The CUBOT brand is known for its reliable rugged smartphones and has recently introduced the new King Kong Ace 3, featuring an additional rear display. The success of devices with rear screens appears to have been so significant that the company decided to use a similar design again, as evidenced by previous models like the King Kong Star, King Kong 9, and KingKong AX.
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CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 Specifications
- Displays: main – 6.58″, IPS, FHD+ (1080×2408), refresh rate 90 Hz, 401 ppi, additional (rear) – 1.32”
- Processor: Helio G88, 8 cores, 6×Cortex-A55 (1.8 GHz) + 2×Cortex-A75 (2.0 GHz), 12 nm
- Permanent memory: 256 GB
- RAM: 8 GB (+16 GB due to permanent)
- Memory card support: microSD up to 1 TB
- Slot: hybrid (SIM + SIM/microSD)
- Wireless networks: Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo
- Main camera: 100 MP + additional 0.3 MP + 5 MP macro
- Front camera: 32 megapixels
- Battery: 5100 mAh, 33W fast charging
- Operating system: Android 14
- Dimensions: 173.9 × 81.8 × 12.7 mm
- Weight: 284 g
- Optional: dust and water protection IP68 and IP69K, operating temperature -35°C – +75°C, optional touch screen
Price
While we await the arrival of the King Kong Ace 3 in major Ukrainian retailers, we can look at its price on the official CUBOT store on AliExpress. As of the writing of this review, the smartphone is priced at just over $200 or €185. So, purchasing the device won’t break the bank.
CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 package contents
What does the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 come with? It has everything you need and a bit more. Inside the sturdy box, you’ll find not just the smartphone, but also a charging cable, a device, user documentation, and a slot key, as well as a protective screen protector that you can apply yourself. This is in addition to the factory-installed screen protector that comes pre-applied. Quite a generous set, wouldn’t you agree?
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Design, materials and layout of elements
When I first saw the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3’s appearance (before it even arrived), I thought it would be a standard large and somewhat bulky device, as most rugged gadgets tend to be. But no. I was pleasantly surprised by its thickness (12.7 mm is quite slim for this class) and the slanted orange edges on the back, which give a tactile impression of a thinner device. So it’s no wonder the manufacturer emphasizes this feature.
Nevertheless, the design of the King Kong Ace 3 is still quite rugged, and the device with its reinforced body weighs 284 grams. The protection according to top IP68 and IP69K standards demands it—it’s resistant to dust, sand, water, and even extreme operating temperatures. The body is mostly made of durable matte plastic but features decorative elements in other materials. For instance, along the “back” there are faux leather inserts, glossy plastic details, and even a metal frame around the additional screen. By the way, the screen, framed by a metal “bezel,” closely resembles a smartwatch. However, as mentioned earlier, this isn’t an innovative design even within the CUBOT brand—this feature is also present in models like the King Kong 9 and KingKong AX.
The cameras are positioned on either side of the smartwatch-like screen. On the left side are the main camera module and flash, while the additional cameras are located on the right side. Above the display, you can see a small hole for the microphone, and in the lower left corner, there’s a speaker grille.
What’s on the “front”? A large 6.58-inch display with chunky bezels (which is quite expected) and a droplet-shaped cutout for the selfie camera. At the top, there’s also a grille for the earpiece speaker.
The edges are reinforced at the corners to protect the King Kong Ace 3 from damage if dropped, although full shock resistance is not claimed for this model. On the left side, you’ll find a hybrid slot (for either two nanoSIM cards or one nanoSIM card and a microSD card), along with an additional functional Smart Key. This button recognizes three gestures (a single press, double press, and long press), each of which can be assigned a function: quickly opening the voice recorder, activating underwater shooting mode, accessing the SOS menu, launching any app, adjusting the mini-screen, turning on the flashlight, or taking a screenshot. Quite a handy feature. On the right side, it’s standard – volume buttons and a power button with a fingerprint scanner.
The top edge is empty, while the opposite edge features the charging port and a hole for the conversation microphone. There’s no audio jack included.
It’s worth noting that both the slot and the charging port are protected by a tight silicone cover, which prevents liquid from entering the device.
Ergonomics
Although the smartphone is quite bulky, using it is almost as convenient as with regular devices. Yes, it’s a bit heavier, but this is not a major issue and you quickly get used to it. The power button is placed conveniently, so unlocking the phone with one hand is no problem. However, fully operating it with one hand can be challenging, which is to be expected. The materials of the body are non-slip, making it easy to hold. Overall, the ergonomics of the King Kong Ace 3 are quite similar to those of non-rugged devices.
CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 display
The main screen of the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 is an IPS panel with a 6.58-inch diagonal, FHD+ resolution (1080×2408), a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz, and a pixel density of 401 ppi. It also supports MiraVision technology, which enhances the image in real-time.
There are four color modes available: Natural, Vivid, Saturated, and Adaptive. The differences between them are quite noticeable, allowing users to adjust the display to their preference. Additionally, the system adapts app icons to match the primary colors of the interface, although not all apps, including some pre-installed ones, support this feature. The settings are fairly standard: dark mode, refresh rate options (60 Hz, 90 Hz, or Adaptive mode), adaptive brightness, and wallpaper settings.
The screen itself is pleasant to use, with wide viewing angles, good color accuracy, and a substantial brightness reserve. Text is easily readable, and graphical content, whether it’s an Instagram feed or videos, is displayed beautifully.
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What can Mini Screen do?
The additional screen deserves a separate mention. From a technical perspective, it measures 1.32 inches and is touch-sensitive. What can it be used for?
I compared it to a smartwatch for a reason. Its functionality reminds me of budget smartwatches, particularly in terms of features. The first screen displays the clock, with 19 preset watch faces available and options to create your own. Next, there’s a compass, and then the camera. This means you can technically use this display as a viewfinder for selfies with the main camera—a handy feature and likely one of the most useful. The menu carousel ends with a media player. Additionally, swiping up lets you read notifications, while swiping down shows the battery level.
In the settings, you can adjust the mini-screen’s functionality. Options include setting the timeout, brightness level, enabling simultaneous operation with the main display, and wake-up actions like double-tapping or flipping the device.
Performance and wireless connectivity
What’s inside the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3? It features an 8-core Helio G88 processor, which includes 6 Cortex-A55 cores clocked at 1.8 GHz and 2 Cortex-A75 cores up to 2.0 GHz. It has 256 GB of internal storage, expandable via microSD up to 1 TB, though this requires using the slot in a hybrid mode, sacrificing the second SIM slot. The device comes with 8 GB of RAM and also offers a Memory Expansion feature, allowing an additional 16 GB of virtual RAM to be allocated from the internal storage. For connectivity, it supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, and GPS.
While the Helio G88 isn’t a powerhouse and might not excel in gaming, it handles everyday tasks and multitasking well. Messengers, browsers, video playback, calls, and popular apps all run smoothly, so its performance is more than adequate for typical use. If you’re into benchmarks, here are some test results for the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3.
CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 software
The software is a clean version of Android 14. This will be a plus for many, as it’s streamlined, straightforward, and easy to understand without unnecessary elements. The additional features include:
The additional features include:
- Gaming Center: Settings to maximize performance for games and to disable calls/notifications to avoid interruptions during gameplay.
- Student Mode: An application to restrict access to certain apps or websites, helping students focus on their studies when using the smartphone.
- Toolbox: A set of virtual tools including a compass, several types of levels (horizontal and vertical), a protractor, an inclinometer, and a altimeter. This can be useful for everyday tasks, outdoor activities, or work.
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Unlocking methods
Almost all modern smartphones come with facial and fingerprint scanners, and the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 is no exception. The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button, and it’s capacitive, offering both speed and accuracy in recognition.
The face scanner works reasonably well in good lighting conditions or if the screen brightness is above approximately 40%. In other conditions, recognition might fail, as the phone lacks algorithms for temporary brightness increases. However, you can enable a simplified recognition mode in the settings. This decreases security (though face recognition alone doesn’t offer high security), but speeds up unlocking. Additionally, there’s an option to prevent recognition with closed eyes, ensuring that no one can unlock your phone while you’re asleep.
CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 sound
The smartphone has a single speaker located on the back of the device in the lower-left corner. While it offers a good volume level, that’s where the positives end. The sound is rather flat and basic, and it is significantly affected by how you hold or position the device. The audio distorts considerably if you change the smartphone’s orientation. However, if you don’t mind the speaker’s quality, it is adequate for calls and watching videos. For music, nothing beats using headphones.
Cameras
The rear camera setup includes a 100 MP main sensor, a 0.3 MP additional sensor, and a 5 MP macro lens. In the standard shooting mode, the primary sensor captures images at 25 MP, but there is an Ultra HD mode available for full 100 MP shots if needed. Video recording supports up to 1080p, and some interesting features include the ability to create GIFs, a built-in QR code scanner, and a basic beauty filter.
Now, onto the most interesting part – how does the CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 perform in photography? There are no surprises here, and the device offers similar photo capabilities as most budget smartphones. In good lighting conditions, the images are quite pleasant, with good detail, contrast, and clarity, and the color reproduction is natural. However, for low-light shooting, you’ll need to use the Night mode to achieve better clarity, as the standard mode falls short.
Here are a few examples for comparison. On the left is the standard mode, and on the right is the Night mode. As we can see, the enhancement algorithms work quite well.
And a few more photos taken under different lighting conditions.
The macro camera, by the way, is quite good. With a resolution of 5 MP, it allows you to capture fine details, textures, and even text. It can come in handy at times, but only with sufficient lighting.
As for the front camera, it’s 32 MP and allows video recording at 720p. There’s no dedicated flash or screen-based “white light” illumination. Overall, you can take fairly decent selfies in good lighting conditions, but it won’t be sufficient for maintaining an aesthetic blog. However, it should be adequate for video calls.
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Battery life
The CUBOT King Kong Ace 3 has a 5100 mAh battery and supports 33W fast charging, with a 33W charger included in the box. The manufacturer claims that this battery capacity is enough for up to 38 hours of talk time, 21 hours of music playback, or 8 hours of video viewing. In practice, I’d lean more towards the last figure, as the PCMark test showed 10 hours and 40 minutes of screen-on time at 50% brightness. This isn’t a record-breaking result, but overall, it should be sufficient for a full day of active use.
Conclusions and competitors of CUBOT King Kong Ace 3
Like all devices in the CUBOT King Kong rugged line, the Ace 3 combines reliability, decent functionality, and a very attractive price. It deserves praise for its notably more refined design compared to many other models, a good main screen, a useful secondary display, adequate performance and battery life, the clean Android 14, and cameras capable of capturing decent shots. However, there is one caveat: besides some minor compromises (a 2 GHz processor instead of 2.2 GHz, 8 GB of RAM instead of 12 GB, and no official shockproof rating), it closely mirrors the KingKong AX both in terms of appearance and specifications.
Which models could compete with the King Kong Ace 3? If I were looking for a similar device without the monster 10,000 mAh battery or larger, I would probably consider the UMIDIGI Bison GT2. It features liquid cooling, a wide-angle camera module, a mini-jack, MIL-STD-810 certification, a 6150 mAh battery, and almost the same weight and thickness as the Ace 3. However, it only supports 18W charging and runs on a ‘clean’ Android 12, with a starting price of $230.
You might also want to check out the Blackview BV9200. It features an advanced cooling system with graphite and copper tubes, a 120Hz display, Harman stereo sound, 66W charging, wireless charging support, and MIL-STD-810 certification. However, it runs on Android 12 with the Doke OS skin, has a slightly thicker body (13.6 mm), and weighs more (320 g).
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