I’m currently looking for a different phone as my daily driver; I currently have a Sonim XP8 (AT&T variant); running it on MetroPCS. One of my biggest gripes is the blasted Entitlement Check for when I try using my mobile hotspot, which I often use when I’m out helping fix people’s cars or when I’m doing some kind of photography.
Life style pretty much consists of going to pick a parts, photography, woodworking since I use my phone for my music player w/bluetooth speaker, road trips and my OBDII scan tool. Some use for the camera on progress updates on projects.
Listed below are the requirements
Ultra rugged category
Must have ability to use hotspot/tethering (without having entitlement checks if network unlocked)
Must be either factory or network unlocked (or be able to self unlock)
MicroSD Support
Not full of bloat (or be able to uninstall all the useless apps)
Optionals, and I’m okay with 4G connectivity.
Ability to use Google Pay/NFC
Removable/user replaceable battery
Wireless charging or charging via docking station (like what the Sonim XP8 has.)
It straight up pisses me off. I haven’t been able to use my mobile hotspot due to AT&T’s fucking entitlement check. I have 15GB of hotspot through Metro on my plan.
Yeah, see, here in Russia I can just turn on the hotspot and that’s that. No data caps either. Why you people accept these ridiculously restrictive terms on the services you pay for is beyond me. I just pay for 5G service, and get 5G service.
I’ve heard you even have data caps on your home fibre connections. It’s insane that you just accept this.
It’s good to know you at least have that option. I understand most US cities are under ISP monopolies, though.
Anyway for your phone I probably can’t be of much help, I only use iPhones, and they don’t have SD slots. They are very durable though, especially if you put it in a wallet case. I’ve dropped mine without a case onto concrete dozens of times, and apart from the aluminium on the sides getting very scruffy (it’s actually kind of pretty, looks rugged!), it’s fine. Probably the least bloated phone OS you can get, too, almost everything can be uninstalled and it doesn’t come preloaded with garbage like Facebook or demo games. I don’t know about USA, but over here they’re not allowed to be locked to a specific cellular network either. Apple Pay works great, I never bring my cards with me anymore. No replaceable battery, but it has capacity for a whole day of use even after it’s been used for years, and the best wireless chargers on the market (magsafe, just a puck that adheres to the back of the phone with magnets, strong enough to keep it in place on the dash of a car, too). Pretty sure you can’t flash android to it though.
I use to use Caterpillar phones exclusively up until recently when they stopped offering microbolometers on their phones.
If you’re into automotive repair that same feature may come in use to you as well.
At any rate my short list was:
Ulefone Power Armor 18T
AGM G2 Pro
Doogee V20 Pro
F150 Raptor
As you can tell these are all Chinese, which I wasn’t thrilled about but any phone other than Samsungs are 100% made in China at this point anyways.
They are all extremely rugged except for the Doogee, it’s just normal rugged.
Also if you plan on doing international travel outside the US the bottom 3 on the list could theoretically get you in trouble of ITAR because of the camera’s frame rate.
oops that should be IIIF150 Raptor/triple F150 Raptor.
hahaha I know it’s a really dumb company+phone name, it guarantees misunderstanding when explaining it to someone in person.
yeah, that was the last phone I had but when Cat announce the high end successor wouldn’t have a camera and instead satellite calling I noped out of upgrading with them.
The external dongle cameras are okay if you’re going to use it sparingly and not when your out and about, but I use mine to check engine temperatures when I’m out riding pretty often.