Crosscall Core-X5

The Crosscall Core-X5 suits anyone looking for a rugged phone with IP68 protection against water and dust. The trade-off is a heavy, thick body: it weighs 256 g and measures 14.5 mm thick. Its 4940 mAh battery supports reverse charging, and the battery as a whole stands better than that of most phones launched around the same time. For a rugged phone, that pairing of protection and reverse charging is a useful part of its appeal.

The 5.45″ IPS LCD display has a resolution of 720 × 1440 px and a 60 Hz refresh rate. That rate is among the lowest of its time, while the 500-nit peak brightness is lower than on most phones launched around the same time. The 48 MP rear camera records 4K video at 30 fps but has no optical image stabilization; the camera is among the weakest of its time. The Snapdragon 665, 6 GB of RAM and expandable 128 GB of storage make for typical hardware, though its AnTuTu score of 179,822 is lower than that of most phones of its time.

Connectivity also stands worse than most phones launched around the same time. It includes Dual Nano-SIM, NFC, USB 3.2 Gen 1 and GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou and Galileo navigation. Android 12 and a 3.5 mm audio jack round out a practical set of features, but the display and camera are clear compromises. Its overall NeoScore is 4.1. The Core-X5 is best suited to buyers who put rugged construction and IP68 protection ahead of low weight, a smoother display or stronger camera specifications.