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Paul Lipscombe
August 24, 2020
Rugged credentials, offline topographical maps and curated outdoor app portal are key USPs
Bullitt Group is launching the Land Rover Explore R, the second device made in collaboration with the car manufacturer, this week.
The Explore R has 4GB RAM and 64GB external storage, with microSD expandable storage up to 256GB.
It has a 3,100mAh battery and a 3.5mm headphone jack, as well as a fingerprint scanner and facial unlock. Bullitt says the fingerprint scanner is weather resistant. Although the battery is smaller than its predecessor’s, Bullitt’s senior director for applications and product marketing Tim Shepherd says it is still enough for more than a day’s use, thanks to advances in battery usage optimisation.
“Yes, the battery is smaller, but that’s allowed us to make the device thinner, sleeker and more pocketable, while retaining the robustness and rigidity. And yet, still the customer doesn’t really suffer because they still have a day-plus worth of battery,” he said.
In terms of rugged spec, the device is IP68 certified for dust and water resistance, and MIL SPEC 810H certified for temperature and shock resistance. Its 5.7-inch screen is covered in Corning Gorilla glass 6 and can be controlled with gloves or wet fingers.
It also has a Sony dual pixel 12MP rear camera and an 8MP front camera.
At launch, the phone runs Android 9 on a Mediatek Helio P35 chipset. This is due to a delay to the phone’s release due to the coronavirus pandemic, but Bullitt says there is an imminent update to Android 10 which will improve its battery performance.
The phone also comes with a built-in offline topographical map service from Ordnance Survey for UK travelling and ViewRanger for European travelling. Additionally, it has a pre-loaded app curation portal called Explore Hub that provides a selection of outdoor activity apps.
Bullitt’s vice president of product portfolio Peter Cunningham said: “Every care has been taken to ensure the Explore R reflects the essence of the Land Rover brand and
presents features so users can keep on exploring without worrying – no matter the environment.
“Equally as important, the Explore R offers a polished aesthetic so it fits in at home, at work or in the great outdoors.”
Audience
The Explore R has an MSRP of £399, making it cheaper than its predecessor at launch. It will be available from August 25 from landroverexplore.co.uk, and other retailers, with no current news on operator partnerships. Eurostar Global is exclusively handling distribution for the device.
Unlike Bullitt’s Cat phones, which are often targeted at business customers, the Land Rover is a more consumer-facing product. Shepherd highlighted Land Rover brand fans, people who regularly go on outdoor activities, and people who aspire to spend more time on outdoor pursuits as the phone’s three key markets.
Jaguar Land Rover director of branded goods and licensing Joe Sinclair added: “The Explore R perfectly reflects our new Land Rover Defender, it’s a stylish but highly capable smartphone. Moreover, it’s a genuinely useful gadget with features to maximise any day, no matter what the occasion or destination.”