23 Jun 2009
Commonly called Enduro, the Sonim XP3 exudes a rugged candy bar design. It is clad in plastic ridges, with exposed screws and vents in yellow or black colours. This mobile phone has the full measurements of 118.8 x 56.3 x 24.6 millimetres and weighs 140 grams. It also comes with a TFT screen that measures 44.96 millimetres. It displays wallpapers in 65,000 colours in128 x 160 resolution. Users are able to give this mobile phone a more distinct personality with its set of pre-installed ringtones in monophonic, polyphonic, WAV and MP3 audio formats.


The rugged chassis of this handset is surrounded by extra shortcut buttons for volume controls, instant access to contacts list in the phonebook, and a key that activates an onboard flashlight found on the top of this mobile phone. Right at its bottom, this handset comes with a 2.5-millimetre headphone socket.


Running on 2G network, the Sonim XP3 is tri-band, which covers GSM 900, GSM 1800 and GSM 1900. This handset allows users to transfer files to and from compatible gadgets like laptops, personal computers and printers through its mini-USB support, which port is located right at the bottom part of this mobile phone. This mobile phone also offers the least hassle with its Bluetooth v1.2 support, which eliminates tangled wires and cables during file transfers. To enable users to access their favourite sites on the World Wide Web, this handset comes with a pre-installed WAP2.0/xHTML Web browser. Because it is powered by GPRS Class 10, this mobile phone assures users of speedier downloading and data transfer rates.


This handset offers the customary SMS messaging service. It also serves as a reliable virtual assistant to its user with an organiser kit consisting of a phone book that supports 1,000 entries with contact details, a voice memo, a stopwatch, a vibration alert option, a countdown timer and a file manager. These organiser tools enable users to be on track of their schedules and properly organise onboard data.


The Sonim XP3 underscores durability as its most significant asset. It is IP-57 certified, which stresses its conformity to levels of resistance as aligned with the standards set by the rating systems of Ingress Protection. The number "5" in the mobile phone's certification indicates it is resistant to sediment and dust, and inhibits controlled levels of dirt beyond its plastic tight walls. Meanwhile, the figure "7" designates that this handset resists to being submerged in up to a metre of water for approximately 30 minutes.


In addition, the Sonim XP3 boasts of being shock-proof. It specifically points out its tolerance to shock-drops onto 2-metre concrete. Similarly, its display screen is both glare and shock resistant. This handset also obtained MIL-810F certification from the U.S. military, which confirms its capability to endure poor environmental and weather conditions such as rain, humidity, fog, salt air, as well as extreme temperatures.


This handset comes with an internal memory of 10 Megabytes, through which users can store their contact details and messages. It is powered by a Li-Ion 1180 mAh standard battery that offers users talk time of up to 5 hours and 30 minutes. When fully charged, this handset can last for 220 hours in standby mode.


While this mobile phone is packed with user-friendly and practical features, it has gained criticism from users who find it physically unsophisticated and unattractive, as well as craggy-looking. Some unhappy users also attest their voices are distorted when using this handset, regardless of the adjustments made in its call or audio settings. Dissatisfied users also point out the handset's lack of integrated camera, and 3G HSDPA, Wi-Fi and GPS, which are usually found in most modern handsets these days. This mobile phone has also frustrated some observers because its tiny memory of 10 Megabytes corresponds to its lack of internal storage.


Meanwhile, users who are satisfied with this mobile phone find it very appealing with its sturdy and robust-looking design and certified toughness. Users are also pleased with the handset's speaker settings which can be optimised to effect louder-than-usual audio in certain environments. It is also applauded for its lasting battery life. Most happy users contend that the Sonim XP3's practical features make it a must-have.

Find out more about the Sonim XP3 from the manufacturer
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