Cubot KingKong X Review

Design, build and controls

The Cubot KingKong X has a traditional ruggedized design that's practical and appealing. It combines metal, TPU, and polycarbonate with different textures that serve form and function alike. The two vertical frames show-off partially the metal part. The same material is used partially for the back and for the frame of the camera module. The top and bottom frames, the four padded corners, some areas on the rear shell, and partially the two vertical sides are covered with shock-absorbing TPU. On certain areas on the rear shell it is also textured to improve grip. Finally, the display case and some parts of the rear shell are made of tough polycarbonate. As a classic ruggedized smartphone, the KingKong X has an IP68 and an IP69K rating testifying it is water-resistant and completely dust-proof withstanding washdown at pressures of 80 to 100 bar/1,160 to 1,450 PSI, in phases of 14 to 16 l/min, and at temperatures up to 176°F/80°C. Moreover, the model is MIL-STD-810H certified for being resistant to drops and similar impacts. The handset is 82 mm wide, 170.8 mm high, and 19 mm thick. The device tipped our scales at 388 grams. The only available color is black with silver accents from the visible metal parts. The front of the KingKong X is dominated by the display with reasonably thick bezels - 5 mm on the top, 3 mm on the sides, and 7 mm at the bottom. As usual, the display casing protrudes a bit from the glass surface to provide additional protection should the device drop flat on its screen. A V-shaped notch with an option to be hidden houses the selfie camera. The light and proximity sensors together with the LED notification light are placed to the left of the camera in the top bezel. The receiver is placed right between the display casing and the frame. The device supports on-screen gesture navigation and navigation with virtual buttons. Both options can be customized. The rear shell has two distinctive areas as it is visually split diagonally. The top part is darker and is accentuated by the octagonal secondary display with a silver-colored metal frame. One of the lenses with the LED flash is on its left and the other two lenses are on its right. An orange-colored trapezoid element and tha "Waterproof Design" sign complement this part of the rear shell. The second is brighter as it comprises mainly of the textured metal plate with the Cubot logo on it. It occupies most of the second half of the rear shell. The only other element in this area is the rear-firing speaker placed at the very bottom. The top frame of the device is bare and the bottom one houses the USB Type-C 2.0 port that's covered with an insulating cap. The right corner of the device has a lanyard hole. The left frame is the home of the hybrid, dual-SIM tray that is also protected by an insulating cap and you'll need a SIM pin to extract it. It is adjoined by an oval customizable button in orange color. The Volume rocker and the Power button with an embedded fingerprint sensor are placed on the right frame.