Sonim, purveyors of insanely overbuilt handsets that are virtually guaranteed to survive far longer than you, is back at it again at MWC this year with the XP3300 Force. Though it looks a lot like the models that have come before it, the Force has a unique claim: it alleges to offer the longest talk time of any cellphone in the world at 20 to 24 hours, which can be traded in for 20 to 24 hours of continuous GPS tracking, along with 800 hours of standby. Sonim hangs on to its ruggedness chops by casting the Force in a fiberglass shell with 1.5 millimeters of Gorilla Glass over the display, all adding up to an IP-68-rated device that can withstand a two-meter drop onto concrete, two meters of submersion in wastewater (yes, not water, but wastewater), and temperatures ranging from 20 below zero to 55 degrees Celsius (-4 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit). Pricing and availability are yet to be announced; follow the break for the full press release.
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SONIM LAUNCHES THE XP3300 FORCE − A MOBILE PHONE WITH THE LONGEST TALK TIME IN THE WORLD
Ultra-Rugged GSM Phone Designed for Mobile Resource Management (MRM) Applications in Vertical Industries
Barcelona, Spain – Mobile World Congress – February 14th, 2011 −Sonim Technologies today announces the Sonim XP3300 FORCE (http://www.sonimtech.com/products/xp3300force.php) GSM mobile phone, an ultra-rugged MRM-ready handset designed to help enterprises and government organizations locate, track and manage mobile workers, their tasks and assets. Built on lessons learned from serving half a million customers with the toughest jobs on earth, some who work 16 hour shifts, Sonim's XP3300 FORCE helps maximize workforce efficiency, minimize downtime and enhance safety in industries such as transportation, logistics and utilities.
"The XP3300 FORCE takes Sonim's legendary ruggedness to the enterprise segment," said Bob Plaschke, CEO of Sonim Technologies. "There's no question it's a power tool of communications. We continue to dream up new ways that showcase how Sonim's handsets stretch the limits of phone engineering such as:
• submerging it in an antifreeze mixture (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYbxs6CQJAk);
• dropping it from 30 meters (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zFhuJ2evvU);
• casting it in concrete (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/click_online/9369639.stm)."
WORKFORCE EFFICIENCY
With the XP3300 FORCE, Sonim's objective is to help companies with mobile workforces reduce operating costs, increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction and ensure employee safety. The handset has professional-grade Assisted GPS that delivers highly accurate locations and faster location fixes due to the excellent signal sensitivity. With 20 to 24 hours of talk time or GPS tracking time of up to 26 hours with MRM applications (at 5 minute location update intervals), the XP3300 FORCE has the power to work through the long 16-hour shifts endured by Sonim users. The 2 MP camera with a bright LED flash and digital zoom captures critical job site information. Sonim has further improved the reliability, speed and available memory for JAVA applications and the Sonim JAVA Application Manager (JAM) store will offer a range of pre-tested and certified third party workforce management applications for download. The handset is a quad band GSM unit with GPRS and EDGE data capability.
The MRM applications being integrated with the Sonim XP3300 FORCE offer workforce location monitoring, fleet tracking, monitoring, timecard reporting, real-time work order updates, alerts, job scheduling, event confirmation, data collection and reports. "Integration and field testing is underway with some of the world's leading MRM application providers, who have recognized the XP3300 FORCE as the ideal rugged MRM phone," said Sanjay Jhawar, VP/GM of Marketing and Applications.
A software revision for the XP3300 will be released following final MRM field-testing and the following will be commercially certified and available in Q2 2011:
• mComet from Actsoft: www.actsoft.com
• Timecard from Econz Wireless: www.econz.com
• Track & Trace from Spotmaster: www.spotmaster.com
• TimeTrack from Xora: www.xora.com
Other applications for the XP3300 include an Opera Mini® browser and City Cruiser® navigation. NoteVault, a voice note transcription and project-reporting tool specifically for the construction industry, is also available. Subscription fees will apply for NoteVault and MRM applications. Enterprise application developers can register at www.sonimdevelopers.com.
RUGGEDNESS TO MINIMIZE DOWNTIME
Sonim's Rugged Performance Standards Certified (RPS) surpass the military specifications for ruggedness.
Even wastewater 2 meters deep is no challenge for this IP-68 rated, water and dust proof handset, which can also be dropped from 2 meters onto concrete. The 2 inch high-resolution display is protected by a class-leading 1.5 mm thick Corning® Gorilla® Glass lens for the highest scratch and shock resistance. Sonim has added a fiberglass mix to the phone's housing to give users the confidence to truly take it anywhere. The phone is certified against salt, fog, humidity, transport shock, and thermal shock and operates in temperatures ranging from -20C to +55C.
SAFETY
The Sonim XP3300 FORCE enhances the worker's safety by enabling calls under the worst conditions. The phone features strong antenna performance, the industry's longest talk time of 20 to 24 hours and 800 hours of standby time, an active noise canceling microphone, and loud audio with a 23mm speaker, protected by a GORE® protective vent. Enhanced usability with widely-spaced keys for ease of use with gloved hands and a higher resolution display with good outdoor visibility also contribute to dependability that saves lives.
Rugged and reliable, the XP3300 FORCE is backed by Sonim's 3-Year Comprehensive Warranty.
ABOUT SONIM TECHNOLOGIES
Sonim Technologies (www.sonimtech.com) is the provider of the world's most rugged, water-submersible mobile phones designed specifically for workers in challenging outdoor and industrial environments. Sonim's industry-leading three-year comprehensive warranty has redefined customer expectations of rugged technology. Sonim provides a suite of high-performance workforce management applications including push-to-talk and lone worker safety services on cellular networks. The company is headquartered in San Mateo, California and offers its products in over 50 countries.
