Always been a fan of Sonim and was hoping the Enduro flip would ctach on with a GSM carrier (it had been introduced as a CDMA phone only). Then they announced the XP6 and that it would be available directly from AT&T. Based on the XP7 smartphone architecture, the XP6 has a smaller but usable touchscreen with Android 4.4.2, but also maintains a standard numpad that you can use just like a basic cell phone. You get all the well-known features of a Sonim handset, like the ultra-rugged body and a loudspeaker you can hear outdoors with no problem. Calls and texts are straightforward, the camera is fairly basic but takes a suitable picture or video, and while there's no microSD capability, the on-board storage is 8GB which is just fine for someone in the maket for such a unit. The Sonim A/C charger is twice as fast as other USB units, providing 2100mA vs others' 1000 mA. This gets the battery back to 100% in a hurry, which is important considering it's a 4800 mAh power source. I received the phone at 49% and the charger had it at 100% in about an hour. The XP6 had no trouble finding wi-fi signals and can be used as a hotspot for up to 5 devices. The magnetic USB cable means no fiddling with micro-USB connectors, and my Windows 8 computer accepted it right away for easy data transfer with no software necessary. Note: this is a thick heavy cell, so if you're looking for slim and lightweight, you will be very annoyed.
This is probably not a smartphone for high data usage because of its design and small screen. However, if you need more than a basic cell but still like the simplicity of an old-fashioned numpad for most functions, the XP6 fits the bill perfectly.
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