Are you looking for an ultra-rugged flip phone perfect for your tough activities? You are on the right page. Let’s read the Sonim XP3 Plus review to learn about this device.
A rugged phone is built for different audiences. It’s specially designed as an industrial-strength phone with better durability than normal flip phones. Just by looking at it, you can conclude that this phone lacks simplicity.
The Sonim XP3 Plus was released in September 2021. This device is constructed with military-grade specifications that can withstand extreme conditions. It is water-resistant and glove-friendly.
But does it only have those specs? Are you curious about other features they can offer their users? Bear with us, and let’s look at the Sonim XP3 Plus review together.
Page Contents:
Key Specs
Sonim XP3 Plus specifications:
| Weight | 220g |
| Dimensions | 116 x 60 x 28mm |
| OS | Proprietary |
| Screen size | 2.8-inch |
| Resolution | 320 x 240 |
| CPU | 2GHz Quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 662 |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Storage | 16GB |
| Battery | 2,300mAh, Removable |
| Camera | 8MP |
| Features | Ruggedized, Water Resistant |
Design
The Sonim XP3 Plus features a clamshell-style that offers comfortability to its users. This device builts with ruggedized performance standards and is already certified for most hazardous and extreme conditions. With 220g of weight, the phone feels bulkier, but somehow it still feels alright in our hand.
The uniqueness of this phone sparks at first glance. You can see the rugged design and some rubber protectors on every side. You will notice a single rear camera with a 1.3-inch display screen on the front side. At the bottom, two external buttons can be customized.
Inside the phone is a 2.8-inch display screen with a tactile and glove-friendly keypad. At the top of the main keypad are three internal soft keys that can be changed dynamically depending on the display.
Read also: Sonim XP3 Plus User Manual
Display
Flip phone displays are typical. The Sonim XP3 Plus also features two display screens to provide the user interface. While opening the device, users will see the main 2.8-inch display screen. The user interface can be customized according to users’ preferences. We are quite satisfied with the display’s fonts. It is readable and comfortable for normal eyes.
The main screen has 320 x 240 resolutions with QVGA screen quality. It’s obviously not the grandest quality you can get. So, don’t have high hopes for this device. The pixelated icons and images can be found here and there.
The 1.3-inch second screen is located at the front of the device, right below the camera. The external screen displays basic information such as date and time, network signals, battery capacity, and other icons if you activate certain features.
Camera
The camera setup of the Sonim XP3 Plus is not comparable with other fancy smartphones. This device only features an 8MP single-rear camera. The camera is only available for some versions of the Sonim XP3 Plus.
In our opinion, the camera megapixels are pretty decent for a flip phone. It can capture nice pictures for more practical purposes. We also didn’t find any useful features to enhance the outputs.
Forget about taking selfies. The Sonim XP3 Plus doesn’t provide us with a front-facing camera. Without this, you can’t make a video call with your colleague in an emergency. It is inconvenient, indeed.
Storage
The Sonim XP3 Plus has 16GB of internal storage for memory spaces. If we compare it with other flip phones, the capacity is above average. Usually, you only get around 4GB. This makes the Sonim XP3 Plus a steal.
However, out of 16GB, around 16GB is reserved for system files and junk. It means users only have 10GB in total. But, if you want more space, there is another option. You can expand the storage up to 256GB of the external memory card. You need to buy the MicroSD card separately and install the SD card in the phone’s slot.
Performance
The Sonim XP3 Plus operates on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 662. This chipset is a vital support to run the systems. Thankfully, this chipset can help the phone to boost its performance. Make it run smoothly, and the battery also turns out to be more efficient.
The processor runs on the 2GHz clock rate speed, above the bare minimum since most flip phones are limited to only a 1.1GHz clock rate. Theoretically, the higher GHz, the better performance.
Thanks to this, the device becomes impressively faster. The performance is stable without lagging too much. It fits perfectly for heavy-consuming activities.
The Sonim XP3 Plus is equipped with 2GB RAM into the phone. RAM is a Random Access Memory purposely made to save temporary data. For such a small phone, the RAM size is quite okay.
This RAM is accompanied by the Proprietary OS based on AOSP Android 11 Go Edition. AOSP stands for Android Open Source Project, an operating system development project maintained by Google. By its name, it is open-source, so everyone can contribute or implement this operating system to their device.
The AOSP is based on Android 11 Go Edition. So, users can enjoy the Android 11 Go Edition features but with modifications in some places. Even though it’s an Android, the user interface looks old and boring.
The operating system is specifically targeted at more straightforward users. It is a simpler and smoother user experience than anything. It is perfect for someone looking for advanced phones but doesn’t want the stuffy ones.
Lastly, the Sonim XP3 Plus is made for extreme outdoor conditions. Because of that, the device offers many interesting features to help users get the best experience. The phone is built with industry-leading rugged performance standards. It is already military rated with MIL-STD-810H, Non-incendive Div 2, Class I, II, and III rated for use in hazardous environments. It also has a water-resistant IPX68 Scuba rating.
Connectivity
The Sonim XP3 Plus has various network coverage. It can be used in 2G/3G/4G LTE connections. Despite all of these, we recommend you use the 4G LTE one since this connection is still receivable in many areas. Before using the data connection, install the SIM card first.
Instead of the data connection, users can use Wi-Fi to connect to the internet. The Wi-Fi runs on 2.4/5GHz, so users can experience a fast connection.
Other than that, users can also enjoy other connectivity such as Bluetooth to connect wirelessly with other devices or send some files. There is also a USB port to connect to the computer.
Battery
The Sonim XP3 Plus battery capacity is 2,300mAh. At first, we thought the battery was not enough. But, since this phone is supposed to be used for small activities like calling and texting, the battery is just so fine.
The phone claims it can withstand up to 15 hours of talk time. Meanwhile, the standby time can last up to 440 or 18 days. Nonetheless, the battery life can depend on how you use the phone.
A removable battery type is used in the Sonim XP3 Plus. This battery type would be an advantage for outdoor activities. Users can always bring a separate battery and change it immediately every time their battery goes off or gets damaged.
Is the Sonim XP3 Plus a good phone?
Wrapping up in the Sonim XP3 Plus review, this device has unique features that catch our attention. Indeed, it is not the normal phone that would be around in the market. But one thing is for sure, this device successfully positioned itself for a certain niche of targets – in this case, outdoor users.
If you see it at a glance, the ruggedized design is built-in military-grade. The phone’s internal storage and processor are also still considerable. However, for $210, the Sonim XP3 Plus is kinda expensive. Especially when we found that this phone still lacks some aspects such as the camera and the screen quality. In the end, it is up to you to decide.
Sonim XP3 Plus Pros:
- Ruggedized design military-grade
- Internal storage space
- Great processors
Sonim XP3 Plus Cons:
- Expensive
- Bad screen quality
- Low camera quality
