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Gadget Review: XTouch XBot Senior

XTouch isn't just known for affordable, budget-friendly devices. They also want us to know that they're tough - literally.
A new range of 'robotic' smartphones was unveiled recently by the Dubai-based company, headlined by the XBot Senior (yes, there is a Junior as well). They promise toughness and durability - think of it as a device you can throw at someone should they try to steal something of yours.
This is one bulky smartphone, and reminds me of the Nokia 5210 and, especially, the 6250 that came out in the early-2000s. It's basically sealed off from outside rigors: the card tray to the right and USB-C charging port below have special doors, while the other keys - volume and camera shortcut on the left, and power to the right - are also integrated to its tough rubber body. There's no 3.5mm audio jack; the supplied headset uses a USB-C connection, so, I don't think you can enjoy music while underwater.
XTouch says the Xbot Senior is rated 'IP69', the highest possible rating. While IP67 means a device can be submerged for a meter up to 30 minutes and IP68 up to two meters (or more, even for the time), IP69, to put it simply, means it's also resistant to high-pressure jet sprays. Now let's make one thing clear here: at the back of the Xbot Senior, while 'waterproof' is etched, there's only a certain limitation to this (there's a chart on the XTouch website) - no mass smartphone is completely water-proof; it's rather 'water-resistant'.
The device is also impact-proof, withstanding drop-to-concrete falls of up to 1.2 metres. There's a fingerprint sensor below the main camera; it takes, to my count, a full second to respond, sometimes even more. While that's only a second, it's considerably slower than others out there, which unlock devices in almost an instant.
Another area where the Xbot Senior stands out is the battery. Our standard one-hour YouTube-at-full-brightness test showed that it lost only 11 per cent, which is practically at par with flagship smartphones. An even bigger benefit is that during my trial run, it lasted over two days - and could've easily broken the three-day barrier had I used it lesser. Pretty impressive!
Right out of the box, the phone comes with Android 8.1 Oreo, the latest Google software. It's a pretty simple drill: swipe up to open the app tray, akin to the latest Samsung Galaxy devices, plus no bloatware really. Now here's the 'Beef of the Review': there are times when the device doesn't respond to your taps - sometimes, it stutters before opening an app, or takes time to load once it's fired up.
The camera, meanwhile, holds up pretty well, though don't expect it to come up with ultra-sharp shots (don't zoom in unless you want to see all those smudges, especially in low light). It also takes a while to focus and load shots in the pictures app. Ditto for the front camera.
AND SO.
It's not the highest of specs, but the XTouch XBot Senior makes up for it with excellent battery life and exceptional durability. This is one smartphone highly recommended for those who work round-the-clock. It can also be a spare phone when you're doing field work; you may not want to risk messing up your Apples, Samsungs or any other higher-end devices out there.
alvin@khaleejtimes.com