vvzvlad May 29, 2012 at 09:57

Crash test copies of the phone Sonim Land Rover S8

Today we look at the Chinese copy of the Sonim Land Rover S8 unkillable phone, evaluate its characteristics, conduct a series of crash tests, including leaving the phone from the window, bury it in the sandbox for a day, dip it into the lake, wash it under running water, pour a cement-gypsum solution, after which we get it out of the monolith using a puncher, fry in the oven and move it with a machine. The results, of course, will be at the end of the review. In our age of advanced smartphones and tablets, its characteristics look rather pale if they (characteristics, of course) were not clad in a rugged case, the protection of which (as the Chinese promise) is certified according to the IP67 standard - in simple terms, this is complete protection against dust and protection against immersion in water.

Screen 1.8 ", with a resolution of 176 x 220 (yes, Siemens CX65 makes me recall), GSM, one SIM card, 1.4MB of memory (which, however, compensates for the memory card slot), 1.3M camera (lies. 0.3M there ), BT. The battery really pleases - 2000mAh.
Interesting?

Packaging

The phone arrives in such a funny box with the inscription L / \ ND RCVER. Apparently, this should mean the original inscription LAND ROVER. It is noteworthy that, from all the symbolism, the Chinese made stylization only for the logo on the box, the logo in all other places remained original. The box is ill with a standard disease - the thin soul of the rough handling of the Russian post could not stand it, and it broke a little. The box itself is quite presentable, and if it were not for the damage to the role of the gift, it would fit perfectly (of course, along with the contents). Everything is beautiful inside too - every little thing is in a separate bag, the phone is on a lodgement made of plastic (though thin). If you have a familiar packer, you can get the phone in a dense cardboard box, which will protect your insides from abuse.

Packaging for: 4 points out of 10
A good box, but the mail ruined everything.

Equipment

Actually, ordinary. Phone, battery, mains charging, cable, headphones, “user manual”, screwdriver for screws. Awesome battery: Micro-USB connector (is the charging standard just around the corner?) Chinese-quality headphones: More precisely, a headset. Did not break in the first hour of work - already good. A metal plate that acts as a screwdriver: The back cover of the phone is bolted, so without a screwdriver it will be difficult to even install a battery to get started. Well, where without this: Otherwise, how do we understand how to use it: Chinese guarantee (no, really, I don’t know why they print it): Options: 5 points out of 10

Not “in a bag wrapped with scotch tape”, but also not a top-end equipment.

Build Quality and Appearance

Appearance - rubber brick. So let's write it down. Quite weighty, grip, due to the rubber sidewalls (black inserts) does not even think to slip out of my hands, even being wet and dirty. Whether you want to keep it like that is another question. The test for the creak of the case (an attempt to "squeeze" the phone) he passed with honors. As I did not try to squeeze at least one sound out of it, trying to twist and bend in a variety of directions, nothing worked. Monolith. Well, brick, what's so strange? The charging connectors and headsets are covered with a rubber cover. Despite the fact that it stands tight enough so as not to let water and dust pass, it can be removed with minimal effort, which, in my opinion, is not very healthy. The classic keyboard for this type of phone is a membrane + rubber pad.

Button pads made of the same material as the sidewalls are protected by edges at the edges. Honestly, the meaning of this decision did not reach me - there is no limiter, it rests directly on the button on the board, therefore any strong blow can rip the button off the board, and it’s good if there is no piece of tracks. The sides, if the button was recessed below their level, would save. But they barely reach the middle of the lining. On the reverse side there is a back cover, a speaker hole (with double protection - film and mesh), a camera eye and an LED flash, it is also acting flashlight. Using the screwdriver in the kit, you can unscrew the two screws on the battery compartment ... ... and remove the back cover. Along the perimeter is a gasket made of silicone, which prevents the penetration of moisture into the body.

The second gasket is located in the recess of the case: We consider the stickers. Here Land Rover is already written correctly, as in the logo above the screen. Install the battery, rejoicing at the cool 2.0 Megapixel inscription. You scrolled up to check the inscription above the screen? In the upper part of the case you can note the fasteners for the lace. However, there not only a lace, but a narrow strap will fit. The assembly takes place in the reverse order - gaskets, cover, screws. By the way, with the same screwdriver (or fingernail) you can remove the rubber plug of the connectors: Appearance at: 8 points out of 10 It will not be suitable for glamorous girls. But in general - to some extent, even a stylish, tightly and reliably assembled phone.

Insides

The phone is disassembled simply. To open access to the screws, it is necessary to remove (for example, a needle) 4 plugs at the edges of the housing. They have different shapes, and if you remember their location, it is likely that you can insert them correctly the first time. Then we remove the cover, remove the battery and unscrew 4 screws on the side of the battery, and 4 screws that were hidden behind the caps. We remove the connector cover and we can divide the phone into two halves: The case is made of thick green plastic (this is not a coating and will not wear out over time), with stiffeners in the right places. In the upper part of the board there is a camera module with a flash (which can be used as a flashlight - it turns on by holding the center button), a large and loud speaker and a vibration motor.

Below are the slots for the SIM card and memory card, 5 testpoints (for debugging? Judging by the inscriptions, the Wart is displayed there. I wonder if it accepts at-commands?), And an unsoldered slot for the second SIM card. On the back of the board is a microphone AND a screen. Actually, what could be said about the screen is already said above. 176x220, TFT, the sun is not very visible, I had to cover with my hand. Razemov, as I said - a little. MicroUSB yes 2.5 jack for a headset. The back of the keyboard is protected by a silicone gasket. The side buttons are not protected by anything, let's hope that their sufficiently tight course is sufficient protection.

The speaker at the top of the front panel also has no protection. No, the glue that stuck it will prevent water from entering the body. But here is how the dynamics will like it? But the rear speaker is already protected more thoroughly - with two grids, one of which is located on the body, and the second on it. There are cuts in the body plastic - to compensate for bending. Internals at: 8 points out of 10 It looks reliable, but it is noticeable that the Chinese are saving on protection compared to the original. What can’t you do for the sake of a low price?

Test drive, regarding the declared characteristics.

So what has been stated? We carefully assemble the phone back, go back to the beginning and read in pedagogy:
First number 6 - Dust cannot get into the device. Full protection against contact.
Second number 7 - Short - term immersion to a depth of 1 m, with short-term immersion, water does not fall in quantities that interfere with the operation of the device. Permanent work in submerged mode is not expected.

So, the test report:

1) Falls and throws. From a height of 0.5 meters, 1 meter, 2 meters, 5 meters (from the balcony), a game of football (kick 10 meters).
All is well. The maximum that they achieved was a couple of scratches on the side faces of the phone, but it continued to work, no matter how it happened. The screen is located in the recess created by the overlays, so it is not scratched.

2) Dust and sand. Falling in the sand, sprinkling with sand, burying in the sand, and as an apotheosis - the phone had to work as a scoop in the sandbox!
Also passed. The phone justified the first figure - dry dirt, although stuffing into the natural folds of the case, could not cause any damage to the phone. We knocked on the curb (see point 1), shook off - and you can use it. 3) Water. Spray, wash under running water, immersion in water. Spraying is not a problem; washing under running water is also not a problem. He also survived the short-term dive (at the level of “dropped into a bucket of water, and pulled out right away”) without any problems, but when he tried to hold it under water for more than 30 seconds, he showed bubbles (no, not on the screen) and turned off. However, disassembling and drying saved the ~~father of Russian democracy~~

the dialer, and he is ready for battle again. 4) The load. We get up on the phone, jump on the phone, trample the phone. Fill the phone with a cement-gypsum mixture. We move the phone by car. We get up on the phone - zero reaction. The button lock saves the shoe sole from unexpected calls, and moreover, it does not react in any way to the weight of a person. Yes, and jumping is also no reaction. That's when it started to happen in the sandbox - yes, the plastic protecting the screen had to be tight. He could not stand the sharp edges of the sand and scratched a little. But all the functions are normal, after the sand has been shaken out of all the holes - it again pleases us with the melody of the bell.

We find in the garage a bag of the mixture remaining from the repair, we plant it thinner and fill in the “brick” with the phone inside. After the plaster has set, we try to call. The brick vibrates a little and barely audible sings. For the final purity of the experiment, dry it in the oven at 150 degrees a day. We repeat the test with a call - passed. We find a puncher in the cabinet and in 30 seconds we release the phone from the plaster cast. Half an hour we pick out the remains of gypsum from all the cracks.
Calling a friend with a car. No, the scooter is not suitable. The 1600kg SUV is what we need! We hit the wheel once - alive. Hmm, the harsh Siberian lumberjacks said. For fidelity, we drive a couple more times. It turns on, but shows a white screen. The matrix cracked.
RIP, you delivered us a lot of interesting minutes. Defense on: 8 points out of 10

On the one hand, the declared protection against water penetration is not formally respected - it would obviously not have passed certification. On the other hand - he showed himself very worthy, having passed all the tests, except the last.
And, as promised, a crash test video:

Working hours:

Unfortunately, with the time of work a small patch came out. I could not measure the operating time from a single charge, because in the three weeks that I played with him, I could not fully charge the battery. Honestly, I don’t know if the plug works for charging - I have never charged it.
Hours at: 10 points out of 10

Summary:

This is not a very high-quality copy of the original phone, the advantages of which are its low price and relative security (compared to other phones from the same price category). Well, of course, a big battery. An interesting gift for a “hunter, fisherman” (c) or a child who breaks the third phone.