The Swiss Army knife of mobile phones - FOSSiBOT F102 test
A FOSSiBOT F102nothing prepares you for Even if you look at the pictures of the front and the back, when you hold it in your hand you will realize that this is not a phone, but an industrial masterpiece, a real purpose tool.
Check out my video presentation too!
When the distributor asked me last year if I was interested in the phone, I couldn't say no. Not only because I haven't been spoiled with phone tests lately, but also because it was surprisingly cheap compared to the data in the specification. I like challenges, I like figuring out what makes something so cheap. What is left out, what is not true from the specification.
Well, in the case of Fossibot F102, I had a hard time, I couldn't find anything, at most a name that made a very bad association in Hungarian, but I was able to get over that quickly.
If I've already mentioned the specification, I'll start right away with it, skipping the packaging. The packaging is not interesting at all, I don't particularly like the orange box, and only the holy trinity of phone, charger and cable resides in it. Oh, and a description, because 3 are the truths of the Hungarians, and one is the encore.
On the other hand, there are some elements in the specification that will make us tend to slip over one of the most important metrics. Over what, I won't tell you yet.
Let's start with the fact that we are supposed to have 20 GB of memory and 256 GB of storage. There is a bit of trickery in this, because for some time manufacturers have been expanding the capacity with virtual memory. The essence is right there in its name, it's virtual, that is, it's not real hardware, but a bit is taken from the backup storage. This is only disadvantageous because access to the background memory is an order of magnitude slower than that of traditional memory.
It's a pleasure to know that the hardware available (real) memory is also not small, 12 GB (LPDDT4X). No, I don't think it will be good that way, because nowadays it is not appropriate to say that 12 GB is not a little, since it is definitely considered a lot!
The 256 GB (USF2.2) of the hard drive is no slouch either, weaker Windows mini-PCs or notebooks come with such a large hard drive, so it will be enough for everything.
The central unit in the phone is none other than the Helio G99. It's a 4G chip, but it's strong, muscular hardware that's even suitable for games, so there won't be any problems with the speed of the system.
The data sheet of the display, which is huge, is also pleasing to the eye and heart-warming. The image diagonal measures 6,58 inches, and the resolution is 1080 x 2408 pixels. that is, we can count on 2,6 million pixels, which means a great pixel density even on such a large display.
The brightness is not bad either, with its value of 400-450 cd/m², and compared to the fact that we are talking about a rugged phone, the 84 percent display-to-front ratio is commendable. That would be enough of the good stuff, but there is more, as the display also has HDR support, and the refresh rate is 120 Hz. It would only be worse if it were AMOLED, but that would obviously mean a completely different price range. Unfortunately.
The next two surprising figures are the battery capacity and the back light. With the former, we get a capacity of 16 mAh, which we can safely say that you buy an external battery with this capacity, and here it is included in the phone. Drink up!
Oh, before I forget, we get 33W fast charging so we don't go gray by the time the phone charges up after a week of battery use.
And the lamp is something for which there are not many words. They put a huge, bright, real flashlight on the phone. To quote a well-known author, we could see this from the moon if we were there.
The phone looks interesting, doesn't it, even though we haven't reached the end of the interesting capabilities yet. Not even close!
The fact is that there is something to see on the camera front as well. Fossibot F1002 uses four cameras. On the front there is a 32-megapixel selfie camera with a Sony IMX616 sensor, and on the back we find a 108-megapixel main camera, a 5-megapixel macro and a 20-megapixel night vision camera. The main camera works with an aperture of f/1.8, which is not bad either!
Of course, we can also take photos and videos with the cameras, interestingly, there is the possibility of slow motion recording, we can also shoot bursts, but the option of creating animated GIFs is also available. It's hard to get involved, I hope you feel it too!
What else? Quite a lot!
This is a rugged phone, and it has all the durability found in market-leading phones. In other words, IP 68- IP69K rating and there is also the MIL-STD 810 military rating. In other words, this device is resistant to sunlight, cold, heat, acidic environment, humid environment, low or high pressure, high-pressure water jet, impact, throwing, dust, immersion in water and the dog knows what else. resists everything.
For underwater operation (and anyway), it comes in handy that there is a programmable button on the side of the phone (e.g. for the camera), and there is also a dedicated button for turning on the flashlight on the back.
Now there are only the usual things, and I'm saving the joke for the end, but don't rush ahead!
The phone supports 5 navigation systems (GPS, Glonass, Beidou, Galileo, QZSS), so you won't get lost if you have it with you. Wi-Fi n-nes, also known as WiFi5, Bluetooth is a completely new version 5.2. there is OTG and OTA support, there is NFC, there is an FM radio, there is a headphone connection.
We get a gyroscope, infrared, gravity sensor, geomagnetic sensor, proximity sensor, magnetic compass, fingerprint reader, face recognition, loud speakers and Type-C connector.
I hope I didn't miss anything!
At the end, nothing really prepares you for what you only realize when you take it out of the box, its size and weight.
The phone is roughly the size of an external battery with a capacity of 20 mAh. It measures 000 x 172,3 x 82,6 millimeters and weighs no less than 25,6 grams, or almost half a kilo.
By reading this data, you can understand what was written at the beginning of the article, i.e. what makes the Fossibot F102 an industrial tool and what makes it a purpose tool.
contents show
Use and experience
I'll try to touch on every feature, I hope I don't miss anything!
Well, I tested the durability by putting it in a bucket of water overnight, but needless to say, it didn't work. Perhaps the only thing worth noting is that even though the speakers and microphone are waterproof, you will have to shake the water out of these places if you want them to function properly again after submersion. This is not a mistake, water can simply remain in these places.
I also threw a little, but I didn't dare to organize a bigger phone-throwing competition, because I was afraid that I would hit someone, which would not have been life insurance with something the size of a half-kilo, half-brick. Of course not for me, but for whoever I hit. Even the foreskin remark that "it will be good to throw a cat" is not appropriate for this phone, because that poor cat will also perish if you throw it.
I had no problem with my phone skills. I had a reader who indicated that his microphone was not very good, but based on several feedbacks and my own experience, I say that this was a unique problem, not a design or other error.
The speaker and the microphone are also good. We say that I dare not say that it sounds in HiFi quality, but luckily no one promised that. Let's just say that the phone is suitable for hands-free operation.
Thanks to the Helio G99, there are no problems with navigation, it quickly finds satellites, and the accuracy is adequate.
From the display approx. all I can say is that based on the paper form, we expect something extra, and then we get a usable, adequately bright, but otherwise completely ordinary display. Of course, the size is also important here, at least as much as the resolution and brightness, and there is nothing wrong with them. It's just that the feeling of the state falling off remains, but this is perhaps not a fatal problem in the case of a target tool.
During the test, the sun didn't really want to shine, so I can't comment on how visible it is in sunlight. Because of the brightness, I say that it won't be unusable, but you won't be able to play games or watch movies on it in the hot sun, in the summer, without shade, I'm sure of that.
The cameras are good, but not outstanding. I liked the 5 megabyte macro in it, if only because the 2 megabyte macros of the Xiaomis can be driven out of the world due to their uselessness, but with 5 megabytes we get quite a decent resolution. The colors are good, but things don't want to come out of the picture, so this macro is only mediocre in terms of quality.
The selfie camera worked for me. It's not the best either, but it still offers performance a little above the middle category.
The main positive thing I can say about the main camera is that it is 108 megabytes, and this does not mean too much in this case. We get mid-range quality, plenty of use, but far from today's top phones. The 108 sensors, at least without suitable algorithms and other hardware, are now only sufficient for the middle field. The positive thing is that distortion is not really visible, the usual loss of detail towards the edges exists here as well, but it is not blatant either, I just want to point out that the image will not be as detailed as in the middle.
There are enough problems with the video capabilities. The quality of the picture would not be bad, however, there is no anti-vibration, or if there is, it does not want to work. This roughly means that you can shoot very nice videos in a standing position, but you must not walk while recording. The other problem is that the software does not do well with the white balance setting. Because of this, it responds to light changes by flashing and the image vibrates. This greatly reduces the value in use.
Take a look at the video presentation at the beginning of the article, you will see what I wrote about the video recording there!
The 20 megabyte night vision is an interesting piece. Infrared camera, that is, in order to see, the light of the infrared LEDs on the back has to be reflected from something. It's not bad at all, but no one should expect a military-grade night vision device that will allow them to go on deployments at night. It won't be good for that. But you can also take photos in night vision mode, the quality is relatively tolerable, so you can take it with you to archive in dark basements.
The system running on the phone is Android 13, which can essentially be considered stock Android, plus the applications that come in handy for the phone. We can measure angles, we can use it to measure volume, as a compass, instead of a pendulum and the like. You won't have any problems with the speed of the system, I didn't either, as expected, the Helio G99 runs everything smoothly.
Regarding the software, it is worth mentioning that the phone has a program called Easy Launcher. The name covers an infinitely simplified interface with only a few large buttons. Of course, this was also added to the device due to "industrial" use.
I already mentioned about the sensors that quite a lot can be measured with the F102. A program group called Műszerek helps with this. In this group you will find almost everything you will need for professional use. Inexplicably, one thing is not here, the application that operates the big light on the back. We do find an app called torch, but it only turns on the LED for the camera. The back light is controlled by a separate app, which was not included among the instruments, it is called Camping Light.
Summary
Perhaps I don't need to emphasize that the Fossibot F102 is not a fashion phone, but a work tool. If you are not afraid of its size, then of course it can be your faithful companion in everyday life, because nothing has been spared compared to the nature of the work phone.
The cameras are good, the display is good, the central chip, CPU and GPU are strong, there is a lot of memory, and the backup storage is huge. The battery has a capacity that, under normal use, can easily last for a week without recharging.
The capacity is characterized by the fact that the phone not only works with a battery as big as an external battery, but can also be used for it, that is, you can also charge other mobile devices with it. (Fast Reverse Charge).
The Fossibot F102 will not be angry if you drop it, if you get it wet, if you wallow in mud like a pig, if you sink it into thin concrete, if you freeze it in a big ice cube. It won't whine if you want to take pictures underwater, even if you don't get near an outlet after a day and a half, and it won't stutter even if you want to navigate with it.
It's really good for everything, it's the real Swiss army knife among phones.
Well, now comes the final surprise, the price. If you think that because of the many capabilities and the huge battery it will be a bit expensive, then I have to disillusion you, it is not. The phone with a gray or red back cover can be purchased by clicking on the link below, a 8JAH2EFD3N with a coupon code, it is sold for HUF 67 from an EU warehouse, which is a joke for a phone with such capabilities. I think so.
FOSSiBOT F102 rugged phone
