It’s not possible that every time we get what we want. Similarly, it’s not likely that we get every promising feature inside a smartphone what we dreamt. We have to make a sacrifice when it comes to selecting a smartphone. Even magnificent smartphones have drawbacks. A smartphone is never perfect until it suits your needs. For the rugged smartphones enthusiasts out there; who wish to get a rugged phone with the latest Android; we have a perfect choice. Meet our today’s protagonist ‘Geotel A1’, which is not only immune to any environment but also the only rugged phone to run on Android 7.0.

But, seriously we haven’t featured it on XiaomiToday, just because of these selling points. A1 is more than these than these two highlights. Let’s uncover some surprises of Geotel A1 in this review:

Geotel A1 Review – A Newcomer’s Journey To Be The Best

Design & Appearance

To be honest, there’s nothing special about the material of the phone. Like most rugged smartphones the chassis molds from Polycarbonate metal which is way tougher than aluminum. Still, the change comes with the TPU (soft plastic) girdling the borders and acting as a buffer against bone shattering drops. Plus, it also provides a perfect hand grip to minimize the chances of the slipping and makes us carefree.

To make in entirely resistant to any harsh environments, A1 has a true military grade unibody design which is tightly sealed. Thus, the manufacturer from the Chinese land wants to ensure that no more protection is needed for the Geotel A1, which is appreciable.

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With those fastened screws, colored streaks, and sheared edges, we have to say the flagship is a masterpiece regarding design and appearance. Speaking of the physical dimensions, 14.58  x 7.8 x 1.68cm makes the phone a thicker entry. That’s probably because of the sealed polycarbonate case. Still, the terminal is considered to be slim compared to other rugged smartphones falling under the same price tag. Moreover, Geotel A1 is a lighter built with a weight of 171g. Obviously, the phone is bulky for those who prefer elegant smartphones but for the rugged smartphones lovers out there; it’s more than a miracle.

On the top front, we have the front shooter, but sadly it doesn’t have a notification LED, something which can be ignored for that price tag. The three touch-based LED buttons maintain a worth traditional look.

Heading to the rear which is entirely covered with the polycarbonate case. Only the rear camera and dual flash are exposed. It can be unscrewed to make the battery, SIM slots and SD slot visible and ready for replacing.

Apart from this, the ports such as the MicroUSB and 3.5 mm audio jack has a dedicated closing lid situated on the top.

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In short, Geotel is a rugged still elegant smartphone with a flawless design and charming appearance.

Durability

We have made this special heading just because Geotel A1 is positioned in the rugged phone category and to let you guys know durability and robustness are the backbones of a rugged smartphone and the reason why people buy it.

Seriously, there’s isn’t anything on the planet that can stop Geotel A1. Like we said it’s invincible to any changes, forces, and medium. It’s a blend of pure physics and chemistry which can tolerate freezing temperatures (-55 to -20 degrees). We know that we are praising the phone over the limits, but it’s worth of those praises. With the sealed unibody, the phone is IP67 certified making it waterproof as well as dustproof at the same time. Mentioning again, with the TPU surrounding, the phone is anti-shock and anti-drop (maximum 1.5 meters).

With every safety, A1 can survive almost every terrain including desert, mountains, snow, river, etc. Still, we won’t recommend you guys to take it along during scuba diving as it’s not that much resistance to increasing water pressure. Well, we can’t have everything under $69.99

Screen & Display

Now comes the surprise. Have you ever thought of a rugged phone with the screen brightness matching the sun’s intensity? Well, Geotel A1 fulfill that dream with 550 nits brightness, which allows no reflection on the screen as display matches light emitted by the sun. The manufacturer claims to have 93% NTSC display vividness which seems to be true as there’s no glare and the text appears to be clear than any other phone in sunlight.

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Still, we have to make a sacrifice with the resolution and screen size because of the budget. So, A1 integrates a mediocre 4.5-inch screen and 720 pixels HD resolution. It’s LCD, and the viewing angles are great with no sign of black shade. The colors are vibrant still lacking the details as the resolution is limited to HD and is not IPS.

Hardware & Performance

You can’t expect a Snapdragon 821 or MediaTek Helio X25 under the hood of a seventy dollar smartphone, especially if it’s a rugged one. Rugged smartphones are optimized to last for days because of the energy efficient hardware. Such is the new Geotel A1 Smartphone featuring a low-tier configuration. A MediaTek Quad-Core Processor MTK6580M is the heart of flagship beating at a low frequency of 1.3GHz. It is further accompanied by 1GB RAM and 8GB storage.

Although limited storage can be deal with the option of adding an SD card up to 64GB, 1GB RAM seems to be the biggest drawback which can’t be solved. Still, scarfaces have to be done to make it an ideal rugged phone which can last for days rather than an endless performance beast.

Camera & Connectivity

Geotel A1 Smartphone features an 8MP rear camera with dual flash. Although the sensor is unknown from the results, we can tell that it’s a Panasonic or a standard OmniVision.

Speaking the truth, not expect much from an 8MP rear and 5MP front camera. Although they yield best shots in daylight, when it comes to low light or night, the camera quality is more than a nightmare. Furthermore, the camera takes some time to focus.

Thankfully, Geotel never compromises with the network and SIM availability as we have the Dual SIM support with dual standby and 3G network compatibility. The receptions are strong of both the WiFi and the network. The bad side is that we might experience low signals of Bluetooth because of the old 2.1 version. GPS is what we need in long travels and is featured in this smartphone.

OS & Battery

Finally, here are the selling points of the flagship. You know a rugged phone is never based on the latest Android OS, but an outdated one, especially if it’s belongs to the Chinese manufacturer. But, Geotel A1 is an expecting as it promises smooth experience Android 7.0 OS.

Although 1GB limited RAM is a problem but it’s a stock Android which means that it comes with default apps to save memory. Cheers! But, make sure that you don’t install too many apps, resulting in freeze or delays.

There is a massive 3400 mAh battery powering the phone. It is removable after a little bit of effort in unscrewing the back. Still, it’s not practicable every time. The phone can last for two days on a single with average use. The credit goes to the energy efficient configuration (low-frequency processor, limited RAM, and display).

Specification Sheet

Pros & Cons

Pros:

• Invincible Design
• Extremely Durable
• 550 nits brightness
• Stupendous Price Tag
• Two days of battery

Cons:

• No LED notification
• 1GB RAM
• Poor camera
• No 4G support

Our Verdict

If you want an invincible buddy that can go with you on adventures and last for days, Geotel A1 Rugged Smartphone seems to be a perfect choice. Although, the specs are not that much promising still everything is fair at a budget-friendly price.

Price & Availability

If you are interested in purchasing, you can buy Geotel A1 from Aliexpress for a price of $69.99. It is available in four colors to select: Black, Yellow, Green, Orange; and comes with screw opener.

We will like to conclude this review by giving you the link to the store: