AGM H Max test – entry-level segment of rugged outdoor smartphones

When it comes to smartphones, you don’t always have to look for the same five brands. Especially in the entry-level segment, there is a large selection of smartphones that you may never have heard of. And here, too, you can find special features and excellent specifications for the price. In the AGM H Max test, we take a look at a smartphone that is advertised as being particularly robust and suitable for outdoor use. How does it perform in practice?

Specifications

Processor	Unisoc T606: ARM Cortex-A55 (6 cores) + Cortex-A75 (2 cores)
Graphics	Mali-G57
screen size	6,56″
Operating system	Android 14
Display	90 Hz, 720×1612 (269 ppi), 400 NITS
Battery capacity	10,000 mAh
RAM	4 + 4 GB
Storage space	128 GB (expandable with micro SD)
Cameras	13 MP main camera, 2 MP macro, 5 MP selfie
Dual SIM	Yes
Weatherproof certification	IP68 / IP69K / MIL-STD 810H
5G support	No, up to 4G
Price	€ 199.00 *

Overall, the specifications look relatively similar to its sister model, the AGM H6. However, the AGM H Max has a significantly larger battery and a lower-resolution camera. RAM and storage space are also reduced on the AGM H Max. The screen and processor are similar, and the AGM H Max comes with the newer Android 14.

Packaging and scope of delivery

• Striking yellow packaging, otherwise kept simple
• Power supply unit, USB-C cable and sticker are included

The box of the AGM H Max is strikingly yellow. Apart from that, it looks rather functional, except for the “Find Your Glory” lettering, which honestly seems a little out of context. The pack is initially shrink-wrapped in plastic film. As soon as this is removed, the rather robust box can simply be opened. First you come across the envelope with the information material, underneath which is the AGM H Max itself. Underneath, there are two compartments containing the power supply unit and a USB-A to USB-C charging cable. In short: the expected scope of delivery.

The smartphone itself is encased in a protective film that cannot be removed and has to be opened completely. There is also another protective film on the display of the AGM H Max, which can be used in the same way.

The envelope contains a multilingual quick start guide, a warranty information sheet and a sheet with a few AGM and “Find Your Glory” stickers. What was not to be found on the test device was a tool for opening the SIM card compartment. On the warranty card, it almost looks like there is a provision for inserting one, but that’s just a theory.

Design

• Pleasantly understated design
• Prominent orange button
• Quite large smartphone

The design of the AGM H Max proves to be simple and unobtrusive in the test. And yet with a restrained, robust outdoor characteristic that is not too over the top. Overall, it almost looks as if the smartphone is already in a protective cover, but this is not the case. There are metallic strips on the side that contain the buttons, with a special orange button on the left-hand side for the quick launch of functions.

Nevertheless, the AGM H Max is of course not a small smartphone. The “light and thin” from the advertising contradicts the “Wow, what kind of thing have you got there?” of a colleague when he first saw the smartphone. The large battery and robust outdoor frame take their toll here, especially as the display is also quite large at 6.56″. It definitely goes against the trend of making everything thinner and smaller. Nevertheless, the size doesn’t completely escalate. Since you don’t need an additional protective cover, it still fits reasonably well in your pocket.

Build quality

• Decent workmanship
• Back made of ribbed plastic
• A strap can be attached

The expectations of the workmanship of an outdoor smartphone and a low-cost smartphone are somewhat contradictory. And indeed, the AGM H Max is somewhere between the robust, good workmanship that you would expect from an outdoor smartphone and the low-cost workmanship that you would accept in the entry-level price range. The AGM H Max certainly looks robust in the test, especially on the outside. However, the back feels rather like simple hard plastic, despite the structure that increases grip.

Speaking of grip: a strap can also be attached to the bottom right-hand corner to provide double security, especially outdoors or when working on construction sites. Because even if the AGM H Max is so robust that it should withstand drops even better than regular smartphones, it is of course all the better if it doesn’t fall in the first place, but instead remains hanging either on your neck or wrist, depending on the strap you choose.

One positive aspect, however, is that there are no “soft-touch” surfaces that could degrade over time. Overall, the workmanship is therefore unspectacular.

Setup

• Space for two SIM cards AND a micro SD
• Easy start

To begin with, you should make sure that the AGM H Max is fully charged before starting up and then you can remove the SIM card holder and an optional micro SD card (“TF”) from the side. As is common nowadays, nano-SIM cards are used and two cards can be inserted at the same time. The micro SD and the SIM card(s) are simply inserted and pushed back in.

Now you can start the device. The setup runs as expected with the usual steps: Select language, enter SIM PIN, establish network connection, set up Google Assistant (or not) or transfer data from another smartphone.

So there are no surprises during setup – neither negative nor positive. If required, you can of course set up the Google Assistant to be able to control the AGM H Max by voice.

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In the end, you’re greeted by a no-nonsense, simple Android system that hasn’t been modified much. A load of apps now want to be updated in Google Play and then you can make your personal adjustments to the system.

Software

• No Play Protect certification
• Only basic apps installed, no bloatware

A compass function is advertised on the official product page of the AGM H Max, but this cannot be found on the test device. Overall, the system appears relatively bare except for the typical system apps. That’s actually quite okay. After all, there is no bloatware that steals space or computing power.

Experience shows that AGM is unlikely to receive an update to Android 15 in the future – it is currently equipped with Android 14.

The next steps will be somewhat more difficult, as there is no “Play Protect” certification, for example, which could cause problems with some apps. Play Protect itself runs in the background. Banking apps from different providers can at least be installed and started.

PCMark, for example, whose battery test I wanted to run, could not be installed.

Display

• Large display with 90 Hz refresh rate
• Low maximum brightness
• Low resolution for today’s time and the screen diagonal

The display of the AGM H Max is unspectacular. It is large, but with a resolution of 720 x 1612 (aspect ratio 20.1 : 9) it is in the restrained range. Nevertheless, the pixels don’t jump out at you – but it is a little out of date. A lower resolution is at least less demanding in terms of graphics performance. The refresh rate is smooth at 90 Hz, which is noticeable compared to other entry-level models with 60 Hz, but doesn’t really make a big difference. The picture impression itself is okay, but not spectacular.

The maximum brightness of 400 NITS is fine for indoor use, but not optimal in sunshine. This is understandable for the price range, but a bit of a shame for a device designed for outdoor activities. Unfair comparison: iPhones have already been at a brightness of (sometimes significantly) over 1000 NITS for several generations, but even in the entry-level class it is easy to find at least 500 NITS displays.

There is a light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the display by default, unless you adjust it manually.

Overall, it is already easy to find smartphones with better screens in this price range. In favor of brightness, I would even have done without the 90 Hz and reused the brighter 60 Hz display of the AGM H5 Pro, for example, especially since the 90 Hz is only moderately utilized in many cases anyway, because the performance…

Performance

• Mediocre processor performance
• Poor graphics performance
• Simple operation and Youtube videos still run smoothly

As you would expect from a smartphone in this price range, the performance of the AGM H Max is restrained. The general operation is smooth, simple games also run smoothly, but you don’t really want to perform computationally intensive production tasks or intensive gaming with it. The graphics unit in particular is a little weak in this regard, not far ahead of the Sony Xperia XA2 from 2018, which has already been used for the size comparison. However, the processor performance proves to be significantly stronger in the AGM H Max test, even if it is still not really impressive.

The lack of support for 5G also suggests that the chips installed do not meet the latest standard.

How much do you notice of the moderate computing power in everyday life? Not really much due to the low screen resolution. As I said, regular operation is smooth. Browsing, YouTube and simple games run smoothly. More intensive games, such as Diablo Immortal, are graphically downgraded to such an extent that playing them is only fun to a limited extent.

To summarize, the AGM H Max is quite okay for regular use and simple games, but definitely not a gaming smartphone.

Camera test

• Zoom only possible digitally with drastic loss of quality
• Image quality is reminiscent of old compact cameras
• Not particularly detailed photos

Another somewhat sobering point in the test of the AGM H Max. It’s just a cell phone camera. This is fine for occasional snapshots, but the quality is in the lower segment. There is also only one main camera and one selfie camera. There are no different focal lengths (wide-angle / normal / telephoto). The zoom is therefore a purely digital undertaking, which quickly leads to a loss of detail. Not to mention the fact that the camera itself is not really rich in detail.

A 2-megapixel macro camera is also built in, which is somewhat hidden in the camera menu. Here you first have to go to “More” to be able to click on “Macro”. This allows you to focus very closely, but the images are not very detailed.

The fact that the resolution of the main camera is not that high at 13 megapixels is not even a problem, because ultimately you hardly use high resolutions anyway when you consider that even 4K screens only display 8 megapixels. What is more problematic is that it shoots the images in 4:3 format. This means that the format and quality are at best reminiscent of compact cameras from the era around 2010.

You can change the format so that it corresponds to the screen format, but this is also a pure crop. This means that the edges are cut away so that only 4.6 megapixels remain.

Analysis and selfie camera

• Automatically applied filters
• No image stabilizer available
• Machine translation faulty

What the auto function does with selfies is… very strange. A beauty filter is probably slapped over it. Not only do wrinkles become invisible due to the low quality, but faces are also smoothed out. And lips…? See for yourself:

In low light, the problem arises that the AGM H Max cameras do not have an image stabilizer. On the one hand, this is a pity in video mode, as they shake, especially as recordings are not of outstanding quality and can be made up to a maximum of Full HD. On the other hand, it can reduce the sharpness of photos even further.

Ultimately, however, you can still take snapshots. However, anyone who attaches great importance to the camera should steer clear of the AGM H Max.

Side note: It is obvious that a machine translation has taken place without any subsequent control. The camera mode “Manual” was mistranslated as “Manual”. Amusing, but irritating.

Speakers, sound and other hardware

• Features without gyroscope and barometer typical for inexpensive smartphones
• Speaker without special sound

The AGM H Max’s loudspeaker is unspectacular and sounds like a cell phone. Overall, it is mid-range clear, clearly intelligible, but largely bass-free. Listening to music with it is not a pleasure.

As for the microphone – listen for yourself (unedited recording):

The built-in flashlight is relatively weak. It doesn’t even come close to the brightness of the Sony Xperia XA2, which has already been used so often in the AGM H Max test and is now almost 7 years old. That’s a shame for an outdoor smartphone, because I would hardly feel safe at night with this flashlight.

Gyroscope and barometer are not installed.

Battery life

• Very large battery
• Long operating time, especially when using energy-saving modes
• Slow charging of the battery

Where the AGM H Max has shown itself to be rather mediocre in previous tests, it really shines here. With 10,000 mAh, the AGM H Max has a battery size that is otherwise more commonly found in power banks. This is an outstanding feature of this smartphone. Even on longer trips, you don’t have to worry about the battery giving up the ghost. Daily charging? Not necessary – the battery lasts for several days even with intensive use. I only had to charge it once during the entire test period.

There is also an energy-saving mode that reduces the performance a little, reduces the intervals at which new messages are retrieved, for example, and increases the battery life even further. Last but not least, there is the ultra-saving mode, which deactivates all but a few permitted apps, as well as location data, in order to achieve maximum battery life. This mode also simplifies operation to very few selectable apps.

Overall, with moderate smartphone use, it’s not rocket science to achieve a runtime of one week. Very impressive!

The only dampener on the joy is the slow charging. The power adapter supplied delivers 10 watts, so you should plan on charging overnight if you want to prepare an empty battery for the next few days. Even switching to a more powerful power supply had no significant effect on the charging speed in the test.

Robustness

• Good sealing and still with a headphone jack
• Survived the test with drops, sand and water well, albeit with scratches on the plastic back

Now that the test is coming to an end, the robustness of the AGM H Max is put to the test. Both the headphone jack and the USB-C port are protected from dust and moisture with a flap, without the ports sinking too far. The SD and SIM card tray also has a rubber ring that provides the necessary security. In addition, the frame is slightly raised at the corners around the display to ensure that the screen itself does not hit the ground in the event of a fall.

The robustness tests were carried out last in order to have the rest of the test ready in case of damage despite the robustness, where some other advertised points have already turned out to be not quite true (such as the “bright” display, the “lightning-fast” performance, the “razor-sharp details” of the camera or the built-in compass).

The AGM H Max has been dropped several times on different surfaces (from leafy ground to wet sand and stony paths), landed in puddles, been rammed into the sandpit and cleaned up again under a powerful jet of water. Rain was also involved.

And what can I say? In principle, the AGM H Max passed this test well. The plastic back has a few flaws, but these are purely visual defects and do not affect the functionality of the smartphone. Apart from that, this smartphone did not show any problems.

Conclusion

The AGM H Max is not a universal smartphone and is definitely not interesting for all users. So who is the AGM H Max intended for? For those for whom a smartphone is not the center of their lives and simply needs to fulfill necessary functions – without having to constantly watch the battery or worry about the device suffering a total loss on the beach. For bikers and hikers who want to be reachable and may need navigation, but where occasional falls or rain are inevitable. As a work phone with an affordable price and high robustness, but without the need to be able to play games.

Overall, however, the AGM H Max doesn’t really inspire me. The robustness and battery life are really very good, as is the dual SIM function and simultaneous use of a micro SD. Otherwise, this smartphone is almost at the lowest performance level currently available and neither the camera nor the display are convincing. So where the main focus is not on general performance but on outdoor robustness, the screen brightness limits the smartphone during the day outdoors and at night the weak light is a shortcoming. If a device is already a one-trick pony, it should not have such shortcomings, at least in this area.