Phonemax R4GT rugged phone review

When
it
comes
to
rugged
phones,
Phonemax’s
latest
update
to
the
R4
tough
smartphone
is
stands
out
despite
it’s
compact
size. 

But
in
the
field
of

best
rugged
phones
and
durable
devices
which
makes
this
a
strong
option
for
outdoor
and
on-site
professionals? 

Phonemax
R4GT:
Price
&
availability

• 
  How
  much
  does
  it
  cost?
  Starting
  from
  £171
  /
  $219
• 
  When
  is
  it
  out?
  Available
  now
• 
  Where
  can
  you
  get
  it?
  You
  can
  get
  it
  directly
  from
  Phonemax
  Website

The
Phonemax
R4GT
is
widely
available
and
can
be
purchased
directly
from
the
Phonemax
website
or
major
retailers
like

Amazon
and
AliExpress.

Availability
and
prices
may
vary
based
on
the
retailer
and
region,
but
it’s
currently
available
on
the
Phonemax
website
by
clicking

here.
You
can
also
find
it
on
Amazon
US,
Amazon
UK,
and
other
online
stores.

• 
  Value:
  4
  /
  5

Phonemax
R4GT:
Specifications

Phonemax
R4GT:
Design

The
Phonemax
R4GT
is
designed
as
an
ultra-tough
phone
and
features
a
solid
outer
casing
with
rubberized
corners
and
edges
to
help
protect
from
drops
and
bashes.
The
phones
stands
out
due
to
its
compact
size
measuring
in
at
121
x
59.2
x
18.3
mm
and
weighing
just
190g,
making
it
one
of
the
lightest
rugged
smartphones
out
there.

The
front
houses
a
4.3-inch
screen
with
a
540
x
1200
resolution,
and
a
13MP
front-facing
camera.
On
the
back,
it
features
a
thermal
imaging
camera
(256
x
192
pixels),
a
64MP
AF
main
camera,
and
a
20MP
night
vision
sensor
for
low-light
photography.

One
useful
feature
is
the
dual
SIM
slot,
allowing
two
numbers
or
a
SIM
and
microSD
card
for
expanded
storage.
Both
the
Dual
Sim
slot
and
the
USB
Type-C
port
on
the
base
of
the
phone
are
covered
by
push
fit
rubber
flaps
that
when
in
position
are
flush
to
the
body
of
the
phone
and
ensure
that
it’s
fully
water
and
dust
tight.

Physically
in
size
and
weight,
the
R4GT
is
compact,
ideal
for
hikers,
mountain
bikers,
or
outdoor
enthusiasts
who
need
a
phone
that
can
withstand
water,
dust,
and
rough
environments
without
the
bulk
of
larger
rugged
devices.
This
size
also
means
that
it
fits
easily
into
any
jacket
pocket
or
backpack
without
adding
too
much
bulk
or
weight
which
is
important
if
you’re
travelling
light.

To
ensure
that
the
phone
withstands
all
enviroments
and
pretty
much
anything
that
you
throw
at
it
it
comes
certified
with
IP68,
IP69K,
and
MIL-STD-810H.

• 
  Design:
  4
  /
  5

Phonemax
R4GT:
Features

• 
  Thermal
  camera
• 
  Night
  vision
  camera
• 
  Android
  14

Many
of
the
key
features
of
the
Phonemax
R4GT
are
centered
around
its
compact
size,
making
it
easy
to
carry
alongside
other
kit
you’ll
need
on
the
trail.
At
190g,
it’s
only
slightly
heavier
than
larger
smart
phones
such
as
the
iPhone
6
which
weighs
in
at
170g,
but
doesn’t
have
the
bulk
of
most
other
tough
phone
such
as
the
Doogee
VMAX
Plus
which
weighs
in
at
541g.

The
small
4.3-inch
touch
screen
covers
most
of
the
front
space
on
the
phone,
but
does
feature
quite
a
deep
bezel
due
to
the
reinforced
case.
Inside
the
phone
packs
a
decent
amount
of
processing
power
with
a
MediaTek
Helio
G99
(2.2GHz)
processor,
Mali-G57
MC2
GPU,
8GB
RAM,
and
128GB
storage
(expandable
up
to
512GB
with
a
microSD
card)
and
running
Android
14.

Power
is
supplied
from
a
3200mAh
battery
that
can
support
18W
fast
charging
and
15W
wireless
charging.
On
the
base
of
the
phone
is
a
USB
Type-C
port
for
charging
and
data
transfer
when
needed.

The
front
13MP
camera
is
ideal
for
video
calls,
while
the
back
offers
three
cameras:
a
thermal
imaging
camera,
a
64MP
main
camera,
and
a
20MP
night
vision
sensor. 

Additional
features
include
Face
ID,
NFC,
Bluetooth
5.0,
Wi-Fi
5,
and
OTG
support.
The
phone
also
offers
comprehensive
satellite
navigation
systems
with
GPS,
GLONASS,
BeiDou,
and
Galileo.
However,
it
only
supports
4G,
3G
and
2G
networks,
so
there’s
no
5G
compatibility.

• 
  Features:
  4
  /
  5

Phonemax
R4GT:
Performance

• 
  Ultra
  compact
• 
  Dual
  SIM
  option

The
Phonemax
R4GT
is
an
interesting
phone
because
it
breaks
from
the
conventions
of
most
 smartphones,
and
even
from
rugged
phones,
by
being
far
smaller
and
more
compact.

When
testing
the
R4GT,
several
factors
need
to
be
investigated.
Firstly,
can
it
function
like
a
standard
smartphone?
Will
it
make
calls,
and
how
fiddly
is
the
small
screen?
Can
you
really
get
by
with
a
keyboard
that
fits
into
the
compact
4.3-inch
screen
and
do
the
apps
downscale
properly,
so
they
usable
at
this
size?

Then
there
are
the
outdoor
credentials:
how
tough
is
it
and
can
it
withstand
everything
tough
larger
phones
can
handle?

Finally,
there
are
all
the
additional
features,
including
the
thermal
camera,
night
vision
camera,
and,
of
course,
the
quick-access
walkie-talkie
function,
which
enables
you
to
connect
to
others
when
networks
are
unavailable.

In
the
first
part
of
this
test,
we
looked
at
how
easily
we
could
access
the
internet,
send
texts,
make
and
answer
calls,
and
check
work
documents
using

Google
apps.
There’s
no
doubt
that
the
small
screen
makes
things
a
little
more
difficult
than
the
larger
screens.
However,
it’s
bright,
clear,
and
crisp,
so
navigating
web
pages,
documents,
and
apps
is
relatively
easy—just
on
a
smaller
scale.

Streaming
from
BBC
iPlayer,
Disney+,
and
Netflix
worked
perfectly.
The
R4GT
has
a
decent
amount
of
processing
power
for
video
and
multimedia
playback.
However,
it’s
worth
noting
that
this
phone
doesn’t
have
the
GPU
power
for
graphic-intensive
games,
though
that’s
not
what
the
phone
is
designed
for.

Using
the
phone
to
update
Google
Docs
was
tricky
and
while
documents
can
be
easily
viewed
on
the
small
screen,
the
limited
screen
real
estate
and
the
need
to
delicately
tap
around
can
make
tasks
like
editing
more
difficult
especially
with
larger
fingers.
The
small
keyboard
is
surprisingly
responsive
and
accurate
for
checking
documents,
writing
emails,
texting,
or
responding
to

WhatsApp
messages
and
after
some
time,
you
get
used
to
the
small
keypad.

When
it
comes
to
day-to-day
use,
the
R4GT
works
like
any
other
smartphone,
just
on
a
much
smaller
scale.
It
doesn’t
have
the
GPU
grunt
that
some
of
the
other
rugged
smartphones
have
when
it
comes
to
more
graphic-intensive
work.
However,
for
day-to-day
use,
and
especially
if
you’re
out
in
the
field,
enjoying
the
view,
or
adventuring,
this
smartphone
does
exactly
what
you
need
it
to
do.

Of
course,
this
is
a
tough
phone
designed
to
withstand
the
elements
and
to
keep
everything
protected
the
body
has
rubber
flaps
covering
the
ports,
such
as
the
USB
Type-C
on
the
base
and
the
SIM
card
carrier
on
the
side.
The
phone
overall
feels
well-made
and
extremely
robust.
During
testing,
the
phone
was
dropped
from
a
height,
submerged
in
water,
and
generally
thrown
around
without
any
issues
or
negative
effects
on
the
phone’s
performance.

In
the
next
part
of
the
test,
we
focused
on
the
more
unique
features
of
the
phone
and
started
with
the
thermal
imaging
and
night
vision
cameras
to
see
how
they
performed.
The
thermal
camera
works
through
the
Thermal
Imaging
app,
and
once
loaded,
it
gives
you
access
to
all
the
features
you
would
expect
with
thermal
imaging.
The
heat
map
appears
on
the
screen,
allowing
you
to
see
heat
signatures,
even
in
dark
conditions.

If
you’ve
never
used
a
thermal
imaging
camera
before,
what
it
picks
up
can
be
surprising.
Scanning
around,
you
can
immediately
spot
any
animals
hiding
in
the
bushes,
which
is
highly
impressive
considering
the
phone’s
size
and
relative
simplicity.
The
only
issue
is
that
the
camera
sometimes
recalibrates,
so
the
thermal
imaging
pauses
for
a
few
seconds
before
the
image
updates.
This
could
be
due
to
processing
power
limitations.
While
most
apps
run
smoothly,
benchmarking
tests
suggest
it
doesn’t
have
a
huge
amount
of
processing
power.

Next,
we
tested
the
fast-access
walkie-talkie
feature,
which
uses
the
Zello
software.
This
function
takes
a
bit
of
setup
and
requires
that
everyone
in
your
group
has
the
app
installed
and
is
set
up
to
join
the
same
group.
It’s
worth
noting
that
this
app
isn’t
free—you
only
get
a
14-day
trial
before
needing
to
subscribe.
However,
once
everyone
is
connected,
the
application
works
very
well.
Whether
you’re
connecting
through
Wi-Fi
or
cellular
networks,
you
can
use
the
walkie-talkie
feature
as
if
you
were
using
dedicated
devices.
It’s
a
lot
of
fun,
especially
if
you’re
on
a
hike,
as
the
group
can
all
communicate
at
once
without
the
need
to
connect
via
traditional
phone
lines.

Overall,
in
terms
of
performance,
the
R4GT
is
relatively
good.
It
allows
you
to
browse
the
internet,
use
apps,
and
view
documents
online
without
much
trouble.
It’s
limited
by
its
4G
connectivity,
but
this
is
more
than
adequate
in
most
situations,
whether
you’re
streaming
media,
accessing
your
email,
or
sending
text
messages.

When
it
comes
to
durability,
the
R4GT
stands
out.
The
only
thing
to
note
is
that
you
must
make
sure
all
the
flaps
are
properly
covering
the
ports,
as
these
are
only
push-fit.
Once
they’re
properly
in
place,
it’s
difficult
to
knock
them
out
accidentally,
and
they
blend
seamlessly
with
the
phone’s
design
and
body.

• 
  Performance:
  3
  /
  5

Phonemax
R4GT:
Final
verdict

The
design
and
build
quality
of
the
Phonemax
instantly
makes
it
stand
out
especially
with
the
neon
green
detailing
around
the
screen.
While
other
rugged
smartphones
are
ideal
for
the
great
outdoors,
their
size
and
weight
often
make
them
prohibitive
for
certain
activities.
However,
with
the
R4GT,
you
have
the
perfect
weekend
or
activity
phone.
Whether
you’re
mountain
biking
or
hiking,
and
don’t
want
to
risk
damaging
your
expensive
smartphone,
or
if
you
know
you’re
going
to
get
wet
or
face
tough
weather
conditions,
this
phone
will
see
you
through
what
might
damage
other
phones.
Likewise
this
toughness
along
with
the
thermal
imaging
camera
will
also
mean
that
it
will
appeal
to
those
working
in
trades. 

The
small
size
of
the
R4GT
means
that
it’s
easy
to
slip
into
a
jacket
or
backpack
pocket
without
adding
too
much
weight
or
bulk.
Then,
theres
all
those
extra
features
such
as
the
night
vision
camera
lets
you
see
the
wildlife
that
would
otherwise
go
unnoticed,
while
the
thermal
imaging
camera
allows
you
to
capture
impressive
heat
signatures,
great
if
you’re
a
wildlife
photographer
for
locating
subjects
or
in
a
trade
and
needing
to
see
the
heat
signature
of
piping
or
wires.

When
it
comes
to
processing
performance,
camera
quality,
and
overall
usability,
it’s
a
mid-range
phone.
However,
when
you
focus
on
the
type
of
user
this
phone
is
aimed
at,
it
offers
the
right
balance
of
performance
and
features.
This
makes
it
an
appealing
choice
for
anyone
looking
for
a
solid-performing
outdoor
phone.

Should
you
buy
the
Phonemax
R4GT?

Buy
it
if…

Don’t
buy
it
if…

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