Gadget review: XTouch XBot Senior – News

XTouch is not only known for its affordable, affordable devices. They also want us to know that they are tough – literally.
The Dubai-based company recently unveiled a new series of “robotic” smartphones, led by the XBot Senior (yes, there’s also a Junior). They promise strength and durability – think of them as a device you could throw at someone if they tried to steal something of yours.
It’s a bulky smartphone that reminds me of the Nokia 5210 and especially the 6250 that came out in the early 2000s. It’s essentially isolated from the outside: the card tray on the right and the USB-C charging port below have a dedicated door, while the remaining keys – volume control and camera shortcut on the left, and power on the right – are also integrated into its durable rubber body. There is no 3.5mm audio jack; the supplied headset uses a USB-C connection, so I don’t think you can enjoy music underwater.
XTouch claims that the Xbot Senior has an IP69 rating, the highest possible. While IP67 means the device can be submerged in up to a meter of water for up to 30 minutes, and IP68 up to two meters (or more, even for a while), IP69, in simple terms, means that it’s also resistant to high-pressure water jets. Now, let’s get one thing straight: while the Xbot Senior has “waterproof” etched into the back, that’s only a limitation (there’s a chart on the XTouch website) — no mainstream smartphone is completely waterproof; rather, it’s “waterproof.”
The device is also impact-resistant, withstanding drops of up to 1.2 meters onto concrete. There’s a fingerprint sensor under the main camera; by my count, it takes a full second, sometimes more, to respond. While that’s only a second, it’s significantly slower than others that unlock devices almost instantly.
Another area that makes the Xbot Senior stand out is the battery. Our standard, hour-long YouTube test in full brightness showed that it lost only 11 percent, which is practically on par with flagship smartphones. An even bigger benefit is that it lasted over two days during my trial period – and I could easily break the three-day barrier if I used it less often. Truly impressive!
Out of the box, the phone comes with Android 8.1 Oreo, Google’s latest software. It’s a pretty simple exercise: swipe up to open the app tray, just like on the latest Samsung Galaxy devices, minus the bloatware. Here’s a summary of the review: Sometimes the device does not respond to touches – sometimes it freezes before opening the application or takes a long time to load after launching it.
Meanwhile, the camera performs quite well, although don’t expect it to take extremely sharp photos (don’t use the zoom if you don’t want to see all those streaks, especially in low light). Focusing and loading photos in the Photos app also takes some time. The same applies to the front camera.
AND SO.
It’s not the highest spec, but the XTouch XBot Senior makes up for it with excellent battery life and exceptional durability. This is a smartphone that is highly recommended for people who work around the clock. It can also be a spare phone when you’re working in the field; you may not want to risk breaking your Apples, Samsungs, or any other higher-end devices.
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