Sonim XP1 / JCB Tough Phone

Stylish, no-nonsense looks, no fingerprints on the frosted back.

Slippery as can be, no proper waterproofing.

All things considered, the Edge 30 Ultra gets a cautious recommendation from us. It's not the best value, especially not in Europe at MSRP, where the Galaxy S22+ is offering more bang for as much buck, but the right discount down the line could very...

Functional Candy-bar phone ; Ridiculously tough ; Good T9 Predictive Text Capability ; Unlocked and works around the world ; Nice tactile feedback on keys ; Loud ringer and speaker ; Supports Bluetooth headphones

Microphone sometimes quiet ; No software included for syncing to Outlook Calendar ; Shotgun can neutralize phone and cause battery to explode

I didn't know what to expect from the unlocked GSM Sonim XP1 phone. I knew it would be tough as demonstrated over at www.toughestphone.com, but I didn't expect it to take the beating that it actually did. I tried to do just about everything I could...

The phone is quite large and bulky by today's standards, but when compared to the HTC S640 with the extended battery, it is pretty comparable in terms of height and thickness, although it is much narrower.

The Sonim XP1 has an extremely durable design. It's easy to use and has good call quality.

The Sonim XP1 navigation controls could be a bit more tactile. Also, speakerphone calls were somewhat muffled.

It may not be pretty, but the Sonim XP1 is a rugged GSM cell phone that's built to last. It offers good call quality, too.

While the design concept followed by for the greater majority of mobile phones manufacturers concentrate on aspects of size, weight and features with varying degrees of style, there is a place for a more rugged approach for both industrial and outdoor...

It is 11x5x2cm and weights only 125grams. It is matt black and as you might expect well padded. While you can store pictures etc it is only really a phone as a camera is always one of the most fragile parts it does not have one.

The geniuses behind Sonim has created the JCB Tough phone and paved the way for destruction-proof handsets. It can be safely assumed that Sonim has pioneered the making of mobile phones with the durability standards that the JCB Tough has set. This...