Sonim XP1 Blog

Review Roundup Part 2

Engadget's Chris Ziegler updated his readers on the planned XP3.20's US release, slated for this summer:

The launch date for a US version of Sonim's mighty XP3 toughphone has been a bit of a moving target for a while now, but it looks like we might finally have a firm date. According to Sonim's CEO, the XP3.20 -- a tweaked version of the original XP3 that features better talk time, better survivability, and 850MHz GSM for North American use -- will be launching this summer on rural US carriers, even conveniently coming packaged in a crush- and water-resistant box that you'll want to keep for... you know, things you want to keep dry and uncrushed.

It likely won't be cheap, but if you're looking for something that meets the mega-rugged IP67 standard -- as opposed to the IP57 seal usually displayed by these kinds of phones -- this is your ticket to ride. No guarantees, but it might be available in an unlocked version, too, so start saving your dirty, wet, partially destroyed dollar bills.

Gaj-it has this to say in their "Future Record Holder" post about the XP3 Enduro:

"... its been assigned a military spec rating of 810F against salt, fog humidity, transport and thermal shock. Nothing has been overlooked here and even the keypad is tested over a half a million times to make sure it’s up to the job at hand; Sonim is so confident in its product that they even offer an unconditional 3 year warranty, no matter how you broke it.

Of course, given the tasks this rambo-phone was designed for, it wouldn’t be much use if it stopped working after an hour; thankfully it comes with a reported battery life of 9 days on standby or 5.5 hours talk time. Not too shabby indeed."

And PhonesLimited answers the one question the folks at Gaj-it had -- when can we buy the XP3 in the UK? -- with this post:

A new and improved Sonim touch phone has now been given a confirmed SIM Free release date in the UK, the XP3 is a direct upgrade to the previous Sonim XP1 and adds new features and software with some interesting design tweaks.

The Sonim XP3 is a waterproof, shock proof, dust proof handset that can handle the harshest of environments ... (it's) drop resistant as well as operational from -20 degrees C to +60 degrees C. the scratch resistant screen and high powered speakers combine to make this the most durable phone ever created.

We have now received a release date for the Sonim XP3 as a SIM Free and unlocked mobile phone, this superb new Sonim model will be available from 15th May with no network ties, this means that the customer can use their own pay as you go or contract SIMcard and continue using their existing mobile number as well as retaining their ’saved-to-SIM’ contacts list.

The Sonim XP3 is by far the most incredibly rugged mobile phone which has ever been designed to work in the most challenging of environments. So confident are Sonim with the XP3, that it comes with an industry leading 3 year, no quibble warranty.

The Sonim XP3 is built for anyone who requires equipment they can depend on, ideal for construction workers, lorry drivers, farmers and foremen. Equally, the XP3 is perfect for anyone with an active lifestyle who requires a mobile phone that can take a few knocks.

Help Sascha Destroy The Sonim XP3.20

Sascha Segan, a reporter with PCMag, would like suggestions on how best to try to destroy our newest Sonim ultra-rugged phone, the XP3.20.

Many have tried, but our tough phones really hate to be defeated. But if you've been harboring an hunch on how best to kill a Sonim phone, let Sascha know.

Sascha also updated PCMag readers on US availability of the XP3.20

"Great news for skiers, blue-collar workers and anyone who tends to drop their phone in the sink: Sonim's XP3.20, the world's toughest phone, is arriving in the U.S. early this summer thanks to a group of rural mobile phone carriers. That means the phone is coming sooner than we heard in February.

The XP3.20 may also be available unlocked directly through some retailers for use on AT&T's and T-Mobile's networks, Sonim chief executive Bob Plaschke said Friday.

I got some hands-on time with the XP3.20 today, and Plaschke explained what makes it far more rugged than 'semi-rugged' phones like the Samsung Rugby.

For instance, the XP3.20 has a rubber ridge around the screen and a few extra millimeters of space between the screen glass and the actual LCD display. That makes the display much harder to crack.

The XP3 can survive 100 9-foot drops to concrete (or more than 20 G-forces) and is certified to the IP67 standard, which is tougher than the usual IP57 standard you hear about. It's waterproof, dustproof, super-loud, and you can use it wearing gloves thanks to raised, ridged keys.

The phone's specs have been tweaked a bit from what we heard last October.  The 'new' XP3 has a 1900 mAh battery for 15 hours of GSM/EDGE talk time, along with an unusually rich color LCD screen and a 2-megapixel camera. The phone's GPS is designed not primarily for driving directions - it's designed so rescuers or employers can find the folks carrying the phones. The XP3 will also come with PC syncing software so you can move your contacts over from your PC.

Even the XP3's box (shown at left) is tough. It's waterproof and so strong you can stand on it; it makes a great bait box, toolbox or lunch box.

And Now A Word From The Marketing Department

YouPoC, the UK’s leading Push-to-Talk supplier, today announced that it is the exclusive distribution partner for Sonim Technologies award-winning range of Push-To-Talk (PTT) applications.

YouPoC will develop, promote and sell Sonim's 'best-in-class' PTT solutions via its channel and to end-user customers. YouPoC will also be offering Sonim’s range of Xtreme Performance (XP) rugged mobile phones, the XP1 and the recently-launched XP3 Enduro.

The new YouPoC service is set to drastically cut the cost of enabling one-to-many communications within a company and has been designed to provide both group and individual communications through mobile devices.

Through the YouPoC service, project managers and office-based staff across multiple locations can communicate directly with teams of up to 50 remote workers at the push of a button without the need to deploy expensive Private Mobile Radio networks.

Bnet's Tony Sklar vs Sonim XP3

This video was shot at this year's Mobile Conference in Barcelona. Bnet TV's Tony Sklar just loves trying to break our rugged phones. Here he whacks the phone with a mallet. Watch the video to see whether Tony has finally managed to kill a Sonim phone, and also to get the inside scoop on how our latest phone, the ultra rugged Sonim XP3, was designed and is engineered as well as some info about our forthcoming Land Rover premium rugged phone.

Benefits of Rugged Technology

Sonim employee Jeffery Pon was in a nasty car accident last week. Thankfully Jeff is ok. And he told us an interesting story about his experience that points up the value of having a rugged phone even if your work conditions and/or lifestyle doesn't fit the 'extreme' profile of the typical Sonim customer.

"It happens in an instant, but it’s an instant that somehow seems to last a lifetime. Tires screech, glass breaks, metal twists and there you sit, very aware that you are an object that must obey Newton's Laws of motion. Then it all comes to an abrupt halt and despite the dozens of cars and hundreds of eyes upon you, you realize that you have never felt more alone in your life.

At least that’s how I felt a week ago, after a truck tire suddenly bounced out of the pickup right in front of me on the bridge during my commute home. It all happened so fast and, unsure whether I should "take the hit" and hope for the best or to try and swerve to avoid the 70 pound object that was barreling towards me, I chose the latter option.

Swerving to avoid the tire and the other cars that had reacted similarly, I lost control of my car and slammed into the outer guardrail (which thankfully held up so I didn’t go sailing off the bridge) only to pinball back to the center divide and slam into the concrete barrier there.

When I finally came to a stop in my now badly mutilated vehicle the first thought I had was that I was lucky to have survived, the second was to call 911. But after a quick glance around the interior wreckage of the car, I noted that my personal cell phone had flown out of the cup holder during the accident and lay shattered into four pieces on the floor. But right beside it, amidst the broken glass and shredded metal, lay my brightly colored yellow Sonim XP1 - completely unscathed.  I reached for it and dialed 911 for emergency assistance. Help was on its way.

 I am not the kind of person who you’d expect would own a Sonim rugged phone. I don't work or play in extreme conditions, the most exhilarating thing I've ever done in my life is a skydiving adventure I embarked upon a couple of years ago. I probably wouldn’t have had an XP1 if I didn’t work for Sonim. That said, I will not leave home again without my Sonim because when I needed it most, and my life depended on it, my Sonim XP1 was there, ready to help me reach out for emergency assistance.

My boss at Sonim, Bob Plaschke, talks a lot about how safety – personal safety, the ability to call for help when you need it no matter what situation you’re in -- is the most important aspect of our rugged phones. I understood the importance of this intellectually before, but now I really get the value of having a phone that you can depend on."

"With a hammer and his HUGE boots..."

Mobile Industry Review torture-tested the Sonim XP3 at The Mobile World Conference and had this to say about the events captured in the video above:

We popped over to the Sonim stand on the last day of Mobile World Congress and…. yes, we put Dan in charge of the interview. He has been fascinated with the Sonim indestructible handsets and couldn’t stop looking at the hammer on the desk whilst Christophe from Sonim was telling us about their new range.

Annnd then we let Dan loose.

With a hammer.

And his HUGE boots.

First, you’ll see him stepping and jumping on the Sonim XP3 packaging. Rumour has it, the material might even stop a bullet, although we didn’t get that verified. That in itself is worth a purchase.

Then Dan couldn’t keep his hands off that hammer. WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.

And then Dan spotted James walking along the corridor towards us. And promptly threw the phone at him. Then down the stairs. Then stamped on it and threw it down the stairs.

And then engaged the bystanders (a bit of a crowd had formed) and asked them to stamp on it. And… You know what, get a coffee, sit down and watch this…

Click over to Mobile Industry Review to view the second part of this XP3 torture test.

The Quest For Ultimate Toughness

One of our retail partners, Crazy John’s in Australia, is circulating this great press release on Sonim’s new XP3 Enduro. (And yes, we've featured the Crazy John's video, above, on this blog before but it's too good to leave it languishing in the post archives.)

Crazy John's quest for ultimate toughness continues with the new Sonim XP3 Enduro Crazy John's, Australia's mobile phone experts, has scaled mountains, explored the ocean deep, battled ogres and destroyed a few rings to bring you the Sonim XP3 Enduro, the world's only rugged mobile phone that can be fully submerged in water.

The Sonim XP3 Enduro is the first phone specifically designed to endure the extremes of your lifestyle so that from ski slopes to beaches, construction sites to quarries, wherever you are, you can be sure that you have a phone that will stay tough where others would surely fail.

"The Sonim XP3 Enduro has improved on all the tough features of its predecessor, the Sonim XP1, with the added benefit that it can be completely submerged in water. This means the phone can withstand conditions that would defeat standard phones, even the most ruggedized handsets," explains Head of Marketing for Crazy John's, Matt Scriven. "So whether you are working outdoors or getting stuck into extreme sports, you won't be afraid to answer a call, even if it means exposing the phone to the elements."

When it comes to water, the Sonim XP3 wipes the floor with the competition. Unlike standard rugged phones, this beast is not just water-resistant; it is waterproof which means it is still fighting strong after being fully submerged in one metre of water for 30 minutes. Beaches and construction sites are usually out of bounds for the average phone but with body armour of injection moulded rubber and fully covered ports, the Sonim XP3 Enduro blocks dirt and sand particles from entering, earning it a IP-57 protection rating.

Neither rain, nor sleet nor dark of night....

The Boy Genius Report strikes again, with a series of torture tests for the Sonim XP3 Enduro. In the video above, the XP3 Enduro is submerged in mountain dew soda for 30 minutes and "came out a bit sticky but fully functioning."

The XP3 was also subjected to a full cycle in the washing machine, followed by 16 hours outdoors in 18 degree (f) temps along with rain, snow and sleet -- and survived. Check out the full review, along with a bunch more videos, at Boy Genius.

Torture Test: "The Daddy of the Tough-Phone Market"

3G.co.uk torture-tested our rugged Sonim XP3 Enduro and had this to say:

When we received our Sonim XP1back in February 2008 we dropped it from a first floor window, showered with it and even drove a car over it. Much to our amazement and a degree of frustration, it actually survived all of the above. So when we got our hands on the even ‘tougher' Sonim XP3 Enduro (Xtreme Performance) we were determined to really put it to the sword. So confident is Sonim in the phone's indestructability that it has included an unconditional three-year warranty for every XP3 Enduro purchased.

We're not sure what happened to the Sonim XP2 - perhaps it's so tough it has been locked away for our own safety - but the XP3 Enduro looks and feels like a bigger and heavier version of the original, suggesting it is a tad more robust. 

Onto the torture tests

Having left the handset soaking for half an hour we returned to see whether it was in working order. Awakening the phone by pressing the keypad fired it up immediately. So far so good. We then tested the phone for both outgoing and incoming calls, sending a text message and surfing the net. We're pleased to say that the XP3 Enduro passed with flying colours.

Sonim XP3 Enduro Goes With The Flow

Watching water flow is a great way to calm the chatter in your brain , and who couldn't use a little mental downtime these days? Click on the video about and indulge yourself in a watch-the-flow zen moment compliments of the Sonim XP3 our new super-rugged, water-proof, submersible phone.