A Rugged Cell Phone for Work or Play

mulberry by mulberry
Last updated: 02/12/2012

Need a Rugged Cell Phone to Fit Your Life?

Any electronic device is susceptible to damage when dropped, exposed to excessive heat, cold, or moisture. Dust and dirt can also work to destroy such devices. If you're an individual who works or plays in an environment where such hazards are nearly always present, you know that having a cell phone that's resistant to such threats is important.

There are a number of rugged cell phone models that are designed to survive frequent contact with water, dust, smoke, shock, extreme temperatures, and more. You'll see a number of the better options on this page and learn just a bit about future models to come.

If you wish to learn more or purchase one of these phones, just click on the image.

The Advantages and Disadvantages

A rugged cell phone is ideal on a worksite, out in the field, or anywhere in the great outdoors. They are often waterproof and won't flinch if dunked in stream, can tolerate being dropped, and in some cases, even being run overby a pickup truck. They also tend to be less temperature sensitive and won't be bothered by dust, dirt, and sand. This durability makes them very reliable in nearly any condition.

While many of these phones offered only basic functions for some years, their capabilities have expanded making them a better option for many users. Still, they aren't going to offer the high resolution multi-touch interface and all of the entertainment features that the most recent, higher end smartphones offer. The only other potential disadvantage is that these phone are often a bit bulkier than some of the other options. While this can be an advantage in a number of situations, if a user prefers the sleekest model, these phones won't be the right choice.

Buying Tips

When choosing a rugged cell phone there are a few things to think about.

The primary things to consider intially are the same things that should be examined before purchasing any cell phone. Coverage and the carrier (cell phone company) are important considerations of course. So too, are the various features you need the phone to have. Things like a web browser, built-in camera, GPS functions, and so forth are useful for nearly any user and certainly also for those who work or play outdoors.

Whether on a noisy worksite or simply outdoors, having good noise suppression can make voice communication easier as well. A walk talkie function can be good if multiple users will have a similar phone, and voice activated dialing can also be handy when your hands are busy. A large keypad, simple controls and overall navigation, can also be a plus, especially if gloves are involved.

Other basic functions like a timer, alarm clock, flashlight and so forth should also be considered depending upon the conditions of use. Some users may even benefit from a compass, altimeter, or similar functions.

While all of these phones may be tough, they may not all be equal. For instance, while one phone may tolerate being splashed, another might tolerate being submerged 6 feet in water for 30 mintues. Comparing specifications is a good idea. Many of these rugged cell phones are described as meeting military specifications. This refers to Military Specifications- MIL STD 810F, which you can learn more about here.

A final critical consideration for some users will be the talk time and stand-by time. If a user will be away from anyplace where they can charge the phone, having one that holds a charge well, can be important.

Sanyo Tahoe

Sanyo Taho Phone (Sprint)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

The Sanyo Tahoe is offered by Sprint. It's not a push to talk phone, but it's bulky design, grippy exterior, and easy controls still make it a good choice to use on worksites and in rugged conditions. It operates on the CDMA network and is dust, shock, vibration, and water proof. It also tolerates extreme temperatures.

This fliphone offers Bluetooth 2.0 technology, GPS, SMS/MMS messaging, a WAP 2.0 browser, voice dialing and 2 megapixel camera. This rugged phone has covered ports and memory card slot, a 2" internal color TFT display, and 1" monochrome external display.

Motorola Barrage V860

Motorola Barrage V860 Phone (Verizon Wireless)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

This rugged cell phone is built to military specifications to withstand extreme temperatures, dust, shock and even being submerged in 3 feet of water for 30 minutes. It's a clamshell phone with an internal 2.2-inch display (176 x 220 pixels, 262K color depth) as well as an external 1.66-inch color display which shows the current time, battery life, signal strength, and incoming calls.

This phone comes with Verizon Wireless services and VZ Navigator GPS turn-by-turn direction service. If offers 3G connectivity, Bluetooth connectivity, a 2 megapixel camera/camcorder, digital audio player, dual speakers, and an external 2.5mm headphone jack. It gives users full messaging capabilities (SMS, MMS, Mobile IM, and Mobile Email), speakerphone, group calling capabilities, voice command, and an airplane mode.

Learn more about the Motorola Barrage by clicking on the image.

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Samsung B2100

Samsung B2100 Unlocked Quad-Band Phone, Extreme Anti-Shock, Waterproof, Built-in Flashlight, Bluetooth-International Version-Black

Amazon Price: $111.08 (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

This Samsung B2100 is another rugged cell phone that is ideal for outdoors use. It is an unlocked Quad-Band, GSM phone with GPRS and Edge capabilities. It features a flashlight, noise cancellation, Bluetooth, an FM radio, 1.3 megapixel camera/camcorder, video player, and built in MP3 player as well.

It's shock resistant and waterproof. Users get 9 hours of talk time and up to 600 hours of standby per charge.

Casio GzOne Ravine and Commando

Casio G'zOne Ravine C751 Phone (Verizon Wireless)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

The Casio GzOne Ravine is another rugged cell phone that can withstand dust, dirt, and even water. It's also shockproof and will survive a drop. This phone features an earth compass, thermometer, walking counter, and other outdoor features. It's GPS enabled for turn-by-turn directions as well.

Other features include a built-in media player, 2.5mm headset jack, Bluetooth stereo music, access to V Cast Music and Video, and a 3.2 megapixel camera/camcorder. Users get access to e-mail and instant messaging. It offers 5 hours of talk time and 80 hours standby on a single charge.

Casio also offers the Commando which meets military specifications for rugged design. It has a 3.6" WVGA touch screen, a built in 5 megapixel camera with auto focus, LED flash, and 720p video capture, a multi-format media player, and flash support, HTML web browser. It runs with Android's 2.2 OS and provides Bluetooth v2.1 connectivity. This phone keeps your information secure with Exchange Active Sync for SSL data encryption, device passwords, remote wipe options, and more. It has a timer, stopwatch, flashlight, alarm clock, and apps for outdoor activities and sports like Earth Compass, Walking Counter, Thermometer, Tide Calculator, Adventure Training, and more. It has speech and hand writing recognition technology and 3G mobile hotspot capability. This phone operates on the Verizon Wireless Network and comes with an 8GB card installed.

Motorola Tundra

The Motorola Tundra is certainly a rugged cell phone. It is designed to be nearly impervious to dust, rain, humidity, and solar radiation. It can handle shock vibrations, high altitudes, and temerature extremes as well. It's perfect for those who work in rugged conditions as well as for those who just play hard. It's certified to Military Standards MI-SID-810F.

This rugged cell phone provides push-to-talk, walkie-talkie style communication as well as flip phone style. It features integrated GPS to provide both voice and on screen turn by turn driving directions, a 2 megapixel digital camera with 4x zoom, and video capture capabilities, MP3 player (compatible with Bluetooth Stereo headsets), and built in HTML and WAP browsers for internet access. This phone has a 1.6" TFT LCD display and includes functions such as a speaker phone, alarm, calculator, and a phone book that will hold up to 1,000 names.

The Tundra is Bluetooth capable and can provide hands-free communication when needed. It provides users with e-mail, instant, SMS and multimedia messaging capabilities, and is even internationally compatible.
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Samsung Rugby and Rugby II

The Samsung Rugby is a flip phone with push-to-talk functionality. It operates on GSM networks and features GPS navigation, a 1.3 megapixel camera with self-timer, white balance control, and panorama mode, as well as an music player.

The Rugby provides a WAP 2.0 browser and HSDPA data speeds for video sharing as well as Bluetooth wireless technology for headsets and handsfree communication. Of course this is also a very rugged cell phone as it meets military specifications 810-F. It's dust, shock, rain, temperature, and humidity resistant.

Users get SMS, e-mail, instant, and multi-media messaging abilities as well as a handy external display, speakerphone, calculator, alarm, voice memo function, and much more. This phone is also available in yellow and can be purchased for as little as $49.99 when signing up for a qualifying AT&T plan.

The Rugby II meets military standards for solar radiation, rain, shock, temperature and more as well, making it another good choice for those who need a rugged cell phone.

It features improved noise suppression and an external speaker, making it easier to communicate in tough situations. It also offers advanced GPS.
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Motorola Adventure

Another option for those seeking a rugged cell phone is the Motorola Adventure. This is another flip phone with push-to-talk functionality. This phone features a built-in VCast music player and 2 megapixel camera with self-timer and brightness controls. It can also record QVGA quality video clips.

Users also get voice activated dialing, voice driven menus, GPS support for turn by turn driving directions, and a phone which meets military standards for shock, dust, heat, and vibration.

The Adventure has Bluetooth support for headsets and handsfree communication. It features a WAP2.0 browser, voice memo, alarm, calculator, calendar, speakerphone functions, and more. Users also get multi-media, SMS, e-mail, and instant messaging capabilities.
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Motorola Adventure V750 Review

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Still Looking for a Rugged Cell Phone? Here are some others

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Rugged Cell Phones Available on eBay

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Motorola Defy 

Motorola Defy Android Phone (T-Mobile)

Amazon Price: (as of 02/17/2012)Buy Now

The Motorola Defy is a rugged cell phone that spans the gap for those who want a more traditional phone that is able to withstand some more harsh conditions. It doesn't meet military specifications for withstanding freezing temperatures and it isn't likely to survive being run over by a car, but it is scratch resistant, is capable of surviving a dunk in a stream, and offers an easy grip design as well. It features a 3.7" touchscreen, MOTOBLUR social networking, 5 megapixel camera/camcorder, media player and FM radio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS functions, full messaging capabilities and more. It uses T-Mobile's 3G network and has and Android 2.1 OS.