Robust mobile phone with night vision and thermal imaging camera: tried out the AGM Glory G1S
If you are looking for the big adventure, then a classic smartphone might not be enough. Cell phones like the AGM Glory G1S were developed for extreme cases. It is particularly robust and equipped with special functions. At least I tried to push this phone to its limits, which isn’t easy in the city.
Contents
AGM Glory G1S in the test: conclusion
The AGM Glory G1S is that most robust cell phone to date, which I tested. I was able to drop it on the floor and it didn’t get a scratch. It also offers unique functions with the night vision and thermal imaging camera that you will hardly find on any cell phone. The thermal imaging camera has good quality and high performance.
For the normal everyday life the AGM Glory G1S is not suitable. It’s too big and heavy, the software is too old, and it’s also just too expensive for the specifications it offers. The cameras can hardly keep up with cell phones that are half the price. The mobile phone costs 899 euros in the recommended retail price, even if it is now sold at a slightly lower price. But it would be a good choice for real adventurers, because it can’t be broken – at least not in my everyday life.
Advantages:
- Pretty tough
- night vision function
- Thermal camera
- charging station
- battery life
Disadvantages:
Really solidly built
Not every mobile phone that is supposed to be robust is also really robust. But the AGM Glory G1S really is. At least I can say that for falls from a head height of about 170 cm. I’ve dropped my phone several times on the vinyl floor and tiles in the apartment. Also the fall on the terrace on stone slabs or asphalt on the street has nothing done to the smartphone. However, it never fell directly onto the display, which is protected with a thick film. Interestingly, it always turns away so that the impact is absorbed by the good case.
Water and dust can’t harm the AGM Glory G1S either, it’s after all military standard MIL-STD-810H and IP68 and IP69K protected. You just have to make sure that the caps for the USB port on the bottom and the SIM slot on the side are well closed. Once the caps are in place, they won’t open even if you fall. This has the advantage that you have a well-secured smartphone. But if you want to load it, it gets a bit fiddly. However, the charging station was provided to us, so that was not a problem.
Real specialties
Not only the robust housing of the AGM Glory G1S is special, but also the additional features. These primarily include night vision and thermal imaging cameras. Actually, I had planned that I with the Thermal camera could go in search of escaping heat at the windows. But the temperatures are just way too warm for a December and nothing came of it. Still, I’ve experienced some cool things with the camera.
For example, I could see that our stray cat Kalle, who always lives outside, has fairly well insulated fur and is not that easy to spot in the bush:
Also the night vision function is impressive:
I took the above image with the Pixel 6 Pro in complete darkness. Similar to security cameras, the AGM Glory G1S has an infrared light that the human eye cannot see. In this way, the environment is illuminated at night. The range of this light is comparable to that of the LED light on your mobile phone. So you can’t look too far into the distance.
With a laser pointer you can point out certain points or just play with your cats. It’s definitely a nice gimmick.
Technically an entry-level cell phone
If you look at the technical data of the AGM Glory G1S, then it is a entry-level smartphone, which I would classify in the price range at 200 to 300 euros. The smartphone is powered by the Snapdragon 480, which has 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. The LC display measures 6.53 inches and has a resolution of FHD+. The brightness is sufficient to be able to read the content in almost every situation. Only on sunny days would I have wished that the display could be set a little brighter.
In combination with that 5,500mAh battery The AGM Glory G1S achieved long runtimes of up to four days for me. But I have to admit that, unlike other test devices, I didn’t carry the phone around with me all the time and use it for everything. With a weight of 315 grams and the robust housing, this mobile phone is just not for everyday use. I took it with me on bike rides or in the garden. So everywhere where I think my Pixel 6 Pro is too fragile. In the garden I found the speaker to be pretty good. This is installed on the back and provides a decent and loud sound. As with many smartphones, there is a lack of bass.
But purely from the performance I was satisfied. The surface of Android 11 is hardly changed. As a result, the smartphone also runs very quickly. Only the display doesn’t quite keep up. It is a rather slow 60 Hz panel. The software is also outdated. Android 11 and a security patch from January 2022 is not up to date. At least Android 12 and a security patch from November 2022 would be good – Android 13 even better.
Who can use a cell phone like this?
I could well imagine that AGM Glory G1S something for real adventurers are looking for an almost indestructible mobile phone. It’s too big and heavy for everyday use. But that is not the aim here. When I used my cell phone, I knew that I wouldn’t normally break it and was more carefree on the mountain bike or when working in the garden.
