There is a dearth of affordable rugged phones you
can take hiking, camping or on a simple weekend away from the charger, and not
have them always on the back of your mind in terms of endurance - both physical
or induced by range anxiety. The up-and-coming Poptel brand is staying true to
its name by introducing a tough handset for the masses, the P9000 Max, with
global LTE bands modem version.
As you can already guess, the number stands for the
battery capacity, as the phone comes with the whopping 9000 mAh pack. Coupled
with a 5.5" FHD display, and frugal octa-core chipset, the energy-dense
unit will last you the proverbial weekend on a charge, and then some, unless
you are intent on playing looking for PokeStops in the wilderness. The rest of
the specs sheet is no less generous for the price, as the phone comes with 4GB
RAM and 64 gigs of internal storage to record all those hiking vids and pics
with the 13MP rear camera and the 8MP selfie-snapper, or load the phone with
some Netflix for the campfire nights.
The star of the P9000 Max show its
ruggedized nature exterior. Poptel protected the front with Gorilla Glass, and
added multiple rubber layers so that the light but durable composite of the
body can withstand drops and hurls. An IP68 certification ensures that the
handset can take a dunk while crossing that creek with sleepy eyes after a
night in the tent, and the USB-C port is protected with a plug for added
measure.
Speaking of charging, Poptel's puppy arrives with a
2A brick that can bring the battery from zero to full in just 3.5 hours, which
is a pretty amazing feat for such capacity. The P9000 Max promises up to 46
hours of video playback on a charge, and the whopping two months on standby
even with both SIM card slots active.
As for extra features, there's fast unlocking with
the rear finger scanner, true NFC support, gestures like tap-to-wake to
supplement the stock Android options, and the fun part - a camping torch
consisting of four powerful LED lights to chase away those bears that just want
to Netflix and chill with you in the tent. Poptel's running promo for the
global version of the P9000 Max supporting multiple LTE bands slashes the price
from US$ 249.99 to US$ 200 at the link below, so if you are looking for a durable
hiking buddy, peek in for the coordinated color versions.
