Sonim's rugged LM801 phone will probably outlast you

Sonim has chosen IFA this week to show off its latest hardcore G'zOne killer, the in-your-face, take-no-prisoners LM801 candybar. Highlights of the rugged set include an integrated flashlight, laser pointer (for those times when you're stranded in the Rockies and you need to blind you some bears, we figure), magnetic compass, barometer / altimeter, FM radio, and thermometer, all bundled neatly into a yellow shell that repels all the water and dust you can toss at it. Most carriers aren't terribly talented at offering a rugged lineup, so we can think of a few who'd be well-served to investigate adding something like this into the mix -- and seriously, what's with no other phone having a laser pointer?

[Steve Butler @ Aug 31st 2008 9:59AM]

That title is one of the most horrible things I've ever read.

[TRAFFICBLOWS @ Aug 31st 2008 12:14PM]

why, expecting to die soon?

[brandon @ Aug 31st 2008 10:01AM]

that's hot

[Muhammed @ Aug 31st 2008 10:02AM]

surely it targets a kind of people who don't care about the looks but I'd love to try it my self!

[Muhammed @ Aug 31st 2008 10:31AM]

there's no space between "my" and "self", wtf ?

[Ricardo @ Aug 31st 2008 10:39AM]

Speak for your self.

[Muhammed @ Sep 1st 2008 10:12PM]

what, you don't want to try it ?

[jim hill @ Aug 31st 2008 10:32AM]

I've owned the Sonim XP1 since it was released.
It's survived rain and frequent droppage perfectly.
I'm looking forward to the same ruggedness in a fuller featured unit.

[Kennyb123 @ Aug 31st 2008 11:29AM]

Why the frequent droppage, Jim? Got butterfingers?

[deyanimay @ Aug 31st 2008 3:18PM]

Well i imagine that if the rain wet it it would become slippery.

[jabber @ Aug 31st 2008 3:18PM]

I really don't know why, but I laughed for a good 5 minutes at this little exchange...

[jabber @ Aug 31st 2008 3:21PM]

Well... until deyanimay came in and sucked all the funny out of the room...

[Decoy @ Aug 31st 2008 11:06PM]

Heh. Wet unit.

[XenoX101 @ Aug 31st 2008 10:46AM]

Cool, not many competitors in this area, it's nice to see a mobile thats different from the norm. :)

[nanobis @ Aug 31st 2008 10:54AM]

If its got a lazer build in, it's got to be good. Anything with lazers is good.

[Phil Perman @ Aug 31st 2008 11:03AM]

But things with lasers are even better

[Malaycobra @ Aug 31st 2008 11:05AM]

But not as good a shark with a laser on its head!
Then agin, sharks are known for their poor call quality...so I guess this is the way to go.

[brandon @ Aug 31st 2008 11:11AM]

Things with frickin' lasers on their frickin' heads

[wtf?yo? @ Aug 31st 2008 4:59PM]

my cat has a laser and a lazer....it gets awsom call quality

[Randavance @ Aug 31st 2008 11:18AM]

Holy shit I want it. I've gone through 7 phones in the past three years because they can't keep up with me (yes, I have the insurance). Throw in the built in compass, thermometer, barometer, fm radio, flashlight, and a laser pointer into the mix too? I'm sold..

Honestly, my question is why doesn't every phone have a built in compass and fm radio. They're two old school yet immensely useful gadgets that have been saving peoples lives for years, it should be standard by now.

[Kennyb123 @ Aug 31st 2008 11:31AM]

FM Radio has been saving people's lives for years? Do explain...

[Thos @ Aug 31st 2008 1:24PM]

Yes, it has. As a former resident of the midwest, I can tell you that during tornado season, the one most likely reliable source of information about the tornados was the radio. When you're sitting huddled in your basement or an inner room of the house the one best and most convenient means of finding out the current situation is a battery powered FM radio.

[Kennyb123 @ Aug 31st 2008 7:30PM]

Fair enough, Thos! Hadn't thought about that.

[austinmichaelcraig @ Sep 3rd 2008 11:59AM]

AMEN, Randavance! Entirely agreed.

[David Cruz @ Aug 31st 2008 11:22AM]

Lovely! A phone that caters to mountaineers or the clumsy ones!

As for the laser thing, It's a good way to point at far away stuff before darkness comes (presumably before sunset/sunrise times), when your out in the vast wilderness.

As a bragging device, it'll be nice to spill to coffee onto it, and do the same torture on the iPhone (and watch the horror on the Apple loyalist's face when he sees the damage on the gadget that "does everything"...)...

[Zhalfim Deyn @ Aug 31st 2008 11:30AM]

first we attach freakin' lasers to phones, then we figure out how to attach it to sharks!

[chris @ Aug 31st 2008 11:39AM]

oh please let it be on a cdma carrier, i would drop my treo in a second for this phone

[Kevan @ Aug 31st 2008 11:48AM]

I would buy this in a heartbeat!

[ScOObyDoo @ Aug 31st 2008 12:20PM]

Looks like the JCB phone on sale in the UK. www.jcbphone.co.uk

As far as rugged phones go, nothing beats the Ericsson R250s from back in 2000. That thing was built like a tank.

[avester @ Aug 31st 2008 2:16PM]

I had Ericsson R310s with the addon traveller kit, it could probably outlast a tank.

The shark-fin antenna was very durable, but I wonder why they couldn't just put it inside...

[Nate @ Aug 31st 2008 1:43PM]

But will it blend?

[Ignatius @ Aug 31st 2008 6:26PM]

Probably not for awhile.

[David @ Aug 31st 2008 1:52PM]

GPS?

[Sarig @ Aug 31st 2008 7:06PM]

I reckon most people who want a phone like this already have a proper GPS unit anyway.

[ether @ Aug 31st 2008 2:58PM]

That would be cool however solar power panels that are high quality enough to keep the phone going probably would double the price...at least that's what I've seen with most other electronics with them that actually work enough to be useful. That and I'm not sure how rugged it would be with solar panels. Anyone ever seen a case for a cellphone that adds solar panels as a secondary battery source? That would be cool.

[Eric @ Aug 31st 2008 3:48PM]

Not bad, but most of the places I hike are out of cellular range.

However, I have this: https://powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/powermonkey-explorer/ to charge any 3Vdc battery device. Works fairly well, but expensive (I got mine when Compusa went under for 90% off list price). A day in sunlight will just about fill up the battery, which will charge up my phone about 5 days in a row of typical useage.

[turn_self_off @ Aug 31st 2008 5:47PM]

something tells me that isnt a sonim phone...

[Tommy Jun @ Aug 31st 2008 8:10PM]

normal? it isnt.. it's a Military grade phone. It's for hardcore mother-f*ckers

[tekman94 @ Sep 1st 2008 1:41PM]

I'm glad to see that there are more rugged phones being released, but why so that have to be a candy bar phone with rubber buttons that stick out like a tumor. http://www.kyocera-wireless.com/kx12-phone/

[Ken Allen @ Sep 1st 2008 2:21PM]

But can it play crysis?

[Markyb @ Sep 2nd 2008 8:08AM]

Condurro are selling the phone in the UK and ireland www.condurro.com or via retail at www.futuregizmos.co.uk

[Bob Plaschke @ Sep 2nd 2008 2:26PM]

Hi Everyone,

My name is Bob Plaschke, and I am the CEO of Sonim Technologies. It seems that the LM 801 has exploded on the blogs under Sonim's name. The funny thing is, it strikes an uncanny resemblance to our XP1. However, for the record: this is NOT a Sonim phone nor do we have any relationship to Condurro. See toughestphone.com for the real XP1.

Best,
Bob Plaschke

[aebohlin @ Sep 8th 2008 3:15PM]

Ive got an iphone, but this thing. wooaa.. its just cooler.
gotta have it, not that im out on much adventure, but i like the thought of being able to :P

besides, the cat would go nuts for the laser....

[Mark @ Oct 28th 2008 10:16AM]

The LM801 will be back in stock in the first week of November so if you would like one order now from www.futuregizmos.co.uk

[Karl @ Nov 18th 2008 10:04PM]

Nice phone although the buttons look smaller and more cramped than the sonim xp1 and xp3,and I hate small buttons on phones,but the features are actually useful unlike most mobiles,but is the IP rating as high as the new sonim and does it come with an unconditional warranty like the sonims,it's a pity the condurro web site isn't very good,but maybe I'll get the chance to compare both phones somewhere,I need something like this as I destroy ordinary mobiles and like man sized buttons on the keypad.