Phone texet drive make them or not. Off-road smartphone teXet X-driver: bathing with cucumbers, moving the seventh "Boomer" and much more

Review of a smartphone-SUV with a sad screen

30.12.2013

Lyrical introduction

I got my first mobile phone, if I'm not mistaken, in the middle of 2000. Over the past time, I have two broken glasses and three telephone baths on my account. One throw of a smartphone into a wall and numerous falls that did not lead to serious injuries do not count. It turns out on average one accident in sixteen months.

Of the three falls into the water, one was fatal. Minus about ten thousand rubles. Two glass replacements cost another six thousand. Total unforeseen expenses due to their own crooked hands - a little more than a thousand rubles a year.

Is it worth it to look towards waterproof and shockproof devices? In my case, probably not. Painfully expensive pleasure. But not everyone is as neat as I am (well, you understand, you can’t praise yourself ...).

By the way, here's an interesting question. And how much does a quality shock absorber cost? Does it greatly increase the price of a smartphone? Inexpensive protection from bathing, it seems, they learned how to do. See, for example, Huawei Honor 3. There is nothing supernatural there, but the device will not suffer from a short stay in the water.

But something is not visible on sale for cheap shockproofness.

Synthetic tests:

Sensors. There is a light sensor, there is a proximity sensor. Accelerometer - where without it. Don't forget about the compass. But there is no gyroscope. Excesses such as a thermometer, unfortunately, too. By the way, sorry. Given that the device is qualitatively waterproof, it would be convenient for them to measure the temperature of the water before bathing.

Communication with the outside world

3G internet. Works, no problems found.

Wi-Fi - of course, where without it. Standard b/g/n. Sensitivity is slightly below average. The speed is normal, no problems.

Bluetooth version 2.1.

It connects to the computer via USB in the "two flash drives" mode - the inner area plus a memory card.

Connectivity external devices(USB-OTG) no.

Pleasant excesses such as LTE, NFC and MHL were not found.

Screen

Officially, we have an IPS-matrix, four inches, resolution 480x800.

Really. Pleasant colors, decent color temperature (7000K), acceptable contrast ratio (550:1), good viewing angles from three sides. On the fourth side (bottom) - put out the light. Everything is really bad - see the video with a demonstration of the work.

By the way, who would explain to me: such behavior - when there is a bad view from one of the sides - does it happen with IPS matrices in general? Or is it still TN?

Another problem with the screen is that it's dim. The maximum brightness is 137.1 cd/m2. For comparison, Huawei Honor 3, which I show in the video next to the X-driver, has a brightness of more than 400 cd / m2. Frankly, this is the dimmest smartphone I've ever seen. The previous record holder was Prestigio MultiPhone 4055 DUO, which has about 160 cd/m2.

Sensor. Tolerant, but a little dull. Plus, the screen is not smooth enough, the finger slides on it a little worse than usual. Unaccustomed to this, this leads to small problems in toys where a quick and clear reaction is needed. Like Temple Run and the like. Maybe with time you can get used to it.

Prints on the screen remain in full growth. They don't rub off too easily.

Operating system and other software

The smartphone has Android 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich operating system, quite ancient for the end of 2013.

Not too much pre-installed software. Unfortunately, for the most part it is unremovable.

Battery

Battery capacity - 2500 mAh, i.e. approximately at the level of Galaxy S4, which we have adopted as a standard in battery tests. X-driver holds a charge a little better than its eminent rival, but not much, unfortunately. Actually, I expected more. Still, modest hardware, a modest screen. I was especially upset by the gaming test. Only 3:20. It won't be enough!

The video is recorded at a maximum resolution of 640x480, 15 frames per second, the sound is mono. At the same time, by default, for some reason, an even more modest size is set - 320x240 (also 15 frames).

The front camera is the most modest, only 0.3 mpix. Photo examples? Let's not talk about sad things.

teXet TM-4104R X-driver as a GPS navigator

The "cold" search for satellites on the windowsill took 17 minutes. With the use of auxiliary means, satellites are caught instantly. We do not know how to catch GLONASS, only imported GPS.

Not the best navigator. Not exactly bad. Mediocre. But the battery could work decently, and the screen ...

teXet TM-4104R X-driver as video player

Everything is standard, nothing new. The pre-installed players are not omnivorous. So we use MX Player or something. It is better to forget about FullHD viewing. "Just HD" looks fine.

This smartphone promises a lot to extreme sportsmen, active athletes and autotourists, that is, to all those who wanted to move away from the benefits of civilization, but did not dare to abandon the familiar and universal gadget on Android.

Let's try to figure out whether the sensational domestic smartphone teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R justified the expectations of the fans. Reviews, characteristics, pros, cons of the model, as well as expert opinions regarding the St. Petersburg brainchild of Alcatel - in the review.

A little educational program

Similar devices exist on the market. mobile devices quite a long time ago. If you do not focus on various military and industrial equipment such as geodetic instruments, walkie-talkies and other heavy-duty terminals, then we will see that long before the appearance of the first mobile phone shockproof and waterproof watches were offered to the mass consumer - first mechanics, and a little later electronics.

From year to year cellular develops and multiplies its consumer - moisture-proof and reinforced designs of mobile gadgets begin to appear. At first, devices were protected only from splashing water or rain. The pioneers in this segment were the brands Siemens and Nokia, which released in the early 2000s. shock-resistant and moisture-resistant Nokia 5210/5100/5140 and Siemens ME45/M65/M75 models. The gadgets turned out to be quite decent, but times have changed a lot, and this class in today's realities has gone under the wing of the Chinese.

The structural recipe for such devices is almost the same for everyone. Chinese brands. The usual and unremarkable filling of some budget gadget, put a simple platform with a mediocre screen and camera, and then put it all in a solid "armor". Some companies that especially care about the client and their reputation equip devices with capacious and high-quality batteries, and sometimes add something interesting like a walkie-talkie radio.

Further, the resulting device is sold under some big name - "Jeep", "Land Rover" and others like it, or offered to foreign distributors, that is, OEM brands who have the right to stick any label on this gadget and pack it in their branded box.

"Texet"

Any sensible OEM brand, which the St. Petersburg Tekset, one must think, is, fights with Chinese suppliers not only for the price, but also for the quality of mobile products, which, as a rule, varies greatly among Eastern companies, and in everything - in materials, assembly, electronic components and even software.

Despite all the factors and nuances, we will consider the teXet smartphone as an independent product that has passed through the bureaucratic and very picky Russian certification, which means it is burdened with some kind of warranty and after-sales service.

Equipment

The box is made of high quality and fairly durable cardboard. It is pleasant to hold it in your hands, the packaging does not “smell” of second-rate consumer goods: colorful design, a brief description of gadget on the back and conformity marks Russian standards and communication systems.

Completeness:

• X-driver Quad TM-4082R itself;
• the manual is completely in Russian;
• with USB and micro-USB outputs for synchronization with a personal computer;
• headset type "hands-free";
• a carabiner with a nylon strap, a compass and a small element for dismantling the cover;
• plugs for headset (3.5 mm) and network charger.

The bundle is clearly incomplete for this kind of gadgets. If the device is intended for extreme people who are going to conquer mountains, forests and fields, then for sure the only possible source the phone will be charged by a car, not the usual 220 V. But, alas, there is no charger for a car in the box with teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R. Reviews on this subject are unequivocal: the owners believe that you can easily do without a toy compass and a strap with a flimsy carabiner, which serve as an unnecessary entourage, but instead of them it would be better to put at least some kind of cigarette lighter adapter.

First Impressions

For a person who is used to working with ordinary smartphones, visually the gadget looks like “Wow!” In terms of tactile sensations, the device offers a completely different operating experience than a regular smartphone.

The design turned out to be quite heavy and thick - 261 grams with a thickness of 18.3 mm. The case is rubberized with massive sidewalls and firmly fits in the palm of your hand. It seems that there is some serious industrial device in the hands, like a construction or surveying tool.

Design teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R

Reviews regarding the design are ambiguous, it's a matter of taste - someone likes it, but for someone it's clumsy and repulsive. The V-shaped slot of the speaker, flashes on the back, the shape of the nameplate and camera holes - all this does not look like outright plagiarism and looks decent, and somewhere even nice and organic. Moreover, all claims to the design are dissolved and leveled in the overall brutality of the gadget, that is, in its extreme tourist style.

If you look at modern mobile devices that have captured the entire market, which you can’t call anything other than a flat “shovel”, the class of shock-resistant and moisture-resistant gadgets remains the only segment where design ideas can somehow unfold (just like in the era of push-button devices). It is quite another matter that venerable A-brands do not want to take any part in the development of the class, and all stylistic notes are set by Chinese designers with their specific methods and taste preferences, which could not but affect the teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R . Owner reviews note the presence of a long-forgotten classic style in the gadget, which also adds fans of retro-stylistics to the device. Otherwise, this is an ordinary device: a little “rough”, but at the same time with a share of grace.

Platform

The teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R was built, the performance characteristics of which will be given below), as they say, according to all the "laws of the genre" of secure gadgets. The basis is taken, albeit not the weakest, but the budget platform, which, by the way, outdid quite a few direct competitors in tests in benchmarks. The device is equipped with a quad-core processor of the MT6582 series, has on board 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory for user needs.

TeXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R (firmware 4.4.18.02.15 Jelly Bean) feels great in 2G and 3G GSM networks, and also correctly supports all major Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless protocols. Available GPS modules and FM radio.

As such, proprietary customization for teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R (for this reason, you can’t even imagine a software review, because there’s simply nothing to talk about) is not enough: a screen saver for standby mode and a couple of icons, where one contains a link to the recommended software with "Play Market", and the other is a set of paid subscriptions to news, horoscopes, weather, etc. In all other respects, the platform can be called "naked".

We must pay tribute to the St. Petersburg "Alcatel" for the fact that they did not stuff the teXet smartphone to the eyeballs with all sorts of advertising applets, as many similar companies do, especially on branded devices (MTS, Megafon, Beeline). Of course, they could not resist and still sewed an icon with subscriptions, but everything seems to be fair here - the amount is announced and nothing is slipped on the sly.

Judging by the benchmarks, teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R (black) with great difficulty scored its 18,845 points and ended up somewhere in the tail. But this is when compared with the “monsters” virtually in terms of performance, while “live” the speed of work is quite comfortable for itself - the system synergizes well with the hardware inside: nothing freezes, does not slow down and does not glitch.

Screen

As for the characteristics of the screen, it is a matter of habit and pretentiousness. Naturally, if you previously had to hold a flagship smartphone with SuperAmoled and Retin scans in your hands, our "hero" screen 800 by 480 pixels looks like a dull dinosaur. By today's standards, in principle, the way it is. But for gadgets of such a plan and characteristics, such screens are the norm, competitors have more modest devices for the same price, so you don’t have to turn your face too much.

In defense of such displays, we can say that it loads the system much less, significantly increasing the time battery life, which is very important for extreme phones far from 220 V. Glass for the Tekset smartphone is designed quite competently, so there are no problems with visualization. The only thing worth noting is that the picture clearly lacks brightness, and during the day and even in the evening, you have to twist the indicator to 100%. Under direct sunlight, the screen fades (the glass for a smartphone reflects all the rays), and in order to read the information, the gadget needs to be covered with a hand or look for a shadow.

Connection

The flagship smartphone "Tekset" is equipped with dual-sim functionality with one radio module, that is, the alternate operation of SIM cards. You can call in standby mode on any of the cards, however, when the subscriber makes a call or transfers any other data on one SIM card, the other one is automatically blocked. According to their functionality, SIM cards are also divided: the first one works on 2G and 3G networks, and the second - only with 2G.

There are no critical remarks about the quality of communication: the speaker, although not outstanding, but twisted to the maximum, allows you to hear the interlocutor on a noisy street. The only negative, and this is probably the fault of the teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R case, is that the speaker cuts both high and low frequencies, so the voice on the other end sounds somehow unnatural. In the reviews of the owners, this moment was discussed more than once, but users do not consider this nuance to be a serious problem.

The same thing is observed with a microphone - the interlocutor hears you quite clearly, but unnaturally and with "dry" notes. The manufacturer sins on sealing, answering that water protection jams high frequencies. The call signal is quite loud, so you can hear it even from a backpack behind your back. The vibrating alert is very weak due to the massiveness of the case, which was quite expected.

Working in browsers is comfortable and does not cause serious complaints - the speed of 2G and 3G is similar to competing devices. The owners in their reviews noticed one glitch: if the connection from one card disappears and reappears, then the gadget does not find it, so you have to restart the device to solve this problem. Apparently, a dust and moisture-proof smartphone does not hold a weak signal as well as we would like.

Camera

On the official website of the company, the specifications indicate the following characteristics of the cameras: the front one is 1.3 megapixels, and the main one is 8 megapixels. Either the manufacturer messed up something, or there are some variable models, but on the main online trading platforms, just like on store shelves, gadgets with slightly different characteristics flaunt: the main camera is 5 megapixels (2880x1720 px) and the front camera is 0.3 Mp (640x480 px).

The St. Petersburg “Alcatel” members do not give any comments, therefore it is not clear whether individual parties are completed in this way, or whether such an immodest interpolation was made. In any case, if you hurry up properly, you can get the spare parts you need for teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R (preferably branded ones) and replace the cameras with more intelligent ones. Make it better in service center, there may also be all the components necessary for this procedure.

By modern standards, the pictures are not so bad, but somehow faceless: the module is clearly budgetary and you should not expect anything special from it. In the classic mode (point and shoot), the result can turn out to be the most unpredictable: sometimes even in poor lighting, the pictures turn out to be more or less normal, and in perfect light - some kind of blur and fading.

Very often, sharpness is blurred in the frame and blurry areas are visible almost everywhere. Also, the camera suffers from incorrect gamma calibration (color lies). In general, there are enough opportunities for Instagram, and showing friends “how we went camping” will do.

Relatively front camera there is nothing special to say - connoisseurs of beautiful selfies against the backdrop of picturesque places will have to relax. Of course, if you “take a picture of yourself” as a keepsake, you can see the face, but this camera, alas, is not suitable for something serious.

Video

The device can record video in a more or less acceptable resolution by modern standards of 1920 by 1088 pixels (exactly 1088, not 1080), which also indicates the presence of interpolation (frame stretching by software).

The quality of the video roughly corresponds to the photographs - the same budget and dull. The shortcomings of the camera are especially noticeable in low-light conditions: sharpness drops, detailing, and fog appears. In the gathering dusk or drizzling weather, it will not be possible to record some more or less sensible video.

The gadget can be used as a car DVR by downloading the necessary software from the same Play Market, which, without exaggeration, is a dime a dozen. We talked about the picture (everything is bad), but what the dust and moisture-proof Tekset smartphone can boast of is the reading range license plates. The capabilities of the gadget are somewhat superior to similar profile devices that record in HD resolution, although they do not reach Full HD resolution. The capture angle, of course, is less than that of ordinary navigators, but we still have a smartphone in our hands, and not a full-fledged car gadget.

Offline work

The smartphone is equipped with a very good 3100 mAh battery. In the most active mode, the device will last about 4.5 hours. Web surfing, calls, SMS will drain the battery in 6.5 hours. If you use a headset and minimize the brightness, then the phone will last for 12-13 hours of video viewing. You can use the gadget directly as a phone for several days.

It makes no sense to install all kinds of "optimizers", "accelerators" and "battery doctors", so actively advertised by the Tekset company itself. All these applications will hang in the device's memory and also "eat" the battery.

Protection

The protection class declared by the Petersburgers according to the unified European classification is IP68. And this means the ability to work in a submerged state (number 8) and complete isolation from dirt and dust (number 6). There are also some nuances here: the classification does not specify the time or depth of diving with the apparatus, leaving this moment to the conscience of the manufacturer.

The official Texet resource and the detailed manual for the gadget are silent about this, and the instructions sometimes contain light puns like: “despite the shock resistance, the smartphone case cannot be called shockproof.” On the one hand, this seems to be correct, because ordinary gadgets can also have one. The same Sony devices have one, but the manufacturer strongly does not recommend dropping them. The standard that allows you to "drop" the device on any hard surface is MIL-STD-810G (military), but in our case it is not declared.

Nevertheless, the impact resistance of the gadget, both on the site and in the description, is clearly emphasized. Specifically, it says that the case was reinforced with metal plates on the back wall and under the screen, and in addition, the display is additionally equipped with a special Asahi glass, which, according to the text, is “three times thicker than ordinary smartphone glasses.”

Summarizing

If you look at the cost of the teXet X-driver Quad TM-4082R smartphone (the price is about 10,000 rubles), its main characteristics and other secondary indicators, then compared to direct competitors, the gadget looks very advantageous and even dumps somewhere. And this despite the fact that a venerable device from some Sony or the same Apple exceeds the mark of 60 thousand rubles and differs, as a rule, only in a high-speed filling (well, why, in fact, a gaming device for an extreme tourist ).

In general, the model leaves a pleasant impression of operation. The smartphone is really tenacious, and, having passed the "fire and water", continues to work without any glitches and other failures. It seems that if you do not intentionally drown the apparatus at a depth and do not kill on stones, then it will live happily ever after. And in general, when buying this kind of gadgets, you should not flatter yourself that they will withstand an atomic strike or a global flood. By and large, such a device has a good 50% image function, to some extent harmoniously complementing beautiful equipment.

As a permanent mobile help, Tekset can only be recommended to those who, by all means, want to be unique among friends and colleagues, lovers of extreme tourism style and financially limited patriots.

What did not like

When the network level is weak, sometimes Internal error. Either a reboot or switching to / from flight mode helps.

What did not like

body fluid!

What did you like

camera, processor speed, equipment is the same as texet 3204-R

What did not like

fell - the glass cracked, it did not affect the work, but there were no spare parts, after another fall - the plastic ears on the back cover of the phone flew off, the back steel and rubberized cover remained in place thanks to the upper bolts, but the lower part began to bulge. I had to glue it tightly with superglue .. In the end, the glass gave a lot of cracks with a little pressure .. and it (the phone) became impossible to use, there was only a web on the screen.

What did you like

Large, impresses others, worked fine

What did not like

1. After a while, the battery starts to wobble in the case. It is treated by putting a piece of paper under the back cover.
2. In the factory firmware, the camera was 5mp. After flashing, + 3mp was added :-) and the next glitch appeared - after a long time off the network - you can’t get through to the phone even in the city. Rebooting the device helps.
3. Bluetooth is not very long-range. If the bodies are worn in a backpack, the bluetooth headphones will not work. Catch only in a waist bag or in the side pocket of pants.
4. screen for 3 points, compared with iPhone.
5. Heavy - strength is excessive, in my opinion. It's not a problem for me, of course.
6. At maximum volume, the speaker wheezes at times.
7. It takes 4-5 hours to charge, subject to the use of regular charging - 1A. In the computer's USB port - 500mA and less - it takes 8-10 hours to charge.
8. The back cover is bolted to the plastic corners! one unsuccessful fall and one of the corners cracked, now the lid closes loosely - you can forget about water protection.
9. Another drop and the flash stopped working.

What did you like

1. Strong, fell on the tile from the pocket several times. Didn't check for water resistance. 2. On average, the battery lasts for three days. 3. GPS is working fine, the sensors are not buggy.

What did not like

1. The device lives its own life. The problem is that the screen is not blocked during a call. Hence - and early shutdowns, and changes in settings that occur by themselves, and switching calls at the time of the conversation, and a bunch of all sorts of "charms". It turns out that you buy a product, and in order to bring it to mind, you need to find and install an additional one somewhere. software to lock the damn screen like it should be by default.
2. At the "shockproof" device, the battery inside the case dangles like a rattle.
From time to time, losing power, it turns off. Therefore, in order for the device to actually become shockproof, a folded piece of paper must be placed under the battery (as someone has already suggested). Funny. I suggest marketers from TEXET to be enterprising and supplement the range of accessories with a special insert paper!
3. The flash LED is dead, it is also a flashlight.
In short, this is not a smartphone. This is a cynical spit in your direction, dear customer.

What did you like

The case is strong and really not afraid of water.

What did not like

All the rest

What did you like

Appearance

What did not like

At waterproof phone The warranty card says that the warranty is voided if water or traces of liquid are found inside the device.

What did not like

the phone is a complete drawback, the sensor worked poorly from the very beginning, it constantly does something wrong during a call ... It cuts itself out. Speaker broke after 8 months. They did not take this G for repair under warranty, as the screen crashed. Protection also turns out not ice. And a fitting finale - if the hardware needs to be replaced in the phone, in my case the microphone, it cannot be repaired. In the official service center they said you can throw it away.

What did you like

protective bumper

What did not like

Fragile lid
- Fragile glass
- As a consequence of the above, NOT shockproof
- Plugs wear out over time and bend in one place, tear and even spare plugs do not save, as rubber deteriorates over time even without use.
- The camera takes pictures only with sound and the sound cannot be turned off even in silent mode
-Practically not repaired in service workshops
- The texet manufacturer itself does not know how to solve the above problems, but continues to produce this phone model.
-The carbine flew out along with the plastic partition

What did you like

Brutal design -Rubberized body, which prevents falling from the hand -The presence of a carabiner as additional insurance against falling -Quite modern in terms of characteristics

What did not like

The headphone plug does not hold well, it pops out, which means that it will not protect against water .. After a reboot, some shortcuts disappear from the working screens. There are no mechanical buttons for receiving a call and a camera release, which would be very good for a protected person.

What did you like

Appearance, body strength. Capacious battery. After the purchase, it turned out that system memory 2GB, which is rare for secure devices. And the price.

What did not like

There is no decent navigator.
A bracket would be on a belt, instead of a carbine.

What did you like

Appearance super. REALLY not afraid of liquids and shocks. (TESTED. The builder himself. Cement, height and water withstood). Good battery, 5 hours of surfing-10%. The case is strong, but not titanium.

What did not like

The software is very slippery.......:
1) with a long-term poor quality of communication on sim 1, without any warning, the GSM module hangs (it is treated only by rebooting the device) EU, but until you notice that the connection does not work, many cannot get through to you For a phone with such a swing to off-road, this bug should generally be doustim (I think that the developers have long been obliged to fix this programmatically).
2 times in 3-6 days it starts to get stupid unreasonably .... It does EVERYTHING slowly. Healed by reboot.
3) I would like that when you tied a specific number to a specific sim, you would not be asked each time which sim to call this number with.
4) I don’t know if the support service answers, but for 4 days there has been no answer to the questions sent. As long as they ignore it. If they answer, I will change the review by writing after how long the answer was given.
4.1) On December 24, there is still no answer, apparently there will not be.
5) the flash LED began to shine after a couple of months of operation at a quarter of the power, we can assume that it does not work.

What did you like

1Water resistance (tested repeatedly in PM and sea water) 1.1) As a result, it leaked due to the fact that the rear lenses that protect the flash and the camera began to hang out apparently peeled off. EU-but and dust from the inside is now more than necessary. 2) Really impact-resistant in PM and glass (fell more than a meter onto concrete with glass) 3) In general, he thinks quite quickly. 4) The battery generally does not hold badly (2-5 days)

In our laboratory, many different smartphones have been visited, each of which had its own specific difference. This time we decided to bring to your attention an armored smartphone from teXet, the X-Driver TM-4104R model. If you are an active tourist who does not go on vacation in order to get a tan and, if possible, sunstroke, and participates in various hikes, where sometimes you have to deal with various difficulties (water, dust, mud, etc.) , then teXet X-Driver TM-4104R perfect for those kind of trips. So, let's take a closer look at this armored smartphone.
Armored smartphones are popular only among a certain part of the population, because ordinary user it is unlikely to be interesting, because its large dimensions and weight repel buyers who are looking for an urban version of the smartphone. However, armored smartphones have enough fans, it remains only to check whether teXet X-Driver TM-4104R is really good at what it does?

Package contents teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

• The device itself
• USB cable in the amount of 2 pieces
• Charger
• Additional plugs
• Headphones
• Belt holder with compass
• User manual and warranty card

I would like to note right away that the charger and USB cable did not get into our Laboratory, most likely, they were lost along the way.

Availability of teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

At the time of testing, the device from TeXet cost about 10,000 rubles, which, in principle, is not so much for such a smartphone. Of course, he has his competitors, but who does not have them today?

Appearance teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

On the right side the volume rocker is located, but there is nothing on the left.

Below is a connector for charging the device, which is reliably protected from dust and moisture.

On the top side there is an on / off button and a headset jack, which are also well protected.

There is an 8 megapixel camera at the back, and the flash is beautifully located in parallel with it. You can see the speaker below.

At the top there is a place for attaching a strap.

Under the back cover is the battery, 2 slots for SIM-cards and a slot for a micro SD memory card.

Now let's look at the resulting armor. We'll start with the side sheets. These are 6 plates that protect the smartphone well from falls, we note that they cannot be removed, because they are firmly attached to the body of the device.

The back cover (steel) is also very adequately protected, it rests on two bolts, which are quite difficult to unscrew with a small screwdriver that comes with the kit (if you can call it that).

The display of the device is also well protected.

Display TeXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Battery teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Inside teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Antutu teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Vellamo teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Communication teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Camera teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Soft teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Video review teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

Results for teXet X-Driver TM-4104R

In the comments to this post, where it was about the “off-road” phone Caterpillar CAT B25, I was offered to consider also a secure smartphone of the same brand - Caterpillar CAT B15. I started looking for this model and in the process I came to the conclusion that ... yes, the British-Chinese partners of Caterpillar want too much money for their devices! Let me remind you that the Caterpillar CAT B25 and teXet TM-510R phones, assembled at the same factory and matching 90%, cost 5,000 and 2,700 rubles, respectively. Meanwhile, for a Caterpillar CAT B15 smartphone in Russia, they ask for more than 14 thousand rubles.

Slowly ordering this model for testing, I did an elementary search in the teXet catalog and found the X-driver model for 10 thousand in it. That is, it is cheaper by almost a third.

teXet X-driver and Caterpillar CAT B15

As for the characteristics, here is a comparative table:

In short, I took the teXet X-driver for testing, because it is more interesting in terms of characteristics at a noticeably lower price. As for the level of quality, I don't have any special illusions about products under the CAT brand for a long time - just take a look at the "back" of the Caterpillar CAT B25 phone. And this is despite the fact that its direct owner keeps the device on a shelf and does not subject it to severe tests yet - it’s not a season, sir!

The panel with the logo peels off and scratches, the alphanumeric buttons began to "squish" ...

So, teXet X-driver. The device is sold in the following box:

The kit includes two microUSB-USB cables (in principle, one is enough for the eyes, but the more the better), a charger unit, a simple stereo headset, a carabiner with an analog compass and a screwdriver for unscrewing the bolts (more on them below), as well as two interchangeable plugs for 3.5 mm and microUSB connectors.

The design of the device is brutal - neither give nor take. teXet X-driver looks great next to climbing equipment, scuba, mount-bike and other extreme gizmos. Meanwhile, for everyday use, I can not recommend it. Tell me - would you take a girl to a restaurant on a GAZ-66? Hardly.

“Darling, are you out of your mind?!”

So teXet X-driver is suitable for hunting, fishing, relaxing at sea and in the mountains, but not for defile along the main street of the city in a white shirt and tight jeans. Actually, it will hardly fit in these very tight jeans: the dimensions of the smartphone are 139 x 74 x 18 mm, the weight is 265 g. But it fits perfectly into the pocket of a backpack:

Housing made of plastic different types and rubber. There is also metal here: it is reinforced with a removable back cover, finished with rubber on top and screwed with a pair of bolts.

The sidewalls are completely rubber, and with “nodules” above the front panel about 1 mm high. Thanks to them, the screen is more likely to survive a fall on a hard surface.

As mentioned above, the 3.5mm headphone jack and microUSB port are covered with screw caps. If during hard use these very plugs get worn out, it will be possible to replace them with a “spare” from the kit. Here I will add that the volume control button - by the way, very hard - is located on the right side of the case, while the key for turning on the device and its display is on the top.

There are also inserts made of plastic, reminiscent of a soft touch - they are provided in the upper and lower parts of the smartphone. For greater reliability, these inserts are also tightened with bolts.

Orange "pieces" are like a smartphone frame made of durable, but not fragile plastic. On the back panel, a loop for attaching a carabiner protrudes from the frame.

The final touch is the screen coating: teXet X-driver uses Japanese Asahi Glass. It can be called an analogue of Gorilla Glass, except that it is thicker and, most likely, harder.

Unlike the IP67 certified Caterpillar CAT B15, the teXet X-driver is IP68 certified. That is, both devices are completely indifferent to dust, CAT can be "wet" at a depth of up to a meter, and teXet X-driver - up to a meter and deeper. This should not affect performance.

As for impacts, in the case of protected devices, information is usually provided on compliance with the American military standard MIL-STD 810 (its different versions). It, unlike IP, also involves shock resistance tests. In the case of the X-driver, there is no such information, so…

... what could be more pleasant than testing a smartphone for “indestructibility” yourself?

So, the first test. We roll teXet X-driver into a jar of pickles for an hour and a half. We periodically call him and observe this picture. The device passed this test with honor.

Second test. Without further ado, they shot a whole movie about the X-driver - “Boomer. Third movie ;)

As you can see in the video, a very angry young man in a BMW 750 is talking on this smartphone, and then in a fit of emotion he throws it out the window. And then another and moves on the grass. X-driver "has such a far from friendly attitude, in principle, on the drum - the smartphone has not received any cracks or scratches.

Test three. Now the girl is angry. Then he crushes the smartphone with his foot. And then they kick him like a ball.

The fourth test - they dropped it with its "muzzle" on the stones from a height of one and a half meters. And he is more alive than all the living.

In the fifth test, we return again to the long version of the BMW 750i, which weighs as much as 2.6 tons. We put teXet X-driver on the asphalt and carefully move like this ...

A characteristic crack indicates that the screen glass could not stand it. But! The device appeared to be in perfect working order. Despite the 2.6 tons of Boomer. Yes, the glass is cracked, but the display itself is not "drip". Other functions also work flawlessly. What does it mean? Glass can be replaced at any certified teXet service center (yes, I found out) to end up with almost new smartphone.

In general, is it worth once again clarifying that the device passed the test with honor both for “waterproofness” and for shock resistance? In the intervals between the above tests, we trampled him into the mud, bathed him in an icy river, played football on the leaves with him ... The corresponding photos are below.

Separately, I would like to say about the camera installed in teXet X-driver (8 megapixels, autofocus, led flash). I liked it - the quality of the pictures is noticeably higher than most budget smartphones. A few examples are below. And yes, the camera interface is standard, from Android 4.0 ICS.

Unfortunately, there is no separate button for taking pictures in teXet X-driver. This means that taking pictures under water will not work - capacitive touch screens do not work in a liquid environment. You can, of course, get a root on the device and use some tricky third party applications to assign the photo function, say, to the volume buttons, but not the fact that everything will turn out and work. I personally did not try.

But it’s very possible to shoot video underwater – if, however, you activate the recording even before diving. The maximum resolution of the videos is HD720p, the quality is not super, but sane.

I’ll say briefly about the hardware platform: the teXet X-driver uses the simplest version of the Qualcomm MSM8225 Snapdragon S4 Play chipset with a gigahertz 2-core central processing unit ARM Cortex-A5 (this platform, I remind you, also exists in versions with 1.2 and 1.4 GHz) and Adreno 203 graphics. For smooth operation of the interface, its capabilities are enough, for quick saving of 8-megapixel images - too. Well, for games like Dead Trigger. More from such a device to demand, I think, and not worth it. By the way, the difference in power consumption between the 2-core Qualcomm MSM8225 and the 4-core Qualcomm MSM8225Q is about 1.8 times in favor of the solution with fewer cores. So it turns out that for a smartphone "for hiking" the choice in favor of relatively weak hardware is justified. The teXet X-driver lasted about two and a half days on a 2,500 mAh battery; the mode was something like this: 40 minutes of calls per day (1 SIM card installed, 10-15 photos), a couple of hours of sitting in social networks.

Performance Tests:

The screen in the device is 4-inch with a resolution of 480 x 800 pixels. Matrix technology - TFT-IPS. The display is quite good, the picture is pleasing to the eye. You can’t say more about him - you don’t expect anything extraordinary from the figures given just above. Unless it is worth noting the wide viewing angles.

Software part represented by the operating Android system 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with minor tweaks. In particular, in the notification panel there is such a task manager. True, it does not show all running processors. I will also single out a set of “near-sports” wallpapers, file manager and another "dialer".

Curiously, the desktop can be displayed in landscape mode.

There are also a number of applications from teXet - the "teXet recommends" catalog, software for downloading games, information about films, and so on. All these are pleasant trifles, but I will not concentrate on them.

What is somewhat frustrating in the software is the lack of the ability to download updates over the air. That is, if teXet releases any update, it will have to be installed from a computer with the loss of data and settings.

Summing up my impressions, I will say this: I definitely liked teXet X-driver. First of all, its indestructibility and a good (in my unprofessional opinion) camera. And yet – quite decent battery life. In principle, more from the "off-road" smartphone, focused on recreation and all sorts of adventures, and is not required. In fact, not all devices are measured in a row with the usual megahertz, gigabytes and megapixels. If we ignore the figures and evaluate the quality of the performance of the tasks assigned to it by this device, then it can be called more than successful. And inexpensive - think about CAT B15 with its terrible 14 thousand.