Handheld NAUTIZ X6 – Hardware Review
We are huge fans of covering fun and original hardware, and we don’t shy away from trying out new items that could be interesting for our readers. We are often surprised by less ‘popular’ brands, and over the years we have discovered many budget-friendly deals that offered us the same quality as premium-priced hardware. Now, however, we will be reviewing Handheld’s NAUTIZ X6, a so-called phablet that is intended for work-related purposes. This rugged phablet is made to survive outdoors environments but is also very versatile for indoor usage. This is especially true when adding a few of the add-ons, making it a great companion if you have to scan items. Nonetheless, inexperienced as we may be in this area, we have worked with the NAUTIZ X6 for slightly under a month, and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
Design
In many ways, the NAUTIZ X6 reminded us of those GPS devices you could buy for your bike. By no means we are stating the device looks bad, but it looks more like a smartphone GPS hybrid, rather than a normal phone. This is probably also because of the slightly bulkier frame, and the more solid material that has been used to make sure the internal hardware is protected. We loved the appearance of the NAUTIZ X6 and we wouldn’t have minded it if our normal smartphone had such a solid design.
The phablet does have a few visible items that are not commonly seen on consumer-oriented smartphones. We clearly see an expansion port for a scanning add-on, which is convenient if you’re using the NAUTIZ X6 in a store or warehouse. On top of that, we also see a clear back lid for the battery and SIM-card compartment. This is often not present on normal smartphones anymore. We do believe it’s great to be able to access the battery. Other than that, we see the added function buttons and power button on the front of the device.
Comfort
As this device is a so-called phablet, it is quite a bit bigger than a regular smartphone. Add the fact that the NAUTIZ X6 is made to withstand harsher conditions, and you’ll have yourself quite a solid handheld device. The device is thicker, thanks to its durable case and high-duty battery. Nonetheless, the device was pleasant to hold and we noticed no discomfort from it being bigger. The bigger screen size is certainly a plus and the frame also gives you a better grip.
With the company calling its product a rugged device, it’s only natural that it can survive more wear and tear than a regular device. The NAUTIZ X6 has the IP67 certification, which means it’ll be fully protected against water to a depth of 1 meter. This might not sound like that much, but it’s already quite impressive, as you don’t have to worry when you splash water on it or even drop it in a container of water. This means that the device is also protected against dust.
Specs
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, 2.2 GHz
- 4 GB RAM / 64 GB Storage
- Android 11 (GMS) and AER
- 6″ capacitive multi-touch, 1080×1920 pixels
- 8000 mAh (30.4 Wh), field-replaceable battery
- 13 MP rear and 5 MP front-facing cameras
- 2G, 3G, 4G/LTE
- WLAN 2.4G/5G
- NFC 13.56 MHz, ISO14443A/B, ISO15693
- GPS/AGPS/GLONASS/Galileo/BeiDou
- Optional barcode scanner via expansion
- Weight: 380 g
- -20 °C to 55 °C
- IP67
Overview
Truth be told, if you’ve ever worked with a fairly recent Android phone, you will pretty much know what to expect from the NAUTIZ X6. The device works like any other Android phone, and you can easily install most apps from the Google Play Store, as well as some professional apps for your job. Even though this device is mostly used for professional purposes, we also installed a few heavier games on it to actually see what this phablet could do. Needless to say, we were quite impressed with how smoothly heavier games ran on the device, clearly showing that this piece of hardware is fairly powerful.
With its 8000 mAh battery, the NAUTIZ X6 will not run dry quickly. On standby, the device actually kept going for around two weeks. Of course, running heavy apps will drain the battery a lot quicker, but even then we did not have to charge the device daily. When running heavier programs on the phablet, we had to charge it around every three days. This is quite impressive, and it prevents you from having to worry if you accidentally forgot to charge it after one day of usage. Of course, if it’s a device that has to stay in the company, it can probably be just placed in a docking station at the end of the day.
As stated above, devices such as these are often used in a professional environment and thus they are great to run certain types of software. With this in mind, the NAUTIZ X6 also has a few extra programmable buttons, very much akin to the special function buttons on a laptop. You cannot program these buttons for every type of software, but certain dedicated programs will allow you to use these keys for shortcuts. We very much enjoyed this function, as it truly gave us the impression we could immediately go from a regular ‘smartphone experience’ to something more job-related.
Conclusion
The NAUTIZ X6 was a delight to work with, and for a job-related device, it packed a lot of power. We loved the robust design, the fact that it could survive harsher conditions, the added functions keys, as well as the option to add a barcode scanner. Even though the price might not be extremely cheap to add a few of these devices to your business, it is certainly better than getting standard devices that might not be up to the task at hand. Even though our review might be a bit superficial, as we are not experts when it comes to hardware such as this, the NAUTIZ X6 is certainly worth looking into if you’re looking for some professional hardware.
Handheld NAUTIZ X6 - Hardware Review,
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