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Maybe I’m too pessimistic. Maybe it’s going to be a great phone. Maybe people will love it. And maybe the big brains at Land Rover know exactly what they’re doing releasing a goddamn phone. In response, Land Rover says this isn’t the sort of activity the phone has been optimised for; instead, it’s been tweaked to deliver the best performance in activities that require GPS and cellular connection in areas of weak signal, so you can keep in touch while you’re out in the wilds. The point I’m making here is the Land Rover Explore R doesn’t look modern like a modern phone. But maybe that’s okay, because the phone’s major selling point is its durability and outdoor-readiness.
Premium grade, detailed off-road topographical mapping options from ViewRanger with Augmented Reality Skyline feature Which is interesting, because I had no idea Land Rover’s new vehicle was an iPhone 4 rip-off: WAY-HEYYYYY! What a great joke. Land Rover is especially popular amongst well-off suburban and city dwellers, many of whom are sold on its “rugged” and “real” branding. It’s not a wild leap of the imagination to think the company could make some cash pushing these underpowered devices onto people with too much money, not enough sense, and a desire to be tough. In-box premium off-road mapping voucher, giving a choice of country-wide or custom region topographical maps in many markets.The Explore R is a fairly hefty phone measuring 160 x 76 x 11mm and weighing 225 grams. There’s no need for a protective case though so this is the size and weight you’ll be carrying. The battery is 3,100 mAh, which Land Rover says is enough for 1.5 days with “medium=to-heavy” use. The phone has a 12mp Sony dual pixel rear camera and an 8mp front camera. Find out how to use Bluetooth ® Connectivity with your mobile phone and explore the features that can keep you connected while you drive. Our personal favorite feature is that it can still work okay in freezing temperatures, from -30°C to 65°C/-22°F to 149°F. Regular smartphones stop working at about 0°C/32°F. For anyone who frequently skis or hikes in winter, that’s a potentially vital feature. In terms of performance, the Land Rover Explore is again adequate but not brilliant. Running the Geekbench 4 benchmarks, its Mediatek Helio X27 chip produced a single-core score of 1,768, and 4,818 in the multi-core test. That’s a long way off the speeds of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 powering many of the current crop of flagship phones and more on par with the two-generation old Snapdragon 821.
Customisable outdoor dashboard to access to the most important weather information, sensor data, and on-device tools for your activity: eg weather, wind, tides, compass, SOS light The Land Rover Explore is a phone designed for those going off-grid. Or is it? There’s no question that this is one of the best phones around for true outdoor types. Inchcape Retail Limited is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and is on the Financial Services Register ( https://register.fca.org.uk) FRN 312637. Gerard Mann Limited (FRN 405813) and Chapelgate Motors Limited (FRN 477636) are Appointed Representatives of Inchcape Retail Limited. We realize the Explore is all about being location-specific, but it would be more useful if data like weather and sunset/sunrise times were retained from the last known location (most likely your home, or a Wi-Fi-equipped hotel lobby from where you left for the wilderness the previous day).Although the modified Android OS is outdoorsy to the core, too many of the key data metrics gathered become unavailable when the phone goes truly off-grid. Critical information like sunrise and sunset times only remain when the phone is refreshing on a data connection; go off grid – which is surely what this phone is for – and key data disappears. The phone comes with an Android 9 operating system, which can be upgraded to Android 10. There’s 64GB of memory and a slot for a microSD card to expand this. For mapping the Explore R comes with the OS Maps app and a free 12-month premium subscription. Outside the UK the phone comes with the ViewRanger app.
However, we're convinced that it’s styled to appeal as much to the faux-outdoor lifestyle of the average 4x4 owner as it is to hikers, climbers, cyclists and kayakers. Figures are shown as a range under WLTP testing measures. The lowest figures refer to the most economical/lightest set of options. The highest figures refer to the least economical/heaviest set of options. Although the phone’s display is covered with regular Corning Gorilla Glass 5, and a tough factory-fitted screen protector, Land Rover has worked with the Bullitt Group (which makes the CAT phones) to ensure the display will respond to gloved fingers, even when it’s wet.
Although stuff like latitude, longitude, altitude and the compass work without any access to data, weather predictions, and even sunrise and sunset times, do require a constant data connection.
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