Sonim XP8 MORE PICTURES

Sonim XP8

User opinions and reviews

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  • R
  • RaXn
  • mcB
  • 19 Apr 2024

God dam this phone is a beast. I have had mine for 5 years and it hasn't been broken from all the activities i do. I have went kayaking with this phone in my pocket and flipped it, was in rapids for 15 mins. I have taken this to a waterpark into a wave pool and taken pics underwater. I have dropped this phone so many times i have lost count. I have had this thing rolling around in the sand at the beach. bottom line the sonim xp8 does not break. it may not be the fastest phone on the market, and the camera is of low quality but the durability of this thing is not to be questioned. I plan to run this phone till it literally dies and that could easily be another 10 years. the only thing that did break is after 3 years the charging cover broke and i had to buy a replacement. other than that it is SOLID.

    What on Earth is happening to GSM Arena ? I don't require them to post reviews of such niche phones, but still - the last in series Sonim XP10 is at least one year old, yet it doesn't appear in manufacturer page here. Disappointing at least.

      • U
      • UB
      • GJL
      • 29 Feb 2024

      Hell, 28 Jan 2024This phone is straight garbage. Its slow and quirky, once i... moreYes you are very right, i have had sonim phones in the past, they have always been slow and quarky.
      It is complete garbage and i would not recommend one of these to anyone
      Yes i like the durability but there is no reason why they couldn't get with the times and have it perform a million times better

        • H
        • Hell
        • rRU
        • 28 Jan 2024

        This phone is straight garbage. Its slow and quirky, once it gets below 15% its basically non functional. Its super physically durable but so beyond broken in every other aspect. Its such trash that i feel like sonim owes all of its customers an apology and i hope this company fails. I am legitimately shocked this phone made it to market. If the engineers feel ashamed of themselves then i think we are off to a good start.

          I have a Sonim XP8 running Android 8.1.0, the phone says there is an Android 10 update, but when I click download to install the update, it says "couldn't update installation problem". Can someone help me? no, or is there any way to get the downloaded ota file, thanks

            • S
            • Smitty9460
            • Thb
            • 01 Oct 2023

            I have had my xp8 for about 4 years now, I was an xp7 owner prior to. The upgrade felt like a downgrade in regards to toughness. I'm not sure where you folks live who are experiencing issues with warranty, I have sent mine twice for screen repairs once thru carrier warranty and once direct to sonim. Yes sonim repair was a couple extra steps but not what I would call a negative experience, overall it's been a good phone just not xp7 tough as not once did my xp7 go for repair. I am now at the point of wanting to upgrade my xp8 but am very unsure about going xp10, does anyone have any good suggestions for current contractor/military grade phones that are super tough and user friendly???

              • j
              • joe t.
              • Tf5
              • 05 Sep 2023

              I have had my xp8 for 3 years now and just a couple of small issues.
              1) The charging cable that came with the phone no longer works.
              2) The rubber plug for charging port broke apart after a year. Sonim does not cover this under their warranty, and is $25 (U.S.) to replace. My phone provider in Canada was willing to take the phone for approx. 3 weeks to repair it and return it. I can do the whole job in under 30 seconds but they refused to send me the part.
              I wish the phone came with a mini plug for ear buds but it doesn't only blue tooth option.
              Otheriwse I have recommended the phone to many others and almost always am told they plan on switching to Sonim over Apple/Samsung.
              Too bad Sonim does not have a rewards referral program, it would be a great P.R. option for them, they are missing out.
              joe

                • m
                • matts
                • IBw
                • 05 Apr 2023

                Disappointment. First XP8 touchscreen did not work right out of the factory box. Return was a hassle. Replacement phone's screen went dead after 18 months. Hard to contact Sonim support, finally got through and they said, "just buy a new phone because warranty repairs can take up to 8 months." It took 3 weeks and 6 calls before the guy finally sent me the RMA. I sent my XP8 via USPS signature required (so I had proof they received it). They did not sign for the phone on multiple USPS attempts so it sat at the post office. This company is horrific to deal with. I will never purchase a Sonim product again.

                  • J
                  • JT
                  • Ixe
                  • 09 Mar 2023

                  Great phone except camera sucks and when the glass mirrors like gasoline they won't fix it.
                  Disappointed in the warranty.
                  Otherwise, so-so

                    • ?
                    • Anonymous
                    • kVk
                    • 15 Jan 2023

                    I've had the phone for 5 years now. Not many phones have survived my abuse for more than a year. This phone is tough and reliable through the worst conditions. Other than the bulk size and weight this has been the phone I would say is the best I've ever had.

                      • G
                      • Geoa
                      • FJ4
                      • 14 Jan 2023

                      I have had my AT&T XP8 since it came out, and only problems I've had are the screen never worked with any gloves on, thin or thick, I was told over & over by Sonim techs it would be fixed in update, never was and last time I asked I was told to buy a newer Verizon XP8 ? I paid $750 and specs said work with wet hands & gloves, total bs, also the quick camera launch by double pressing the power button now launches with one push, not every time but a lot, that and battery not lasting as long as new just started in late 2022, Other than those three things the phone has been amazing, I leave it plugged into charger all the time and it never killed or bloated the battery, The camera is crap unless in good light or outside, It gets reception everywhere, even where much higher end IPhones and Galaxys won't, also other rugged phones, I removed the factory plastic screen protector and put tempered glass over the Gorilla Glass and have zero scratches or breakage, The dust cover for charge port still fits perfect, replacement costs a bit but every other phone company wants the phone sent to them to put new one on no matter how easy it is to do and won't sell you the cover, out of all other phones with port covers the Xp8 has the most substantial & thick and can be replaced easy at home plus remember the cover is just to keep dirt out the charge port itself is water & chemical proof, Lastly my last update was to android 10, I read people saying they still had 7 or 8 ? The speakers for music/mp3 using PowerAmp music player app and adjusting EQ, they have the deepest bass of any phone I've had or heard, the speakers are physicaly bigger like Kyocera phones & waterproof so they aren't in speaker box/enclosure, they use the entire inside of phone as box and can handle much more bass than tiny single speaker in tiny enclosure, All in all out of all the phones I've owned and has been many many - high end and all the rugged company's (Cat phones are overpriced junk) this XP8 that I'm using right now to write this has been the best and most rugged tough one of all and the best just as a phone and reception, With years of abuse I only had three problems one of witch can be fixed with new battery ($80 though, bit overpriced but all other amazon Ebay batteries are junk) and the phone still looks almost new, The new XP10 has some good upgrades and I will eventually get one but they didn't really upgrade the battery (5000mAh vs 4900mAh ?) and got rid of the physical back/home/return buttons witch I love, yes the screen is 1/2" bigger but the buttons are now on screen so you only get like an 1/8" bigger screen, the 1.8mm thick victus screen and 50mp + 8mp wide cams are great but I will still keep my XP8 and get new battery, I wish they kept the same phone did more ram & storage, the 1.8mm Gorilla Glass Victus screen, 5g isn't where I live yet so don't care about that, an actual bigger battery like 8000 or 10,000mAh (Oukitel & Unihertz have 21 & 22,000mAh models with night vision for less $$), Just feels like a long wait for new model and it is underwelming at best, just a big let down, but it is $200 less than the XP8 so that is one good thing, I will keep using my XP8 as a main phone unless the next model after the XP10 brings back the physical Buttons and tough military look with much bigger battery, at least 256gb of storage, night vision cam or Flir thermal, with same durability, My iiif150 R2022 Alpine edition in army camo body, 8gb of ram, 256gb storage, night vision and 8000mAh battery is my other fave and gets as good reception as the XP8 but is too big to fit in pockets and singl speaker sucks for music, I would love a XP11 or 12 in same army camo with 8 or more gb of ram, 512gb or 1tb storage, Thermal or night vision cam, But will never happen with how rugged phone companies have went from rugged durable phones that look rugged and durable to big screens with no physical buttons, thinner lighter and looking like every other average regular phone, The XP8 is the last of the trully durable phones that look the part.

                        • S
                        • SoCal
                        • Yay
                        • 20 Oct 2022

                        I'm on my second XP8. Love the rugged chassis and long life battery. HOWEVER, this one has begun acting strangely. It would turn camera on when going to sleep. It would pocket dial in sleep mode. Screen is browning and starting to show lines. Old non-upgradable Android was annoying and caused some websites to stop functioning. The final straw was reception suddenly went to heck as if antenna array failed. It will be retired as soon as my 14 Pro Max arrives.

                          • R
                          • Rm88
                          • IbI
                          • 02 Oct 2022

                          Anonymous, 07 Jun 2022There's so much hate for this phone. It has a Snapdrag... moreThe year they released the phone, Android 8 released.
                          2+ years later, they were still charging $700+ for the phone and they barely updated anything.

                          The push to talk feature is really only beneficial for enterprise or government agencies that have the systems already implemented.

                          Sonim hyped up an accessory called SLED (or something) that was supposed to add VHF and/or UHF radio support via an attachment.

                          It took the company like 4 to 5 years to release another device and it was a decent looking flip phone, then they just released a new version of the Xp3 that's interesting.

                          When I got the Sonim, it was very laggy and had some issues with typing on the edges of the screen.

                          The battery, the fact that it is basically indestructible, FirstNet support, and the overall look & feel of it fits in well with its target audience.

                          They could have literally left the physical device the same and changed the cpu/ram/storage and android version every 1.5-2 years and it'd be great.

                          What bothered me was how it was marketed for such a long period of time at a "flagship" price tag and it was obsolete to the point where some modern/currently used apps can't run on it.

                          It gets frustrating when a company invests tens of thousands of dollars in "new phones" and actually bought 5+ year old phones to replace their 2 or 3 year old phones.

                          Android 12 is out (soon to be 13?) and the Sonim has 7 (did they ever get around to upgrading them to 8?).

                          Sonim as a company came out like a bull several years ago, especially with this XP8, then it's like they got their juicy State and Federal government contracts and went silent for years.

                          That being said, the xp8 wasn't awful for its first year or two. Then it got too outdated.
                          I guess when you sell thousands and thousands of phones to the government, and enterprises, and Fire/Police/EMS, you get trapped into making that phone, and its parts, for the next 10+ years.

                          At least it is physically built to last that long. Except for the fact that there will probably be watches or graphing calculators with more power by its 10th birthday lol.

                            • M
                            • Michael J
                            • kRJ
                            • 25 Sep 2022

                            Ruben, 29 Jan 2022hi, i just want to say that I own the Sonim Xp8 phone and a... moreI agree this is my third replacement and it just keeps typing zee on its own all three hones have done the same thing we have 45 of these phones at work and if I knew it was the same phone as the work phones I never would have purchased the phone

                              • b
                              • bigRoN18
                              • g42
                              • 31 Jul 2022

                              We have these devices for work. We do not use them as a voice-communication device but solely as an app-based communication device used to dispatch ambulances. There are many issues with the software we use, but obviously, that complaint is not directly related to the device. What I can say about the device directly is that its battery management is an utter failure. There is no overcharge protection built in. We need the device to be fully charged when starting a shift and it is not used every day. For this reason, it is plugged in for often days at a time. This has led to having to replace the physical battery many times. Just this physical year alone, my device has created five battery failures, where the batteries bulge out, deforming the backside of the phone. The one and ONLY positive thing I can say about the device is that it is easier to change the battery than an Apple iPhone.

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • rV4
                                • 07 Jun 2022

                                There's so much hate for this phone. It has a Snapdragon 630, it's old, it released in 2017, but it wasn't a low end chip. It was decent. People complaining about the software, Sonim uses almost entirely stock Android, they barely even touch the OS. If you have problems with Android on Sonim you should be mad at Google because Sonim doesn't change Android for their phones like other manufacturers.

                                They are skipping the XP9 for some reason, maybe COVID supply chain issues, and the XP10 is coming out this fall. I hope they fix some of the problems with this phone. I've had mine since release. The USB flap broke, which always seems to happen to everyone, and the rubber is starting to wear on the edges. The proprietary port has the plastic all broken off from using the 3.5mm adapter, and the rubber around the screen is starting to break.

                                I don't know what people are complaining about. the battery still lasts a couple days for me (and you can buy new ones for $15 on amazon now). I was working in the rain and mud today, phone soaked, screen worked fine with my wet muddy fingers.

                                  • ?
                                  • Anonymous
                                  • 7F$
                                  • 15 May 2022

                                  I use to go thru phones like crazy but when u spend most of ur time out doors it's easy to do. Yes it has drawbacks, no it's not a true smart phone, but if u need a tough phone that can take punishment then it's a winner. I have had this for one a year now, it's been dropped in my salt water pool, rolled off a back of a trailer, left on top of truck and rode 3 miles, stepped on by horses, u get the point. So not sure why the hate, just do your research before u buy a phone. It's not for everyone.

                                    • R
                                    • Ruben
                                    • R04
                                    • 29 Jan 2022

                                    hi, i just want to say that I own the Sonim Xp8 phone and after a year and 2nd replacement, I have to say that this is one of the worse phone I ever had. from the beginning, droping call, bad reception, worse camera ever that I dont know why the lens is bad , bad microphone, bad battery life, super slow, slow touch screen response, after updates is getting even worse. the phone re_start in the middle of the call or searching on internet. i like the buddy of the phone and external design, every thing else is junk. xp7 was way better.

                                      • M
                                      • Matt
                                      • Iw3
                                      • 18 Dec 2021

                                      Tom, 18 Nov 2021Scratch resistant is not the same as scratch proof. I didn&... moreBoth of mine came with screen protectors installed. Check to see if you can peel it off and add another.

                                        • T
                                        • Tom
                                        • T6Y
                                        • 18 Nov 2021

                                        Scratch resistant is not the same as scratch proof. I didn't have mine 6 weeks before I chipped and scratched the screen. Buy a screen protector, you'll need it.

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