{Disarmed} Gigaset GX290 plus test report

Gigaset GX290 plus header

The Gigaset GX290 plus is an outdoor model from the German manufacturer. The device was officially presented a few months ago, I have now received the model from the manufacturer for testing and I want to tell you whether it is worth buying - or not.

The Gigaset GX290 plus was kindly made available to me in Black / Titanium Gray with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB storage. Thanks a lot for this! However, this has no influence on the test result. The RRP is EUR 329.00 - but now you can get the model for well under EUR 300.00.

scope of delivery

The Gigaset GX290 plus comes in a gray packaging made of apparently recycled cardboard. A schematic drawing of the device can be seen on the front and the familiar orange with the Gigaset logo on the right. The most important key specs of the device can be found on the back of the box.

When you hold the packaging in your hands, you think you have a brick in your hand, that's how heavy the box is. This is not due to the extensive range of accessories, but the GX290 plus is simply a real hunk. That's nothing for your pocket.

Inside, in addition to the actual device, we also find a USB C cable, the SIM eject tool and the charger and some pieces of paper. There are no headphones.

Gigaset GX290 plus

Technical specifications

Display: 6.1 ″ HD + display with 1,560 x 720 pixels, 282 ppi, 580 cd / m², Gorilla Glass 3
SoC: Mediatek MT6763V Helio P23 (4x 2.00 GHz Cortex-A53 + 4x 1.50 GHz Cortex-A53)
GPU: ARM Mali-G71 MP2
R.A.M: 4 GB
Storage: 64 GB, expandable by 256 GB via microSD card
Camera (rear): Main camera: 13 MP (aperture f / 2.0)
Additional camera: 2 MP
Camera (front): 8 MP
Battery pack: 6,200 mAh, wireless charging
Operating system: Android 10
Interfaces: USB-C 2.0, 3.5mm jack, WLAN 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, FM, ANT +
Sensors: Fingerprint sensor, position sensor, proximity sensor, brightness sensor, e-compass, gyroscope
Dimensions: 162.4 x 79 x 15.3 mm
Protection certification: IP68 (protection against dust and submersion up to 1.2m depth)
Weight: 279 g
Inserts: 2x Nano-SIM or 1x Nano-SIM + 1x microSD
Gigaset GX290 plus

Processing & haptics

Wow, you might think when you hold the Gigaset GX290 plus in your hand for the first time. In all honesty, I've never had such a chunk in my hand. At 1.5 cm, the device is not exactly thin and at 279 g it is probably one of the heaviest smartphones you can currently buy. The device is definitely not for delicate hands. The good thing about it, you can save yourself a protective cover!

Gigaset GX290 plus

You just notice that you are holding an outdoor smartphone in your hand. Here, form follows function, design is secondary. The mix of black and gray is still pleasing, it looks solid and not cheap. Thanks to the use of two-component TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane) and metal inserts screwed on the sides, it makes a robust and valuable impression. You get the feeling that the Gigaset GX290 plus is unbreakable.

Display

The Gigaset GX290 plus has a large, flat 6.1 ″ display with a resolution of 1,560 x 720 pixels at 282 ppi and 580 cd / m². This is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Unfortunately, the edges around the display are extremely thick by today's standards. The presentation of the display is okay. Contrasts and color intensity are sufficient, the viewing angle stability is good.

Gigaset GX290 plus

Unfortunately, the display is not too bright, that's okay indoors, but when you are outside with the device, and this is usually the case with an outdoor model, the brightness is no longer sufficient for much in direct sunlight to recognize. And then the display is not matt and also reflects quite strongly. But the low resolution and not too high brightness also have their advantages, so the battery is saved.

Gigaset GX290 plus

camera

You shouldn't expect too much from the Gigaset GX290 plus in terms of camera. The built-in camera with 13 MP and Sony sensor with aperture f / 2.0 and the additional lens with 2 MP for depth effects are okay, but nothing more. In daylight you can get decent shots. But you shouldn't compare it with current Huawei, Samsung, Xiaomi or Oppo devices, as the results are nowhere near as good.

If the light gets worse, you'd better not take any pictures, it doesn't get much out of it. Even the night mode of the camera app doesn't help much, as it is also quite unreliable. Sometimes the result is halfway satisfactory, sometimes you only see mud.

The built-in camera setup is not really convincing. but the target group that is to be addressed with this device should not look at it that way either. The robustness of the device and the quality as a camera replacement are more important here.

Software & performance

Another point of criticism of the Gigaset GX290 plus is the software and performance of the device. It's now October 2021 - and the device is still running Android 10 - will Android 11 ever come as an update? After various updates, the device is now on the security level of June 2021.

The MediaTek Helio P23 Octa-Core MT6763 chip is also working inside, this comes from 2017 and is more likely to be found in the entry-level area. Gigaset installs this in a device from 2020/2021 and a price of more than EUR 300.00. That too raises question marks. The working memory of 4 GB RAM is now just about manageable, the internal 64 GB memory can fortunately be expanded via a microSD card.

In everyday life, the Gigaset GX290 plus is not exactly a racing car, more like a cozy Sunday driver. Everything is a little slower than the competition, and every now and then it tends to be jerky. Sometimes the system seems to be a bit overwhelmed, because even unlocking with the fingerprint sensor takes longer than usual.

But let me say again, we are talking about an outdoor smartphone for which other values ​​are more important than pure performance. Of course, it would be nice if you had both, but that's not possible at this price. All in all, the device offers the performance that one expects from an entry-level device (because of the built-in SoC, it is not more than that).

Gigaset GX290 plus

speaker

There isn't much to say about the speakers built into the rear. Disappointing in terms of sound, they tend to distort and rattle, that doesn't sound really good. Listen to music or watch videos, for that you should rather use headphones, because you have a lot more of that.

battery pack

The battery is of course the device's "manslaughter" argument. There aren't many smartphones that can shine with a 6,200 mAh battery. But as an outdoor smartphone it makes sense that the battery is bigger if you don't get power for 2 days. Gigaset has also set a charge limit of 90 percent for the device in order to increase its service life. Maybe other manufacturers should also consider.

Unfortunately, the huge battery cannot be charged very quickly, with the supplied charger with USB type C and 9V / 2A (i.e. 18 watts), a full charge takes around three hours. What is surprising, however, is that you can also charge the device wirelessly, but that takes even longer, because here you can only charge with a maximum of 15 watts. But when the battery is full, it feels like it lasts forever.

Gigaset promises 600 hours of standby, 50 hours of talk time or 100 hours of music playback - values ​​that are impressive. With normal use, there are 3 days in it, if you take it easy and don't look at the display for a long time, you should even be in it for 4 to 5 days in some cases. In other words, a battery that you would otherwise want in any other device.

Conclusion

Buy - yes or no? For tradespeople or outdoor fans who swear by a robust phone with a long battery life, the Gigaset GX290 plus is certainly a device that you should keep an eye on. Even the dual SIM function, the radio and a 3.5 mm jack should find their fans.

It feels like you are well taken care of with the device on an outdoor holiday or in the great outdoors, without having to worry that something will break. The device is heavy and solid and the certifications for protection against water and dirt take away the fear of falls or water.

However, if you take a lot of photos with your smartphone and want to be on the go quickly, the device should not be available for you, you will not be happy with that. Here you should rather look around at the competition.

The article Gigaset GX290 plus test report first appeared on xiaomist's blog .

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