AGM Mobile X6 Phantom rugged phone review

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: 30 Second Review

The AGM Mobile X6 Phantom initially looks like any other modern Smartphone, with its large touch screen, high-resolution rear cameras, and a selection of other functions and features that are all accessible through the latest version of Android 14.

However, flip the phone over, and through the transparent casing, you’ll get a glimpse of the internal workings of this phone. All the cables, connectors, and electronics are on show. This instantly gives the phone a distinctive look and one that instantly draws you into this ultra-slim rugged smartphone.

I checked over the quality of the phone, and the build is exceptionally good, which it needs to be. Although it looks like any other smartphone, it’s actually a fully-fledged rugged phone designed to survive the elements a little bit.

Sure enough, when tested, the phone withstands more than most, proving its durability as it’s dropped, submerged underwater, and subjected to more than a knock or two, testing it sits IP68 and IP69K certifications.

Like all the best rugged phones, it has its own USP, which for the X6 Phantom is a point-and-click thermometer, so you can take your temperature as well as anything else that takes your fancy. This feature proves highly effective and, is a nice extra to have, and will be of use to some trades.

The phone’s large, clear screen proves effective for viewing and editing Google Docs. The 5G connectivity through the UK’s Vodafone network is fast and compatible with other devices, enabling easy access to email and other documents and the ability to stream video through YouTube, Vimeo, and Netflix.

When it comes to more intensive tasks, the X6 Phantom does start to struggle, with more graphically intensive games taking time to load the application. However, when checking out games such as Mario Kart Tour, once loaded, the phone has more than enough processing power to run smoothly.

Like most smartphones, the X6 Phantom features a high-resolution camera. While this is 50MP, the quality of the images is decidedly mediocre. It captures decent enough images but struggles with dynamic range, with shadow and highlight detail easily lost.

Overall, this phone gives a good, balanced experience. Applications run smoothly once loaded, but it struggles with some higher-intensity tasks.

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting from £254 / $249
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from AGM Mobile website

The AGM Mobile X6 is available through AGM’s official website and major retailers such as Amazon, priced around £254, with prices varying depending on the region.

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: Specifications

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: Design

The design and style of the AGM Mobile X6 Phantom instantly stand out, with the transparent casing revealing the inner workings of the phone. It also breaks away from the usual ultra-tuff look and style of tough phones.

In looks, style, size, and weight, it’s more closely related to a standard smartphone and will, therefore, sit comfortably in a trouser or jacket pocket without adding too much bulk or weight.

The actual aesthetics are stunning, with this being one of the nicest-looking phones out there. The transparent case gives it a unique look and feel. The rear and edges of the case are made from hard rubberised plastic, which feels extremely durable. Textured corners add to the protection if dropped.

As with most smartphones, that screen dominates the front of the phone with a larger 6.78-inch display that’s again protected by the tough, slimline outer casing.

The power button is located along the right side of the phone, with the standard volume buttons positioned above. Across the top of the phone is the slot for Dual SIM cards or a single SIM and a MicroSD card to expand the internal storage.

When it comes to durability, the phone is deceptive with its slim design and is actually well specified and certified to IP68 and IP69K, meaning that it can be submerged in water up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes as well as is able to withstand high-pressure jets.

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: Features

• Temperature sensor
• IP68/IP69K/MIL-STD-810H certified

The AMG Mobile X6 Phantom is a 5 G-enabled phone that looks like any modern smartphone but has the added protection that you would usually associate with a much more bulky, tough phone. Running on Android 14, the overall specifications and features are well-balanced, especially when you consider the price.

Weighing 258g and measuring 79.6 x 10.8 x 171.9 mm, it’s just a little larger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max with a 6.78-inch screen. The phone runs on Android 14 and features an Octa-Core, Dual-Core 2 GHz Cortex-A76, and Hexa-Core 2 GHz Cortex-A55 processor, which is coupled with the popular Mali-G57 MC2 GPU.

The 6.78-inch IPS screen has a resolution of 1080 x 2460, which provides plenty of screen space for viewing documents, browsing the web, playing games, and watching videos.

When it comes to storage, there’s 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage. This storage can be expanded with a Micro SD card, which is inserted into the Dual SIM card carrier and fits into the phone’s top.

The phone’s camera and temperature sensor are on the back. The camera features a 50MP sensor that can capture images with a resolution of 8120 x 6180. Flip over to the front, and there’s a 16MP camera for video calls and conferencing.

As with most smartphones, connectivity is a big feature, and here, the phone is compatible with 2G through to the latest 5G networks. It’s also WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac enabled and features Bluetooth 5.2, GPS, and GLONASS, as you would expect.

When it comes to ports, there are only two: USB Type-C on the base for data transfer and charging and a traditional 3.5mm jack for headphones. As this is a smartphone, the battery capacity is also impressive at 5,000mAh

When it comes to biometrics, there’s the usual face recognition, but also the fingerprint on the side button and a fully customisable button on the left side of the device.

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: Performance

• Will survive more than most
• Great looks and durability

The AGM Mobile X6 Phantom is a great-looking handset. Its rugged label with water, dust, and shockproof certifications gives you some confidence that this phone will stand up to more than most.

In use, the Android 14 OS works fast and smoothly, and the high-resolution screen is responsive as well as being clear and crisp to read in bright outdoor conditions. The large screen is extremely responsive, and switching from the smaller screen of the iPhone 15 Pro, you instantly feel the benefit of this larger screen when viewing and editing documents in Google Docs.

The connection over Vodafone’s 4G and 5G networks is generally fast, responsive, and comparable with other smartphones, so browsing documents and making calls, both voice and video is smooth and as you would expect from a modern phone.

Pushing the performance with a few games, and despite the benchmark results, the phone proved surprisingly powerful, with the playback of Mario Kart Tour showing a nice smooth performance. Likewise, more graphics-intensive games, such as Arena Breakout, did take a few minutes to load initially, but the overall gameplay was good.

Next, when using streaming services and watching back video content, the phone had no issues whatsoever. While the audio quality isn’t groundbreaking, it’s good, and you can watch the video back at excellent overall quality.

The cameras on smartphones are usually one of the big features, and while there’s the usual lens cluster on the back of the phone and it sports a 50MP camera, the actual quality of this isn’t as good as you would normally expect. The quality can simply be described as OK in standard light conditions, it’s notable that in contrasty conditions or whenever challenged, the phone struggles to cope with the dynamic range. This essentially means that most photos need more depth and quality in the shadows and highlights than you would usually expect. So, if you want a phone with a quality camera, then look elsewhere.

An interesting addition to this phone is the temperature sensor, which is utilised by the Temperature App. This handy tool enables you to take either your temperature readings or those of different objects. Checking the performance of this against a dedicated thermometer showed that the results were spot on, so if you have use for a thermometer on your phone, then this is a great option.

Throughout the performance side of the test, the phone continually impressed and appeared fast for most tasks, from editing Google Docs to playing games and watching multimedia. However, when the phone was tested with our range of benchmarking tools, it showed the limitations of the processor and GPU, which put in a moderate performance. This essentially highlighted that while the phone can perform tasks well, you need to be careful not to overload the system.

AGM Mobile X6 Phantom: Final verdict

At the end of the test, the AGM X6 Phantom does prove to offer something a little bit different. There’s no denying what a great-looking phone it is, and for general use—editing documents, playing games, and watching media—the phone performs really well.

The more you use the phone, the more you realise there is a slight lack of processing power, with some applications and tasks taking a little longer to access than you would expect. However, taking Adobe Lightroom as an example, once the application loaded, the features and adjustments within the app worked smoothly.

The one area that really lets this phone down is the camera, which just lacks the quality you expect from a modern phone. This may, in part, be due to the processing potential.

Away from the benchmark performance, the phone is more impressive with its robust build, able to withstand knocks and being dropped from a height. Despite the ports being open to the elements, the phone was fine being submerged in water for extended periods. While you can’t operate the phone underwater, once taken out and dried, it worked just fine.

The temperature sensor was another feature that really stands out with this phone, and for anyone who requires the ability to read how hot or cold things are, this phone is ideal. The battery power is also something worth noting, as it has a decent 5000mAh battery. While this is more than many other slimline smartphones, it is lighter than many tough smartphones—although, with the lighter load on processing, it does result in a little more operating time.

Ultimately, it balances the performance and features well, providing a tough phone with moderate performance and great looks at a reasonable price.

Should you buy the AGM Mobile X6 Phantom?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

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For more durable devices, we reviewed the best rugged hard drives, the best rugged laptops, and best rugged tablets.