Sonim XP2.10 Spirit review (prototype)

Introduction

As one of the first Medias we have been given the opportunity to test the new Sonim phone, which currently is called XP2.10 Spirit.

Sonim is a brand well-known for producing extremely robust phones that are almost impossible to break (even when trying real hard!) – Read or watch our test of the Sonim XP3 here

The new Sonim that we have here is, as mentioned, a prototype which means that the finished product might be a bit different than the one we are testing. Our test subject is made of different materials than the phone you will be able to buy in stores and therefore we will not test for durability just yet. Instead we will stick to the standard parts of the phone.

XP2.10 next to our match box measurer	XP2.10 next to Nokia 6500

This Sonim model is a monster of a phone. It is bigger, heavier and even more extreme than previous Sonim models. The previous ones were made of hard plastic and rubber. Instead, the XP2.10 has a metal frame around it.

If you think that the previous Sonim models looked sturdy, you will be almost frightened with the XP2.10. Not only does it embody durability, it even looks a bit evil! The black look and the bolts keeping the phone together might make you think that it once belonged to Darth Vader from Star Wars. Anyone looking for a very sturdy phone will be delighted to know that the XP2.10 is not only for Sith Lords but can be purchased by regular people.

All we need is the helmet and lightsaber

Making such a strong and sturdy phone as the XP2.10 has its impact on size. The dimensions of the phone are 131 x 60 x 22 mm. and it weighs a massive 182 grams! To even mention squeaky noises here would be daft.


The design

Let’s take a tour of the XP2.10 and look at the construction. The front is split up into two parts in approximately the same size. The upper part is for the display and the bottom part is for the numeric keyboard and the joypad. The two parts are surrounded by a rubber frame which is elevated ca. 1 mm. in order to further protect the display and the keyboard.

The speaker for calls above the display is fairly large and produces a crisp clear sound. Below the display is as mentioned the keys and a regular joypad as seen on a lot of common mobile phones.  The joypad as well as the rest of the keys are held in black as the entire phone.

The top of XP2.10 with the on/off-button

Surrounding the entire front is this thick, black metal frame which is fastened with 6 bolted joints.  All sides of the phone consist of a 9 mm thick massive rubber rim to protect against shocks and drops. Buttons, keys and connectors are built into this rim.

The thickness of 22 mm - massive!	The right side with volume keys and camera key

All sides of the phone consist of a 9 mm thick massive rubber rim to protect against shocks and drops. Buttons, keys and connectors are built into this rim.

On the left side are 2 function keys and a big patch that covers a 2.5 mm. audio jack and a microUSB port which is used for charging and data transfer.

On the right side are the volume rocker and a shutter key and on the bottom part of the right side is an outlet for an external antenna. The stop side sports an on/off button.

All buttons and keys on the sides of the phone are very hard to press down and therefore not very responsive. These keys are by far the worst I have ever seen on a mobile phone before! We have already pointed this problem out to Sonim so hopefully they will try to make the keys softer and more responsive in the finished model.

Back side	The backside without the battery

In regards to the rear part of the phone, the XP2.10 does again not look like the other phones we’ve dealt with. On the top half of the back is a speaker which is used for e.g. ringtones and next to the speaker a label states “100 db”. We weren’t able to measure if the speaker can actually play anything that loud, but if it’s true, a handyman at work should be able to hear an incoming call.

Below the speaker is the phones 3 MP camera and powerful LED which also works as a flashlight. Below the removable back panel is a lanyard eyelet.

The display is colorfull and with active standby

The display is a big improvement compared to previous Sonim models. It is a 1.9 inch (31 x 40 mm.) TFT display with a QVGA resolution (240 x 320 pixels). This gives a very sharp and detailed look but unfortunately letters and numbers are very small and therefore can be hard to make out for some. The display is sunken so it is protected against cuts and scratches. Oddly enough, the screen is made of glass instead of plastic, which we assume would be sturdier. Perhaps Sonim is using some kind of special high-durability glass? No matter what the case is, the image quality is acceptable. We would have liked a bigger screen but that could lessen the durability of the phone.

XP2.10 is a big phone

The joypad is also different from the ones on previous models. It may look a bit better but we actually prefer the old design. On the XP2.10 is a protective rubber band right above the joypad making it really difficult to press the ‘up’ key.

Large and good keys but no so good joypad	Nice lighting of the keys

However, the function keys and the numeric keyboard are not only good but real good! The curved design makes it easy to press the large keys. They are almost as responsive as keys on a regular mobile phone.

The curved numeric keys

The features and functions

Since we have not received any manual or specifications from Sonim, our review will only feature things that we can see and things we assume the phone can and cannot do.

Selecting network - notice 3G support

We are quite certain that the phone is a tri-band (GSM 2G network) as well as supporting 3G. The previous XP1 and XP3 are both tri-bands so it would be weird if XP2.10 should only function on two network bands. We do not know if XP2.10 also supports EDGE. We also do not know why Sonim has decided to make this a 3G phone. The display is rather small which makes it difficult to surf on the Internet and with only one camera, we know for sure that the phone does not support video calls.

Main menu	Calendar

The XP2.10 does feature Bluetooth which is probably more useful than 3G support for this phone. Thus, you can transfer data either via Bluetooth or using a USB cable.

As the first Sonim model, the XP2.10 sports a camera. Thankfully, Sonim has decided to jump pass the low resolution cameras and built in a 3 MP camera from the beginning. The LED that was previously placed on the top of the phone is now next to the camera lens, so you can use it as a flash.

The camera does not have autofocus and the settings and options for improving the pictures are limited. You can record videos but the quality is debatable. XP2.10 records in a QCIF resolution (176 x 144 pixels). Nevertheless, a Sonim phone with a camera is a big step (at least here in Denmark)

Camera menu	Settings for the camera

The shutter key on the side is more or less useless. It is very hard to press so luckily you can instead use the confirm key in the middle of the joypad.

The XP2.10 comes with a music player that may not be as sophisticated as the ones we see in music phones but is still capable of delivering some entertainment. The loudspeaker does its job but the quality of the included headset is yet to be determined. As mentioned previously, has a 2.5 mm. audio jack which means that you cannot use your regular 3.5 mm. audio jack headset.

The music player menu	The connectors are covered by a rubber pad

The XP2.10 has an internal memory of 50 MB which isn’t much if you are planning to use the phone as an mp3 player. Luckily, you can use a microSD memorycard, but it is not yet clear if one will be included in the sales box or what capacity the XP2.10 will support.

If you are left without a memory card, you can still enjoy music with the incorporated FM radio.

One problem we encountered in our test of the prototype was that the applications menu was empty. We have no idea what will be in this menu, but we hope that the finished XP2.10 will feature a GPS ystem like the XP3 Quest does.

The tools menu	Settings menu

The Tools menu, however, was not empty. Here we found an alarm function, a calculator, a notes function, a world clock, a stopwatch, a currency converter, and an audio recorder. All in all pretty standard functions for a mobile phone. What is more interesting is that in the settings menu, you can program your phone to switch on and off up to twice a day and you can put passwords on different folders so you cannot access those without entering a code.

The system software runs far more smoothly than the ones on previous Sonim models. The main menu is formed as a grid consisting of 12 icons. When accessing one of the 12 submenus, the style changes from the grid to a list. The menus are fast and easy to navigate, and a nice feature is that you can program 5 easy access shortcuts in the active standby menu in the bottom of the screen.

The battery of 1300 mAh is fairly large

As mentioned, the battery in this XP2.10 is 1300 mAh and with the rather small screen you should have enough power to last 3 to 4 days of moderate use.

In total 75 % (Subject to change)

Pros:
    •    The ’biggest and baddest’ phone to date
    •    Built like no other phone and super sturdy
    •    Bigger display with better resolution than previous models
    •    Great numeric keyboard
    •    Camera
    •    Better music/radio functions than previously
    •    3G and Bluetooth

Cons:
    •    Massive size and weight
    •    The side buttons are extremely bad
    •    The joypad design could have been designed better

Conclusion
There is no doubt that the XP2.10 is an interesting encounter. It is nice to see that Sonim continues to improve the handyman phones and incorporate functions that we as users are accustomed to. The XP2.10 is certainly just as – if not more – sturdy and strong as previous models and we cannot wait to get a hold of the finished model so we can make a video of just how durable it is.

In the meantime we will ponder on what cruel, excruciating new tests to put the finished model through.

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