Essential features include a strong vibrate mode, text messaging, a calendar, a calculator, a stopwatch, a unit converter, a countdown timer, and a speakerphone. You'll also find USB support (a cable comes in the box), PC syncing, an FM radio, a voice recorder, and Bluetooth. And in keeping with the XP3's rugged theme, it supports GPS services and the camera flash doubles as a flashlight. On the downside, it's disappointing that the XP3 doesn't support multimedia messaging, which is a basic feature on so many phones. You do get POP3 e-mail, but you're forced to use a clumsy Java-based application.
The XP3 2-megapixel camera takes pictures in five resolutions, from 1,600x1,200 pixels down to 220x176. Editing options include three quality settings, a self-timer, a digital zoom, three color effects, a brightness control, and a flash. The XP3 doesn't record video. Photo quality was quite decent--images were a tad washed out but colors looked natural and there was little image noise. Without multimedia messaging, you'll have to resort to Bluetooth, the USB cable, or a memory card to get photos off of the handset.
Besides the e-mail options mentioned above, the XP3 Quest supports a selection of Java applications. The phone comes with the Amaze GPS app installed. It's a bit low budget, but it does provide turn-by-turn directions. You can download more apps from Sonim and keep track of them with an integrated Application Manager. The XP3 offers about 21MB of user-accessible memory, which is respectable.
You can personalize the XP3 Quest with a variety of screensavers, color themes, message and alert tones, wallpaper, and greetings. The handset doesn't come with any games. An Opera Mini Web browser offers access to mobile sites for Facebook, CNN, and the BBC among others. You also get a second WAP browser for your Internet needs.
Performance
We tested the Sonim XP3 in San Francisco using AT&T service. Call quality was respectable, though not spectacular. Callers sounded like themselves, but there was a very slight hum in the background. The volume gets quite loud, but the hum was most audible at the highest volume levels. On the other hand, we could hear our callers plainly in all environments.
On their end callers said we sounded fine. They could tell that we were using a cell phone, mostly because some people heard the background hum as well. Yet, they could hear us even when we were calling from a noisy place. Automated calling systems could understand most of the time, but it was best when we were inside. Speakerphone calls were quite loud. As with voice calls, though, there is a slight audio distortion at the highest levels. Callers could understand us, though even when we were a few feet from the phone. Bluetooth calls were about average.
The XP3 promises long battery life. The rated talk time is 18 hours and the rated standby time is 62.5 days. Indeed, our tests showed a very long talk time of 17 hours and 5 minutes. According to FCC radiation tests, the XP3 has a digital SAR of 0.777 watt per kilogram.
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