Don’t like reading? Check out my video review on YouTube instead.
Do you or someone you know drop a phone like it’s a part-time job? Consider a rugged smartphone, maybe this one. A rugged smartphone is an excellent option for the accident-prone or those who lose phones often or are in rough environments, such as job sites or hiking through rough terrain. The phone has a MIL-STD-810G Standard rating, which means it has passed 10 military-grade tests.
The Price & Value
Regular pricing for this phone is around $175 USD or $220 CAD on Amazon.
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Package Contents
In the box, you’ll get the phone, charging brick and micro USB cable. There is also a sim card pry tool that is handy for prying open the headphone jack and charging port as well since they are firmly sealed. You can open them with long fingernails in a pinch, though.
Blackview BV4900 Smartphone Specifications
If you need an explanation for some of the specs below, check out my Ultimate Phone Buying Guide here.
- 5580 mAh Battery
- 5.7″ IPS Screen (720 x 1440 pixels)
- 283 PPI Density
- 3GB RAM
- 32 GB Internal Storage (expandable)
- MediaTek Helio A22 2.0 Ghz CPU
- Bluetooth 5.0
- 1080p@30fps
- IMG GE8300 GPU
- NFC (near field communication) Enabled
- 8MP @ f/2.4 Camera – IMX134 Sensor
- Front Facing Camera – 5MP
- 3.5 mm Headphone Jack
- Micro USB Charging Cable
- Face Unlock
- IP68 Waterproof | MIL-STD-810G Standard | Dustproof
- Dimensions: 157.5 x 78.1 x 13.7 mm
- Weight: 261 grams
Potential Deal Breakers
For a phone that costs $175 USD, it’s hard to find many faults. However, here are some potential deal breakers.
- Only 3GB Ram
- micro USB cable charging (no USB Type C)
Build Quality & Styling
The build quality on this phone is excellent, and it should be for a rugged phone. However, despite being rugged, the thickness is really not too bad, coming in at around 13.7 mm or 0.5 inches thick. The height is 157.5 mm or 6.2 inches, and 78.1 mm wide or 3 inches.
The version I have has a green accent that contrasts well against the black color. It has a mostly rubberized type of feel, which is great for gripping and preventing accidental drops. There are also protruding bits on each corner of the phone to improve handling and gripping too.
The phone’s front has a front-facing speaker at the top, a 5MP selfie camera, and a notification LED light. The phone’s back has a camera module that protrudes just slightly from the back, so it still slides into the pocket well without snagging. On the bottom of the phone’s rear is an area to thread through a lanyard (not supplied). The back of the phone also houses the NFC sensor.
The right side of the phone, when looking at it from the front, has volume buttons and power buttons. I wish they were a bit textured to match the enhanced grip features found on other areas of the phone.
The left side of the phone houses the sim card and memory card tray.
The top of the phone has a 3.5 mm headphone jack, and the bottom has downward-firing speakers and a micro USB charging port.
All ports or openings on the phone are completely sealed and require quite a bit of effort to open them up, so it is unlikely that water or dust will find its way into the phone when appropriately sealed.
The phone’s styling is not too bad considering that it is a rugged phone and has to deliver on that promise.
Rugged? How?
As a rugged phone, this is the first promise that this phone has to keep, and it does keep it well. The phone is waterproof, dustproof and has a MIL-STD-810G Standard rating to show that it has passed ten military-grade tests.
I submerged the phone in water and dropped it from around 3 feet without any issues. I did not notice any dents, scratches, cracks, etc. However, the phone is rated for drops from around 5 feet, and can withstand being in 5 feet of water for around 30 minutes without issue.
Performance
The MediaTek Helio A22 CPU is not one I am familiar with. It handles most apps like Instagram, YouTube and similar ok, but there are occasional stutters sometimes. Launching certain apps comes with a delay, so this is a phone for casual use, not power user use.
Camera Performance
Even though there seem to be four modules in the camera setup, only one 8 MP lens and a flash is populated, and the other two elements seem like placeholders for a higher-end model, perhaps?
Camera performance is average when using the rear camera. The autofocus works pretty well, and the photos are sharp, but these aren’t photos with dynamic range and a lot of room for editing before posting. I consider these cameras to be more for documenting things or taking photos of notes, receipts, signs, etc. The front 5 MP camera seems to apply some slight softening, but I would avoid using it entirely.
Video capture is at 30 fps at 1080P resolution, and the video quality is actually pretty decent. The mic is pretty good at audio capture too. I was impressed in this area for the price.
Check out the camera and video samples on my YouTube video: https://youtu.be/wU_77hg42yI?t=599
Gaming Performance
Unless you’re playing games like Temple Run, word games or the like, gaming is prone to lots of stuttering and dropped frames.
Battery Life
Finally, an area where this phone can really shine. This phone comes with a whopping 5580 mAh battery. I played a YouTube video for about 10 minutes in the mini-player on max brightness, and I lost 1% of the battery bar – impressive. The battery life is fantastic since the phone doesn’t have a high refresh rate and isn’t driving a high-resolution display. Some users may even experience up to a week of use before needing to recharge.
Storage
With 32 GB of built-in storage, you might need to pop in a memory card if you plan on taking lots of photos and videos or downloading shows to watch. Keep in mind that the Android OS installation will eat into some of that 32GB storage too.
Sound Performance
The sound coming out of the phone is quite loud when played near max volume. You may notice some distortion at max volume, so one or two increments below the maximum level are best.
Screen Performance
The screen is sufficiently bright at max brightness when indoors but will require shade outdoors. At 283 PPI, it won’t wow you with crispness, but it is good enough for casual use.
Should You Buy It?
If you are constantly breaking or dropping your phone or have a kid who does, this is an excellent option at a reasonable price. I can also see this phone being used to go on vacation in rough terrains, such as if you plan on hiking, swimming, or just being in environments where you’ll likely be banging the phone into things, washing dirt off it, etc. This phone is great for contractors or on job sites also. Just know that you are getting casual use performance out of this phone.
You will be rewarded with a huge battery, which can come in handy when camping or where reliable electricity isn’t a thing. This phone also has NFC (near field communication), which is a surprise to have on a phone at this price range.
If I missed anything in the review, let me know!
Some links may be referral links, which means I earn a small commission for qualifying sales. There is no additional cost to you.
