Powered by a 2.6 GHz MediaTek processor, this smartphone delivers efficient performance for daily tasks and applications. It supports 3G bands in the frequencies of 850, 900, 1900, and 2100 MHz, as well as 2G bands (primary SIM) in the frequencies of 850, 900, 1800, and 1900 MHz. Which is interesting, because I had no idea Land Rover’s new vehicle was an iPhone 4 rip-off: WAY-HEYYYYY! What a great joke. use policy may apply. Standard 1 year subscription, which can be extended after the initial term advised by your Land Rover Retailer. I haven’t taken the Land Rover Explore apart to see what’s on the inside. But representatives from Bullitt Group told me it uses the same techniques as the latest CAT phones, which are even more deliberately ruggedised. The Land Rover Explore has been drop-tested from 1.8 metres as part of the ‘ MIL SPEC 810G‘ military spec testing.

In terms of performance, the Land Rover Explore is again adequate but not brilliant. Running the Geekbench 4 benchmarks, its Mediatek Helio X27 chip produced a single-core score of 1,768, and 4,818 in the multi-core test. That’s a long way off the speeds of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 powering many of the current crop of flagship phones and more on par with the two-generation old Snapdragon 821. Bluetooth ® is a short-range radio frequency technology that is capable of transmitting voice and data wirelessly. The range for Bluetooth ® devices is around 10 metres, and data can be transferred at a rate of 1 Mbps. Land Rover have once again teamed up with tech company Bullitt (the same people who make the phones for construction equipment brand Cat) to produce a smartphone targeted specifically at outdoor enthusiasts. The Land Rover Explore is a phone designed for those going off-grid. Or is it? There’s no question that this is one of the best phones around for true outdoor types. car is prepared for Android Auto. The services offered by Android Auto depends on feature availability in your country, please see www.android.com/auto/ for more information.The point I’m making here is the Land Rover Explore R doesn’t look modern like a modern phone. But maybe that’s okay, because the phone’s major selling point is its durability and outdoor-readiness. The harder a material, the more it transmits impact force rather than absorbs it. Transmitting this force isn’t ideal, because it then ends up in the glass screen panel, which can cause it to shatter, even if the phone lands on its side. However, even far less rugged handsets than the Land Rover Explore use internal rubber or plastic buffers to stop this happening. In response, Land Rover says this isn’t the sort of activity the phone has been optimised for; instead, it’s been tweaked to deliver the best performance in activities that require GPS and cellular connection in areas of weak signal, so you can keep in touch while you’re out in the wilds. Land Rover’s intentions with the Explore are very clear: to create a smartphone for those who spend much of their lives in the great outdoors. When assessed on those terms, it’s a roaring success, oozing style and refinement while boasting practically every mark of robustness and resilience you could ask for in a smartphone.

One battery quirk is that in temperatures below 5°C a warning appears saying “battery temperature is too low”. The phone however continues working. I couldn’t find anything about this in the online manual so I asked Land Rover about it. I was told it related to charging, which stops when the temperature is below 5°, and can be ignored otherwise. I think this should be explained in the manual. It does mean that if you need to charge the phone when it’s cold, such as in a winter camp, you need to ensure it’s kept warm, either close to your body or in your sleeping bag. In good natural light, the main camera is good enough, capturing images with reasonable levels of sharpness and accurate colour reproduction, but it won’t take your breath away. The HDR mode doesn’t improve things much, but it works solidly enough with scenes where very bright skies and dark, silhouetted buildings go side by side. Equally as important, the Explore R offers a polished aesthetic so it fits in at home, at work or in the great outdoors.” AudienceGoogle apps like Chrome, Gmail and Play Store are preinstalled. There’s also an app called Explore Hub with links to a wide range of potentially useful outdoor apps. First things first, the design. The Land Rover Explore R is supposedly influenced by the company’s new Defender. In fact, Jon Sinclair — the business’ Director of Branded Goods and Licensing — says “the Explore R perfectly reflects [the] new Land Rover Defender.” It’s meant to feel expensive, rather than just tough. The Land Rover Explore’s sides are 7000 series aluminium, rather than plastic or rubber, which tends to handle impacts better. We realize the Land Rover Explore smartphone is all about being location-specific, but it would be more useful if data like weather and sunset/sunrise times were retained from the last known location (most likely your home, or a Wi-Fi-equipped hotel lobby from where you left for the wilderness the previous day).

To fully sell the Land Rover Explore as a phone for trekkers, you also get a one-year subscription to ViewRanger, a great nerdy alternative to Google Maps. It uses Ordnance Survey maps that have more detailed topographic annotations than the ‘terrain’ view of Google Maps. Find out how to use Bluetooth ® Connectivity with your mobile phone and explore the features that can keep you connected while you drive. Bullitt Group is launching the Land Rover Explore R, the second device made in collaboration with the car manufacturer, this week. Another highlight of the Land Rover Explore is its ViewRanger app, which allows hikers and cyclists to navigate using off-road topographical mapping in conjunction with that ceramic patch GPS antenna.

Details

The 5" full HD screen dashboard is customizable, and there is a large catalogue of outdoor-related apps and content to help you on your adventure. Already pre-loaded onto the device is the ViewRanger app for access to detailed, premium topographic mapping and Skyline Augmented Reality mode. The screen stays readable, reducing glare even in bright sunlight and also has a handy Night-Mode for the best visibility in the dark. The touchscreen remains functional when the screen or your fingers are wet from rain or snow, and can still be controlled while wearing gloves. Although the modified Android OS is outdoorsy to the core, too many of the key data metrics gathered become unavailable when the phone goes truly off-grid. Critical information like sunrise and sunset times only remain when the phone is refreshing on a data connection; go off grid – which is surely what this phone is for – and key data disappears. Navigation will require further subscription after the initial term advised by your Land Rover Retailer. Maybe I’m too pessimistic. Maybe it’s going to be a great phone. Maybe people will love it. And maybe the big brains at Land Rover know exactly what they’re doing releasing a goddamn phone. It’s therefore good to see that the attachable battery has been done away with and the camera quality has been improved. It will be interesting to see if the software issues still exist though. We’ve just got a device in for testing so keep an eye out for our upcoming review.

Phone, Text Messaging, ViewRanger premiummapping app, Skyline Augmented Reality, Explore Hub, Night Mode(red-light filter), Customizable Dashboard, AVG antivirus, Office Suite, File Commander, SOS Flashlight feature While you can get take reasonable day-lit shots with a little patience, the Explore’s low-light image quality is fairly poor. Pictures look soft. The app is simplistic, too. Panorama is the only extra mode, although dig into settings and you can record RAW images rather than JPEGs, letting you coax the most from this under-optimised camera. Selfies are soft and milky-looking, too. If you want to take memory-sculpting photos of a mountain ascent, bring a proper camera. A Corning Gorilla glass 6 protects the touchscreen against scratches but also allows the user to operate the phone when their hands are wet or when they’re wearing gloves.

It’s all about location, location, location for this ‘outdoor phone'

The Land Rover Explore is a dual SIM mobile that accepts . Connectivity options include GPS. Sensors on the phone include Compass Magnetometer. Popular Filters Android 7.1 Nougat is installed as standard, but an update to Android 8.0 Oreo is planned. Battery Life With a width of 152 millimeters and a depth of 75.3 millimeters, the Land Rover Explore is designed to be easily handheld and portable. Its rugged construction and protective features make it a reliable smartphone for outdoor activities and harsh environments. However, there’s no such phone on the market right now with that level of water-resistance. This is the best you can get right now.