resistance, a nice camera module, and a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, and the black and orange color combination looks good. However, the exterior is noticeably marred by the excessive thickness and sheer size of the case, the rubberized texture of the back panel, which isn't the most pleasant to the touch, and the huge display bezels with an outdated design for the 16-megapixel selfie camera. The 6.56-inch IPS display with a 1612x720 resolution is unlikely to impress. Image clarity is average, and there's decent smoothness at a 90 Hz refresh rate, but the frankly low peak brightness of 400 nits and dull color reproduction are disappointing.

The technical specifications include a UNISOC Tiger T616 CPU, 6 GB of RAM, and a Mali G57MC1 GPU. This combination is far from new, and its performance of 230,000-250,000 points in AnTuTu is barely sufficient for smooth playback of the Android 16 interface. While the user won't be completely without entertainment, running anything more or less demanding isn't recommended. Even older 3D games like PUBG Mobile and Call of Duty will require playing at low, or better yet, minimum graphics settings. The battery capacity is small by today's standards, but given the energy-efficient chipset and 5100 mAh battery, it's enough for 10 hours of screen-on time. Fast charging isn't supported, so you'll need to keep the phone plugged in overnight. Storage is limited to 64/128 GB, but there's a microSD card slot for expansion.

Photography is good for the price segment. The secondary 2-megapixel sensor is useless and more for show, while the main 64-megapixel module, although lacking hybrid image stabilization, is suitable for artistic photography. Capturing detailed images without excessive noise is easy during daylight; in low light, the task becomes increasingly difficult, but not impossible. Stereo sound is missing; the single speaker will not let you miss notifications, but it's unlikely to be a comfortable option for listening to music. There's no NFC contactless payment option, which would be a serious drawback. As a result, we have before us a durable gadget, but one that is inferior in a significant number of parameters, the purchase of which is not entirely advisable.