Thank you for your review. I have the same one and after 3 years stopped working half of the buttons at all, so I can't use the phone anymore. Do you know what could happen ? Any suggestions ?
OK, this phone is built like a tank and would probably stop a bullet. The battery life is astounding. But, other than those two things its really disappointing. My biggest gripe, aside from the texting issues, is the keypad. The keys are close together and very smooth which is a constant source of irritation. Also, the phone does not connect in areas with weak cell signal. I am always getting a "no service" warning when my other phones work perfectly fine. This makes the hotspot feature problematic at best. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 3, only because of its battery life. With the poor cell reception it doesn't even accomplish its main function as a phone.
Hey Bryan, interested in this phone but can't find any literature on whether or not this has the wifi calling feature that the xp8 does. If cell service is not available can I still make calls through a wifi network?
Hello Bryan! Excellent video going through the features! I got a question about the phone operating system - I have a refurbished unlocked Sonim XP5 that I'm currently using with a telus sim - is there a way to wipe out the existing AT&T operating system, and load it with the Telus operating system? Just interested in getting the push to talk service from Telus working
You won't be able to wipe out the AT&T firmware but you can run the new Telus PTT app over it. TELUS newest PTT app is called ESChat and works with both AT&T and Telus. You can contact them for setup at www.eschat.com
Hi Bryan! Thank you for the informative video! I am looking for a very minimalist phone (dumb phone) and I have watched your video on the XP3 as well as the XP5S... I am trying to purchase a phone that has no web access whatsoever, meaning you can not access the internet via a web browser or if so its extremely archaic. It seems I may have to purchase a Spot x or Garmin Satelite phone to get what I want.. however, if I can avoid doing that because of the satellite subscription cost/limitations I would like to know if these 2 phones are what i need or if there is another phone out there that suits my needs? Thank you for the information!
Most websites are no longer designed for this type of display these days. I'd be surprised if you could use even a really basic site on a phone like this. Maybe the OP could post a video so we can see lol. I'm also considering a dumb phone.
Hi. These are air pressure sensors. These sensors process data from a barometer in phones by sending back data about local weather conditions, allowing the phone to “tune out” changes in pressure that aren't related to elevation.
Hi Bryan, My work uses this model, first responders. The problem I have most of the time is I will drop the phone into my pocket during a call and end up pressing some button (not sure which one) and suddenly I can not hear dispatch. I can hear the ringtones and the alerts and I know how to reset those but do you happen to know where the setting is that I can fix dispatch's volume? Thank you in advance.
Did you ever show the back cover coming off and how hard or easy it is. This is important for swapping batteries on a regular basis. You keep just jumping to it off on your videos. Also how does the earphone jack work? Can you have an answer/hangup button on the earpiece that also activates voice commands so you can place and answer calls hands free by using voice commands to dial a phone entry or speaking the number. My 15 year old flip samsung can do that as older phones did and it seems no new phones seem to have that functionality anymore. Newer phones sucks and the problem is the change of shutting off the older transmission services.
The back cover is very easy to remove. Just loosen the screw, put your thumbnail in the side groove and pop it off. Sonim does make headsets with the in line answer button. www.sonimtech.com
can you use the mouse feature in a text message? trying to click on a link in a text message and I cannot figure out how to use mouse inside a text message.
Because this is a voice device, opening attachments is not the best. Also if you don't have a data package on your subscription it may limit what is available.
Hi Nathan. There is an XP5 Plus planned for later this year. The actual date is not available and will vary by country and as always the world wide chip shortage that is affecting everyone may complicate things. With the voice devices there isn't that much that changes with new models so there may not be enough of a difference to justify waiting.
Hi, It will work on any of the major networks. Not really sure about the some of the fringe players. Stick with the big three and you will have no issues.
This is not the phone you want to use if you are a texter. The keypad will make you crazy. It is an excellent phone for people who want to talk to each other.
Hi Brian Do the Sonim devices work well as a hot spot? I would rather use my smart phone and call on a phone as I usually need to do both at the same time.
Hi Ben. The XP5S is not a Smartphone so it does not Hotspot. The XP8 is and therefore does support hotspotting. If you need to Hotspot and talk at the same time you need an XP8 and a headset or wireless earbuds.
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy thanks for the fast response. I understood that the XP3 will hotspot and it is definitely not a smart phone. Can the XP3 hotspot and simply "provide" for my other devices?
@@benredden this may be a regional thing. In order to create a Hotspot you need a data plan. Here in Canada when you sign up for a plan, you choose voice only or voice and data. People buy non smartphones and choose voice only plans to save money. If you are willing to pay for a voice and data plan you wouldn't be looking for a basic phone. So technically the XP3 does have the ability to Hotspot but it isn't the best way to achieve this.
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy fantastic, I was hoping it wouldn't. An other phone I was considering has GPS and a few other smart phone functions which is exactly what I don't want
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy I'm looking for a phone for my kid but I don't want a smartphone for him, but I'd like to be able to track where he is. Verizon said this has gps capability, so does that mean I could track him?
Hi Robert. This phones runs on a proprietary software. It is not traditional Android as it is not a Smartphone. This is the phone you buy if all you want is voice calls and limited texting capabilities.
The #1 reason that keeps me away from a feature phone to get me off smart phone use, is the lack of a querty touch screen function for texting and navigation. If phone of these feature phones had the exact same functionality as a smartphone in terms of user input, I would make the change away from smartphone and get back to experiencing life uninhibited.
I think you'll re-adapt to their t9 (if it's still called that) text prediction pretty quick. I remember it and it was fine. it forces you to be concise. I also want to get away from smart phones. I noticed a while back that my hand was always touching it in my pocket. Now I'm practicing leaving it at home or keeping it in airplane mode when I don't need it. That might be enough for me tbh, but I still like the idea of this phone.
texting is probably one of the most addicting parts of the phone, making it way harder to text fast, is in my opinion, and big plus. Instant messaging can be as addicting as social media.
@@allofstrife Texting is all about convenience, but as with many things that are done for the sake of convenience, texting diminishes the public's ability to effectively communicate verbally. There's only so many ways to use words to get information across to other people, and for the amount of talking that texting has replaced as a whole, I believe it's unhealthy and detrimental.
wow..I didn't think they made phones like this anymore. we loved our old push to talk phones. T9 lol..nostalgia
Just ordered one from Rogers. Replacing my back up flip phone. 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Thank you for your review. I have the same one and after 3 years stopped working half of the buttons at all, so I can't use the phone anymore. Do you know what could happen ? Any suggestions ?
OK, this phone is built like a tank and would probably stop a bullet. The battery life is astounding. But, other than those two things its really disappointing. My biggest gripe, aside from the texting issues, is the keypad. The keys are close together and very smooth which is a constant source of irritation. Also, the phone does not connect in areas with weak cell signal. I am always getting a "no service" warning when my other phones work perfectly fine. This makes the hotspot feature problematic at best. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a 3, only because of its battery life. With the poor cell reception it doesn't even accomplish its main function as a phone.
Hey Bryan, interested in this phone but can't find any literature on whether or not this has the wifi calling feature that the xp8 does. If cell service is not available can I still make calls through a wifi network?
Hi Jeb. Wifi calling requires a data connection and this is a voice phone. If you need WiFi calling you will need to go with the XP8
Hello Bryan! Excellent video going through the features! I got a question about the phone operating system - I have a refurbished unlocked Sonim XP5 that I'm currently using with a telus sim - is there a way to wipe out the existing AT&T operating system, and load it with the Telus operating system? Just interested in getting the push to talk service from Telus working
You won't be able to wipe out the AT&T firmware but you can run the new Telus PTT app over it. TELUS newest PTT app is called ESChat and works with both AT&T and Telus. You can contact them for setup at www.eschat.com
0:33 do you have any info about the replacement version - xp5plus? Is it better than this one ?
Hi Bryan! Thank you for the informative video! I am looking for a very minimalist phone (dumb phone) and I have watched your video on the XP3 as well as the XP5S... I am trying to purchase a phone that has no web access whatsoever, meaning you can not access the internet via a web browser or if so its extremely archaic. It seems I may have to purchase a Spot x or Garmin Satelite phone to get what I want.. however, if I can avoid doing that because of the satellite subscription cost/limitations I would like to know if these 2 phones are what i need or if there is another phone out there that suits my needs? Thank you for the information!
You can use this without any internet access. It does have LTE data/WiFi capability but you can use it with a plan without data access
Most websites are no longer designed for this type of display these days. I'd be surprised if you could use even a really basic site on a phone like this. Maybe the OP could post a video so we can see lol. I'm also considering a dumb phone.
hi Bryan . i have a Sonim xp6700 and is not able to recognise my ATT sim .. could you please suggest.
The problem is most likely just the age of the phone and AT&T no longer supporting that OS. It was a great phone but it may be time to retire it.
Pretty sad, cannot find out what the 2 tiny holes at the top on the side of the xp5 are for !!???
Hi. These are air pressure sensors. These sensors process data from a barometer in phones by sending back data about local weather conditions, allowing the phone to “tune out” changes in pressure that aren't related to elevation.
Hi Bryan, My work uses this model, first responders. The problem I have most of the time is I will drop the phone into my pocket during a call and end up pressing some button (not sure which one) and suddenly I can not hear dispatch. I can hear the ringtones and the alerts and I know how to reset those but do you happen to know where the setting is that I can fix dispatch's volume? Thank you in advance.
Did you ever show the back cover coming off and how hard or easy it is. This is important for swapping batteries on a regular basis. You keep just jumping to it off on your videos. Also how does the earphone jack work? Can you have an answer/hangup button on the earpiece that also activates voice commands so you can place and answer calls hands free by using voice commands to dial a phone entry or speaking the number. My 15 year old flip samsung can do that as older phones did and it seems no new phones seem to have that functionality anymore. Newer phones sucks and the problem is the change of shutting off the older transmission services.
The back cover is very easy to remove. Just loosen the screw, put your thumbnail in the side groove and pop it off. Sonim does make headsets with the in line answer button. www.sonimtech.com
can you use the mouse feature in a text message? trying to click on a link in a text message and I cannot figure out how to use mouse inside a text message.
Because this is a voice device, opening attachments is not the best. Also if you don't have a data package on your subscription it may limit what is available.
Bryan you said that later on you would explain how to reassign the PTT. Please
Hi Rene. Open the App tray and select Settings. Scroll to the bottom and choose Programmable Key. Push OK, select the app ypu want and push OK
How do I find out if a new version of this phone is coming out? I would like an up to date basic phone.
I am tired of smartphones too much stuff.
Hi Nathan. There is an XP5 Plus planned for later this year. The actual date is not available and will vary by country and as always the world wide chip shortage that is affecting everyone may complicate things. With the voice devices there isn't that much that changes with new models so there may not be enough of a difference to justify waiting.
Hello, would the ESChat still track the location and establish a cookie trail with this phone?
ESChat does offer a service called Breadcrumming at a small fee. This would allow to to track historical movement of your people
Can you transfer your texts from old phone to new phone?
How do i send an alert to my dispatch?
Are you using ESChat as your PTT service?
What providers does this work with?
Hi, It will work on any of the major networks. Not really sure about the some of the fringe players. Stick with the big three and you will have no issues.
Can you do talk to text with these? If so that might be an easier way to text as long as you're not around a bunch of people.
This is not the phone you want to use if you are a texter. The keypad will make you crazy. It is an excellent phone for people who want to talk to each other.
Hi Brian
Do the Sonim devices work well as a hot spot? I would rather use my smart phone and call on a phone as I usually need to do both at the same time.
Hi Ben. The XP5S is not a Smartphone so it does not Hotspot. The XP8 is and therefore does support hotspotting. If you need to Hotspot and talk at the same time you need an XP8 and a headset or wireless earbuds.
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy thanks for the fast response.
I understood that the XP3 will hotspot and it is definitely not a smart phone. Can the XP3 hotspot and simply "provide" for my other devices?
@@benredden this may be a regional thing. In order to create a Hotspot you need a data plan. Here in Canada when you sign up for a plan, you choose voice only or voice and data. People buy non smartphones and choose voice only plans to save money. If you are willing to pay for a voice and data plan you wouldn't be looking for a basic phone. So technically the XP3 does have the ability to Hotspot but it isn't the best way to achieve this.
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy Great info Bryan. Thanks. I am in Ontario Canada.
Does this have a GPS function?
Hi. If you are thinking something like Google Maps then No. This is not a Smartphone
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy fantastic, I was hoping it wouldn't. An other phone I was considering has GPS and a few other smart phone functions which is exactly what I don't want
@@Bryanthecellphoneguy I'm looking for a phone for my kid but I don't want a smartphone for him, but I'd like to be able to track where he is. Verizon said this has gps capability, so does that mean I could track him?
This was the Sonim that ran Android right?
This is not a Smartphone and as such does not run typical Android like the XP7 and XP8. It runs a proprietary software based on Linux
I am shocked! I was sure that I will find you reviewing the new one xp5 plus. This one is crap actually.
Does this run android?
Hi Robert. This phones runs on a proprietary software. It is not traditional Android as it is not a Smartphone. This is the phone you buy if all you want is voice calls and limited texting capabilities.
The #1 reason that keeps me away from a feature phone to get me off smart phone use, is the lack of a querty touch screen function for texting and navigation. If phone of these feature phones had the exact same functionality as a smartphone in terms of user input, I would make the change away from smartphone and get back to experiencing life uninhibited.
I think you'll re-adapt to their t9 (if it's still called that) text prediction pretty quick. I remember it and it was fine. it forces you to be concise. I also want to get away from smart phones. I noticed a while back that my hand was always touching it in my pocket. Now I'm practicing leaving it at home or keeping it in airplane mode when I don't need it. That might be enough for me tbh, but I still like the idea of this phone.
texting is probably one of the most addicting parts of the phone, making it way harder to text fast, is in my opinion, and big plus. Instant messaging can be as addicting as social media.
@@allofstrife Texting is all about convenience, but as with many things that are done for the sake of convenience, texting diminishes the public's ability to effectively communicate verbally. There's only so many ways to use words to get information across to other people, and for the amount of talking that texting has replaced as a whole, I believe it's unhealthy and detrimental.