Sonim XP1 Blog

Review Roundup

Let's Go Mobile has done an in-depth review of our rugged waterproof phone, the Sonim XP3 Enduro.

Clipped from the review:

The craving for many phone functions makes it difficult to find a truly old-fashioned, reliable mobile phone without too much additional functionality. Current mobile phones are also more fragile than before, and repair costs out of proportion. This is bad news for a large group of consumers working in physically demanding jobs who need a strong phone that can stand a few bumps. Sonim offers a solution to this group: the Sonim XP3 Enduro. Able to handle a few bumps is even an understatement: you have to exceed yourself in order to be able to damage this mobile phone!

those who have lost several mobiles phones by damaging them in rugged circumstances and do not want high repair costs, will save money in the end by purchasing the Sonim XP3 Enduro. The certifications are proof of the many tests the phone has endured and passed. So if you want to be available while jet skiing, or if you just don't feel like treating your phone with care during working, the Sonim is a perfect choice. If you rinse the phone after the job is done, it will still even look good, also thanks to the fact it is scratchproof.

MobileArena wonders (in Hungarian) why, given that the XP1 and XP3 are so rugged, how tough can a mobile phone get? They note that the XP3.20 has recieved an "extra shovelful" of tough features and point out some of the incidents that the XP3.20 can survive including submersion in water, 2 metre drops onto hard surfaces, being stepped on and driven over and other hard use.

Phonesreview UK updates its readers on the imminent release of the XP3.20 in North America, and helpfully suggests people who purchase the phone keep the crush and water resistant box that the phone comes in to store sandwiches.

"Rugged, indestructible, eternal ..."

European TV science news show Galileo decided to put the world's toughest consumer goods to the test -- or as they put it "explore the myth of the rugged, the indestructible, the eternal."

The products they selected to test were:

• PET bottle
• Zippo lighter
• Swiss Army knife
• Oakley sunglasses
• and -- you knew this was coming, right? -- a Sonim XP1

After a series of tests, the judges ruled that nothing is tougher than an Sonim phone!

You can view the archived show here, but only if you live in one of the countries were the video stream is available (chances are if Galileo is available on your TV, the archived show will be viewable.) If you're one of the lucky folks who can watch the stream, click on the "Galileo vom Donnerstag, 26. Februar" link (the hamburger picture.) The "Most Unbreakable" test appears in the second segment of the program.

Thanks to Sonim owner RW in Germany for letting us know about this show!

"Oh ... it still works...."

CNN's Adrian Finighan talks with me (Sonim CEO Bob Plaschke) about our super-rugged phones. I challenged Finighan to try and break the XP handset by smacking it with a hammer, flinging it into the air, and dumping it into a fountain.

"The Ultimate In Non-Breakable Mobiles"

Gizmodo's Australian edition has included Sonim's rugged XP1 in its holiday gift guide.

Snipped from the article:

Remember Sonim's XP1; the indestructible phone we were planning to destroy? You know the one. We even asked for your tips on destruction. Well, while parenting duties have stopped us from giving the phone a good whack, literally, that doesn't mean countless others haven't tried and failed miserably in their quest to disprove the phones claim to indestructible-fame. Which is why this little beauty, has popped up on this year's Christmas Gift Guide.

Engineered for sports enthusiasts and those who work in harsh environments, the military-spec, Bluetooth and Push-to-talk enabled XP1 is shockproof, waterproof, dustproof, extreme temperature-proof and, considering the 3-year unconditional warranty, moron-proof. The device is not exactly pretty, but it is something to consider for any adrenaline junkie, drunk, klutz, brickie or astronaut on the lookout for the ultimate in non-breakable mobiles, this Christmas. Available at Crazy Johns for $549 outright.

Also on the list, the Acer Predator high-end gaming PC, iPod Nanos, The BlackBerry Storm, a home automation kit ... lots of good suggestions if you've just hit the panic button after realizing that there's less than a week of holiday shopping time left.

It's Official -- XP1/JCB Toughphone is the World's Toughest Phone

As reported by London's Metro Newspaper, the Sonim's XP1/JCB Toughphone now holds the Guinness World Record as the world's toughest phone.

The story in Metro noted:

The phone was dropped from the bucket of a JCB Digger from various heights until hitting its maximum of 3.25 metres.

Judges would only accept superficial damage to the handset and stipulated that it had to be completely operational and have no cracks on the screen.

Entrepreneur Peter Jones has previously helped test the phone's resistance to other potential sources of damage, including being run over by vehicles, put in a cement mixer and drenched by an industrial hose.

Bob Plaschke, Chief Executive of Toughphone maker Sonim Technologies, said: "From the very start we set out to make rugged phones for people who work and play in rugged environments.

"We're thrilled that Guinness World Records has recognised the JCB Toughphone as officially the toughest phone in the world."

The handset comes with a guarantee against dust, dirt and shock and as well as being fully water-resistant.

Torture-Testing Sonim's XP1

Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing pleasure we proudly present the newest (and even more excellent)adventures of the world's toughest phone, the rugged Sonim XP1.

In this spine-tingling installment the XP1 has a close encounter with a bulldog, experiences the brief but glorious life of sausages, enters the deep freeze, briefly flies through the air before the inevitable hard crash landing, is run over by construction equipment and is then run through a car wash, and enjoys a steamy shower with a lovely lady -- and much more.

Will the XP1 survive? View the video and find out.

XP1 on CNET TV

In this video CNET provides an in-depth look at the engineering and features of Sonim's rugged XP1 phone. We got kudos for everything but the phone's emphasis on tough usability rather than the now-standard slim-lined flashy form factor ... and even then the reviewer noted that cuteness really isn't the central interest or concern of the people who use a rugged phone.

Linux and the XP1

I noticed a post on Houtkabouter’s Blog about some issues he had synching contacts with Sonim's XP1 rugged phone and his computer, which is running Linux. We are developing a solution to address this, which will accompany the next generation of XP rugged phones, but in the meantime I wanted to share the workaround developed by the open source community figured out, Wammu, a mobile phone manager running on Linux and other platforms allows Linux users to synch and perform other actions on their XP1 phones.

We'd also like to thank Houtkabouter for his great review of the XP1. He wrote, in part:

About 2 weeks ago I got a demo Sonim XP1  phone to test and play with. As a phone, (as in make calls and SMS) it rocks. It does not claim to be a calendar, coffeemaker or Gameboy. It is a rugged phone and just that.

XP1 Wins Tough Award

On a recent trip to the IFA trade show in Germany, Christophe and Anne from our marketing team came across this little gem in the hotel lobby.

SFT, a German magazine for video technology and gaming , gave Sonim's XP1 phone their Tough Award.  Tested against a slew of other well known tough products, the Sonim XP1 managed to come out on top.  Among other fine products, our competition included the Panasonic Toughbook, Sandisk's Ultra Cruzer Titanium jump drive, and the Plantronic's Explorer headset (which we are currently bundling with our XP1!)  With such premium competition, this award is really an honor. Click here to see video of SFT's fun and quirky testers.

What Makes Rugged Electronics So Tough?

TechNewsWorld has an interesting article that details how manufacturers engineer fully rugged devices -- and how to tell if a device is fully rugged.

The paragraphs below are snipped from the complete article, but do read the entire piece, there's lots of useful information for buyers of any type of rugged device.

Mobile devices like laptops and phones are small enough to venture outside the home or office and into the bad, wicked world of dust, heat, cold, water and concrete. In some situations, it's just not possible to keep them completely sheltered. Makers of fully rugged devices have plenty of tricks to keep them ticking after treatment that would send normal consumer electronics to an early grave.

Portable electronics like smartphones and laptops aren't generally known for their ability to withstand drops, splashes and harsh conditions. Yet the portable nature of these devices means they're often in the line of fire -- swimming pools and toilets for cell phones, dusty places like construction sites for laptops, or even dairy farms with kicking cow hooves, milk and, well, greenish-brown pies.

Some companies specialize in "ruggedizing" electronics to make them ready for harsh elements and the occasional accident, and some specialize in making their products ready for military or government use. So what goes into making a ruggedized electronic device tougher and more robust than its more fragile counterpart?