What is the most rugged android smart phone?

[darklide]

What is the most rugged Android smartphone?
- Can withstand some water
- Can withstand dust
etc

 

[Logan47]

I recall JCB released a pretty tough android phone.

 

[Soundteq]

the motor backflip was surprisingly very strong. I dropped mine in puddles a few times, as well as dropping it on concrete a ton of times.. I had even thrown it a few time.

but it's also fairy dated, so...

 

[rabiddawgs]

Casio Commando by far. built to military specs.
the Commando can survive
immersion in meter-deep (3.3-foot) water for up to 30 minutes,
a series of 26 four-foot drops,
temperatures between -25 and 85 degrees Celcius (-13 to 185 degrees Farenheit)
heavy dust for 6 hours
95% for 24 hrs
CASIO G'zOne Commando

 

[!on]

What is the most rugged Android smartphone?
- Can withstand some water
- Can withstand dust
etc

Moto Defy can "withstand some water" (in the rain, fine, in a drink, fine, someone even posted youtube of going swimming with it...) "can withstand dust" yes, Defy has no dust at all inside it.

I must say, your request for "most rugged" surely means much more than "can withstand some water / dust", no?

Casio Commando by far. built to military specs.
the Commando can survive
immersion in meter-deep (3.3-foot) water for up to 30 minutes,
a series of 26 four-foot drops,
temperatures between -25 and 85 degrees Celcius (-13 to 185 degrees Farenheit)
heavy dust for 6 hours
95% for 24 hrs
CASIO G'zOne Commando

Now that's what I would call rugged :thumbup:

 

[as439726]

The Casio is solid. Too bad it's behind the times on everything else. You could root it I guess

 

[rabiddawgs]

yes the casio is a very solid phone. does have some shortcomings though. but for just entering into the smartphone area and who it is intended for it is a fine phone to have.

i have dropped mine several times on concrete face up, down, side and even one time i tried to catch it and failed went tumbling across the concrete flipping about 15 ft away. picked it up and continued my conversation with my wife. has not missed a beat.

but the internal storage only has 400mb for apps that wont go onto sd card. the camera is pretty good but not great. the screen is not a sensitive as other smartphones because of the thick gorilla glass. 800mhz cpu and 512 ram work fine but not the greatest.

i like the phone a lot but i am ready to move on to a higher end one helps i got a $100 off coupon from verizon for a new 4g phone

 

[styxfire]

I am somewhat surprised that the VAST majority of phones are breakable, crackable, creations of metal and glass that need to be protected... Why on earth is nobody manufacturing a scratchbook dropproof waterproof rubberized thing for real people who want to keep their phones in with all their other gear...? I am concerned how to take care of a delicate glass smartphone. I don't want to destroy something I paid hundreds for, but I don't really have time to keep my phone as safe as my eyeball. I would've thought that 'rugged' would be a huge selling point in phones.

 

[as439726]

I am somewhat surprised that the VAST majority of phones are breakable, crackable, creations of metal and glass that need to be protected... Why on earth is nobody manufacturing a scratchbook dropproof waterproof rubberized thing for real people who want to keep their phones in with all their other gear...? I am concerned how to take care of a delicate glass smartphone. I don't want to destroy something I paid hundreds for, but I don't really have time to keep my phone as safe as my eyeball. I would've thought that 'rugged' would be a huge selling point in phones.

Jump on xdadevelopers or cyanogen. Look at roms and info on the casio and a phone called the Rugby. I think you can find a solid, durable phone solution.

 

[breadnatty08]

Check out this guy:
Caterpillar, Yes That CAT, Announces New Rugged Android Phone
Made by a friggin tractor company!

 

[styxfire]

WOW, the CAT B10 phone seems to be just what I was looking for! Yes, that's the kind of ruggedness I was talking about.
Hands-on with the CAT B10 rugged Android phone

I did read a little about the other phone, the Rugby, but decided against it after reading some of the reviews compared to the reviews of the top-of-the-line phones.

Ultimately, I couldn't wait any longer and got an S2 Skyrocket. To protect this delicate thing, I purchased:

• a cheap neoprene case off ebay ($4),
• a cheap belt-clip holder from Walmart that will hold the Skyrocket/neoprene bundle ($18). Note, Walmart had only 1 phone holder large enough for the fairly-long Skyrocket.
• a waterproof plastic-bag thing on eBay ($3) which I'll carry in my pocket.

If a downpour starts, I'll put the whole belt-clip in the waterproof bag right away.

I'm excited about the CAT B10 phone though! I think it'll steer phone manufacturers in another direction. I think customers are almost over the phase of wanting to carry their phones around on silver platters and admire them as priceless works of art... people just want a phone they can toss in their backpack or purse and be able to rely on it no matter if it gets dropped or stepped on. JMO.

 

[pumita]

I'm surprised nobody's mentioned the samsung rugby smart yet...

Waterproof up to 1m of water for 30 min
Dust proof
Shock proof

It doesn't have a bulky look like the G'zOne CAT or JCB but it's still rugged.

I actually ordered mine yesterday, I'm excited to get my hands on it.

Defy+ gets some good reviews but it looks small, fat and chubby IMO

----------
EDIT:

i also the droid RAZR and RAZR MAXX are pretty rugged. although they're not advertised as such, they can withstand some maltreatment. they're coated with some sort of nanotechnology layer that makes them more water resistant, also the kevlar back and gorilla glass makes them pretty resistant to drops and such. you can probably find a video online of someone dunking it in water (stupid though, because its not waterproof)

 

[Big Fat Nick]

I quite agree. This phone does quite seem to be built to Military Specs, i.e outdated but tried and tested technology, cumbersome, overpriced. I've do doubt it would survive pretty well and physical conditions you could think of exerting it to, but the newer Motorola Defy + is just as waterproof and shockproof (IP67), if if you really wanted to I'm sure you can find a massive rubber casing for it as well. But heh, its all about personal preference.

Sorry to be a bit mean, but being in the military myself, whenever I see or hear "made to miltary specifications" I cringe, because honestly for any product, that really is no compliment. Like I suggested before, anything made for the military is usually fairly low tech compared to the cutting edge and really a bit sh*t, as although being cheaply made, is usually vastly overpriced because idiots who are buyers for the military are usually not technical experts or accountants.

Why do you think all of the lads end up buying their kit from third party military suppliers like RVOps?!!

 

[gregs887]

I am somewhat surprised that the VAST majority of phones are breakable, crackable, creations of metal and glass that need to be protected... Why on earth is nobody manufacturing a scratchbook dropproof waterproof rubberized thing for real people who want to keep their phones in with all their other gear...? I am concerned how to take care of a delicate glass smartphone. I don't want to destroy something I paid hundreds for, but I don't really have time to keep my phone as safe as my eyeball. I would've thought that 'rugged' would be a huge selling point in phones.

How else are they going to sell you a phone every two years? I used to keep my feature phones until they literally fell apart (between 4-6 years).

 

[Motorhead1991]

I have a Rugby and Love it! 4G is fast, screen colors are beautiful, 1.4Ghz processor stock. This thing is built like a rock! The only thing is, if you're gonna root, do it out of the box, conventional methods don't work, and the only way to root wipes your data.

 

[Demache]

How else are they going to sell you a phone every two years? I used to keep my feature phones until they literally fell apart (between 4-6 years).

I will be honest here. I've never had a phone break on me through my own fault or accident. I like to think I take some care of my expensive devices. If it wasn't for the fact that smartphones age so quickly, I would still be on my Nokia E63 or HTC Eris!

 

[Petey21]

The Nautiz X1, made by the Handheld Group and running Android 4.0, is said to be very rugged and meets stringent MIL-STD-810G military standards for withstanding humidity, vibration, drops and extreme temperatures.

Rugged PC Review.com - Handhelds and PDAs: Handheld Group Nautiz X1

 

[gtbarry]

Another vote for the Samsung Rugby

Samsung Rugby Smart Android Smartphone (AT&T) | Samsung Mobile

 

[ravenas]

I know you guys are into the military commando thing so what I am about to say will probably get laughed at, but did you see the torture testing Molly Wood did of the Galaxy S3?

(Re: her show Always On) http://cnettv.cnet.com/8301-33814_53-57524623-10391737/episode-16-torture-testing-the-iphone-5/

Yeah I know the Samsung phones are all labeled as fragile plastic crap, but that thing was baked, frozen, dropped, scratched and put through the washing machine (on a full cycle with detergent and clothes). It survived all of that without even a dent.

I've owned the S2 and S3. I just put a little TPU case on them and drop them frequently. They've been rained on, baked and battered around in my purse. Not a scratch or dent on them.

I wouldn't mention it except the thing withstood a freaking cycle in the washing machine!! It even received e-mail notifications while in the washer. Every other phone they tried that on was a brick afterwards.

 

[Supdany]

I own the Land Rover A9+ it is quite strong, I own it for 1 month now.
It has thermometer, altimeter, and it is really waterproof, I tried in my bathroom.
I only find it online. If you need info about the phone, I can help.

 

[Unforgiven]

Wow, old thread here.
Is this the phone your talking about?
http://bigrugged.com/rugged-cell-phones/land-rover-a9

That thing looks intimidating.

 

[Supdany]

Yes that the one same model. The only think is mine did not come with the Land Rover sticker like on your photo. Do you know how I can get the sticker?

 

[Unforgiven]

LOL, no. I did a quick google search and you can buy the stickers on ebay. I'm not sure if they are the right size though.

 

[oleb84]

Sony Z3/Z4 when it comes out. Best at your requirements but if its going to take a beating i'd also get a decent case for it!

 

[Supdany]

Yes, agree, Z3 are not rugged phones. I droped my Land Rover A9+ last week. No scratch at all