Rugged Cellphone Question

[MikeJLURubi]

A little off topic but does anyone use one of the unlocked rugged cellphones? I'm in the market for a new phone for my T-Mobile provider and was looking at the unlocked rugged phones. Thought a rugged phone would go with my rugged Jeep. But just not sure would work well.
Anybody have one?

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[03RMK800]

I have been using Kyocera Duraforce Pro phones for quite a few years. Started with the flip phone, now have a two year old smart phone, and a new (I think its a E6810, MAYBE aka "XV") on the shelf I haven't fired up. Happy with Kyocera, but I am one of those people who think of cell phones as a land line phone with a very long cord. I am getting used to internet access, office and one of my personal email accounts on the phone, and I will even text and use it for a hotspot once in a while. I still use a real camera (yes, film, at times) so the fact every body else's phone takes better pictures than my phone doesn't bother me. Supposedly, the new has a better camera. For me, the phone does everything I want, and yes, its tough.

I use Verizon-- in our state, if a phone can be used, it will be on Verizon, except at Sleepy Cat on the White River east of Meeker where a ______ had service and I didn't. Verizon gets something like $450 for the phone, my one still on the shelf cost 150 new in box, verizon ready, and I could have gotten it cheaper with patience. You can get them to use with T-Mobile if you know how to BYOP to T-Mobile. ebay is showing some models in the 120 price range.

Samsung also makes a "ruggedized" -- the Convoy. I had one of the Convoy predecessors fifteen or some years ago,, and feel it was a better phone than the current Convoy Samsung flipphone. No experience with any Samsung rugged smartphone.

 

[03RMK800]

Forgot to say I was looking at ebay for price and carriers instead of buying from the carrier.

 

[Nickp01]

iPhone with a tough case is as reliable as you can get. Way more reliable than an android phone from a software and hardware defect perspective.

 

[Equitasforall]

I looked at the rugged phones due to my work travels but was unable to make them work in the areas I needed. What I ended up going with was my regular iPhone with the Otterbox Defender. They worked flawlessly under incredible conditions overseas without issue. Dust, drops, blast overpressure, jostling around in my kit, etc. About the only thing they didn't survive was a direct hit from an AK round while the phone was in a pouch outside my body armor (Apple laughed at that one BTW and gave me a new phone for free.)

The OB provided plenty of protection without adding a great deal of weight, without impacting incoming/outgoing signal as other protection systems might, and without making a big phone bigger.

 

[Spearmin]

Wouldn't it would be more about the case than the phone. If your living any kind of life where a ruggedized phone is necessary start looking at the cases not the phones. On the Android side I highly recommend the OnePlus 7 series. The are about to come out with the 8 series very soon if you can hold off. The specs on the OnePlus 7 beat pretty much every other phone out there and can still be had for about $400, yet their specs put them in the 8 and $900 range. Forget the Google Pixel for now until they come out with the 5.

 

[Yogi]

I use Sonim XP7's at work. I run a trucking company and they get dropped, left out in the rain, thrown, stepped on, run over, and so on. Haven't had one fail yet.
https://www.sonimtech.com/products/devices/xp7/

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