AGM preparing ruggedized smartphone with flagship specs

AGM might not be a household name like Samsung or Apple, but they are well known around the world for their ruggedized phones. A successor to the X1, the X2 will feature a Snapdragon 835 SoC, Adreno 540 graphics, X16 LTE, 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, 256GB of solid-state storage, and a 6000mAh batttery.

An IP (ingress protection) rating of 68 means that it has the highest protection rating against both dust and water, allowing submersion beyond 1 meter. Other phones with IP68 ratings include the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge, the Apple iPhone 7, and Motorola Moto G. However, despite these phones also having an IP68 rating, they are almost certainly not as sturdy or reliable as a fully ruggedized phone like the X2—we all know what happens when you drop an iPhone 7 without a case.

AGM will also release an X2 "Pro" variant with a huge 10,000 mAh battery, and omnibearing ambient sensor (likely for use as a compass). Even if you don't need a ruggedized phone, the enormous batteries (two to three times larger than today's consumer flagships) might be a persuasive feature in such a powerful phone. Pricing and release dates are unknown, but it will likely be significantly cheaper than both the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8.