The Blackview BV9200 is the latest tough smartphone to land in our office. It is a rugged phone, certified to survive the toughest conditions, and the company claims it has improved materials to respond to a wider range of challenges.
The device can be thrown in a lake, driven over by a car or dropped from over 1 meter and live to tell the story. It comes with MIL-STD-810H, IP68 and IP69K certification so you don’t have to take BlackView’s word for it.
It is also a pretty capable midranger with a 50MP main camera, a dedicated button for quick access to select apps, and a notification light on the back.
The device is thinner than most rugged smartphones. Its weight of 310 grams feels tolerable and lighter than you’d expect when you see first see it. Blackview implemented stereo speakers on the sides of the rubber frame without compromising the build too, which is more than welcome.
Speaking of sound, it is tuned by Harman AudioEFX. We have a dedicated audio test, but at first glance (or should we say at first hearing), the speakers are loud, rich, and truly stereo.
The battery has 5,000mAh capacity, which is not that impressive for a large rugged phone, but it supports 66W fast charging and has the required adapter in the box. The BV9200 also supports 30W wireless charging and works with any Qi charger that has high rates. On top of that, there is reverse wired charging, capped at 5W.
Once we are done with all the tests, we will have our final verdict on whether $299 is the right price for such a phone, and we have a hunch that it might be worth it.
