Time for another mystery device pulled from trolling along the waters of AliExpress. This new independent handheld dubbed the CB408, is from Smart Pocket Max, a relative unknown in the arena for now. With its release totally overshadowed by the constant flood of releases from major players in the space, the CB408 could easily be written off as another e-waste clone device, but it may do things well enough, and with just enough panache (check that metal shell!), to earn serious consideration for your stretched entertainment dollar.
CB408: Breakdown
The specs will be familiar to anyone who has followed the scene in the past few years. It’s another RK3566 device, so we already have a good idea of how it should perform and what the capabilities will be under testing. Ban’s Hands did a quick video breakdown a few weeks back that gives a great idea of what we’re working with here. Our only clue to its origin comes from a small inventory sticker that was on the exterior of my console box. My item was listed as made by Shenzen NediLi Technology Company, Ltd.
- Display: 4.95-inch, 720p touchscreen
- Processor: RK3566
- RAM: 2 GB
- Storage: 32 GB internal, expandable via microSD
- Battery: 4,000 mAh
- Operating System: Custom Linux-based OS
- Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2
- Ports: USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a full-size USB-A port
- Sound: Dual down-firing speakers
- Dimensions: 150 x 75 x 15 mm
- Stock OS: Android 11
- Weight: 200 grams
When I first saw links to the CB408 on AliExpress I was immediately amused by the questionably translated tagline of “Purpose Built to Spark Your Imagination”, but as I giggled I couldn’t help but think that I’d seen the slogan before. A quick visit to the shelf of boxes confirmed my suspicions. This is actually what’s written directly on the TrimUI Smart Pro box as well. This just confirms what the specs were already suggesting – the CB408 is an independently produced TrimUI clone. That being said, I still think there’s enough potential in this device to warrant your consideration.
When you copy the wrong answer of your friend’s homework – verbatim
One thing that is worth mentioning for fun, that Ban touched on in his video preview, is the box. It’s a genuinely bizarre box unlike any I’ve ever received before. If you run your fingers across it, the cardboard has this strange texture to it, but oddly not where the device image is sectioned. It’s almost as if the box was sprayed with a coating to give it a graspable texture, but it’s probably just the cheapest thing that was available. Totally meaningless for our purposes here today, but I just found it amusing enough to warrant a mention.
CB408 vs. TrimUI Smart Pro: What’s Different
The CB408 and the TrimUI that inspired it
The most striking differences between the CB408 sports from its inspiration are physical. The rounded-off design of the TrimUI is ditched in favor of something more rectangular here. Both sport a 4.95″ 720 display, but the CB408 has much more pronounced bezels on the sides, which actually create the appearance of a smaller screen when side by side with the Smart Pro.
The CB408 sports an all-aluminum shell. This is the type of casing that usually commands a large pricing premium, but it doesn’t seem to put this device out of range from its competitors. In fact, price is one of the biggest selling points of the device. Despite us knowing nothing about its manufacturer, they clearly must have some level of industry connection in the space, because I purchased this on sale on AliExpress for $58. The retail price of the unit is already under $70. For a brand-new device with a 3566, all metal housing, and the rest of the potential on offer here, it really offers value for money.
Fashionable rear grippies
So the capabilities of this device on paper when compared to the TrimUI Smart Pro should be almost identical. The major differentiation between the two at this time is that the CB408 is running Android 11 whereas the TrimUI is sporting a custom Linux image. Now, the makers of the CB408 advertise it as a dual Android/Linux device, and I believe it probably is, but the problem is that at the time of writing, there is no Linux image available to test on the new device. We can’t directly compare the two devices without getting into OS overhead and resource allocations, but needless to say as someone sitting here with both devices, they’re darn close.
Controls and Design
All the controls on the CB408 are larger than those on the Smart Pro. The D-Pad is the biggest change. It’s slightly tight but has a great 8-axis rock to center, and I wasn’t able to produce false inputs when testing. The sticks are also a bit more refined. They’re very similar here, but are ever so slightly bigger and feel like they have a little wider range of motion than that of the TrimUI device.
Where the Smart Pro was a smooth-backed device, the CB408 adds two semi-soft rubberized grips on the rear of the unit. One is ever so slightly firmer than the other, and I believe there may be internals hiding underneath one of the grips, so maybe don’t squeeze too hard for now. The grips used here are most reminiscent of the backside of the 35XXH, but with a little more of a soft mesh feel to them.
CB408: The Experience So Far
Some interesting invites to a RK3566 party
So, the handheld that I received from AliExpress has had no noticeable manufacturing or assembly defects that I could find. Unfortunately, it appears as though mine has been the exception in this first batch of orders. Many users are reporting that they are receiving devices with either a touchscreen that doesn’t work or a device that won’t power on. It looks like this is fixed by simply opening up the shell and reconnecting a ribbon cable or battery connector that may have been assembled in a hurry and never tested, or perhaps the connections were never meant for the rigors of international shipping in a gray plastic bag.
The unit is running a skinned front end on top of Android 11. A simple swipe on the screen brings up the old 3-dot control interface and allows the user to back out into Android proper. From there, it’s a familiar mishmash of Chinese app shops and cracked apps that you probably shouldn’t mess with.
Rather confusingly, the device has both Dolphin and Citra pre-installed, which is interesting given that we know those systems are largely out of reach for this processor. There is no mention of any GC/Wii/3DS compatibility in the advertising, and the front end includes nothing about them. I just found that interesting and have to wonder if there was any intended application.
The play experience with everything on offer here is honestly pretty great. The stock image is basic and has some aesthetic presentation choices that aren’t to my personal tastes, but the organization and pre-scraped games with video previews show that there was care taken by someone when creating the custom image.
Conclusions
Why this article has to be a hands-on vs a full review at this point is that it’s impossible to get a full idea of a device that advertises itself as a dual OS experience without any Linux option at the time of writing. What I can say, though, is who this is probably going to be for. If you’re someone who just wants to relive the games of old on a comfortable and dependable horizontal form factor, the TrimUI Smart Pro is a great option out of the box.
Nothing about this device changes that. Where it may find an audience, though, is in the tinkering community. This is a device made for people who want to play around and test the capabilities of things, play with boot options and different OS experiences, etc. Unfortunately, all we have to go on right now is potential, but given a little time in the right community hands, this could easily become one of my favorite budget devices.
Stay Tuned!
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