AGM M7

AGM is most known for its rugged and capable line of phones built to withstand the abuse of a busy worksite or active lifestyle. The M7 is the latest member of this family provides an interesting balance of design, simplicity, and features. But is it worth buying for most users? Let’s look at the reviews.

Design

The AGM M7 features the candy bar phone design of decades past and is built to withstand just about anything. There is a tire-tread-like bumper around the outside of the phone to help protect against drops, dents, and scratches. The phone is also IP68/IP69K rated and MIL-STD-810H rated making it highly water-resistant and shock-resistant. Around the back, you’ll find one of the largest speakers we’ve ever seen on a mobile phone.

Display

Coming in at a tiny 2.4-inches, the small touch screen of the M7 allows for basic app use while avoiding the extra bulk — and fragility — of a larger display. It won’t win any graphics awards but reviewers said it was still impressive with plenty of brightness and clear text when checking email, sending messages, or browsing social media.

Performance

Since the processor only needs to push that small display, performance reviews are excellent. No, it won’t play the latest games at full tilt, but who would want to play games on a 2.4-inch screen. For everything else, it’s plenty snappy offering improved performance over most feature phones.

Software & Storage

The AGM M7 only comes with 8GB of storage. You also won’t find a microSD card reader, so don’t expect to store a ton of files, videos, or music on the phone. It uses a simplified version of Android Oreo which reviewers found plenty usable even with the smaller display.

Cameras

Again, the camera on this phone is not meant to wow photographers. But if you need a quick snapshot to remember something later or the like, the 2MP camera will capture something to refer to later — even if it’s not amazing looking.

Battery Life

Don’t let the battery’s smaller 2500mAh rating fool you. Since there’s less software and screen fanciness going on, the battery lasts for days. Reviewers also loved that the phone uses USB Type-C charging — something essentially unheard of at this point in basic or feature phones. It also includes a charging dock for your desk to make charging simple.

Audio

The M7 is essentially untouchable when it comes to phone audio. No, it won’t keep up with a home theater system or larger Bluetooth speaker, but the 3.5W speaker on the rear of the phone will blow any smartphone on the market away in terms of overall loudspeaker volume.

Specs at a Glance

• Plastic chassis
• 2.4-inch QVGA support touch panel display
• MediaTek MT6739 Quad-core 1.5 GHz processor
• 1GB of RAM
• Simplified Android Oreo
• 8GB of storage
• 2MP camera
• 2500mAh battery
• 21-button keypad

Bottom Line

AGM provides an interesting mix between the simplicity of a feature phone and the power of a smartphone, helping the M7 stand out in a world full of high-powered little rectangles. AGM has always focused on more rugged phone designs. This experience shows in their latest release. It would be ideal for someone who likes to hike or works in an industrial or construction setting, but it can have just as many benefits for those looking for a bit of digital minimalism or wanting to simplify their phone-driven life.

The Gadgeteer says, “This phone offers a retro feel while maintaining the specs and capabilities of a modern smartphone.”

TechToy Reviews states, “Over and above the aforementioned features, the AGM M7 also features a high-volume removable 2500mAh battery, supports GPS, Wi-Fi connectivity, and Bluetooth, and has the ability to clear all DNS cache in one click.”