Save $40 on the Teracube 2e sustainable smartphone with 4-year warranty

Quick: What's the chief reason you replaced your last phone? If you said "battery," you probably replaced that phone while cursing under your breath. The vast majority of modern models are sealed up tight, meaning you can't easily swap in a new battery.

If your reason was "cracked screen," you probably cursed upon learning how much it would cost for a new one.

Teracube is trying to solve these common issues, while at the same helping out the planet. The result: the Teracube 2e, a second-generation smartphone with a replaceable battery, four-year warranty, Earth-friendly packaging and more. Oh, right, and a very reasonable price tag: $199.

Unless you're a Cheapskate reader, that is. For a limited time, you can get the Teracube 2e for $159.20 when you apply promo code EARTHDAY20.

The 2e is an unlocked GSM phone that's compatible with carriers such as AT&T, Metro by T-Mobile, Red Pocket Mobile and Ting. It runs stock Android 10 and will get updated to Android 11 this fall.

The phone arrives in an unfussy, recycled-paper box that doesn't include an AC adapter or even a USB-C charging cable. The thinking there: You've probably already got at least one of both. (If not, here's a two-pack of each for just $12.49.)

It also arrives with a screen protector installed and a biodegradable case attached. The thinking there: drop and screen protection to help reduce the risk of leaning into that four-year warranty. Speaking of which, it covers "all parts, performance, labor, and two-way shipping at no cost to you."

If you happen to break the 2e's 6.1-inch screen, there's a flat $59 repair charge.

All good so far, right? On paper, the phone offers solid specs: octa-core processor, dual rear cameras, 64GB of expandable storage, fingerprint reader and a headphone jack. The aforementioned replaceable battery is a 4,000-mAh beast.

In reality, the Teracube 2e is a bit of a slowpoke, and its cameras and speakers aren't great. Compromises are to be expected from a $200 phone, so it really depends on what's important to you.

Indeed, if you're after a budget phone that promises to last you four years, minimum, and you like Teracube's sustainability mission, there's a lot to like about this deal.

Your thoughts?

This 3-axis phone gimbal raises your video game for $64 (save $25)

Want to take phone video to the next level? Try shooting with a three-axis gimbal like the Moza Mini MX, which drops to just $64 with promo code LZ9WTLW4. It's from Amazon seller Videotek-US.

The Mini MX promises to keep your footage much steadier than if you filmed by hand. It also offers a bunch of cool shooting modes, including a subject lock that keeps you or an object in-focus and in-frame. Filming selfie stuff for vlogs and whatnot? You can start or stop recording just by flashing hand gestures.

I recently used the gimbal to record some b-roll footage for an upcoming Peloton Bike Plus review. It worked really well for that, though here's my big caveat: There's a learning curve. The Mini MX has a lot of features and not-great documentation.

Thus, I recommend watching a few how-to videos on YouTube (I found this one extremely helpful) before getting started. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee frustration using the device.

CNET's Cheapskate scours the web for great deals on tech products and much more. For the latest deals and updates, follow him on Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for deal texts delivered right to your phone. Find more great buys on the CNET Deals page and check out our CNET Coupons page for the latest Walmart discount codes, eBay coupons, Samsung promo codes and even more from hundreds of other online stores. Questions about the Cheapskate blog? Answers live on our FAQ page.