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RugGear RG850 Smartphone Review

No bricks here. While most outdoor smartphones resemble a brick, RugGear has given the RG850 a more understated design that makes it look more like a traditional smartphone. The manufacturer has not sacrificed features to achieve this either, which is impressive. Read on to find out whether the RG850 can stand out from its competitors and how it performs in our tests.
RugGear RG850

RugGear is a brand with which we are not overly familiar. The RG850 is the first device by the Chinese manufacturer that we have managed to get our hands on, although it also sells many other smartphones and accessories. RugGear even sells a case that transforms the iPhone 6, 6s, 7 and 8 into a quasi-outdoor smartphone that has an additional 2,300 mAh battery.

The RG850 has a 5.99-inch display that RugGear has paired with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC, which integrates a Qualcomm Adreno 505 GPU, 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage. The choice of components puts the RG850 in the lower mid-range of modern smartphones, and it should be powerful enough to handle most tasks to which you subject it.

We have chosen to compare the RG850 against other outdoor smartphones. Our comparison devices will include the Blackview BV9000 Pro, CAT S41, Crosscall Action-X3, and Ulefone Armor 6. These smartphones cost between €260 (~ US$292) and €500 (~ US$562) when we reviewed them, while the RG850 currently costs approximately €400 (~ US$449), for reference.

RugGear RG850
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) 8 x 1.4 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.99 inch 18:9, 1440 x 720 pixel 269 PPI, kapazitiv, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 23 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headphone jack, Card Reader: up to 128 GB microSD cards. FAT and FAT32 file systems supported., Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, e-compass, proximity sensor
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, 2G GSM: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900. 3G UMTS: B1, B2, B4, B5, B8. 4G LTE FDD/TDD: B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B20, B38, B40., Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 11.5 x 163 x 79.2 ( = 0.45 x 6.42 x 3.12 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 12 MPix autofocus
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix fixed focus
Additional features
Speakers: Mono speaker, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: no, USB charger, Type-C cable, headphones, SIM tool, screen protector, 24 Months Warranty, SAR values: Body – 1.027 W/kg, Head - 0.762 W/kg., fanless, ruggedized
Weight
209 g ( = 7.37 oz / 0.46 pounds), Power Supply: 73 g ( = 2.58 oz / 0.16 pounds)
Price
400 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Our RG850 review unit is well built with its mostly black plastic design. The device also has aluminum strips that run down the long sides of the frame and reportedly make it dust and water resistant. The protective covers for the card slot and headphone jack add to this impression too, although they are fiddly to open without tools.

RugGear states that the RG850 is IP68 and MIL-STD-810G certified, which it claims means that it is can survive drops of up to 1.2 meters (~4 feet). The device should also remain water-tight for up to 30 minutes when submerged in up to 1.5 meters (~5 feet) of water. MIL-STD-810G certification means that a device has successfully passed fourteen environmental and climatic tests, but keep in mind that no independent organization or agency regulates MIL-STD-810 compliance. Hence, we would recommend exercising some caution if you see something with MIL-STD-810 certification.

The RG850 is comparatively light too. Our review unit weighs just 209 g (~7.4 oz), which is lighter than all our comparison devices. The case is also only 11.5 mm (~0.45 in) thick, which helps it fit better in our hands than the other rugged smartphones that we have tested. The RG850 is noticeably longer than the CAT S41 and Crosscall Action-X3 though, but both have considerably smaller displays than our review unit.

RugGear RG850
RugGear RG850

Size Comparison

166 mm / 6.54 inch 83 mm / 3.27 inch 13.2 mm / 0.52 inch 268 g0.591 lbs163 mm / 6.42 inch 82 mm / 3.23 inch 12 mm / 0.4724 inch 253 g0.558 lbs163 mm / 6.42 inch 79.2 mm / 3.12 inch 11.5 mm / 0.4528 inch 209 g0.4608 lbs152.5 mm / 6 inch 79 mm / 3.11 inch 12.5 mm / 0.4921 inch 213 g0.4696 lbs152 mm / 5.98 inch 75 mm / 2.95 inch 12.9 mm / 0.508 inch 218 g0.4806 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

RugGear equips the RG850 with a Snapdragon 430, which integrates an Adreno 505 GPU, and 3 GB of RAM. The manufacturer complements these with 32 GB of eMMC flash storage, of which approximately 23 GB was free upon first booting the device. The internal storage can be expanded with up to 128 GB microSD cards though if you run out of storage. The RG850 is a dual-SIM device too, although it has a hybrid second SIM slot, which means that you must choose between microSD card expansion and dual-SIM functionality.

The Chinese manufacturer has also equipped the device with a USB 2.0 Type-C port, which we always like to see. We would have preferred USB 3.0 or 3.1 speeds though. The RG850 has a 3.5 mm headphone jack too, which is becoming increasingly rare.

Software

RugGear currently ships the RG850 with Android 8.1 Oreo. While it had pushed out February 5, 2019 security patches to our review unit at the time of testing, there is no word on whether the Chinese manufacturer will update the device to Android 9.0 Pie and beyond.

The OS is at least a stock experience though. RugGear installs no in-house or third-party apps and has retained all original functionality like multiple user accounts. Unfortunately, the RG850 is only Widevine DRM L3 certified, which restricts it streaming DRM protected content from services like Amazon Prime Video or Netflix in SD rather than HD.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Default app drawer
Default app drawer
Quick Settings
Quick Settings
Quick Settings customisation
Quick Settings customisation
Storage information
Storage information
Device information
Device information

Communication & GPS

The RG850 can connect to GSM, 3G or LTE networks. The device supports LTE Cat. 4 for up to 150 MBit/s download and 50 MBit/s upload speeds. RugGear has also equipped the device with Bluetooth 4.2 functionality, while it supports up to IEEE 802.11 n Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, the RG850 does not have an NFC chip so you cannot use it with services like Google Play.

Our review unit has below-average Wi-Fi performance. The device averaged less than 50 MBit/s in both iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests that we conducted with our reference Linksys EA8500 router. We positioned the RG850 next to the router too, eliminating the possibility of any other devices interfering with our tests. In short, the device has a bargain basement Wi-Fi modem that is much slower than those in the Crosscall Action-X3 and Ulefone Armor 6.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Ulefone Armor 6
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
311 (292min - 329max) MBit/s +954%
Crosscall Action-X3
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
201 MBit/s +581%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mali-T880 MP2, Helio P25, 128 GB eMMC Flash
99.8 MBit/s +238%
CAT S41
Mali-T880 MP2, Helio P20 MT6757, 32 GB eMMC Flash
38.7 MBit/s +31%
RugGear RG850
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
29.5 (17min - 46max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +726%
Ulefone Armor 6
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
344 (219min - 350max) MBit/s +656%
Crosscall Action-X3
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
199 MBit/s +337%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mali-T880 MP2, Helio P25, 128 GB eMMC Flash
111 MBit/s +144%
RugGear RG850
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
45.5 (36min - 51max) MBit/s
CAT S41
Mali-T880 MP2, Helio P20 MT6757, 32 GB eMMC Flash
38.1 MBit/s -16%
05101520253035404550Tooltip
RugGear RG850; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø45.4 (36-51)
RugGear RG850; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø29.6 (17-46)
GPS test: Outdoors
GPS test: Outdoors
GPS test: Indoors
GPS test: Indoors

The RG850 uses BeiDou, GLONASS and GPS for location services, the accuracy of which we checked with the GPS Test app. Our review unit cannot locate us indoors, but it could do so with up to 3 meters (~10 feet) accuracy when we tested it outdoors.

We also took our review unit on a bike ride to compare its location accuracy against our trusty Garmin Edge 520. The RG850 deviated by 290 meters (~317 yards) compared to the route that the Garmin plotted, which represents an 8% deviation. Looking at the screenshots of the two routes explains the difference between the total recorded distances. The RG850 cuts corners more often than the Garmin to keep up with us. This degree of inaccuracy makes it look like we have cycled through houses rather than around them, for example. Overall, the RG850 is accurate enough for general navigation tasks, but it will not replace a dedicated navigation device.

GPS test: RugGear RG850 - Overview
GPS test: RugGear RG850 - Overview
GPS test: RugGear RG850 - Bridge
GPS test: RugGear RG850 - Bridge
GPS test: RugGear RG850 – Loop
GPS test: RugGear RG850 – Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Loop
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Loop

Telephone Features & Call Quality

A look at the Google dialler
A look at the Google dialler

The RG850 uses the standard Google app suite for telephony, which operates just as it does on other devices that we tested. We experienced no issues with the Phone app during our tests either.

Our review unit has decent call quality, with our call partner remaining intelligible throughout our tests. We could even hear them in loud environments. We would recommend using the included set of headphones if you are struggling to hear the person with whom you are talking though, as these get louder than the earpiece or speakers do.

Cameras

Taking a selfie with the RugGear RG850
Taking a selfie with the RugGear RG850

RugGear has equipped the RG850 with an 8 MP front-facing camera that has a fixed focus, along with a 12 MP rear-facing autofocus sensor. The former takes uninspiring photos that are tricky to keep focused. Moreover, the sensor struggles to demarcate objects, while fine details are all but lost behind image noise. Colors also generally look too pale for our liking.

The default camera app has several color filters for taking playful selfies and allows you to adjust the ISO or white balance. Unfortunately, both only have a few levels to choose from, while changing either setting has a limited effect on the quality of photos that the front-facing sensor takes.

The rear-facing sensor is slightly better and can take passable photos in good lighting. The edges of objects are demarcated well and do not blur into each other, although color contours and transitions do even without zooming in on photos. The rear-facing sensor has more accurate color reproduction than its front-facing counterpart though. Moreover, macro shots look surprisingly impressive if taken in good lighting. The same cannot be said for low light shots though, which are underexposed and out of focus. Colors look overly cold too, while bright areas are completely blown out. The default camera app has the same settings for the rear-facing camera as it does when taking selfies.

Videos are of comparable quality to photos. Our review unit captures fast movements well, but the cameras take a while to adjust to sudden changes in ambient lighting. Both sensors utilize electronic image stabilization (EIS) to compensate against minor camera shakes, which worked well during our tests.

The RG850 can record videos in up to 1080p at 30 FPS, with 60 FPS recordings being restricted to 720p and lower resolutions. The default camera app can record endlessly at any resolution, but you can also limit recordings to 30 minutes, 10 minutes or 30 seconds. Furthermore, you can record VGA and QVGA videos in 90 or 120 FPS should you wish to do so.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour

We also tested the RG850 under controlled lighting conditions to better assess its cameras. Our review unit over and under saturates many colors compared to the ColorChecker reference color, but some colors like black and peach are spot on.

Our review unit does a good job of capturing our test chart too. The rear-facing sensor preserves fine details and structures, while text stands out well from even dark backgrounds. Contrast levels noticeably drop off in the bottom left and right corners, but this is a problem for many smartphones, so it is not overly concerning.

A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail

Accessories & Warranty

RugGear includes a USB charger, a matching Type-C cable, a screen protector and a pair of headphones in the box. The manufacturer does not sell any RG850 specific accessories at the time of writing.

The RG850 comes with 24-months limited manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

RugGear pre-installs Google Gboard as the default keyboard. The app operates just as well as it does on other devices that we have reviewed.

The touchscreen on our review unit responded quickly and accurately even into the corners of the display throughout our tests. The display has a rough finish though that makes single and multi-finger gestures difficult to perform. The accelerometer reliably adjusted the orientation of the display too, although the process is slightly slower than we would have liked.

Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The RG850 has a 5.99-inch IPS display that operates natively at 1,440 x 720. Our review unit achieved an average maximum brightness of 469 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2 and has an 88% evenly lit display. Both values put the RG850 in the midfield of our comparison table, with the Blackview BV9000 Pro leading the way thanks to its 28% brighter display. We should point out that the more practical APL50 test recorded the display in our review unit reaching a maximum of 490 cd/m² and a minimum of 0.6 cd/m².

Disappointingly, the RG850 uses pulse-width modulation (PWM) to adjust display brightness at 25% and below. The display flickers at 781 Hz, which is low enough to cause health problems like eye strain and headaches for those who are PWM sensitive.

472
cd/m²
497
cd/m²
487
cd/m²
481
cd/m²
444
cd/m²
492
cd/m²
446
cd/m²
436
cd/m²
465
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 497 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 468.9 cd/m² Minimum: 10.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 444 cd/m²
Contrast: 716:1 (Black: 0.62 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.75 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 13.5 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
90.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.736
RugGear RG850
IPS, 1440x720, 5.99
Ulefone Armor 6
IPS LCD, 2246x1080, 6.20
CAT S41
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.00
Crosscall Action-X3
IPS, 1280x800, 5.00
Blackview BV9000 Pro
IPS, 1440x720, 5.70
Screen
56%
17%
35%
33%
Brightness middle
444
418
-6%
537
21%
417
-6%
621
40%
Brightness
469
413
-12%
506
8%
425
-9%
598
28%
Brightness Distribution
88
91
3%
86
-2%
91
3%
91
3%
Black Level *
0.62
0.2
68%
0.9
-45%
0.29
53%
0.64
-3%
Contrast
716
2090
192%
597
-17%
1438
101%
970
35%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.75
4.5
54%
5.02
49%
7.12
27%
5.5
44%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
22.4
6.8
70%
7.98
64%
10.19
55%
10
55%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
13.5
3.3
76%
5.3
61%
6.1
55%
5.1
62%
Gamma
2.736 80%
2.24 98%
2.154 102%
2.687 82%
2.52 87%
CCT
9287 70%
7205 90%
7226 90%
7687 85%
7362 88%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 781 Hz ≤ 25 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 781 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 25 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 781 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17933 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The RG850 also has a 0.62 cd/m² black value, which is comparatively high for an IPS display. The high black value gives blacks a light gray haze to them and results in an underwhelming 716:1 contrast ratio, which is beaten by all but the CAT S41 of our comparison devices.

CalMAN analysis also shows that the display has a blue tint to it. We managed to counteract this slightly by activating the night-light mode, which reduces the blue light that the display emits while boosting the red light that it produces. This functions just like any other eye-saver that you may have used previously.

CalMAN: Color Accuracy
CalMAN: Color Accuracy
CalMAN: Color Space
CalMAN: Color Space
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Color Saturation
CalMAN: Color Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
22 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 13 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 42 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 21 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 69 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms).

The RG850 is usable outdoors, but we would recommend avoiding direct sunlight where possible. The display gets bright enough to remain readable on a sunny day, but it has a glossy and highly reflective finish. Moreover, its low contrast ratio makes content look washed out and difficult to read, especially when you are already battling against dazzling reflections.

Using the RugGear RG850 outdoors
Using the RugGear RG850 outdoors
Using the RugGear RG850 outdoors
Using the RugGear RG850 outdoors

The RG850 has decent viewing angles thanks to its IPS panels, although there are some deficiencies. We noticed no color distortions at acute viewing angles, but brightness levels drop off slightly. Overall, you should have no problems with reading the display from practically any angle other than when reflections hinder your view.

Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles

Performance

RugGear has equipped the RG850 with a Snapdragon 430 SoC, which integrates an Adreno 505 GPU, along with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of eMMC flash storage. These components, which are identical to those in the Action-X3, place the RG850 firmly in the lower mid-range of smartphones.

Accordingly, our review unit and the Action-X3 achieve comparable benchmark results. However, these are rather below average compared to our other comparison devices.

The underwhelming benchmark scores do not reflect our experiences with the device in daily use though. Most apps loaded promptly and ran well; we had no system performance issues either. Inexplicably, we could not get GFXBench to work despite several installations and reboots.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
685 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
Points -100%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
869 Points +27%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
634 Points -7%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
828 Points +21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (619 - 685, n=16)
657 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (934 - 9574, n=91, last 2 years)
5228 Points +663%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
2605 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
Points -100%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
3414 Points +31%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
2360 Points -9%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
3818 Points +47%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (2222 - 2889, n=16)
2553 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=91, last 2 years)
14045 Points +439%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
2452 Points
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
2888 Points +18%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
2045 Points -17%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
2635 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (1731 - 2461, n=13)
2118 Points -14%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=72, last 2 years)
10872 Points +343%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
4290 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
9513 Points +122%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
4778 Points +11%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
4665 Points +9%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
4465 Points +4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (3347 - 5290, n=18)
4577 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +252%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
3596 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
6950 Points +93%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
Points -100%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
3666 Points +2%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
3865 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (3408 - 3892, n=16)
3668 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +202%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
9551 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
19616 Points +105%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
13404 Points +40%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
9231 Points -3%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
10258 Points +7%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (9213 - 9977, n=18)
9559 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
9704 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
18998 Points +96%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
13844 Points +43%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
9342 Points -4%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
10023 Points +3%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (9342 - 10271, n=17)
9707 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
9051 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
22137 Points +145%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
12063 Points +33%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
8864 Points -2%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
11176 Points +23%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (8253 - 10364, n=17)
9093 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
593 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
1008 Points +70%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
969 Points +63%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
561 Points -5%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1008 Points +70%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (554 - 613, n=18)
583 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=50, last 2 years)
3766 Points +535%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
522 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
861 Points +65%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
909 Points +74%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
492 Points -6%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
921 Points +76%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (483 - 535, n=18)
509 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=50, last 2 years)
4186 Points +702%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1128 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
2511 Points +123%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1261 Points +12%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1099 Points -3%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1505 Points +33%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (1002 - 1339, n=18)
1182 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=50, last 2 years)
3082 Points +173%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
601 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
1581 Points +163%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
961 Points +60%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
549 Points -9%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1047 Points +74%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (542 - 612, n=18)
583 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=113, last 2 years)
9235 Points +1437%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
529 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
1441 Points +172%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
889 Points +68%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
478 Points -10%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
978 Points +85%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (423 - 532, n=18)
506 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=112, last 2 years)
16095 Points +2943%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1148 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
2765 Points +141%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1338 Points +17%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1148 Points 0%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1391 Points +21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (1072 - 1333, n=18)
1195 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=112, last 2 years)
4393 Points +283%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
304 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
733 Points +141%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
707 Points +133%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
284 Points -7%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
685 Points +125%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (284 - 330, n=18)
303 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=103, last 2 years)
2770 Points +811%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
252 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
628 Points +149%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
613 Points +143%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
234 Points -7%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
600 Points +138%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (234 - 271, n=18)
250 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=103, last 2 years)
2769 Points +999%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1116 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
2478 Points +122%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1529 Points +37%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1098 Points -2%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1353 Points +21%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (1034 - 1360, n=18)
1178 Points +6%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=103, last 2 years)
3166 Points +184%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
364 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
1037 Points +185%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
717 Points +97%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
333 Points -9%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
750 Points +106%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (333 - 369, n=18)
354 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=179, last 2 years)
6717 Points +1745%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
305 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
881 Points +189%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
633 Points +108%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
277 Points -9%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
647 Points +112%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (277 - 306, n=18)
295 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=178, last 2 years)
9680 Points +3074%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1121 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
2675 Points +139%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1340 Points +20%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1131 Points +1%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1693 Points +51%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (1064 - 1338, n=18)
1195 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=178, last 2 years)
4214 Points +276%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
376 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  ()
376 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (365 - 6439, n=97, last 2 years)
2687 Points +615%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
306 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  ()
306 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (298 - 8601, n=97, last 2 years)
2871 Points +838%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1835 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  ()
1835 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1667 - 3525, n=97, last 2 years)
2676 Points +46%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
59936 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
131861 Points +120%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
57023 Points -5%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (44992 - 59990, n=11)
56835 Points -5%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
889 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
2062 Points +132%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1255 Points +41%
Crosscall Action-X3
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
Points -100%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1370 Points +54%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (263 - 1055, n=17)
737 Points -17%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=165, last 2 years)
5745 Points +546%
System (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
1746 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
4736 Points +171%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
2372 Points +36%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
3238 Points +85%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (1281 - 2154, n=17)
1726 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=165, last 2 years)
9678 Points +454%
Memory (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
706 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
2276 Points +222%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1269 Points +80%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1028 Points +46%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (530 - 1209, n=17)
769 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12716, n=165, last 2 years)
6250 Points +785%
Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
740 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
1486 Points +101%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
1126 Points +52%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
1121 Points +51%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (715 - 788, n=17)
738 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=165, last 2 years)
14101 Points +1806%
Web (sort by value)
RugGear RG850
Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Adreno 505, 3072
684 Points
Ulefone Armor 6
Mediatek Helio P60, Mali-G72 MP3, 6144
1128 Points +65%
CAT S41
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, Mali-T880 MP2, 3072
731 Points +7%
Blackview BV9000 Pro
Mediatek Helio P25, Mali-T880 MP2, 6144
945 Points +38%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
  (10 - 866, n=17)
499 Points -27%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=165, last 2 years)
1494 Points +118%

The RG850 and Action-X3 achieved comparable results in browser benchmarks too. Both devices sit in the lower midfield of our comparison tables, but subjectively websites still load quickly. Media content takes a bit longer to load though.

WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (39 - 304, n=122, last 2 years)
133.1 Points +85%
RugGear RG850 (Chrome 73)
72 Points
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (24 - 72, n=3)
41.7 Points -42%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=210, last 2 years)
33573 Points +892%
Ulefone Armor 6 (Chrome 71)
8287 Points +145%
CAT S41 (Chrome 67)
5024 Points +48%
Blackview BV9000 Pro (Chrome Mobile 53)
4155 Points +23%
RugGear RG850 (Chrome 73)
3386 Points
Crosscall Action-X3 (Chrome 68)
3251 Points -4%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (2604 - 3438, n=18)
3194 Points -6%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Blackview BV9000 Pro (Chrome Mobile 53)
16298 ms * -20%
RugGear RG850 (Chrome 73)
13599 ms *
Crosscall Action-X3 (Chrome 68)
13331 ms * +2%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (10396 - 14709, n=18)
12677 ms * +7%
CAT S41 (Chrome 67)
10444 ms * +23%
Ulefone Armor 6 (Chrome 71)
4416 ms * +68%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=172, last 2 years)
1599 ms * +88%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (last 2 years)
104.3 Points +468%
Ulefone Armor 6 (Chrome 71)
45.02 (8min) Points +145%
Blackview BV9000 Pro (Chrome Mobile 53)
32.42 Points +77%
CAT S41 (Chrome 67)
26.67 Points +45%
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) (17.6 - 21.5, n=16)
19.1 Points +4%
RugGear RG850 (Chrome 73)
18.35 Points
Crosscall Action-X3 (Chrome 68)
18.05 Points -2%

* ... smaller is better

RugGear has equipped the RG850 with 32 GB of eMMC flash storage that performed slightly better than expected in all but one of AndroBench’s benchmarks. Our review unit has slower storage than all our comparison devices though.

The RG850 has an above average microSD card reader. Our review unit achieved faster transfer speeds overall with our reference Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 than all our comparison devices, although it is a shame that we could only format the card as external rather than internal storage.

RugGear RG850Ulefone Armor 6CAT S41Crosscall Action-X3Blackview BV9000 ProAverage 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
35%
-18%
-3%
20%
4%
959%
Sequential Read 256KB
280.1
290.8
4%
253
-10%
264.7
-5%
244.7
-13%
Sequential Write 256KB
120.7
188.4
56%
117.2
-3%
139.3
15%
174.6
45%
100.5 ?(14.8 - 196, n=247)
-17%
Random Read 4KB
39
81.3
108%
65.5
68%
47
21%
72.6
86%
Random Write 4KB
12.64
19.87
57%
12.99
3%
8.4
-34%
12.72
1%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
83.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
75.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-10%
23.87
-72%
84.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
76.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-9%
71.8 ?(8.2 - 96.5, n=178)
-14%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
63.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
60.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-6%
5
-92%
56.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-12%
68.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
8%
52.9 ?(3.4 - 87.1, n=178)
-17%

Games

The Adreno 505 can play most games smoothly. Arena of Valor ran without any issues even at high graphics, but complex games like PUBG Mobile are beyond what the GPU can handle.

The touchscreen and accelerometer worked perfectly during our gaming tests too. We experienced no latency problems in fast-paced games like Temple Run 2 either, but the rough finish to the display quickly made us tire of performing swiping gestures.

Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor
Temple Run 2
Temple Run 2

Emissions

Temperature

The RG850 remains pleasantly cool when idling. Surface temperatures on our review unit never exceeded 30 °C (86°F), but things changed drastically when we subjected the device to sustained load. Temperatures then rise to 46 °C (~115 °F), which will feel hot to the touch. We did not notice any thermal throttling though, although you may struggle to hold the RG850 when gaming for prolonged periods.

Max. Load
 46 °C
115 F
37.4 °C
99 F
35.6 °C
96 F
 
 43.8 °C
111 F
37.3 °C
99 F
37.7 °C
100 F
 
 41 °C
106 F
36.8 °C
98 F
35.5 °C
96 F
 
Maximum: 46 °C = 115 F
Average: 39 °C = 102 F
31.8 °C
89 F
35.1 °C
95 F
38.9 °C
102 F
32.3 °C
90 F
35.1 °C
95 F
37.8 °C
100 F
31.5 °C
89 F
33.8 °C
93 F
35.6 °C
96 F
Maximum: 38.9 °C = 102 F
Average: 34.7 °C = 94 F
Power Supply (max.)  42.1 °C = 108 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 39 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46 °C / 115 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.9 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The RG850 has a mono speaker that reached a maximum of 79.5 dB(A) during our tests. The speaker reproduces hardly any bass, but the audio it reproduces is listenable. In short, the RG850 is good enough for occasionally playing media content, but we would advise using external speakers or headphones where possible for a better listening experience.

You could do the latter either with Bluetooth or the headphone jack, which both worked perfectly in our tests. The latter keeps headphone cables firmly in place too.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs204351.32539.142.73132.934.54038.834.75042.240.16332.432.98026.728.410025.925.312529.232.116024.928.520020.132.325019.136.931518.943.140018.549.850019.556.563017.163.680016.168.7100016.271.9125015.672.5160016.469.520001768.6250016.368.1315015.367.3400015.461.1500015.262.2630015.262.8800015.462.61000015.562.21250015.453.51600015.548.8SPL73.371.367.173.666.728.779.5N28.626.720.828.218.51.241.9median 16.4median 62.2median 44median 50.9median 42.6median 14.9median 60.7Delta4.913.123.222.724.113.818.838.137.937.634.835.930.328.128.328.629.327.826.429.824.330.424.722.220.823.922202919.434.217.240.216.45016.553.915.159.615.165.614.666.414.464.413.766.512.365.212.161.811.861.311.759.911.759.911.660.411.657.911.557.611.558.511.656.957.971.366.356.725.974.811.324.316.810.40.832.5median 14.4median 58.5median 41.6median 33.6median 13.3median 53.65.211.824.723.212.621.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseRugGear RG850Crosscall Action-X3
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
RugGear RG850 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (79.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 31% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Crosscall Action-X3 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 58% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The power consumption of the RG850 is on par with what we expect from a Snapdragon 430 powered device. Our review unit consumes a minimum of 1.2 W at idle and a maximum of 6 W under load, the latter of which is better than all our comparison devices. Overall, the RG850 is more power efficient than practically all the devices in our comparison table.

RugGear includes a 10 W charger in the box. The charger is powerful enough to keep the RG850 charging even when the device is being pushed to its limits.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.2 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.2 / 1.7 / 2.6 Watt
Load midlight 3.8 / 6 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
RugGear RG850
4000 mAh
Ulefone Armor 6
5000 mAh
CAT S41
5000 mAh
Crosscall Action-X3
3500 mAh
Blackview BV9000 Pro
4180 mAh
Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937)
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
3%
-14%
-16%
-7%
1%
-2%
Idle Minimum *
1.2
0.9
25%
1.4
-17%
1.1
8%
1.04
13%
0.918 ?(0.52 - 1.88, n=18)
23%
Idle Average *
1.7
2.04
-20%
2.2
-29%
1.9
-12%
2.14
-26%
2.01 ?(1.4 - 4.17, n=18)
-18%
Idle Maximum *
2.6
2.09
20%
2.8
-8%
2.9
-12%
2.17
17%
Load Average *
3.8
3.4
11%
4.1
-8%
4.8
-26%
5.11
-34%
Load Maximum *
6
7.31
-22%
6.4
-7%
8.4
-40%
6.37
-6%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The RG850 has a 4,000 mAh battery, which is smaller than all but the BV9000 Pro of our comparison devices. Our review unit lasted just over 14 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test, which is decent for a device with a 4,000 mAh battery. The Armor 6 and CAT S41 achieved slightly longer runtimes, but not massively so. In short, the RG850 has impressive battery life that will easily see you through an entire working day.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
14h 17min
RugGear RG850
4000 mAh
Ulefone Armor 6
5000 mAh
CAT S41
5000 mAh
Crosscall Action-X3
3500 mAh
Blackview BV9000 Pro
4180 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
857
874
2%
953
11%
843
-2%
579
-32%

Pros

+ comparatively slim design
+ long battery life
+ IP68 and MIL-STD-810G certified

Cons

- uninspiring cameras
- USB 2.0 Type-C port
- low contrast ratio
- high display black value

Verdict

The RugGear RG850 smartphone review. Test device courtesy of RugGear Germany.
The RugGear RG850 smartphone review. Test device courtesy of RugGear Germany.

The RugGear RG850 is a competent mid-range smartphone that stands out from its contemporaries mainly because of its stock Android OS. While it under-performs compared to many of our comparison devices, it still maintained smooth performance even in demanding apps. The camera, display and Wi-Fi performance are underwhelming too, but not significantly so.

The RugGear RG850 is a decent mid-range smartphone that manages to be slimmer than its competitors without sacrificing on features or build quality.

The RG850’s slim design is another area that distinguishes it from other rugged smartphones. The device does not feel as bulky as many of its contemporaries do and fits nicely in our hands despite having a 6-inch display. Overall, the RugGear RG850 is a compelling proposition for those who are after a smartphone that can survive being dropped and thrown about without being the size and shape of a brick as many rugged smartphones are.

RugGear RG850 - 05/12/2019 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
87%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
36 / 60 → 60%
Weight
88%
Battery
97%
Display
79%
Games Performance
22 / 63 → 35%
Application Performance
40 / 70 → 57%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
64%
Average
70%
79%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Mike Wobker, 2019-05-14 (Update: 2019-05-16)