Phonemax P10 Review

Design, build and controls

The Phonemax P10 is a hefty smartphone with a classic ruggedized design. It combines metal, shock-absorbing TPU, tough polycarbonate, and glass in a practical way as to create a visually pleasing device that can also survive whatever challenges everyday usage throughs at it. The IP68 and IP69K ratings certify it can withstand soaks in water that's up to 1.5 meters deep for 1.5 meters. It is also dustproof being able to survive and operate fluently after being buried in dust up to 1.5 meters of depth for 24 hours. Moreover, the handset can handle drops from up to 1.8 meters of height. The P10 is all black with accents in three available colors - gray, green, and orange. We are reviewing a black version with gray accents. With a width of 88 mm the device might be a handful for some. It is also 179.8 mm high and 19.5 mm thick. It tips the scales at 420 grams. There are not many smartphones with the same size for the display and battery to make a proper comparison. The closest one is the Fossibot F106 Pro which is slightly shorter and thinner but is thicker and heavier compared to the Phonemax P10. The big display on the front is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It has 3 mm thick side bezels and 6.5 mm thick top and bottom bezels. The punch hole in the top-center of the screen is for the front camera. The top bezel houses a LED notification light, light, and proximity sensors positioned to the left. The receiver is placed right between the display and the frame. The device arrives with on-screen gestures activated by default but you can also activate the virtual navigation bar. You get several customization options for both types of system navigation. The overall design language of the rear shell is umistakingly Phonemax's. The entire back is covered with shock-absorbing TPU that has different textures in different areas for aesthetic purposes and for improving grip. The top one-third is occupied by a round camera island with the four lenses positioned in four corners and the LED flash in the center. The frame around the camera island has two protruding parts that separate the glass covering the cameras from any surface it might be leaned on. The middle of the rear shell is occupied by an oval glossy plate with the Phonemax bran imprinted on it. The bottom one-third lacks any elements. The lanyard hook is placed on the edge between the rear shell and the bottom frame. The shock-absorbing TPu covers the top and bottom frames entirely, including the four padded corners. The top frame is bare, while the bottom one is the home of the USB Type-C port and the single speaker. The side frames show off the metal part of the frame with four visible screws on each. The left frame houses the customizable button with a striped patter on the surface and the hybrid, dual Nano-SIM card tray. It can be pulled out directly with a pick, fingernail, or something similar. There's a red insulating band right under the top of the tray. The Volume rocker, the Power button, and the fingerprint sensor are positioned on the right frame. The Powe button has a different surface texture from the other physical buttons and its sides are painted in red. The fingerprint reader is a separate unit.