Cubot Max 5 Review: Dimensity 8200 Powerhouse — A User’s Perspective

I’ve been using the Cubot Max 5 for a little over a month now, and I must say, I am genuinely impressed by what this device offers. When I first got my hands on it, I wasn’t expecting too much — I mean, it’s from Cubot, a brand that’s more known for budget-friendly devices than for delivering powerhouse performance. But boy, was I wrong. The Cubot Max 5 packs some serious heat, and the Mediatek Dimensity 8200 chipset is at the core of it all.

Design and Build Quality

Let’s start with the design. The Cubot Max 5 feels solid in the hand. It’s a bit on the heavier side at 223g, but that weight gives it a premium feel. The 6.95-inch display is massive, and I personally love how immersive it is for everything from watching YouTube to gaming. Sure, it’s not OLED, but the IPS LCD panel with a 144Hz refresh rate is nothing short of a treat for the eyes. Scrolling feels smooth, gaming is crisp, and the large screen size makes content consumption a dream. It’s hard to believe this level of smoothness and responsiveness is coming from a device that doesn’t cost a fortune.

Dimensity 8200 — The Real MVP

What really blew my mind, though, is the performance. The Cubot Max 5 is powered by the Mediatek Dimensity 8200, a chipset built on a 4nm process, and this thing is FAST. We’re talking octa-core, 1x3.1 GHz Cortex-A78 & 3x3.0 GHz Cortex-A78 for the heavy lifting, and 4x2.0 GHz Cortex-A55 cores for efficiency. Honestly, I haven’t experienced any lag, whether I’m switching between apps or playing graphic-intensive games.

For instance, I’ve been playing Call of Duty: Mobile and Genshin Impact, and the experience has been flawless. The Mali-G610 MC6 GPU handles the graphics without breaking a sweat. Even after long sessions, the phone doesn’t heat up excessively, thanks to the power efficiency of the Dimensity 8200. Pair that with 12GB of RAM, and the multitasking experience is buttery smooth. I can confidently say this chipset makes the Cubot Max 5 perform like a flagship device at half the price.

Display and Gaming Experience

The massive 6.95-inch screen is perfect for gaming and content consumption. And with the 144Hz refresh rate, everything looks smooth. Whether it’s a fast-paced FPS game or scrolling through Twitter, the display holds up beautifully. The 1080 x 2460 pixels resolution ensures that everything looks sharp, even on such a large screen. For a device at this price point, I was not expecting this level of visual performance.

Battery and Charging

Another major win for me is the 5100mAh battery. I’m a heavy user — I’m constantly on my phone for work, social media, gaming, and streaming, so I need a battery that lasts. With the Cubot Max 5, I can go through an entire day without worrying about recharging. The Dimensity 8200’s power efficiency really shows here because even with that massive screen and the high refresh rate, the battery holds up. When it does need a charge, the 33W wired charging gets me back to full in just over an hour. It’s fast enough that even if I forget to charge it overnight, I can top up in the morning without being late.

Camera Performance

I was skeptical about the camera at first, but the 100MP main camera has surprised me. It’s fast, and the image processing thanks to the Dimensity 8200 is impressive. Photos are clear, and the colors are natural, which is not something I always expect from budget phones. The 32MP front camera also delivers decent selfies, with good detail and accurate colors. It might not compete with the likes of Samsung or Apple in terms of overall camera quality, but for the price, it’s pretty darn good.

Storage and Connectivity

256GB of storage with no card slot? At first, I was concerned, but honestly, 256GB is more than enough for me. I store tons of apps, videos, and games, and I’ve yet to hit the limit. As for connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 6, 5G, and has NFC, so I’ve got no complaints here.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Cubot Max 5 exceeded my expectations. From its solid build and large, smooth display to the powerhouse performance of the Dimensity 8200 chipset, this phone punches well above its weight. For gamers, multitaskers, and media enthusiasts on a budget, this is a hidden gem. The battery life is solid, the cameras are more than decent, and the 12GB RAM with 256GB storage means it’s future-proof for a while.

If you’re in the market for a phone that offers flagship-level performance without the flagship price tag, the Cubot Max 5 should definitely be on your radar. It’s a sleeper hit that more people need to know about!