Teracube 2e smartphone unboxing and first impressions

There are now some options for those that want to avoid the excessive expense and electronic waste of smartphones. Most manufacturers do want the consumer to constantly upgrade and thus make it difficult to perform any sort of repair of battery replacement. Two new companies want to change that cycle by providing sustainable, repairable smartphones with a longer life cycle that the typical 2 years. The goal is an easier to repair device that is also ecologically friendly.

Two relative newcomers to the scene are Teracube and Fairphone. Fairphone has been around for awhile and aims to make a sustainable device that is also modular. Thus, the end user can not only repair but upgrade various modules. Unfortunately, the latest Fairphone 3 and 3+ (€399 and €439, respectively) are not available in the USA. Teracube is a more recent player on the smartphone scene also aiming for sustainability and ease of repair. Since the Teracube is available in the USA, I decided to try it out and replace my 3 year old Nokia 7.1.

Unboxing the Teracube 2e

The device arrived via US Postal Service in a plain bubble wrap envelope. Inside was indeed what looked like a recycled cardboard box. These pictures were taken with the Nokia 7.1 and then batch reduced in size with the imagemagick command

mogrify -format jpg -thumbnail 75% *.jpg

You are welcome.

Opening this no frills container reveals the phone nestled in its minimalist glory.

The case and screen protector were already installed. When I pulled off the protective sheet, I had to be careful to not also pull off the screen protector. The left top corner did pop up a bit introducing a few bubble that were easily squished out. After lifting the phone out of the box, we see more minimalism.

Sure, I've got plenty of chargers and cables. Who doesn't?

Flipping the phone over, you see the removable 'instruction sheet' describing the basic button layout.

Now, I do wonder what two sheets of plastic are made of, and if they are sustainable or biodegradable. Sometimes I do miss working in a Chemistry laboratory when these sorts or questions come up.

Following the instructions, the back does pop off (not too easily) to reveal the replaceable battery.

Dual Sims are readily accessed (no stupid tray). To install the SD card, I did have to remove the battery. I do like this layout a better than the Nokia 7.1 which was also dual SIM. However, the tray would hold either the SD card or the second SIM, not both.

Power on was quick. The phone came with a 60% charge. After backing up the Nokia, transferring the SD card and SIM, setting up and restoring settings and apps took about 30 min via wifi.

Specifications

Operating System Android 10.0

Processor

• MediaTek Helio A25
• Octa-core processor 1.8Ghz

Memory

• 4GB RAM
• 64GB storage

Screen

• 6.1" HD+ IPS Display
• 720X1560

Rear Camera

• 13+8MP

Front Camera

• 8MP

Battery

• 4000mAh replaceable lithium-ion battery

Security

• PIN
• pattern
• fingerprint
• face unlock

Connectivity

• WiFi
• Bluetooth 5.0
• FM
• NFC

Network

• Dual SIM
• 4G (LTE)

Ports

• Headphone Jack
• USB-C port
• Separate Micro SD slot

Design

• 155.2mm x 73.3mm x 10.1mm
• 190g
• Black

Other Features

Carrier Unlocked
Stock Android
4-Year warranty
Express replacement
Stock Android with 3 years of updates
Accidental repair $59

Impressions

So far, this is a pretty nice smartphone, especially for $199. Call quality is good. The speakerphone has good volume but does sound a thin and tinny. Sony wired earbuds sounded good, as did the LG bluetooth headset. Pairing took just seconds. Wifi connectivity works (5 Ghz 802.11ac, 300-433 Mbps around the house, Openwrt Linksys WRT1900ACS). Accessing online information (news, videos) worked just fine so far. Video playback was fine; don't expect 4K UHD! The light, however, is a bit far from the main camera lens. As a result, the heart rate monitor and some trouble getting my pulse rate. Either that or I have really tiny hands.

No games tested. For that I have a Ryzen 9 3900X with Radeon RX 5700 XT.

What I especially liked was the headphone jack. Plug in and FM RADIO! Yes, the FM chip is unlocked. This may seem silly to you younger folk, but in an emergency (fire, earthquake, civil unrest, etc) you are far more likely to get FM radio reception than a cellular signal. Also, with polycarbonate construction and case, the phone sticks to my fingers. I can hold onto it. Too many expensive phones are all glass and slippery.

I didn't test NFC or that face ID stuff. The fingerprint reader works well enough.

For the price, this is a pretty decent phone. Decent construction and components, good size and weight. Add the 4 year warranty and 3 years of Android updates, you avoid the mad cash dash planned obsolescence (assuming Teracube doesn't tank) cycle.

Granted, it's not water proof or sealed against dust. So I guess I'll leave it on the office desk when I go to the bathroom or do the laundry...

Alternative Operating Systems

Given the standard hardware used for the Teracube, and for those against anything Google, there a few non-google choices. So far these are in beta but do look promising. The there is the e Foundation /e/ OS, a de-googled android build, and looks to be almost ready. Another option is LineageOS. Although the Teracube 2e is not listed on the LineageOS wiki, there are a few test/beta builds and instructions available.

https://doc.e.foundation/devices/2e
https://community.myteracube.com/t/advanced-users-10-0-beta-lineageos-17-1-unofficial-2e/2281