XP3 -- Coming to the USA

Yes, it’s true. As Gizmodo and PC Magazine are reporting, Sonim’s XP3 -- the newest addition to our family of ruggedized, super-tough phones, will soon be coming to the US.

PC Magazine wrote:

Their European phones have been dropped from a 13-story building and shot with guns, four times, but Sonim's ultra-rugged GSM cell phones keep on ringing. Now, the California-based company finally plans to bring their phones home to the US with the upcoming XP3, which will be available next March from several rural U.S. carriers.

Designed for blue-collar workers and wilderness aficionados, the Sonim XP3 is as close to indestructible as a phone gets. It's waterproof. Officially, it runs at temperatures from -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and it withstands a 6-foot drop onto concrete without shrugging. Sonim's chief executive, Bob Plaschke, said it can actually run at temperatures down to -40 degrees and survive a 9-foot drop (not to mention that one, 13-story fall.) It's impervious to almost anything, including "micro-particles." It has 2.5 days of talk time and an astounding 2 months of standby on its huge 2200 mAh battery.

It isn't a smart phone, but it runs Opera Mini for Web browsing out in the wilderness. It will have a 3-megapixel camera with geotagging for still photos, but no video capability. It doesn't play music, but the speakerphone goes really loud without distortion. It's protected by a 3-year, no-questions-asked guarantee. You break it, you get a new one.

And we loved some of the responses to the story at Gizmodo, especially this one from “heybeav”

This would have been perfect last week when I walked backwards off a pier with my iphone in my pocket. I got it dried out and its working again, but acts a bit funky at times.

Comments

[S. Niemeyer]

Very cool device as I'm looking for replacement of my Nokia 5140i (which is by far not that ruggedized). So the xp3 has 3G or at least EDGE, but the XP1 not? When will we see XP3 in Europe?

[Mitzi]

I read somewhere in etherland that the Sonim xp3 is already working with AT&T? Is this true? I am looking to replace my iPhone with a tough phone. I'm going to talk AT&T into switching my contract & I want an xp3 for myself & my hubby. I can't hardly wait until March. Has anyone tried using one with AT& T yet? Please reply.

[Karl]

Lovely phone,but it's so unfair America gets a far superior version the everyone else in the world.

[Andy]

when is it coming?!?!?!?