First of all congrats on a very thorough review. I've owned the U39GT for a few weeks now and have been very impressed with its performance and features. It's light, easy to hold, has a great display, and overall has performed very well whether browsing, playing games, or watching videos. However I have discovered 1 problem that I'm wondering if you or anyone else has noticed with regards to the stereo speakers. Only 1 speaker is working on my unit - I came to this realization while playing a game in landscape mode. At first I thought the occasional weak sound from the speakers was a result of their placement - I use the tablet mostly in landscape and therefore my fingers can cover the ports if not careful. But after closer inspection I found that there is virtually no sound coming from 1 speaker port. I am now in discussions with the seller about what to do - however in a case of a hardware failure like this, I don't see any solution other than sending it back. But there's one odd fact that also inspired me to ask this question of you, and it is a post I received for my YouTube video illustrating the problem (the seller requested I post a video so they could see and hear for themselves). A fellow replied that he too had the same problem and upon opening up his tablet found that there was NO speaker behind the port where sound was weak! I can't say if my unit has the same flaw and I don't want to open it up to find out, but could there be a production flaw at work here?
Embrace the Difference — The CUBE U39GT Hands-on Review
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CUBE has released two new models last month, but it seems the attentions all went to the Talk 79 (U55GT), which has a 7.9-inch IPS display, a quad-core processor and full phone functionalities, that very few people actually noticed the U39GT. However, I am a much bigger fan of this slate, which sports a 9 inch FHD Samsung PLS display, and owns features such as the peppy RK3188 chipset, 2GB RAM, Bluetooth, etc.
Key Features:
◇9 inch 16M-color PLS display at WUXGA resolution (1920X1200 pixels), 256PPI
◇Rockchip RK3188 SoC., 28nm quad-core 1.6GHZ Cortex-A9 processor, Mali-400MP4 GPU, 2GB DDR3 RAM
◇Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean OS with heavy customizations
◇16GB of built-in-storage
◇2MP front facing camera, 5.0MP rear-facing AF camera
◇AAC Stereo speakers
◇HDMI TV-out
◇Bluetooth 2.1
◇Anti-rolling frame
◇USB host
◇MicroSD card slot
◇1080p video playback
◇5200mAh Li-Po rechargeable battery
Design
The U39GT looks just like a smaller version of its larger, and older brother: the U30GT2. There's sufficient amount of bezel on either side of the screen, so you can use it in any orientation. When you're holding the device in landscape, it's really comfortable, but the 16:10 device is so long and skinny that it feels top-heavy when you pick it up in portrait. The iPad's much more amenable to being held both ways - in portrait for reading and browsing, landscape for movies and games - while the U39GT is very clearly designed to be held sideways and used in landscape.
Of course, the front is dominated by a 9-inch PLS display made by Samsung. A 2MP front-facing camera sits comfortably on the upper left corner, which can be used for online video chatting. But the intelligent light sensor, which helps the tablet to automatically adjust the display brightness, is nowhere to be found.
All the keys and connectors are hosted on the left edge. You will find a power button, a volume rocker, a Micro HDMI port, a MicroSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and a 2.5mm DC port there. The metal trim around the sides gives the tablet a solid feel.
The AAC stereo speaker gates are hosted on the right edge.
The back of the U39GT is magnesium aluminum alloy, which is not only good-looking, but also very durable. The frosted texture also helps to avoid slippage, and provides a welcome contrast from the glass front. It's completely bare except for the Brand and regulatory logos, and the 8-megapixel camera in the top right corner.
The Chassis doesn't have a single screw on it, so it feels even more solid!
Its 8.9mm thick body also guarantees a solid hold and great portability.
