back to article Rugged-phone maker claims world's longest talk time

Want a phone with the longest possible talk time? Sonim, a phone maker which specialises in rugged handsets, announced just such a device at Mobile World Congress (MWC) this week. It's the XP3300 Force, and its 126 x 60 x 25mm frame contains a 1750mAh battery that, the company claimed, will let to natter away for 22 hours. …

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  1. James 5
    Happy

    WiFi?

    This phone sounds as though it's designed for work in the remote Tundras, Deserts, Mountains by exploration geologists (the people who really find PRIMARY wealth - not your "lets stay in the office and push buttons" Bankers and Clerks who are involved in Tertiary wealth production at the best) - these are places where WiFi is notable by it's absence. GPS on the other hand is more than useful.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Thumb Up

      Agree with James...

      This is the perfect phone for the outdoorsman. What you want from your phone in the wilderness is to be able to call for help in an emergency and use the GPS capability to tell your rescuers where you've got stuck.

      The only problem is that if you are stuck that far from the beaten path, there may not be any GPS signal anyway.

      Now if this was a satellite phone with an affordable contract, then we're talking!

      1. John Riddoch

        GPS signals

        Er, you'll pretty much get a GPS signal anywhere in the world, notwithstanding cover and random ionosphere issues since it doesn't rely on ground based receivers.

      2. Ian Michael Gumby
        WTF?

        Uhm...

        "The only problem is that if you are stuck that far from the beaten path, there may not be any GPS signal anyway."

        You do realize that GPS is based on receiving signals from multiple satellites that are circling the globe in geosync'd orbits, right? So you're never out of range of a GPS signal.

        Now if you're in a city or something where the line of sight to the sats are blocked.. thats a different story. (Like being in a canyon with high walls...

        1. D@v3

          GPS 'signal'

          yes, i spotted that too, but figured the guy just got his TLA's mixed up, and put GPS when he meant GSM. Because after all, it is quite easy to be..

          "that far from the beaten path, there may not be any GSM signal anyway"

          1. Anonymous Coward
            FAIL

            Ok OK, my bad.....

            I was supposed to put GSM and not GPS.

            FAIL, 'cos I failed to read my own post properly before posting!

      3. Mike Hanna

        @AC

        "The only problem is that if you are stuck that far from the beaten path, there may not be any GPS signal anyway."

        So far off the beaten track that you can't see the sky? That's called pot-holing...

    2. TeeCee Gold badge
      Thumb Up

      Re: WiFi?

      That makes eminent sense. Also explains the lack of 3G, coverage in such places could be charitably described as "spotty".....

      1. Anton Ivanov
        Boffin

        Not quite

        GSM standard ensures that there is no way in hell for you to land on a tower once you are outside its designated range. There is a maximum value for timing advance. Once you are past that you are stuffed.

        If I remember the spec correctly 3G is considerably less fussy so provided that you have a good high-gain antenna you can actually home on a 3G tower from outside its intended range.

    3. durandal
      Coat

      The title is required, and must contain letters and/or digits.

      Not so remote that a network operator couldn't get a cell tower in first!

      Serious remote'll be on a sat-phone, and some terminals even act as a wi-fi hotspot, albeit a bit slow and with eye-watering data charges...

      /mine's the one being dragged off by an enraged honey badger

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    To me, standby time is actually more important.

    Philips (or actually the chinese guys having done a lenovo on philips' phone division) sells phones that are bland, boring, but last a long, long time. Say, the xenium X513 is claimed to last 20 hours of talk time or 1440 hours of stand-by, boasting tri-band dual-sim to boot. The downside is that they're only available in China or Russia. Otherwise I would've gotten one of those.

    Though I spotted a much cheaper samsung megacell e2370 that is claimed to offer 22 hours of talk time and 1600 hours of stand-by, trading some features. It looks to be dunkable, which the xenium isn't.

    But all in all it's good to see more offerings that actually last a while.

  3. JaitcH
    Happy

    Design matches Hummer driver requisites

    Sonim really does make tough cell phones - if this one is anything like their earlier model Hummer owners can actually drive over them and still make a call afterwards.

    Hope they still have a belt pouch for it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Joke

      If you were wearing it in a belt pouch

      and it got run over by a hummer, you'd not be in much of a state to make call!

  4. bob's hamster

    "Agree with James..."

    I think you are right in highlighting what someone in the nether regions might need in a phone. Currently if you plan on hiking through the Siberian Tundra you also need a Personal Location Beacon which on activation after you fall down a hole or whatever sends your gps coordinates via the COSPAS SARSAT satellite system to the rescue authorities. I guess the future is the combination of one of these big boys with PLB functionality.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    more details

    the data sheet available on the website also mention

    1) the phone has a media player and can accept a micro SD card of upto 16GB (important if you're alone and bored)

    2) also has bluetooth connectivity.

    has everything a good phone should have.

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