Notebookcheck Logo

RugGear RG650 Smartphone Review

Something cheap for the great outdoors. The RugGear RG650 is a 200-Euro (~$223) smartphone that possesses all the features that will enable it to survive in the wild. Read our review to find out whether the RG650 truly has what it takes, given its price, or whether RugGear cut costs in other places.
RugGear RG650

The 400-Euro (~$447) RugGear RG850 was the first smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer that we reviewed. Now we have the cheaper RG650 in our lab. This ruggedized smartphone claims to offer all the features of a more-expensive device at a much lower price (200 Euros (~$223)).

We can see the first signs of the kind of cost-cutting that the manufacturer has done when we look at the hardware. The device has the MediaTek MTK6739WW and 2 GB of RAM. These are not very powerful specifications. Moreover, the smartphone comes with the graphics unit known as the PowerVR GE8100 and 16 GB of internal eMMC storage. This will only suffice for simple applications.

Because many other manufacturers have also turned their attention towards low-priced ruggedized smartphones, the RugGear RG650 will have to compete against other similarly priced devices. The competing devices include: the Cubot King Kong 3, the Cyrus CS24, the Poptel P60 and the Ulefone Armor 3T.

RugGear RG650
Processor
Mediatek MT6739WW 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53, Mediatek MTK6739WW
Graphics adapter
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.50 inch 18:9, 1440 x 720 pixel 293 PPI, capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 11.5 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm headphone jack, Card Reader: microSD (FAT, FAT32, up to 128 GB), Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity sensor, motion sensor, e-compass
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, GSM (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS WCDMA (1/5/8), LTE FDD/TDD (1/3/5/7/8/20/40), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 12.5 x 165 x 82.5 ( = 0.49 x 6.5 x 3.25 in)
Battery
4200 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 8 MPix autofocus
Secondary Camera: 2 MPix fixed-focus
Additional features
Speakers: 1 speaker, Keyboard: onscreen, USB charger, MicroUSB cable, SIM card removal tool, 24 Months Warranty, SAR value (head): 0,70 W/kg, SAR value (body): 1,55 W/kg, ruggedized
Weight
196 g ( = 6.91 oz / 0.43 pounds), Power Supply: 51 g ( = 1.8 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Low-priced IP68-certified smartphone

The RugGear RG650 is made of durable plastic. The edges of the screen can be adorned with either a yellow or a black strip. The control buttons are located on the right side of the device. They sit very firmly in their cutouts and have a very shallow actuation point. All openings of the ruggedized smartphone are protected with flaps, which cannot be undone without a special tool. These protect the IP68- and MIL-STD-810G-certified smartphone from water ingress and dust. According to the manufacturer, the RG650 can survive for 30 minutes under 1.5 meters of water. It is also supposed to be able to survive 1.5-meter drops without losing any functionality. 

In terms of thickness and weight, the RugGear RG650 compares very positively to the competing devices. When you hold the RG650 in the hand, it does not feel like a typical, heavy and unwieldy ruggedized smartphone.

RugGear RG650
RugGear RG650
RugGear RG650

Size Comparison

165 mm / 6.5 inch 80 mm / 3.15 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 374 g0.825 lbs167 mm / 6.57 inch 78 mm / 3.07 inch 13.8 mm / 0.543 inch 248 g0.547 lbs165 mm / 6.5 inch 82.5 mm / 3.25 inch 12.5 mm / 0.4921 inch 196 g0.4321 lbs162.5 mm / 6.4 inch 78.3 mm / 3.08 inch 13.3 mm / 0.524 inch 280 g0.617 lbs151 mm / 5.94 inch 79 mm / 3.11 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 220 g0.485 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - Simple smartphone with a headphone jack

The RugGear RG650 has MediaTek’s MTK6739WW, a PowerVR GE8100 graphics unit, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal eMMC memory. Therefore, it is only fit for running simple applications. According to the manufacturer, the internal storage can be expanded by up to 128 GB with the help of a microSD card. However, users who choose to do so will only be able to use one SIM card, because the RG650 comes with a hybrid nanoSIM/microSD card slot. There is also an additional button on the left side of the device, which can be used to launch applications or send out SOS signals.

Data can be transferred via a wired connection with the help of the microUSB port, which operates at USB 2.0 speeds. Headsets and speakers can be connected to the device through the 3.5-mm audio jack.

Software - Ruggedized Oreo smartphone

The RugGear RG650 runs Android Oreo 8.1. The security patches were last updated on October 5, 2018. The manufacturer did not make any changes at all to the user interface. There is only one preinstalled application, which allows users to select what the additional button does. If more than one person is going to use the smartphone, then users can create different accounts in the settings menu. Because the RG650 only supports Widevine L3 DRM, it cannot stream Netflix, Amazon Prime or Maxdome in HD quality.

Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650
Software of the RugGear RG650

Communication and GPS – Android smartphone with LTE

The RugGear RG650 features support for the following mobile communications standards: GSM, 3G and LTE. There is some difference between the EU and the US versions of the smartphone. The difference lies in the UMTS and LTE bands that the smartphone supports. However, both versions operate at LTE Category 4 speeds (download: up to 150 Mb/s, upload: up to 50 Mb/s). 

For short-distance communication, the Android smartphone relies on NFC, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. The RugGear RG650 supports the IEEE-802.11 standards b, g and n and can operate in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. With our reference-grade router Linksys EA8500, the Chinese smartphone achieves an average data reception rate of 91 Mb/s and an average data transmission rate of 102 Mb/s. With this result, it takes a spot close to the top of our comparison chart. 

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
RugGear RG650
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739WW, 16 GB eMMC Flash
102 (57min - 179max) MBit/s
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
99 (30min - 125max) MBit/s -3%
Poptel P60
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763V, 128 GB eMMC Flash
67.6 (17min - 90max) MBit/s -34%
Cyrus CS24
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
54.2 (52min - 57max) MBit/s -47%
Cubot King Kong 3
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
50.2 (35min - 54max) MBit/s -51%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +313%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
94.7 (85min - 96max) MBit/s +4%
RugGear RG650
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739WW, 16 GB eMMC Flash
91 (83min - 93max) MBit/s
Cubot King Kong 3
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
63 (56min - 62max) MBit/s -31%
Cyrus CS24
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
60 (55min - 60max) MBit/s -34%
Poptel P60
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763V, 128 GB eMMC Flash
40.4 (10min - 55max) MBit/s -56%
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170Tooltip
RugGear RG650; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø90.2 (83-93)
RugGear RG650; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø102.3 (57-179)
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test indoors
GPS Test outdoors
GPS Test outdoors

We use the GPS Test application to examine how well the RugGear RG650 does when it comes to geolocation. The ruggedized smartphone supports the following geolocation systems: GPS, GLONASS and Beidou. Outdoors, our review device has a margin of error of three meters. Indoors, the RG650 fails to determine the user’s location.

On our obligatory bike ride, we compare the RG650 with our reference-grade navigator Garmin Edge 520. Here, the route that we took was mapped well by the Android smartphone. However, the curves were often cut, which is why when you look at our route it appears as though we were driving through buildings. That being said, the straight portions of our route were mapped very well.

GPS - RugGear RG650
GPS - RugGear RG650
GPS - RugGear RG650
GPS - RugGear RG650
GPS - RugGear RG650
GPS - RugGear RG650
GPS - Garmin Edge 520
GPS - Garmin Edge 520
GPS - Garmin Edge 520
GPS - Garmin Edge 520
GPS - Garmin Edge 520
GPS - Garmin Edge 520

Telephony and Call Quality - Android telephone with good reception

The smartphone comes with the standard Android phone application. It offers direct access to the call log and allows users to quickly bring up the virtual keyboard. There are two more tabs: One for favorites and the other for contacts. The RG650 has very good volume, which enables users to make phone calls even in very noisy environments. The voices on either end of the call sound intelligible and a lot of background noise is filtered out.

Cameras - Smartphone for occasional snapshots

Selfie
Selfie

The RugGear RG650 has two cameras: The 8 MP rear camera and the 2 MP front-facing camera. The latter takes serviceable selfies under good lighting conditions. However, these selfies start to look quite blurry under closer examination. The fine structures and the edges of the objects are not very well-defined. Moreover, the colors also look washed-out. In the settings menu, the following camera settings can be adjusted: White balance, ISO sensitivity, brightness and illuminance. 

During daylight, the main camera of the RG650 takes usable photos. The colors of the images taken with the Chinese smartphone look good and the edges of the objects are also clearly defined. However, if you take a look at the whole photograph, you will notice that it is illuminated very inconsistently and that it is quite grainy. Good lighting conditions are also required for close shots. This way, the images look sharper and the details as well as fine structures are recognizable. At low zoom levels, the pictures become blurry. In low-light conditions, a small light source in the center of the image is severely overexposed, which makes the colors in the middle of the picture look too bright and the colors along the edges appear too dim. The camera application offers the same settings for the main camera as for the selfie cam.

Videos shot with the RG650 have the same image quality as the photos. However, the dark and bright areas of the video synchronize only after a noticeable delay. Thanks to image stabilization, videos do not look very shaky. Video can be recorded in 1080p, 720p, 480p and CIF. The camera of the RG650 cannot shoot video at high frame rates and does not offer any other features.

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
ColorChecker Passport

We use the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport to evaluate the color reproduction of the RG650’s camera. Here, the main issue revolves around brightness: The colors look overblown.

Our test chart, which we photograph under controlled lighting conditions, is well reproduced. Structures and details are easy to recognize. However, the image appears quite blurry at the edges.

RugGear RG650 - Test chart
RugGear RG650 - Test chart (detail)

Accessories and Warranty – The RugGear smartphone comes with a two-year warranty

The box includes a USB charger with an appropriate USB cable. RugGear does not offer any additional accessories for the RG650. 

The ruggedized smartphone comes with a 24-month warranty. To learn more, visit our FAQ, which has a section that deals with warranty, return policy and other similar issues.

Input Devices and Handling - Simple vibration in the RG650

Google’s GBoard serves as the default keyboard. Therefore, typing messages is very easy. However, this keyboard does not offer many customization options. The touchscreen reacts reliably and promptly to inputs. Every input is accompanied by a vibration, and every time the device vibrates it produces a rattling sound. The screen puts up a lot of resistance when you move your fingers over it. This is why the drag-and-drop functionality does not work very well.

Display - Smartphone with a bright screen

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement

The IPS screen of the RugGear RG650 measures 5.5 inches diagonally and has a native resolution of 1440x720. With a brightness of 540 cd/m², the ruggedized smartphone takes first place in our comparison chart. However, the brightness distribution of 87% is quite average. In the APL50 test, in which the screen displays a pattern that consists of evenly distributed dark and bright areas, the display manages to achieve a brightness of 550 cd/m² and a black value of 0.35 cd/m². With auto brightness enabled and the ambient light sensor engaged the maximum brightness amounts to 562 cd/m².

During our measurements, we determined that the smartphone uses pulse width modulation for brightness control. At 30% brightness and below, the screen flickers with a frequency of 833 Hz. Because the frequency is so low, susceptible individuals may experience discomfort after looking at the screen for long periods of time.

577
cd/m²
527
cd/m²
503
cd/m²
569
cd/m²
545
cd/m²
525
cd/m²
559
cd/m²
539
cd/m²
513
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 577 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 539.7 cd/m² Minimum: 21 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 545 cd/m²
Contrast: 1267:1 (Black: 0.43 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.36 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 8.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.743
RugGear RG650
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Cubot King Kong 3
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Cyrus CS24
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Poptel P60
LCD IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
Ulefone Armor 3T
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
Screen
11%
2%
18%
10%
Brightness middle
545
365
-33%
468
-14%
401
-26%
414
-24%
Brightness
540
379
-30%
451
-16%
387
-28%
425
-21%
Brightness Distribution
87
82
-6%
86
-1%
92
6%
89
2%
Black Level *
0.43
0.14
67%
0.29
33%
0.14
67%
0.27
37%
Contrast
1267
2607
106%
1614
27%
2864
126%
1533
21%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
8.36
8.03
4%
8.27
1%
7.5
10%
6
28%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
15.44
16.34
-6%
16.34
-6%
16.1
-4%
13.1
15%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
8.7
10.3
-18%
9.7
-11%
9.6
-10%
6.8
22%
Gamma
2.743 80%
2.197 100%
2.231 99%
1.99 111%
2.41 91%
CCT
7306 89%
9941 65%
9504 68%
8242 79%
8157 80%

* ... 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 833 Hz ≤ 30 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 833 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 30 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 833 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 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

According to our measurements, the RG650 has a mediocre contrast ratio of 1267:1 and a high black value of 0.46 cd/m². This is why colors are difficult to tell apart and the blacks look grayish. 

The CalMAN analysis reveals that the red portion of the color spectrum is underrepresented. The settings menu does not offer any way to adjust the color reproduction. However, there is a night mode, which gives the screen a yellow tint, the intensity of which can be adjusted with a slider.

CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color accuracy
CalMAN - color-space coverage
CalMAN - color-space coverage
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - 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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 13 ms rise
↘ 15 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
64 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 35 ms rise
↘ 29 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. » 97 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The RugGear RG650 can be used outdoors. The brightness is high enough for screen content to be readable even on sunny days. However, the reflections of the objects in the environment can make reading screen content quite difficult.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use

The IPS panel of the RugGear RG650 offers very wide viewing angles. The screen content can be read from any angle without any distortions. As long as there are no strong reflections on the screen, the Android smartphone can be used from unusual positions.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance - Simple smartphone for the great outdoors

The RugGear RG650 comes with the MediaTek MTK6739 WW and 2 GB of RAM. The PowerVR GE8100 is responsible for image-rendering. Moreover, the RG650 features 16 GB of eMMC storage, which is only enough for the most necessary applications and user data. The smartphone is only suited for simple applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook and Google Chrome. In addition, it can also serve as a simple navigation device.

In a lot of our benchmarks, the RugGear RG650 takes last place in our comparison chart. In particular, it performs much worse than the rest of the competition in the graphics-intensive benchmarks. However, in everyday use, applications launch without any problems and the user interface feels smooth and responsive.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
589 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
878 Points +49%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
648 Points +10%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
789 Points +34%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
920 Points +56%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
589 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +760%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1718 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
3948 Points +130%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
1807 Points +5%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
3732 Points +117%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4262 Points +148%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1718 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +689%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1297 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2965 Points +129%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
1077 Points -17%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
3041 Points +134%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
3246 Points +150%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1297 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +716%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
4408 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
6379 Points +45%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
4404 Points 0%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
6036 Points +37%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
6394 Points +45%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
4408 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +242%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
4195 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
11505 Points +174%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
6655 Points +59%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
10956 Points +161%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12148 Points +190%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
4195 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
3590 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
11234 Points +213%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
6014 Points +68%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1152 Points -68%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12146 Points +238%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
3590 Points 0%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
10230 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12566 Points +23%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
10617 Points +4%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
10234 Points 0%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
12156 Points +19%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
10230 Points 0%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
162 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
720 Points +344%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
285 Points +76%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
654 Points +304%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
732 Points +352%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
162 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +2090%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
134 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
616 Points +360%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
238 Points +78%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
587 Points +338%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
626 Points +367%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
134 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +2814%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
622 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1754 Points +182%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
924 Points +49%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1365 Points +119%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1804 Points +190%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
622 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +383%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
202 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
753 Points +273%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
273 Points +35%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
690 Points +242%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
766 Points +279%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
202 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +4374%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
168 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
643 Points +283%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
227 Points +35%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
599 Points +257%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
654 Points +289%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
168 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +9279%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
669 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1882 Points +181%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
942 Points +41%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1476 Points +121%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1906 Points +185%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
669 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +548%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
109 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
477 Points +338%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
184 Points +69%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
439 Points +303%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
483 Points +343%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
109 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +2363%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
88 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
395 Points +349%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
150 Points +70%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
386 Points +339%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
399 Points +353%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
88 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +2940%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
618 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1768 Points +186%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
918 Points +49%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1374 Points +122%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1820 Points +194%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
618 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +406%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
124 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
502 Points +305%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
170 Points +37%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
457 Points +269%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
507 Points +309%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
124 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +5178%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
101 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
415 Points +311%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
138 Points +37%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
382 Points +278%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
419 Points +315%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
101 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +9138%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
655 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1895 Points +189%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
939 Points +43%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1455 Points +122%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1928 Points +194%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
655 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points +535%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
9.8 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
36 fps +267%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
20 fps +104%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
22 fps +124%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
23 fps +135%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
9.8 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +753%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
6 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
23 fps +283%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
11 fps +83%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
21 fps +250%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
24 fps +300%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
6 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +3950%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
5.4 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
22 fps +307%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
8.9 fps +65%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
10 fps +85%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
11 fps +104%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
5.4 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +1220%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
2.8 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
11 fps +293%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
4.1 fps +46%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
10 fps +257%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
11 fps +293%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
2.8 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +4825%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
3.4 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
16 fps +371%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
3.5 fps +3%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
6.3 fps +85%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
6.9 fps +103%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
3.4 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +1671%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1.6 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
7.2 fps +350%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
2.6 fps +63%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
6.6 fps +313%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
7.2 fps +350%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1.6 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +5963%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1.6 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
8.5 fps +431%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
3.8 fps +138%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.1 fps +156%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1.6 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +2581%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
0.89 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.1 fps +361%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
3.8 fps +327%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.2 fps +372%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
0.89 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +6484%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1.8 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
6.9 fps +283%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
3.7 fps +106%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4 fps +122%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1.8 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +2306%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
0.94 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.1 fps +336%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
3.8 fps +304%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
4.1 fps +336%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
0.94 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +6591%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1.1 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
3.9 fps +255%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1.4 fps +27%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2.4 fps +118%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1.1 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +2827%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
0.26 fps
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1.5 fps +477%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
2.2 fps +746%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1.5 fps +477%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
0.26 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +9515%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
43690 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
91026 Points +108%
Cyrus CS24
Mediatek MT6737T, Mali-T720 MP2, 2048
41484 Points -5%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
83745 Points +92%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
95559 Points +119%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
43690 Points 0%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
179 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1276 Points +613%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
384 Points +115%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
443 Points +147%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
179 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +3087%
System (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
1309 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2952 Points +126%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
2465 Points +88%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
2906 Points +122%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
1309 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +635%
Memory (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
434 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1252 Points +188%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
1136 Points +162%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
1422 Points +228%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
434 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +1335%
Graphics (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
186 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
952 Points +412%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
866 Points +366%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
950 Points +411%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
186 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +7373%
Web (sort by value)
RugGear RG650
Mediatek MT6739WW, PowerVR GE8100, 2048
10 Points
Cubot King Kong 3
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
753 Points +7430%
Poptel P60
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, Mali-G71 MP2, 6144
10 Points 0%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, Mali-G71 MP2, 4096
10 Points 0%
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
10 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone
  (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +14770%

In the browser benchmarks, the RugGear RG650 takes last place in our comparison chart. Nevertheless, websites load relatively quickly and only media content takes a while to load.

WebXPRT 3 - Overall
Average of class Smartphone (37 - 304, n=118, last 2 years)
130.7 Points +384%
RugGear RG650 (Chrome 73)
27 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
27 Points 0%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +938%
Ulefone Armor 3T (Chrome 71)
4987 Points +55%
Cubot King Kong 3 (Chrome 73)
4896 Points +52%
Poptel P60 (Chrome 71)
3998 Points +24%
Cyrus CS24 (Chrome 72)
3381 Points +5%
RugGear RG650 (Chrome 73)
3213 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
3213 Points 0%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
RugGear RG650 (Chrome 73)
16008 ms *
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
16008 ms * -0%
Cyrus CS24 (Chrome 72)
13300 ms * +17%
Poptel P60 (Chrome 71)
13077 ms * +18%
Cubot King Kong 3 (Chrome 73)
11353 ms * +29%
Ulefone Armor 3T (Chrome 71)
11352 ms * +29%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +90%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +358%
Ulefone Armor 3T (Chrome 71)
25.87 Points +39%
Poptel P60 (Chrome 71)
22.1 Points +19%
Cyrus CS24 (Chrome 72)
19.06 Points +2%
RugGear RG650 (Chrome 73)
18.62 Points
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
18.6 Points 0%

* ... smaller is better

The RG650 has 16 GB of internal eMMC storage. Only 11 GB thereof is available for applications and user data. In the storage benchmarks, the ruggedized smartphone achieves the read and write rates that place it in the middle of our comparison chart. 

The internal memory of the Chinese smartphone can be expanded with the help of a microSD card. With our reference-grade microSD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501, the RG650 performs much better than average. However, you cannot use the SD card to store applications and it cannot be formatted as internal storage. 

RugGear RG650Cubot King Kong 3Cyrus CS24Poptel P60Ulefone Armor 3TAverage 16 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
73%
-32%
157%
177%
1%
2398%
Sequential Read 256KB
195.3
241
23%
136.6
-30%
288.2
48%
283.9
45%
164.5 ?(9.66 - 294, n=256)
-16%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
652%
Sequential Write 256KB
33.7
134.3
299%
39.3
17%
188.8
460%
210.6
525%
43 ?(8.74 - 106.3, n=256)
28%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
3099%
Random Read 4KB
20.84
17.21
-17%
14.9
-29%
69.7
234%
58.6
181%
21.7 ?(2.49 - 62.1, n=256)
4%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
1061%
Random Write 4KB
5.45
11.21
106%
4.4
-19%
15.18
179%
20.93
284%
8.08 ?(0.49 - 44.9, n=256)
48%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
4781%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
81.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
81.2
0%
29.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-63%
80 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
81.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
0%
59.1 ?(8.1 - 87.7, n=137)
-27%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
59.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
74.3
24%
19.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-68%
72.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
22%
73.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
24%
39.8 ?(6.38 - 65.8, n=137)
-33%

Gaming - Simple games for the RG650

The PowerVR GE8100 can only run non-demanding games. The modern titles are only playable on low settings. We managed to achieve playable frame rates in Arena of Valor on low settings and the touchscreen also worked very well during our gaming session. However, the fingers can become quite tired over long gaming sessions, because the surface of the touchscreen is not entirely smooth. The motion sensor also worked well in Temple Run 2.

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

Emissions - Android Smartphone with good volume

Temperature

The surface temperatures of the RugGear RG650 reach 27.4 °C (81.32 °F) when idle and 40.3 °C (104.54 °F) under load. Under full load, the smartphone feels very warm, but it never become too hot to hold in the hand. During our review, we did not encounter any limitations related to high temperatures.

Max. Load
 40.3 °C
105 F
35.3 °C
96 F
33.5 °C
92 F
 
 39.1 °C
102 F
35.5 °C
96 F
33.9 °C
93 F
 
 37.8 °C
100 F
34.1 °C
93 F
32.7 °C
91 F
 
Maximum: 40.3 °C = 105 F
Average: 35.8 °C = 96 F
32.9 °C
91 F
35.5 °C
96 F
39.6 °C
103 F
32.5 °C
91 F
35.4 °C
96 F
39.8 °C
104 F
31.1 °C
88 F
35.2 °C
95 F
37.9 °C
100 F
Maximum: 39.8 °C = 104 F
Average: 35.5 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  38.9 °C = 102 F | Room Temperature 21.3 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 35.8 °C / 96 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 40.3 °C / 105 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 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat distribution - front
Heat distribution - front
Heat distribution - back
Heat distribution - back

Speakers

Pink noise
Pink noise

The speaker of the RugGear RG650 is located on the back of the device and has a comparatively high volume. The sound quality is not very balanced. The mids and the highs, in particular, are overrepresented. This is good enough for reproducing voices but not for consuming media content. If you are going to use the ruggedized smartphone for media consumption, then we recommend that you connect a pair of headphones to the device via the 3.5-mm headphone jack. The headphone jack works well and does not negatively affect the sound quality.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs204343.42539.141.43132.931.84038.836.95042.237.46332.431.58026.726.710025.924.812529.224.416024.922.320020.12225019.127.331518.939.340018.548.450019.558.263017.165.880016.172100016.274.1125015.673.1160016.46820001767.1250016.364.7315015.362.8400015.467.3500015.276.2630015.281.1800015.473.51000015.5651250015.4601600015.558.3SPL73.666.728.785N28.218.51.257.2median 16.4median 64.7median 14.9median 71.1Delta4.915.713.813.941.639.1434134.132.240.535.640.235.833.931.723.829.4262528.323.822.725.418.73218.341.117.548.517.155.317.158.715.861.31664.917.568.11565.51666.31663.915.864.314.662.214.461.114.468.514.576.914.577.514.568.514.754.114.74864.861.464.527.981.916.412.318.1147.1median 16median 61.3median 41.3median 14.5median 64.53.711.523.213.517.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseRugGear RG650Cubot King Kong 3
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
RugGear RG650 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 71.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 71.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 71.1% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (118.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 85% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Cubot King Kong 3 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 64.5% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(-) | nearly no mids - on average 64.5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(-) | nearly no highs - on average 64.5% lower than median
(+) | highs are linear (0% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (121.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 88% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 2% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 96% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 1% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life - Ruggedized smartphone with a big battery

Energy Consumption

According to our measurements, the RG650 draws 0.9 watts when idle and 5.5 watts under load. This is why the ruggedized smartphone takes a spot in the middle of our comparison chart. The included 5-watt charger is powerful enough to be able to charge the RG650 under normal circumstances.

Power Consumption
Idledarkmidlight 0.9 / 1.4 / 2 Watt
Load midlight 4.7 / 5.5 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 RG650
4200 mAh
Cubot King Kong 3
6000 mAh
Cyrus CS24
4500 mAh
Poptel P60
5000 mAh
Ulefone Armor 3T
10300 mAh
Average Mediatek MT6739WW
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-18%
-11%
2%
-27%
0%
-11%
Idle Minimum *
0.9
0.9
-0%
0.7
22%
0.81
10%
0.94
-4%
0.9
-0%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
1%
Idle Average *
1.4
1.9
-36%
1.9
-36%
2.14
-53%
1.98
-41%
1.4
-0%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
-4%
Idle Maximum *
2
2.4
-20%
2.5
-25%
2.16
-8%
2.02
-1%
2
-0%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
18%
Load Average *
4.7
5.2
-11%
4.9
-4%
3.02
36%
6.46
-37%
4.7
-0%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-18%
Load Maximum *
5.5
6.8
-24%
6.2
-13%
4.01
27%
8.32
-51%
5.5
-0%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-50%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our practically oriented Wi-Fi test, the RugGear RG650 lasts for more than 9 h 30 m. This is why the Chinese smartphone falls far behind other smartphones in our comparison chart, which have much larger batteries. Nevertheless, the runtime of the RG650 is commensurate with the battery capacity of 4200 mAh.

The battery of the RG650 takes more than three-and-a-half hours to fully charge with the included fast charger.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
9h 39min
RugGear RG650
4200 mAh
Cubot King Kong 3
6000 mAh
Cyrus CS24
4500 mAh
Poptel P60
5000 mAh
Ulefone Armor 3T
10300 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
579
1267
119%
1123
94%
1214
110%
1901
228%

Pros

+ solidly built
+ IP68- and MIL-STD-810G-certified
+ good battery life
+ bright screen

Cons

- mediocre camera
- poor system performance
- either dualSIM functionality or memory expansion

Verdict - Simple smartphone for the great outdoors

In review: RugGear RG650. Review device provided courtesy of: RugGear Germany
In review: RugGear RG650. Review device provided courtesy of: RugGear Germany

The RugGear RG650 is an entry-level ruggedized smartphone. While the low price of the RG650 is reflected in its anemic specifications, the robustness of the device is in no doubt. Thanks to its IP68 and MIL-STD-810G certification, the smartphone should be able to survive in extreme environments. Moreover, the RG650 can perform daily tasks and the brightness of the display is also high enough for outdoor use.

The RugGear RG650 is a simple ruggedized smartphone that can run simple applications.

However, lovers of the great outdoors will have to learn to live without a usable smartphone camera. The meager amount of internal storage will force users to choose between inserting a second SIM card or a microSD card. Having said that, buyers of the RG650 get a robust smartphone that will be able to handle rough environments. 

RugGear RG650 - 05/14/2019 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
84%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 90%
Pointing Device
81%
Connectivity
37 / 60 → 62%
Weight
88%
Battery
92%
Display
82%
Games Performance
7 / 63 → 11%
Application Performance
31 / 70 → 44%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
64 / 91 → 70%
Camera
51%
Average
67%
76%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
Mike Wobker, 2019-05-15 (Update: 2019-05-17)