Tough/Rugged cell phones?

I've had a brigade for a year now, in that time it's been:

dropped it in a hot tub
run over it with a car
dropped it 15' onto a concrete deck
dropkicked it into a brick wall

and a number of other more minor destructive episodes

it still works great, and I believe you can still get them, If not from verizon, then secondary retailers and verizon should be able to activate it (I think)

but yes, lot's of bugs in the OS, infuriating at times. Often the bugs were the cause of the minor destructive episodes.

ETA: Yeah, not on their website anymore. That's disappointing.
 
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j3jymann said:
I can't speak for any verizon phones but I can advise a specific brand of cases to make your phone a lot tougher.

Otterbox, check them out, they only make a "light" protection style for my phone (commuter) but their defender series is very impressive. Just to give you an idea I had my phone sitting on my lap a few weeks ago while riding around in the car, I forgot it wasn't in my pocket when I got back to my house and parked. I was getting out of the car and it fell off my lap onto the road, sad thing is it didn't quite make it to the road because I was swinging my foot out as it fell and ended up kicking it just perfectly, by the time I realized what happened my phone was skipping and bouncing across the street, made it across most of 2 lanes of bouncing from my kick, absolutely no damage.

Yeah, I know I'm clumsy, I've destroyed more electronics than you would even want to know about and anything that even has a chance at lasting has to be able to be dropped, fallen on, and likely water resistant to last more than a couple days with me. The point being I'm rather tough on my phones (and mp3 players, and cameras, and glasses, and knives, etc. etc.) and even the lighter less protected version of otterbox that I have is fairly good protection from my clumsy and rough ways.
Click to expand...

+1000000
on otterbox for any phone

My first iPhone( a 2 actually) I kept for 2 years- 2 years of constant abuse with a otterbox defender case- that thing was thrown, dropped, submerged, sat on, buried, thrown more, in dust, In snow, in rain, camping, rock climbing, and caving even- and that doesn't even begin to describe all the abuse I put it through

All that abuse for 2 years until I broke it myself in anger(I cracked the digitizer) still have the phone, still works even, and the case, still intact in my nightstand.
When that one was finally retired I moved to a 3GS- which im typing this on right now and it's dressed in a otterbox defender- and it gets treated to the same abuse(heck I throw it randomly when in bored) and is doing fine had it for almost a year now...

Otterbox period...
My humble opinion
Thanks for listening
 
Gz One or the new Boulder from Verison. I dropped mine into 4' of water for about 15 min, till i found it. Dryed it off & it worked. Put it in a bag of rice for a few days, just to make sure.
 
Samsung B2700 is a fairly rugged phone. No bells and whistles, but mine hit the road at about 30mph when it fell out of my pocket when I was riding my motorcycle. No damage other than a couple of cosmetic scratches.

Good battery life, but the buttons are annoyingly small and need relatively heavy pressure to operate. Ideal for outdoor workers or when out camping etc.
 
plumberroy said:
If you are into the latest greatest sonim isn't for you. I personally wish it didn't receive texting. All I want in a cell phone is a phone, to store numbers, clock and alarm clock and maybe a camera. I have used it as a flash drive though
Roy
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Roy,

It sounds like you and I are of similar minds. I want a phone, not a pocket PC.

How do the Sonim's work in real life? Do they work for 6 months and then die on the first trip out of town? Replacing my Motorola Barrage at home is easy but, it seems to have GPS built in and commits suicide everytime I'm on the road for an extended period of time, failing me only when I REALLY need it. I want reliability and a phone I can make calls on. Bloggin, web price comparisons in the shopping mall, etc. are features I don't need. I even have text messaging disabled. If I want to read something, I'll read email on my laptop.

Best Regards,
Sid
 
I'm a plumber mine has been soaked several times.not just dunked but taking a stream at city pressure for a while I actually held it against a broken stop to slow down the water I carry it kayaking and such it has been dropped on to pavement into mud etc. I carry it every where, it works it will go an average of 2 plus weeks between charges . the only trouble I have had is about 3 months ago the battery life start going down I was charging it once a week I call the service dept. and they sent me a new battery . I have had it a little over a year
The phone has a 3 year unconditional guarantee I have been told Cincinnati bell suplies them to their field installers And I know of a couple contractors that suply then to their workers
Roy
 
I have a tough time with cellphones aswell. Mine seem to break within the first couple months. An Otterbox case is a given for any phone, but I've been reading reviews and news about a new phone coming out for Verizon. The name of it is the "Commando" and it's supposed to be the first smartphone that's rugged/tough. I think it is what I'll be buying here soon, being as my phone doesn't work anymore.
 
i think verizon has a cell phone model that is rugged; at least the last time i looked thru their offerings...but if you're wanting a smartphone model, i don't think so...
 
My Motorola Barrage failed me again on a business trip ... :mad:

It looks like the Sonim XP3400 with CDMA is going through the FCC testing with good results. Does anyone have insight into this phone or know when it might be available for purchase?
 
Ask for "milspec" phones. Usually the only thing on them that isn't marine- proof (and recruit resistant- nothing will ever be recruit proof :D) is the external screens.
 
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