It isn’t every day you come across a Windows Mobile smartphone designed to meet US Military standards. But the i-mate 810-F is that device. It can resist water, withstand drops, and apparently even survive being run over by a car.
Not surprisingly, the i-mate 810-F is not the classiest looking smartphone out there. Its rubbery outer shell doesn’t help in that department, and it is bulky too.
It weighs 150g which is a bit heavy for a smartphone, and because of its need to avoid connectors in order to keep it water proof there’s no microSD card slot for memory, no headphones connector and no mains power slot. You charge it (and synchronise) via a cradle and there is 2GB of internal storage which will have to be enough. The battery isn’t removable and your SIM goes into a heavily protected side-mounted slot.
Inside Windows Mobile 6.1 professional manages your data. The touch screen is smaller than you might expect at 2.46 inches across diagonal corners. There is a full QWERTY keyboard on the front. The keys aren’t as easy to use as some as they’ve had to be made from a tough, waterproof rubbery material, but they are OK to work with at reasonable speed with fingertips.
This is a 3G device with Wi-Fi so connectivity is good. There is a 2 megapixel camera lens on the back, but no front camera for video calling.
Chunky? Yes. Solid? Yes. The 810-F is not for everybody. But if you find yourself in harsh conditions, and we mean harsher than the average supermarket queue, then it could be for you.
Verdict
The i-mate 810F is tough and rugged and it won’t win any beauty contests. One to consider only if you work in the harshest of conditions.
Best features
Extremely tough
2GB built in storage
Wi-Fi
3G
Not so good
Needs cradle to dock and charge
Large to carry
No memory expansion
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