Jcb Toughphone

release date: January 2008

colours:

yellow

Review
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RATING

Pros

Tough
Large keypad buttons
3-Year warranty
Push-To-Talk

Cons

Small display

SUMMARY

The JCB Toughphone really is the toughest GSM phone in the world. Built to last, the rugged XP1 is ideal for anyone who wants a tough, durable phone. The 3-year warranty is a bonus.

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Review

The JCB Toughphone (JCB Tough Phone) is the toughest GSM phone in the world. The Toughphone is designed for those wanting a highly durable tough phone - construction workers, outdoor workers, extreme conditions and so on. At the time of writing (April 2008), you can buy the JCB Toughphone on pay-as-you-go for just under £100.

The JCB TOUGHPHONE is a JCB branded version (yellow) of the Sonim Xp1. The Sonim XP1 is available in 2 colours - black or yellow.

3-Year Warranty: The Sonim Web site says "unconditional 3-year guarantee". Return the XP1 to the shop same-day, no questions asked.

Design

Keypad: Well-spaced, easy-to-use buttons. Workers wearing gloves can easily dial, says Sonim.

Navigation keys: Nice and big, easy to press.

Interface: 9 icons on the home screen: call list, settings, my files, phone book, message, tools, PTT, quick settings, WAP.

Push-To-Talk: A big juicy PTT button sits on the left side of the phone - walkie talkie style communication nirvana. Big volume keys are also the left-side.

Two Speakers: Pretty loud - good for those noisy environments.

Battery cover: Turn the circular knob at the bottom of the rear of the phone, to remove the battery cover.

Anti-glare, scratch resistant screen: Decent screen, albeit a little small (1.75-inches), and a small 128 x 160 resolution.

Rubber protection: The ports (2.5 mm jack and mini USB port on the bottom) and seams are protected by rubber. The rubber protects against dirt, moisture and absorbs if dropped or subjected to vibrations. Sonim also use a process called underfill, which glues the solders to the board. Screw holders are also reinforced.

Certified tough: IEC IP-54 (water and dust), MIL 810F (salt, fog, humidity, transport shock, thermal shock), shock protection rated at 1.65m drop to concrete, vibration protection for 5 - 500 Mhz and operational temperature: -20C - +60C.

Water-resistant: The JCB TOUGHPHONE can withstand a good deal of splashing, but it is not water-proof - no dunking it in buckets of water, or taking it for a swim. My IronMan Watch is "water-resistant" up to 200 metres - why can't a phone display similar water resistance?

Super Tough Phone: There are lots of videos online showing how wonderfully tough the JCB Tough Phone is. Get a fat elephant to stand on it, drive over it, chuck it out of a window and more.

Drop onto concrete: Sonim say drop it from 1.65 metres (5ft 6 inches) onto concrete and it'll be fine.

Elephants and Cars: Apparently, the JCB TOUGHPHONE can take being trodden on by a 4-tonne elephant or driven over by vehicles.

Features

The JCB TOUGHPHONE is designed for outdoor workers and extreme conditions. You won't find a music player, camera or many of the features typical of a mid-priced phone.

The feature set is simple: PTT (Push-To-Talk), GPRS connectivity, 2.5 mm jack, mini-USB port, Bluetooth 1.2, WAP 2.0, SMS (store up to 1000 messages), address book (up to 500 contacts).

Call features: Dial, speed dial, call forwarding, call waiting, call barring, filter calls (white lists, black lists)...

SMS: Predictive text, no MMS.

WAP: WAP is rubbish. Browse Web sites - a pitiful experience, but it's there if you want it.

Tools: Organizer, alarm clock, calculator, voice recorder, stopwatch, timer,..

Personalize: Customize ring tones, alerts, alarms, change themes, colours (10 available).

Battery Life

5 hours talk time, 200 hours standby time. OK.

Optional Accessories

Car charger, wired and bluetooth headsets, external antenna for enhanced reception in weak coverage areas, car accessory kit.

Summary

The Sonim XP1 (JCB TOUGHPHONE) really is the toughest GSM phone in the world. Built to last, the JCB TOUGHPHONE is ideal for anyone who wants a tough, durable phone. The 3-year warranty is a bonus.

Apart from the Push-To-Talk feature, 2 speakers and USB port, the JCB TOUGHPHONE's feature-set is similar to many entry level phones.

Buy the JCB TOUGHPHONE

You can pick up a JCB TOUGHPHONE (or Sonim XP1) for just under £100 on pay-as-you-go, £190 SIM free, or get if for "free" on a mobile phone contract - look in the business mobile phone sections of network stores.

Generalist shops sell the Sonim XP1 and JCB ToughPhone - try Play (see below) or Amazon.