Review of the FOSSiBOT F109: the robust 5G mobile phone with two screens

Are you tired of all off-road mobiles offering the same thing and their price not being in line with their technical capabilities? Me too, that’s why I took on the task of looking for different ruggedized ones that are out of the ordinary, and along the way I came across the FOSSiBOT F109. It’s a ultra-resistant smartphone like the ones you already know, but with several interesting extras and a lower price than normal.

It is built to resist water, dust and shock, but also to give you a smooth and easy-to-use Android 14 experience thanks to its innovative dual-screen design, with a 1.32″ outer mini-screen and a 6.745″ HD+ main screen. In addition, it has a huge 10600 mAh battery to guarantee 2 days of autonomy or even more. We have tested it thoroughly to tell you the whole truth about the FOSSiBOT F109.

FOSSiBOT F109: a robust phone with 5G, double screen and a lot of battery

The FOSSiBOT F190 5G is a rugged smartphone with a rating IP68/IP69K, double screen, 50 MP camera and 10600 mAh batteryideal for daily use or in difficult conditions. Let’s look at its technical specifications and then talk in depth about all its details.

FOSSiBOT F109 technical sheet

The first rugged 5G with double screen

The FOSSiBOT F109 It is quite robust and heavy. Specifically, it weighs 385 grams and is 18.5 mm thick, which makes it somewhat more uncomfortable to hold than a normal mobile phone. Even so, once you get used to carrying a smartphone of this type, it is not bad at all ergonomically speaking.

It has the typical resistance certifications that all current off-road mobiles have (IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810H) with reinforced corners against falls. In theory, it withstands drops from 1.5 meters and immersion in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 1.5 meters. In addition, it has 360° protection against dust and sand. Nothing fits!

It’s made primarily of TPU, although its sides are solid screwed metal. It also has a silver or gold metal ring. (depending on the version you buy) around the camera module that gives it a lot of elegance. The back cover, by the way, is made of shiny plastic with patterns that imitate leather.

On the front we find a 6.7″ screen surrounded by pronounced bevels, especially at the bottom (8 mm) and top (6 mm). In addition, it has a drop-shaped notch for the front camera that does not take up much space on the screen. The truth is that it doesn’t look very premium and It also doesn’t help that the panel has HD resolution (720p), a quality more typical of the low range than the mid-range targeted by the FOSSiBOT F109.

Likewise, it must be said that the screen does not have enough maximum brightness (it is 450 nits) to see it clearly outdoors. Its 60 Hz fluidity is not bad, but it is below the average for mid-range smartphones today, most of which offer at least 90 Hz. So, in summary, we could say that the screen is the weakest thing that the FOSSiBOT F109 has.

The brand compensates for these deficiencies with a more affordable price and an interesting 1.32″ circular secondary screen located in the rear camera module. I found it very useful, because there I can see not only the time, but also notifications, battery and even selfies. Furthermore, since it is touch-sensitive, with that little screen I can control the music and even answer calls. It’s what I liked most about the phone!

By the way, the mini-screen can be customize with different clock dials to choose.

Good performance for such a cheap mobile

The FOSSiBOT F109 has within it what for many It is the best 5G processor for budget mobiles. This is the Dimensity 6300, a 6nm chip with 8 cores (two Cortex-A76 at a frequency of 2.40 GHz and six Cortex-A55 at 2.00 GHz). The integrated graphics card is a Mali-G57 MC2. It is an excellent processor, but it is more low-end than mid-range as the brand tries to sell it.

Comes with a generous amount of RAM and storage: 8 GB and 256 GBrespectively. And the best thing is that it comes with Android 14 installed from the factory, without bloatware or anything annoying, with a clean interface and all Google apps. Thus, despite its limited screen, the FOSSiBOT F109 offers a fluid, fast and simple experience.

It should be noted that this mobile supports two 5G SIM cards or one 5G SIM card + a micro SD of up to 2 TB. I have had no problems with 5G, GPS, Bluetooth, NFC, etc. All its connectivities work well, as expected. The only thing I’m missing is a 3.5 mm headphone jack, although it really is an extra that many people don’t use or need.

Apart from the typical volume and power buttons, the FOSSiBOT F109 has a red button to which you can assign the action you want. It recognizes one press, two presses and a long press to perform different actions (such as opening the camera, silencing the phone, etc.) quickly. By the way, the power button has an integrated fingerprint reader.

Simple cameras that get the job done

Although it looks like four, the FOSSiBOT F109 has two rear cameras: a 50 MP main and a 5 MP macro. The main camera uses a 1/2.55″ sensor with pixel binning technology that produces 12 MP images and can record 2K video at 30 FPS. The macro camera has a 1/4″ optical format and an aperture of f/1.79. On the other hand, it has a 16 MP front camera that can record Full HD videos at 30 FPS.

In general, it offers good cameras for taking photos and videos with decent quality. However, don’t expect much. Obviously, its photography section is very far from that of high-end mobile phones and even mid-range mobile phones. When there is a lot of natural light, you will not notice any defects, but when the light is scarce or not uniform, the seams begin to show.. Below we leave you a sample of the good work of its rear camera:

How long does the FOSSiBOT F109 battery last?

With its 10600 mAh battery, the FOSSiBOT F109 ensures a standby time of 30 days. In my tests, The battery has lasted up to 2 days with normal use of the phone (watching videos, using social networks, playing a little, chatting, etc.). According to the manufacturer, this is the battery life:

• 27 hours HD video playback.
• 12 hours of games.
• 16 hours web browsing.
• 42 hours music playback.

Is the FOSSiBOT F109 tablet worth buying?

The FOSSiBOT F109 is a rugged phone with a Exceptional battery and innovative design. Clearly, if screen quality and cameras are your top priorities, you may want to consider other models. However, if you are looking for a durable, different smartphone with incredible autonomy, the F109 with its 10600 mAh battery for 2 days of autonomy you will like it.

The real differentiating factor of this mobile is its secondary screen on the back, which I found it extremely useful to control it and review notifications and messages without having to turn on the main screen. And the best of all is that you don’t have to spend a fortune to get it, since costs about €200 on AliExpress and in the brand’s official store.