Mediatek MT6572 is a new dual core Cortex A7 processor with a Mali-400 GPU, as well as a HSPA+/TD-SCDMA modem. This SoC announced last month, is now starting to show up in low cost smartphones such as Cubot GT72. The phone is said to run Android 4.2.2, comes with a 4″ display, and 256MB RAM, and 512MB flash.
Here are the specifications of this phone:
- SoC – Mediatek MTK6572 dual core cortex A7 @ 1.2GHz + Mali-400 GPU
- System Memory – 256MB RAM
- Storage – 512MB Flash + micro SD card slot (up to 16 GB)
- Display – 4.0″ TFT capacitive (2 points) touch screen (800×480) with 260K colors
- Connectivity – Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g, Bluetooth 2.0, built-in GPS
- Network – GSM 900/1800MHz, dual SIM card slot.
- Camera – 3MP rear camera with flash light, and 2MP front camera
- Audio – 3.5mm earphone jack
- Misc – Gravity sensor, FM Radio
- Battery – 1300mAh
- Dimensions – 126 x 65 x 10mm
- Weight – 120g with battery
Cube GT72 comes with one battery, a USB cable, a charger, and a user’s manual. That’s a lot of features for such a cheap device, too bad most of them will probably be unusable with 256 MB RAM, and 512 MB flash. If it is there, Google Play will be useless, as you won’t have enough space to install anything.
The “Android 4.2” claim is probably bogus, or they must have done lots of “optimizations” and feature cutting, but most probably the device just runs an earlier version (Android 2.3?). You may be interested in Android 4.2 minimum hardware requirements (for Google certification?) for memory and storage, according to sections 7.6.1 and 7.6.2 of Android 4.2 Compatibility Definition:
Device implementations MUST have at least 340MB of memory available to the kernel and userspace. The 340MB MUST be in addition to any memory dedicated to hardware components such as radio, video, and so on that is not under the kernel’s control.
Device implementations MUST have at least 350MB of non-volatile storage available for application private data. That is, the /data partition MUST be at least 350MB.
…
Device implementations MUST offer shared storage for applications. The shared storage provided MUST be at least 1GB in size.
The device does not meet any of the three requirements above.
The device is available for pre-order for just under $70 on Focalprice, Pandawill, GeekBuying, and probably a few other websites.
Jean-Luc started CNX Software in 2010 as a part-time endeavor, before quitting his job as a software engineering manager, and starting to write daily news, and reviews full time later in 2011.
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Android 4.2 will boot for minutes with 256MB of RAM, maybe its 2.3 or just the phone have 512MB RAM?
we try Android 4.2 on A13-MICRO which have 256MB and its terrible slow
Cripple a decent processor with inadequate memory, and (probably) lie about the Android version… way to go Cubot!
(How much extra would 512MB RAM & a few gigs of flash have cost?)
instead of $70, make it $75 or 80 and add the missing memory, else you’re shooting yourself in the foot.
so they can either go for 2.3 and sell at $70 or go with 4.X and sell at $80. Am sure they could get more customers with the latter.
I have a Motorola Milestone and can tell you that even GingerBread has trouble in 256MB of RAM.
I wonder if they’re pulling some tricks with compcache and/or swap to get the effective amount of memory up.
Another chinese joke…
Luckily there will be some other phones based on MTK6572 with more RAM and better screens:
http://www.intkimobile.com/index.php?main_page=news&c_id=1687&chapter_id=16
I’ll have to agree with everyone else here. This is a crappy phone to say the least and is obviously geared toward the low-end market. With all of the other phones available out there at a slightly higher price point. MTK6577 dual core phones can be purchased as low as $100USD.
Also crappy, 3.5″ no 3G, single core SC6820. But Android 4.1 512MB RAM, GPS, BT for $60:
http://dx.com/p/223883
I have little use for a mobile phone, but when dual core (eg SC6825/8825) hits this price point, I might get one, if there’s some crappiness factor I’ve missed here :p
@onebir
At least it should be usable. I’ve also seen some Android phones on dx.com in the low $50 for a little while, but they usually run Android 2.3.x.
Hmm, makes me wonder, are SC6820 phones really running 4.x, or is it faked..?
I guess with DX I could send it back…
@onebir
SC6820 phone usually run a modified Android 2.3. The ones that have 256 MB of RAM do so for sure. There may be some rare cases in which they do have 512 MB of RAM and Android 4.x but I doubt it.
It’s highly likely that both the RAM and the Android version is fake, they need to keep the cost down
@Marius
Thanks for the info. Looks like a bit longer to wait then 🙂
MTK6515 with apparently similar specs:
http://dynamic.focalprice.com/MH0529L/Hot_40_Android_411_MTK6515_Smartphone_Android_Phone_with_WiFi.html