XP3300

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