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MIL-STD-810 military-grade devices are built tough, but are they indestructible? Far from it. Everything ever built by humans is destructible. What is it about then, and what does it mean?
Apple Watch Ultra is an MIL-STD-810H military grade smartwatch
MIL-STD-810 is a comprehensive United States Military Standard that addresses a wide range of environmental conditions. Here are some key aspects covered by this standard:
- Temperature and Temperature Shock : Testing equipment under high and low temperatures, both during operation and storage.
- Rain and Wind-Blown Rain : Evaluating resistance to rain exposure.
- Humidity and Fungus : Assessing performance in humid environments.
- Salt Fog : Testing for rust resistance.
- Sand and Dust Exposure : Ensuring equipment can withstand abrasive particles.
- Explosive Atmosphere : Evaluating safety in potentially explosive environments.
- Leakage : Verifying seals and protection against liquid ingress.
- Acceleration and Shock : Assessing resistance to sudden acceleration and shocks.
- Transport Shock : Simulating shocks during transportation.
- Gunfire Vibration and Random Vibration : Testing resilience to vibrations.
In summary, a MIL-STD-810 smartphone is one that has been tested and confirmed to be able to withstand any of the harsh conditions that it could have to deal with in US military service. This includes testing by replicating actual environmental situations encountered in the field – humidity, rain, water, drops, on sand and rock, among others.
Manufacturers of smartphones who want to serve the market of security personnel, hikers, explorers, engineers, loggers, divers, and indeed anyone involved in tough outdoor environments, design and test the specific phones to these military grade standards. The testing varies from one manufacturer to another and are not confirmed or verified by any independent agency or regulator.
Does this mean that MIL-STD-810 smartphones are indestructible? Far from it. Everything ever built by humans is destructible. Even tanks, armoured up as they are, are destructible. You can break or damage an MIL-STD-810 smartphone if you abuse it hard enough, but for all intents and purposes, it will survive severe conditions like rain, wind, humidity, fungus, rust, sand and dust, explosive atmospheres, and shock, more than the average smartphone.
Does MIL-STD-810 mean that military grade smartphone or wearable are waterproof and dust-proof? While it might be tempting to think that is what it means, it is not so. However, military grade devices also often have official IP water ad dust proof protection, which adds that layer of waterproof and dust-proof to them.
For example, I own an AGM G2 Guardian rugged smartphone ( see my review ). I also used to own a Unihertz Tank, another military grade smartphone ( here is my review ). The G2 Guardian is both military grade and dust/water proof. It has MIL-STD-810H and IP68/IP69K. The IP rating means it can be submerged in water of up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minute.
Unihertz Tank military grade smartphone in my hand.
Which brings us to the question: What is the difference between MIL-STD-810 and MIL-STD-810H?
Revised standards
The reason for the different labelling is that the military grade standard keeps being revised over time. MIL-STD-810H, published in 2019, is the most recently revised version of the standard, replacing MIL-STD-810G. It will likely be followed by a further revised version labelled MIL-STD-810I sometime in the future.
List of MIL-STD-810 military-grade devices
These days, a good number of smartphones, smartwatches and laptops market their devices with claims of being MIL-STD-810 standard. Manufacturers of rugged or industrial smartphones are a core base, but other brands, including Apple and Samsung, are also playing in this territory now.
- Unihertz Tank
- Unihertz Tank 2
- AGM Glory Pro
- AGM G2 Guardian
- AGM X6 Phantom
- Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
- Apple Watch 4nm
- DooGee V Max
- Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
- Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro
- Samsung XCover FieldPro
- Apple Watch Ultra
- OPPO K12x 5G
This list is not exhaustive, but the manufacturers of these devices say that they have been subjected to various measures of tests in high and low altitudes, high temperature, low temperature, temperature shock, immersion, freeze/thaw, shock, and vibration in order to be labelled “military grade”. Note also that there is now way to tell how much testing each product was subjected to.
Remember that a military grade label does not mean that the device in question is water or dust proof, unless the manufacturer includes an official IP rating . It does mean that the device is built tough to withstand extreme conditions better than normal smartphones and wearable devices can. That is all that you can hold the manufacturer to.
MIL-STD-810 military grade devices also tend to be bulkier than the average regular device. In the case of the AGM G2 Guardian, it has a tough rubber armor that keeps it protected from shock if it falls. The Unihertz Tank is built similarly with body armor. As a rule, expect a military grade device to come with some heft; all of that extra toughness has to come from some extra protection built into them.
Lastly, they also tend to cost more than the average device in their class. Yes, building some extra toughness into a smartwatch or smartphones increases the production costs.
Author:Mister Mobility
Digital Skills and Communication Coach | Mobile Phone Connoisseur since 2001 | Tech Blogging since 2004
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Nothing Phone 2a Plus’ initial availability includes the UK, the US via Nothing’s US Beta Program, India via Flipkart, and coming to other markets later.
The Nothing Phone 2a Plus in brief:
- OS: Android 14
- Release Date: 2024
- Network Type: 2G/3G/4G/5G
- eSIM: No
- Display: 6.7 inches
- Chipset: Dimensity 7350 Pro (4 nm)
- Selfie Camera: 50MP
- Rear camera: 50MP
- RAM: 12 GB
- ROM: 256 GB
- Fingerprint Sensor: In-display
- Headphone Jack: No
- Infrared/IR Blaster: No.
- Battery: 5000 mAh
- Fast Charging: 50W
- Wireless Charging: No.
Nothing Phone 2a Plus
- Introduction
- Nothing Phone 2a Plus Specs
- Prices in the USA, UK, and EU
- Is the Nothing Phone 2a Plus waterproof?
- Can Nothing Phone 2a Plus use eSIM?
- Is Nothing Phone 2a Plus dual SIM?
- Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have wireless charging?
- Does Phone 2a Plus have glass back?
- Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have fingerprint?
- Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have Gorilla Glass?
- Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus support fast charging?
- Does the Nothing Phone 2a Plus have a headphone jack?
- Will Phone 2a Plus get any software updates?
- Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have aptX Bluetooth codecs?
- Does Phone 2a Plus have infrared or IR blaster?
- Is Nothing Phone 2a Plus unlocked?
- Is Nothing Phone 2a Plus worth buying?
Introduction
Nothing Phone 2a Plus is the bigger sister of the 2a and is powered by a more capable Dimensity 7350 Pro chipset, which should mean about 10% faster CPU speed than Phone (2a). RAM is at 12GB.
The Phone 2a Plus does not have a 3.5mm audio headphone jack, eSIM or wireless charging. It is available in three colorways – Black, White, Milk, and Blue.
Nothing Phone 2a Plus Specs
Mobile Wireless Network and Software
- 2G mobile network bands : GSM, GPRS, EDGE 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 MHz.
- 3G mobile network bands : UMTS, WCDMA, HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 MHz
- 4G mobile network bands : LTE.
- 5G mobile network bands : NSA/SA
- SIM Type : Nano-SIM, Dual SIM
- Software / OS : Nothing OS 2.6 based on Android 14
Design, Form Factor, Appearance
- Dimensions : 161.7 x 76.3 x 8.6 mm
- Weight : 190g
- Display : 6.7 inches, 1080 x 2412 pixels, 120Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, AMOLED screen, Gorilla Glass 5.
- Colours : Metallic Grey. Updated Black.
- Physical Build : Glass front, plastic frame, plastic back
Internal Hardware Specs
- Central Processor ( CPU ): 64-bit, 3.0 GHz Octa-core
- Chipset : MediaTek Dimensity 7350 Pro (4 nm)
- Graphics Processing Unit (GPU): ARM Mali-G610 MC4
- RAM : 8GB / 12GB
- Extended/Virtual RAM :
- Internal Storage : 128 GB / 256 GB
- External Storage : No.
Photography, Video Recording
- Main Camera : 50 MP main sensor + 50 MP ultra-wide lens, autofocus, LED flash, 4k video@30fps, 1080p@30fps video recording
- Front Camera : 50 MP, fixed focus, Face Recognition, 1080p@30fps video capture
Audio, Video Playback
- Music Support : PCM, AAC / AAC + / eAAC + / MP3 / AMR – NB / WB / APE
- 3.5 mm audio headphone jack : No
- Loudspeaker : Stereo speakers
- Video Support : H.264/MP4/MPEG4 player
- FM Radio : No.
Phone Sensors
- Digital Compass : Yes.
- Accelerometer : Yes.
- Proximity Sensor : Yes.
- Ambient Light Sensor : Yes.
- Barometer : No.
- Pedometer : No.
- Heart Rate Monitor : No.
- Gyroscope (G-Sensor) : Yes.
- Fingerprint Scanner : Yes; optical, under-display.
- Face Unlock : Yes.
- Iris Scanner : No.
- Motion Sensing / Gesture Control : No.
- Voice Control : No.
- Intelligent Digital Assistant : Yes; Google Assistant.
- Infra-red Blaster : No.
Connectivity Options
- Bluetooth Version : 5.3
- Bluetooth Profiles : A2DP, LE
- WiFi : Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, hotspot
- GPS : Yes, A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS, QZSS
- USB : microUSB v2.0. Type-C.
- NFC : Yes, 360 degrees.
Miscellaneous Specs and Features
- Battery Type and Capacity : Non-Removable Lithium-Polymer 5000 mAh
- Battery Charging : 45W fast charging
- Wireless Charging : No.
- Reverse Charging : No.
- Model Version/Number :
Launch/Release Dates and Information
- Announced : July 31, 2024
- Release Date : August 3 2024
Prices in the USA, UK, and EU
- United States of America (USA) : from $399 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant. Buyers in the US can get it only via Nothing’s US Beta Program.
- United Kingdom (UK) : from £399 for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage variant.
- European Union (EU) : from €
- Australia : from AUD $
- India : INR 27,999 for the 8/256GB variant; INR 29,999 for the 12/256GB variant.
The above prices may change with time from country to country, as market forces and economic policies influence product price movements.
Is the Nothing Phone 2a Plus waterproof?
It is splash resistant, and not fully waterproof. Nothing Phone 2a Plus has IP54 ingress protection (IP) rating, meaning that it is protected from water splashes and from dust. However, it is not protected if submerged in water.
Can Nothing Phone 2a Plus use eSIM?
The 2a Plus does not support eSIM, so you cannot use an eSIM with it. You need nano SIM cards to use this phone.
Is Nothing Phone 2a Plus dual SIM?
The 2a Plus is a dual SIM smartphone and uses the nano-SIM standard.
Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have wireless charging?
Unfortunately, Nothing Phone 2a Plus does not have any form of wireless charging. You can only charge it via a cable.
Does Phone 2a Plus have glass back?
The 2a Plus has a plastic back panel. The plastic panel has a Glyph interface pattern that includes 3 LED lights for notifications and camera fill light.
Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have fingerprint?
The 2a Plus has an optical under-display fingerprint sensor located towards the bottom end of the screen.
Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have Gorilla Glass?
This budget Nothing has a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a 1080×2340-pixel resolution, 120Hz refresh rate, and Gorilla Glass 5 protection.
Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus support fast charging?
The 2a Plus is equipped with a 5000mAh battery and 50W fast charging.
Does the Nothing Phone 2a Plus have a headphone jack?
The 2a Plus does not have a headphone jack. As such, you can only use a Bluetooth wireless earphone or a USB-C earphone.
Will Phone 2a Plus get any software updates?
Nothings says the 2a Plus will get three Android version upgrades and four year of security patch updates. It ships with Android 14, so this means it will get updated to Android 15, Android 16, and Android 17.
Does Nothing Phone 2a Plus have aptX Bluetooth codecs?
It supports Bluetooth 5.3 with A2DP and LE profiles, but it does not have aptX Bluetooth codecs.
Does Phone 2a Plus have infrared or IR blaster?
It does not have an IR blaster.
Is Nothing Phone 2a Plus unlocked?
In the United States, the Phone 2a Plus is not publicly available from retailers or carriers; only through the Nothing US beta program. However, in the UK, EU, and other countries or regions, it is available in both unlocked and locked forms, depending on what carrier or retailer you buy it from. Ask your carrier or store attendant for details.
Is Nothing Phone 2a Plus worth buying?
The Phone 2a Plus offers slightly more processing power, a better selfie camera and faster charging over the Nothing Phone 2a . These are unexciting differences, and we daresay, too insignificant. We are not sure it is worth spending any extra cash on.
Our Buyer’s Guide Verdict is a recommendation based on the specifications of the device and a general guide to help you understand how much value a device offers for its price. It is not an endorsement of the device. Ask questions and use your judgement when buying any device; MobilityArena takes no responsibility for your buying decisions .
