sonim

Ultra-rugged Sonim XP Strike IS now available on Sprint

Sprint quietly revealed its second ultra-tough Sonim handset with the XP Strike IS. Available for $599.99 after users sign a two-year contract (without an agreement, the price jumps to $1,099.99), the feature phone sports a hefty 1,960mAh battery and 2-inch QVGA screen.

Though Sonim devices are indeed tough -- this one can reportedly survive a 6.5-foot fall on concrete and a dunk under 6.5 feet of water for 30 minutes -- they are bulky, and the Strike IS is no different.

For example, its battery physically bulges in the back, and the phone tips … Read more

Sprint's Sonim XP Strike unfortunately strikes out

Though it isn't the sleekest device, the Sonim XP Strike from Sprint isn't anything to mess with. Fulfilling military-grade specifications for ruggedness, the handset can survive the toughest of environments. It's shock-resistant, waterproof, and dustproof, and can withstand up to 1 ton of pressure (so don't feel too bad if you accidentally run it over in your driveway with your SUV).

The carrier's first Sonim phone, it not only expands Sprint's rugged lineup, but it also features Sprint Direct Connect, which enables callers to quickly communicate with one another at a push of a … Read more

Sprint offers ultra-tough Sonim XP Strike

Sprint announced today that it's now offering the rugged handset Sonim XP Strike for $129.99 after a two-year carrier agreement and mail-in rebate.

The XP Strike includes push-to-talk Direct Connect and has an extra-tough design to withstand even the harshest of elements.

Its Corning Gorilla glass screen is 1.8 millimeters thick, the phone itself meets military specifications for dust and shock resistance, and it's covered by a three-year warranty.

You can also submerge the device in 6.5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes and drop it on concrete from a height of 6.… Read more

MMA star Simon Marcus whacks at Sonim's rugged Bolt

How do you get your ultrarugged phone some buzz?

If you're Sonim and the phone in question is the Sonim XP5520 Bolt for Bell, the answer is as easy as hiring Muay Thai mixed martial arts champion (and fellow Canadian) Simon Marcus to throw some punches and kicks on video (below).

In it, Marcus and pals tape the heavy-duty Bolt to their gloves before sparring, to demonstrate that the phone can take its knocks. At one point, Marcus lets loose at a Bolt at another man's ear, and knocks him to the ground. It's lights out for that guy, until he momentarily revives to tout Sonim's Bolt.… Read more

C Spire adds Sonim Armor XP3400

Perhaps a name change can give a company a new life.

Indeed, that appears to have been the case for C Spire, the wireless carrier formerly known as Cellular South. Though the company wasn't suffering under its old name, its phone lineup wasn't exactly thrilling. But since the identity switch, it has made some bold handset moves.

First C Spire picked up the iPhone 4S and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play, and now it is the first U.S. carrier to offer one of Sonim's extremely durable phones--the Armor XP3400.

Clad in an arresting bulky package with … Read more

Sonim adds three new rugged phones

SAN DIEGO--For those in the know, Sonim is synonymous with rugged phones up to military specifications. The last Sonim phone we saw, the Sonim XP3300 Force, was swathed in rubberized material and impervious to concrete (but not to us.)

Now, the San Mateo, Calif. company adds three new GSM wrld phones to its rough 'n' tumble lineup, including one with NFC, or near field communications, capabilities.

That would be the Sonim XP1301 Core NFC, which (surprise, surprise) has an NFC chip capable of scanning tags that fit into a workplace; the medical field would be a good implementation for this.… Read more

Sonim phone survives 'Will It Blend?' torture test

We already embedded the rugged Sonim XP3300 Force in concrete and smashed it against a sidewalk. Other Sonim phones have been cooked on a grill, run over with a car, tossed into a cement mixer, and cleaned in a washing machine. They all survived the PR stunts.

The "Will it Blend?" online show pitted the XP3300 against the powerful Blendtec Total blender. It took only a matter of seconds for the Blendtec to turn an iPhone 4 into something you could pack into a Campbell's soup can.

When the XP3300 came out the other end, it was covered in a pile of phone dust, but it still rang and could make and receive phone calls. The verdict? "Mostly blended." We're going to need a bigger blender.

What did these poor phones do to deserve such treatment? For starters, Sonim calls them the toughest phones in the world. They are built to military-grade specs and come with a three-year warranty that covers accidental damage. That's just asking for punishment.

If you're prone to dropping your phone, running over it with an elephant, or leaving it in the pocket of your wetsuit when you dive down to the Titanic, then the $525 XP3300 may be perfect for you. Sonim's CEO helpfully reminds customers that intentionally blending your XP3300 is not considered "accidental damage."… Read more

How I broke the rugged Sonim XP3300 Force (review)

The joke's on you, Sonim XP300 Force. You taunted me with your thick rubber sidings and waterproof, mud-flap-protected charger port and headphone jacks. You bragged with your impressive laundry list of certifications for withstanding heat, cold, humidity, dust, salt, and shock. You laughed in the face of water.

But now you're cracked, over, kaput. Spilling shards of glass as effortlessly as a dog shakes of water after a swim. All I did was toss you a few feet into the air. It's true; I have it on video.

OK, so maybe it could have been a few … Read more

Hands on the rugged Sonim XP3300 Force (video)

Burly and coated in ridged rubber, the forthcoming Sonim XP3300 Force can take its share of abuse.

Rugged phones are sturdy, but certainly not indestructible. That said, this "Force" fared better encased in concrete than Han Solo did in carbonite, and it also passed our dunk test. Several enhancements kick it up a notch from some other Sonim phones. We'll have a more in-depth look in our hands-on review, so stay tuned. In the meantime, see the dust-covered contours of the XP3300 Force filmed just today in our San Francisco headquarters.

Sonim shows its XP3300 Force

BARCELONA, Spain--Sonim added another rugged handset to its burly lineup today when it revealed the Sonim XP3300 at Mobile World Congress.

Like its earlier XP3 and XP1300 Core, the XP3300 is built to withstand just about anything. You can submerge it in 6.5 feet of water and drop it from 6.5 feet onto a concrete floor without a scratch.

The fiberglass body and rubber sidings also protect it from dust, salt, fog, humidity, transport shock, thermal shock, and temperatures ranging from -4 degrees to 131 degrees Fahrenheit. What's more, Corning Gorilla Glass protects the 2-inch display.

Designed … Read more