Skip to main content

Cheetah Mobile, makers of the Clean Master app, may be collaborating on a phone

cubot cheetah smartphone news
Google’s Nexus program is probably the best known partnership in the world of smartphones, where software and hardware makers come together to produce a device together; but it’s certainly not the only one, and now there is another to add to the list. The names may be unfamiliar though. Cubot — barely known outside its China home — is making a phone with Cheetah Mobile, the company responsible for Clean Master, Battery Doctor, and other popular apps.

Recommended Videos

Details of the phone haven’t been officially revealed, but GizChina has published what it claims are the final specs, and states Cubot itself provided them. Referred to as the Cubot Cheetah, the specs fall in-line with the majority of mid-range Android smartphones. The 1080p screen measures 5.5-inches, it has an octa-core MediaTek chip inside, 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel rear camera, and a fingerprint sensor. A 3050mAh battery is inside the just under 8mm thick body, which is apparently made from metal.

It all sounds fine, and we’ve recently been impressed by the similar sounding Elephone Vowney, but what makes the Cubot Cheetah different is the potential inclusion of Cheetah’s apps and software. Clean Master is a familiar sight to anyone who has used a Huawei or ZTE phone in the past few years, and the app has racked up millions of downloads through Google Play. Battery Doctor and CM Security are also well known, and have been pre-installed on some devices in the past.

Android 6.0 Marshmallow is expected to drive the Cubot Cheetah, but Cheetah Mobile also has its own Android launcher called CM Launcher, and there’s a strong chance this will replace Google’s launcher on the phone. That’s not so good, because despite all CM Launcher’s customisation and fancy alterations, we remain fans of stock Android. All these are logical inclusions on the Cubot phone, but Cheetah does a lot more than just make apps.

Cheetah Mobile has its own advertising platform, focused on mobile, which already reaches more than 400 million users around the world. Putting those ads — through its apps, games, launcher, and browser — on a custom-made phone makes for a formidable combination. It’s a tried-and-tested strategy that has worked out pretty well for Google and Amazon, after all.

When will we get to see the phone, and where will it go on sale? Cubot has announced it’ll be at Mobile World Congress with a phone that sounds very similar to the Cheetah, indicating we’ll get a close look at the end of this month.

Andy Boxall
Senior Mobile Writer
Andy is a Senior Writer at Digital Trends, where he concentrates on mobile technology, a subject he has written about for…
I record interviews for work. These are my favorite free recorder apps
The iPhone 14 Pro and Google Pixel 7 Pro's voice recording apps running together.

The Voice Recorder app on a phone (left) and the Voice Memos on another phone Andy Boxall / Digital Trends

Before you head to the app store on your phone to buy a voice-recording app, take a moment to consider the apps that may already be installed on your phone. Why? In my experience, they're likely all you really need. I’ve recorded interviews and voice-overs for work for years, and I’ve found the two best examples come preinstalled on your phone already, so they’re entirely free to use.

Read more
The best Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 cases: 10 best ones so far
Two Galaxy Z Fold 5 phones next to each other -- one is open and one is closed.

Samsung’s next-generation foldable is here with the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. This iteration has some notable improvements, including a new hinge design that eliminates the gap from previous generations when the device was folded. You also get a 6.2-inch HD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the outside while having a 6.7-inch QXGA+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display on the inside, with both screens having a 120Hz refresh rate. In other words, they're about as nice as you could ask for.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 is made with premium materials, and the triple-lens camera system packs in a 50MP main shooter, 10MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom, and a 12MP ultrawide lens. There’s a 10MP selfie camera on the front cover, and a 4MP camera on the inner display. You also get a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip inside for the best performance and power efficiency.

Read more
Google Pixel Tablet just got its first big discount and it’s worth a look
Google Pixel Tablet on its charging dock.

Tablets are a dime-a-dozen these days, with offerings from all the great brands including Apple, Samsung, Lenovo, and more. So, if you really want to stand out in a sea of similar tech, you need to do things a little differently. That's what Google's Pixel Tablet offers. How? It comes with a unique speaker dock that can be used to both charge the device and offer room-filling sound -- almost like a smart speaker add-on. Better yet, when your Pixel Tablet is docked it benefits from the Hub Mode, turning the device into a smart display, with digital photo frame support, smart home controls, and hands-free Google functionality. Of course, it could set you back at full price, normally $499 unless you find it included in a roundup of the best Google Pixel deals. Well, guess what? Thanks to a Best Buy Google Pixel Tablet deal, you can get it today for $439 and save $60. Hurry, though, it's part of Best Buy's recent 48-hour sale so it won't stick around for long.

Why you should buy the Google Pixel Tablet
Okay, okay, so in our Google Pixel Tablet review, Joe Maring did give it less than stellar remarks, but he called out its reliable fingerprint sensor, comfortability during use and excellent speaker dock. Honestly, how many tablets come with a matching speaker dock that transforms the entire experience? This tablet also marks a "lot of firsts" for Google, as it's the first tablet from the company in nearly five years, the first Android tablet in eight years, and can be converted into a smart home display with the speaker dock. All of which are notable milestones.

Read more