There aren’t a heap of phone brands left in Australia, so when someone new pops up, it’s a surprise. And with AGM Mobile, new durable phones are arriving.
When it comes to picking a smartphone in Australia, two things are pretty clear:
- No one calls them “smartphones” anymore, and
- Few of phones are made to be properly durable
Look at a high-end phone and you’ll get some water resistance, and maybe even some reinforced glass or ceramic like on the iPhone, but durability made for a fall is not something most phones arrive with. That’s what cases are for, and they’re typically hefty cases, too.
The former maker of the CAT-branded phones is set to release some ruggedised phones, a recent entrant offering both an Android model and a model of feature-phone (dumbphone) made to be more like a classic phone and less of the smartphone variety (remember, no one calls them that anymore).
It’s coming from AGM Mobile and the IQU Group, the latter of which has been slowly but steadily releasing gadgets into the Australian market, starting with tablets a few years ago.
A little bit smaller than tablets, the AGM H6 Lite gets. 6.56 inch 90Hz screen and some modest specs including two cameras on the back, one on the front, 4GB RAM, 128GB storage, Android 13, and a Unisoc T606 eight-core chip. That’s enough to spell mid-range phone for us, and the 4GB RAM has us wondering what the performance will be like, but AGM’s H6 Lite has something going for it in design.
Simply put, this phone will be made to survive, sporting IP68 and IP69K certification, as well as being made to military spec, with MIL-STD-810H durability. Much of this will be jargon for most, so consider it water- and drop-resistant, and especially handy for people who prefer a rugged phone.
Priced for $349 in Australia, the AGM H6 Lite is going for the title of a value rugged smartphone — a spot that doesn’t have too many entrants — while the company will also have a dumbphone with similar rugged qualities for less.
Available for $99 in Australia, the AGM M9 4G misses out on Android, using a simple operating system, 48MB of RAM (meg!), 128MB storage, two SIM card slots, FM radio, a torch, and a 2.4 inch screen. It’s not made for much more than phones and SMS, arriving with a numeric pad and similarly solid MIL-STD-810H durability.
Neither can be found at retail yet, but IQU sends word that both the AGM H6 Lite and the M9 4G are heading to IQU’s online shop and Mobileciti.
