Almost two weeks ago we got our first glimpse at the No. 1 M2, the latest rugged device from the fast-growing Chinese manufacturer. No. 1’s rugged device catalog currently contains two phones that go by the name of X-Men X1 and X-Men X2, both of which feature great specs for their price, not to mention the ultra tough build. We had the pleasure of reviewing the X-Men X1 not too long ago and found that it was a fantastic phone, especially for the price, and is tough as nails no matter what. The biggest issue with it is that it’s a large phone, and the X2 is even larger. Those looking for a smaller phone that’s a little more pocketable are in luck as we’re finding out more about No. 1’s latest phone, the No. 1 M2.
The No. 1 M2 is a smaller phone than the X-Men series, coming with a 4.5-inch screen on the front featuring Corning’s Gorilla Glass protection. Inside you’ll find the latest Mediatek MT6732 64-bit Quad-core CPU clocked at 1.3GHz for great performance anywhere. There’s also 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. It’s 14.5mm thick which might sound like a lot in the land of 6-something mm phones, but rugged phones have traditionally been much thicker because of their tough build. The 13MP shooter on the back will likely perform just as well as the X-Men X1 we tested, and the 5MP shooter on the front is great for selfies while sinking in quicksand. Of course, the biggest news of the phone doesn’t even seen to be its size but the fact that it’s running Android 5.0 Lollipop; a first for any rugged phone out there. This is also a first for entry-level priced phones as it’s slated to ship sometime in April on AliExpress for $93.99 with free shipping, a crazy price that’s sure to make this device sell like hotcakes.
Since this is a durable phone it’s always great to see when the manufacturer themselves shows us just how much force it can withstand. While we’re not talking quite the crazy get run over by a car test they did with the X-Men X1, this is still a great set of videos to showcase what the No. 1 M2 can do. As the phone is IP68 water and dust proof the first video below shows the phone sitting in water for a while and then being removed, taking a phone call and proving that it still works just fine. The second video you’ll see has the M2 being dropped down a flight of cement stairs, something that would surely end the life of the vast majority of phones on the market. Check out the videos below and stay tuned for more No. 1 coverage as we find out more info!