The AGM A8 - tough as nails but a bit on the bulky side. The AGM A8 - tough as nails but a bit on the bulky side.
Most of us have fallen victim to nursing a broken heart after accidentally dropping our expensive smartphones or tablets. I’ve seen enough gadgets with cracked screens to last me a lifetime.
The back of my outdated Sony Xperia Z3 phone is riddled with cracks. It fell three years ago and I never bothered to get it fixed.
A few days ago, I was handed what I thought would be a great gadget for any serial phone-dropper out there. For nearly three weeks I had to use the AGM A8 outdoor smartphone. With a look at it, rough and tough were my first thoughts to come to mind.
The AGM A8, manufactured in China, is not a regular phone but an outdoor gadget built mainly to withstand the elements which often lead to the demise of phones.
This phone is somewhat heavy, weighing 245 grams. It has a size of 159 x 83 x 16mm, which means you’d struggle to put in your skinny pants’
pockets.
Besides the size, the two yellow buttons (power and volume) on the side gives the phone a cheap look. Another blemish is the 13MP main camera that often takes horrible photos.
The possible explanation for the size could be found in how this phone is designed to ensure maximum protection against those unforeseen drops.
The casing is thick, solid and rigid and is meant to absorb shock from drops from a height of a metre.
It has IP68 protection against dust and water - meaning you can safely soak it in water for about 30 minutes without causing any harm to the gadget. Trust me - this phone is one tough cookie.
I’ve thrown it against the wall and floor tiles several times to amuse friends and family. The phone survived.
Although boasting toughness, this gadget packs other useful bits like the dual SIM capability, 32GB memory and high capacity 4050 mAh battery which can easily give you two days without charging.
On top of these, the phone is powered by Android 7.1 and comes with preloaded tools, such as spirit level, ruler, magnifying glass, compass, altimeter, graduator, and a protractor.
At a retail price of R3699 the AGM A8 is a delightful phone to have as an extra device but its size and weight could easily put off most mobile and tech savvy people.
@LindileSifile