Review: Sonim XP7
The Sonim XP7 lives up to its billing as a rugged Android smartphone that can go anywhere and come back unscathed.
The XP7 may be bulky and heavy, but the size and weight pay dividends when it comes to the phone's toughness factor. I punished the XP7 and it survived everything I threw at it. The hardware is incredibly strong. The buttons and controls are mostly good and can be used even when you're wearing gloves.
The phone handles the basics well. The XP7 had no trouble operating on AT&T's network; the speakerphone is the loudest I've heard; and battery life is unbeatable at two days. The screen is of average quality, but is highly visible outdoors.
The stock Android operating system doesn't include any compelling extras, but at least it functions as intended. The phone has all the core communications and media tools on board, and has access to the Play Store for entertainment. I wasn't impressed by the camera software, nor the camera's performance, but people shopping for rugged phones likely don't care much about that.
The XP7 is for first responders. It's for construction workers. It's for hard-working people who do dangerous things and need their device to survive to the end of the day, every day. If you're in need of an ultra-rugged smartphone, I can't think of a better option than the Sonim XP7.
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Sonim XP7
