The MD501 is, sadly, an overpriced rugged smartphone with underpowered hardware. The fact that it still runs Android Lollipop makes it even worse.
FOR
Well-designed
Dual SIM
Qi charger
AGAINST
Too expensive
Not yet upgraded to Android 6.0
As the iPhone 7 looms, there seems to be a real fear that the global smartphone market has reached its peak when it comes to innovation and opportunities to sell.
Sure, every new generation is faster than the previous one, has more memory and a camera with more megapixels, but in the grander scheme of things, all that's rather 'meh'.
That doesn't mean that consumers don't want to buy a phone, it's just that often they haven't found one that is different enough for them to fork out their hard-earned cash.
Which is where rugged smartphones such as theBlackView BV6000, the Cat S60and the Dewalt MD501, which we are testing today, can capture a small but not-so-insignificant audience (the above and below images show these three handsets next to each other).
That audience is trade professionals and businesses looking for a smartphone that can resist a few knocks, and they don't mind paying extra for a device that doesn't get obliterated when it falls from your hand and hits a hard surface four feet below.
The MD501, like the two other rugged smartphones mentioned, destroys the myth usually associated with this category of devices: that they are expensive but also ugly and have poor specs.
Sure, DeWalt's flagship handsetis not what we'd call affordable – at about £440 (around $580, AU$770) – but think about it more as an investment, and also consider the fact that you don't have to buy an expensive accidental damage insurance policy.
Obviously the phone is not manufactured by DeWalt but by an unknown licensee through a company called Global Mobile Communications Limited – a common enough practice in this area (Cat phones and JCB phones are both built by the Bullitt group).
Out of the box the device looks solid. Like the competition, its outer shell is made of a black reinforced rubber chassis with a couple of flaps that hide the microUSB port and an audio socket.
There's an etched, barely visible logo on the front along with capacitive touch buttons, and a reasonably big, glove-friendly, 5-inch display with Gorilla Glass 3 capable of displaying 1280 x 720 pixels. The display is reasonably bright, and you also get a 5-megapixel front camera and a useful status LED.
At the back there's a 13-megapixel camera with dual LED flash and a cover that hides two SIM cards and a microSD card reader.
A big programmable yellow button can be found on the left-hand side of the MD501 while a dedicated camera button, a power button and volume ones are on the opposite side.
At 245g and with a 14mm thickness, this device is heavy and sizable but then that's what you'd expect from a smartphone and a bundled casing.
The MD501 matches the competition's adherence to the IP68 set of tests as well as the stringent MIL-STD 810G. That means that it can withstand drops of up to two metres on concrete, stay under water at two metres for 30 minutes, and it is, of course, fully resistant to the ravages of dust as well as water.
Oh, and add in the ability to work between temperatures of minus 20 degrees and 60 degrees. Which means that it won't be harmed should you leave it on a dashboard in broad daylight on a hot summer's day.
When it comes to the hardware, the MD501 lags behind the competition when it comes to sheer performance. Its score of 31,360 on Antutu is decent but far less than either of its aforementioned competitors.
That's due to its processor which is not only slower but also has fewer cores. With 2GB of RAM and 16GB on-board storage, it is also found wanting compared to its biggest competitor, the S60 from Cat.
The rest of the configuration includes a series of sensors (Gyroscope, pressure, magnetic, light and range), GPS, AGPS, GLONASS (but not Beidou), an amplified speaker, a 3,950mAh battery, 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, Qi wireless charging, an FM radio and NFC.
Surprisingly, the MD501 runs Android 5.1 Lollipop rather than 6.0 Marshmallow. That update is expected to come very soon according to DeWalt, but this is nonetheless a bother for those who want, for example, to benefit from the unified storage function.
Early verdict
The DeWalt MD501 is far too expensive for what it offers. The hardware itself can be found on handsets costing less than £100, which means that the extra toughening has quadrupled its price.
In comparison, the Cat S60 is a far more powerful handset with more memory and storage, plus it has a thermal imaging camera, Android 6.0, and can go deeper underwater.
And we've not even compared this offering to the BV6000 which costs around a third of the price while providing a better set of hardware. DeWalt will need to significantly up the ante in order to catch up with the competition.
HoloLens offers a unique AR experience. It's great build quality and attention to detail are pluses, and the application potential seems limitless. It's now a matter of whether Microsoft can fix some nagging issues, and how much it will cost regular folks.
FOR
Stellar build quality
Hologram resolution is impressive
Spatial sound is excellent
Hands-free, easy interaction
AGAINST
Short on battery life
Not easy to fit properly
Field of view needs improvement
Still glitchy
HoloLens, Microsoft's augmented reality (AR) viewer, feels like the future of computing.
Being upfront, the headgear that I tried at Build 2015 was "early development hardware," and it definitely felt that way. But the potential, and how close HoloLens is to achieving it, is simply remarkable.
[Editor's Note: Microsoft didn't allow cameras inside the Build 2015 HoloLens demo room. These images are of a HoloLens inside a glass case that was just outside.]
The moment I tried on HoloLens during a "Holographic Academy" session with fellow journalists, I thought, "This is like having a PC on my face." It's not quite that functional yet, but that's how the headgear, and what you see and can do with it, makes me feel.
There was no gaming in the session I attended, like we've seen since (more on that later). Instead, I was a developer for 90 minutes, crafting an app in Unity and adding HoloLens functions as I went.
With every new function added, like gesture controls and spatial sound, I witnessed how it translates into the HoloLens experience. The session aimed to show how easy it is to develop for HoloLens, but it also demonstrated what you and I will experience once it's out.
But, before we get into the nitty gritty, let's hit the latest news around HoloLens.
This is pretty far along for a developer kit
Latest developments
HoloLens launched exclusively to ardent developers looking to get their hands on the hardware early for the skyscraping cost of $3,000 (£2,160, AU$4,202). Since then, this offer has been opened up to anyone with a Microsoft account.
Moreover, with HoloLens criticized for its limited field of view, Microsoft informed us in June that it has no plans to address this criticism. Instead, the company is leaving this up to its partner manufacturers to achieve with its Windows Holographic platform.
Speaking of which, the Windows Holographic OS which powers HoloLens was recently updatedwith AR-specific versions of Microsoft's own Outlook Mail and Calendar clients, allowing users to pin emails or calendar events to a wall for later. This could serve as a less chaotic alternative to administering multiple windows at a time on a single monitor, helping users prioritize the more important tasks.
Build quality and comfort
HoloLens is essentially comprised of two rings: a thicker, plastic outer one that contains the guts and a slimmer, cushioned inner one that wraps your head. The inner ring's fit adjusts by sliding forward and backward a roller residing on its back.
That cushioning is a small touch, but one I appreciate for making it easier to forget you're wearing the viewer and focus on the AR imagery in front of you.
The device isn't supposed to sit on your nose, but I found its rubber nose guard to inevitably fall down my nose no matter how often I pried the HoloLens forward. Thankfully, it's optional and comes off easily. HoloLens feels a lot better for me with it off.
It looks like it belongs in the office but would blend well in any living room.
I also struggled to get HoloLens to fit every time I put it on. I had to regularly re-tighten, re-situate and realign the headgear. When everything fit nicely, the AR imagery was in full view and it felt right. But if it was too tight, too high up or too far forward, my experience was hindered.
Standing still made for the best overall viewing experience. The adjustment issues cropped up especially when I would move around, effectively defeating the point in HoloLens.
If you have short hair or it's pulled back, you might not have as much trouble as someone with long, loose hair, like myself. It may have been my ability to adjust, but I had a slight headache after I took HoloLens off, like I had been wearing a baseball cap that was two sizes too small.
The headgear I used was untethered, and I didn't need my hands for anything other than selecting my "hologram" to move it. It wasn't wired up for battery life, like the first early prototypes shown to press.
Fitting issues aside, when HoloLens fits right, it's comfortable. But, like all virtual reality (VR) and AR headgear, its weight is front loaded. You can't help but feel a noticeable weight hanging off your forehead.
It fits rather snugly around the cranium
The weight isn't uncomfortable, but it is significant. If Microsoft can somehow counterbalance the weight on the sides or back, it would likely alleviate the front-heavy sensation.
I wear glasses, and I used HoloLens with them on. They don't press into my face or feel tight around my head, unlike with most VR headsets. I also didn't get nauseous, a frequent occurrence when I wear Oculus Rift.
It helps that I can still see my surroundings with HoloLens, so I don't feel disoriented or claustrophobic. If only the HoloLens see-through screen weren't so dark (but the room was dimly lit, so it may be just right for a brighter room).
Walking backward in HoloLens feels most uneasy, as I can't quickly turn to see whether something is behind me. The headgear also obstructs my upper peripheral view, so some of my vision is obscured.
HoloLens looks and feels like a premium device. Nothing about it screams "cheap", which is reflected by the developer edition's price.
The gadget looks like it belongs in the office but would also blend well in any living room. As is, HoloLens feels too delicate to stay clean and unscathed in, say, a construction site.
I find myself handling HoloLens gently, so unless Microsoft does some ruggedizing, you'll probably want to keep HoloLens out of the reach of youngsters.
Looking mighty dramatic there, HoloLens
Holographic viewing
The "hologram" – which these are not by the strictest definition – in my HoloLens experience consisted of two floating spheres, two yellow slides and some blocks stacked on a pad of paper.
It was called "Project Origami," and so was meant to look and sound like folded paper.
To give the holograms (which turned into a game) functions, I added controls (gaze, gesture and voice), spatial sound, spatial mapping and the ability to pick up, move and place the holograms around the room.
This wasn't Minority Report-level selecting and swiping, but impressive nonetheless.
Finally, an underworld was added to the hologram so that, when the spheres fell, an explosion created a gaping hole in the floor that the they descended into. Looking down the hole revealed a new world, complete with rolling hills and cranes soaring underneath my feet.
The HoloLens images projected onto the real world around me are vibrant, sharp and realistic – though, a little jittery. When I move around them, the holographic shapes behave like real objects, so I can see their backsides – or not at all, if they're obstructed by other holograms.
When the paper spheres roll onto the floor, they roll around just like real balls would, bouncing around objects and looking real enough to pick up. When I peer into the underworld that opened up on the floor, it's like I'm looking into, as my HoloLens "mentor" put it, a world I didn't know was there the whole time.
But, looking at holograms slapped on top of the real world is just one half of the HoloLens equation. Controlling the holograms is the other.
Once you get the hang of it, this is easy
Controlling and touching holograms
The HoloLens gaze controls are responsive and should be easy for any user to get the hang of almost immediately. It's the other kinds of input where HoloLens has slightly more trouble.
While voice controls work, there is a lag between giving them and the hologram executing your commands. I had to say, "Let it roll!" to send the spheres down the slides, and there was a second-long pause before they took a tumble. It isn't major, but enough to make me feel like I should repeat myself.
Gesture control is the hardest to get right, even though my experience was but a one-fingered, downward swipe. It took time to figure out the best distance to swipe away from HoloLens and where to put my finger for it to register.
Just imagine someone repeatedly swiping their finger downward in mid-air – that was me.
Once I finally found the sweet spot, though, the control worked better than expected. Instead of reaching out to touch the hologram, the swipe worked best when I held my hand comfortably in front of me.
Using gestures, I could select the Project Origami diagram, use my gaze to move it around the room, and then use another pinch to lock the hologram into a new spot (I moved it from in front of me to a couch to a coffee tablet to a desk.). This wasn't Minority Report-level selecting and swiping, but impressive nonetheless.
The HoloLens uses spatial audio, which takes the experience to a whole new level. Ambient music played during the demo, and the spheres rolled to the the sound of crumpling paper.
The sound got louder as I approached the hologram and faded as I moved away. It added another dimension to the HoloLens experience, making it that much more immersive.
Unfortunately, HoloLens won't blanket your room like this
Of course, as I viewed the holograms, I was still able to see my surroundings. The holograms weren't disrupted if someone happened to walk through my projection.
My favorite part of this HoloLens demo was a wire frame mesh that appeared on real-world objects to show how HoloLens perceives them. The mesh changed as HoloLens registered the objects and I moved my head to look at a new spot.
It also wrapped the people around me, though I could still make out their features from behind the digital framework. It was an awesome AR moment: the people themselves became part of the hologram.
As cool as it all was, it would have been less distracting if the images disappeared when I was talking to someone. From speaking with Microsoft representatives, it sounds like this will be possible with other apps, but not Project Origami.
It feels weird to talk to someone with HoloLens on – a little rude, as if I were wearing sunglasses indoors (or at night – zing).
The biggest issue with HoloLens's holographic viewing is that the field of view is limited to what amounts to the size of a monitor in front of you –equivalent to 15 inches, we know now. You can see the edges of the virtual space where the hologram lives (which are basically the edges of the inner HoloLens frames).
Judging from experience, you probably would want these farther from your face
Looking outside that space, or moving too close into it, cuts the the hologram off or makes it disappear completely. These edges weren't visible during the wire mesh portion of the demo and therefore was more immersive, but the origami demo seemed as if it existed on a limited plane.
The holograms look best when I'm standing about four or five feet away and when there is more going on, like the wire frame mesh. There were glitches in my demo, and it didn't work perfectly every time. Regardless, none of its takes away from my enjoyment of HoloLens – demos are always incomplete.
It's important to note that, while Microsoft's on-stage HoloLens demos have featured polished and seemingly advanced holograms, what I saw was not in the same league in terms of quality, complexity or functionality.
Maybe Microsoft is saving all the wow factor for its keynotes, but my demo was a less refined and less capable version of what we've seen in on-stage demos. My experience, while impressive, felt like child's play AR compared to what's been in Microsoft's keynotes.
That's not to say that HoloLens can't project these advanced images down the road. And, as Microsoft said, I was wearing "early development hardware." But Redmond has work to do to before the reality it's projecting onstage aligns with what you and me actually see.
Don't expect your HoloLens experience to look just like this
Early verdict
Neither the HoloLens software nor the hardware is perfect. But, if Microsoft can work out the kinks, HoloLens will be an immersive entertainment device that could easily fit in an office.
Despite its faults, using HoloLens was delightful. With more robust apps, more reliable functionality and an improved viewing experience, HoloLens could become the AR viewer to end them all.
Frankly, HoloLens could transform how we interact with the world. These are lofty ideas, and the device as-is won't accomplish any of them yet, but the potential is there – and strong.
HoloLens is the most fascinating tech I've tested in a long time. We still don't know how much it will cost at retail, but HoloLens seems to have unlimited potential – that which it seems like it can actually live up to. And that alone is incredibly exciting.
Head to Page 2 for our brief impressions of a few more recent experiences with HoloLens.
Joe Osborne and Gabe Carey have also contributed to this review.
