For those with a demanding job or lifestyle with constant exposure to environmental hazards, a rugged smartphone with military-grade protection may be the best option. A rugged smartphone is also a smart choice to use as a second phone when traveling. Ruggedized smartphone models meet military testing standards for protection against shock, water, dust, extreme temperatures, and vibration. They are water-resistant and can withstand submersion in shallow water for a limited time. When using a rugged smartphone, keep in mind that while these phones have been tested to military-specified standards, care should still be taken as glass screens can crack and drop test ratings do not guarantee you will always have the same results in the real world. Here are the best rugged smartphones for 2018 that are available unlocked. The following phones will work on GSM carriers like AT&T and T-Mobile but not CDMA carriers like Sprint and Verizon.
Ulefone Armor 2
Best Value Rugged Smartphone
The Ulefone Armor 2 is part of the new generation of rugged phones that offer significant upgrades over their predecessors without breaking the bank. This 5.0-inch, dual-sim phone runs Android 7.0 Nougat and is powered by an octo-core 2.6GHz Helio P25 CPU with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. With its expected IP68-rating, the Armor 2 can be submersed up to one meter underwater for an hour and is resistant to dust, dirt, and sand. The screen is full HD 1920×1080 constructed of Gorilla Glass 3 and the 4700mAh battery ensures all-day operation. The 16MP-rear and 13MP-front cameras allow underwater shooting with the waterproof shutter button. Other modern features include a front fingerprint sensor and USB Type-C port. Unique outdoor features include a barometer sensor and SOS button.
PROS: Good all-around specs, affordable price, high-quality rugged exterior
CONS: Somewhat heavy at 270 grams
Buy Ulefone Armor 2 at Amazon Buy Ulefone Armor 2 on eBay
Also Consider: The Blackview BV8000 Pro is another recent phone with very similar specs to the Armor 2. We recommend the Armor 2 over it because the BV8000 Pro does not have a sealed charging port. Although the port is waterproof, it needs to be completely dried out before charging otherwise damage can occur. The BV8000 Pro also has a slightly inferior CPU and the exterior appears to be less rugged.
DOOGEE S60
Rugged Smartphone with Superior Camera and Wireless Charging
The DOOGEE S60 is another current-generation rugged phone that has similar specs as the Ulefone Armor 2 and surpasses it in a few areas. Like the Armor 2 it is an IP68-rated dual SIM phone running Android 7.0 with the same CPU and memory setup and a fingerprint sensor. What differentiates it is the larger 5.2 FHD display with Gorilla Glass 5, the 21MP rear camera with a larger Sony IMX 230 sensor, 5580mAh battery, and wireless charging. Also the S60 has a traditional headphone jack while the Armor 2 requires a USB Type-C to 3.5mm headphone adapter cable (which is included). Unlike the Armor 2’s USB Type-C it has a micro USB charging port. DOOGEE is an obscure brand in the west but user reviews of its non-rugged phones have been favorable.
PROS: Good specs, great camera, big battery, wireless charging
CONS: On the pricier side for a budget phone
Buy DOOGEE S60 at Amazon Buy DOOGEE S60 on eBay
CAT S41
Rugged and Waterproof Smartphone With A Clean Design
The S41 is one of CAT’s latest models featuring significant upgrades over the previous S40. Featuring a full HD 5-inch screen with Gorilla Glass 5, the S41 is powered by a MediaTek P20 octa-core 2.3GHz CPU running Android 7.0 with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM. It has a 13 MP camera with LED flash and a large 5000 mAh battery that can be used to charge other devices. The S41 is waterproof up to 2 meters deep for 1 hour and drop-proof to 1.8 meters. The S41 is compliant with MIL SPEC 810G standards and is designed to withstand thermal shocks and salt mist spray, making it one of the most rugged phones available. For a more affordable option, the CAT S31 offers a 4.7-inch 1280×720 HD screen, Qualcomm MSM8909 quad-core CPU, 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, and 4000 mAh battery, but it lacks NFC like the S41.
PROS: Very rugged exterior and excellent water resistance, decent specs
CONS: No fingerprint sensor, more expensive than the competition
Buy CAT S41 at Amazon Buy CAT S41 on eBay
AGM X2
Rugged Smartphone with Dual Rear Cameras
If photo quality is important then the AGM X2 should be at the top of your list. As is becoming the trend with many mainstream flagship phones, this IP68-rated smartphone has a dual-camera setup with two 12MP Sony IMX386 1.25-micron large-pixel rear cameras, with monochrome and RGB sensors to capture more light and details. This camera setup allows the user to create photos with the “bokeh” blurred-background DSLR effect. The phone also has a 16MP Samsung S5K3P3 front camera for superior selfies. The MIL-STD-810G-compliant phone can handle water immersion up to 1.5 meters deep but it also has a patented floating module that prevents the phone from sinking. Other notable features include a 5.5-inch AMOLED full HD display with Gorilla Glass 5, 6000mAh battery, QUALCOMM MSM8976SG Octa Core with Android 7.1, 6GB RAM/64GB ROM, fingerprint sensor, air pressure sensor (altimeter/barometer), VOC (volatile organice compound) sensor, 3.5mm headphone jack, and USB Type-C port.
PROS: The best camera on a rugged smartphone, AMOLED display, huge battery, it floats
CONS: Unknown drop test rating
Buy AGM X2 at Amazon Buy AGM X2 on eBay
CAT S61
Rugged Smartphone with Thermal Imaging, Laser Measurement, Air Quality Sensor
The new CAT S61 has the thermal imaging camera like the S60 and also includes a laser-assisted distance measurement function and an indoor air quality monitor, making it useful for construction work and industrial settings. Other improvements include a Qualcomm SD630 Octacore 2.2GHz CPU, Android Oreo, 4GB RAM/64GB ROM, 4500mAh battery (Quick Charge 4.0 compatible), shock resistance (1.8m drop tested), Super Bright 5.2” Display (Full HD 1920×1080), Corning Gorilla Glass 5, 16MP rear camera with dual LED flash, and 8MP front camera. The S61 features IP68 & IP69 dust and water resistance, extreme temperature resistance, vibration resistance, and MIL-SPEC-810G Category 4 Resistant to humidity and salt mist. The S61 offers significant upgrades over the S60 but comes at a significantly higher cost with a list price of $999 USD.
PROS: Unique specialty features, latest Android Oreo OS, big upgrades over S60
CONS: Very expensive
Buy CAT S61 at Amazon Buy CAT S61 on eBay
Ulefone Armor
Budget Rugged Smartphone
The Ulefone Armor proved that you no longer have to sacrifice features or pay a premium for a decent rugged phone. The IP68-rated phone runs Android 6.0 with an octa-core MT6753 1.3GHz CPU, 3GB RAM, 32GB of storage, and a 3500mAh battery. The 4.7″ 1280×720 Gorilla Glass 3 touchscreen is operable when wet. The Armor can withstand immersion in water up to 1.2 meters for 30 minutes and is capable of taking pictures underwater with its 13MP rear camera. The dual-SIM phone is only 12.5mm thick and has physical navigation keys under the screen. The Armor can handle any outdoor environment with its operating temperature range of -40°C to 80°C. A unique feature for outdoor use is the SOS key which will send an emergency call and message with your GPS information to a designated contact. Other features include 4G compatibility, NFC, flash, and a compass sensor.
PROS: Full-featured, slim design, attractive price
CONS: Not widely available, unknown drop test results
Buy Ulefone Armor at Amazon Buy Ulefone Armor on eBay
Sonim XP7
Most Rugged Smartphone
Sonim is a serious player in the rugged mobile industry, holding the Guinness World Record for highest mobile phone drop (25 meters) with its XP3300 Force. The Android-powered Sonim XP7 features industrial-level toughness and is the most rugged smartphone on the market. It offers excellent shock and water resistance and the 4″ touchscreen can be operated with gloves. The XP7 is rugged enough for industrial workplace use and is resistant to petroleum oils and cleaning solvents. It is also suitable for use in the snow or around saltwater. Operating temperature is -4°F to 131°F and it is also resistant to vibration. The XP7 has an extremely loud 103 dB speaker. It also has a 4800mAh battery that will last for days but some may have trouble accepting its low-resolution WVGA 480 x 800 display. The XP7 includes a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty that also covers accidental damage (requires product registration). The Sonim XP7 is the best choice when durability is the first priority but it comes at a significant cost.
Update: Sonim released the XP8 which is currently available from AT&T.
PROS: extremely rugged, 103 dB speaker, large battery
CONS: small low-res display, heavy (290 grams), expensive
Buy Sonim XP7 at Amazon Buy Sonim XP7 on eBay
Other Rugged Smartphones To Consider:
CAT S60
Rugged Smartphone with Thermal Imaging Camera
The rugged CAT S60 was the world’s first smartphone featuring a thermal imaging camera. This technology by FLIR has many applications for work and around the home such as finding gaps in insulation, electrical faults, and monitoring the performance of machinery. It can also be used to check gas cylinder levels for barbecue tanks or to explore the outdoors at night. The thermal image camera is capable of taking photos, videos, and time-lapse footage. Like the rest of the CAT S series of phones, the S60 is rugged and waterproof can withstand drops up to 1.8 meters. In terms of water-resistance, the S60 has a Lockdown Switch that allows the phone to survive underwater up to a depth of 5 meters for 60 minutes. The S60 is also designed to take photos and videos underwater, and can be used with gloves or wet fingers. The phone is reinforced with a die-cast frame and other rugged features include extreme temperature resistance from -25°C (-13°F) to 55°C (131°F) and resistance to vibration. Other features include a large 3800mAh battery, 4.7″ 1280×720 Corning Gorilla Glass 4 touchscreen, 13 MP autofocus rear camera, 5 MP front camera, NFC, and GPS. The processor is a Qualcomm MSM8952-3 (4 x 1.5GHz + 4 x 1.2GHz) with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of flash storage. The 3800mAh battery combined with the 1280×720 screen gives the S60 excellent battery life.
PROS: First smartphone with thermal imaging camera, underwater camera, Android 6.0, 3800mAh battery, 32GB storage
CONS: Expensive
Buy CAT S60 at Amazon Buy CAT S60 on eBay
CAT S40
The CAT S40 has an IP68 rating and is tested to withstand 6-foot drops and submersion in water up to 1 meter for 60 minutes. It is also dustproof and passes MIL-STD-810G endurance tests for shock and drop, operating temperature (-13°F to 131°F), and vibration (Category 4). The S40 has a quad-core 1.1GHz Cortex-A7 CPU with 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It has an ultra-bright 4.7″ IPS display for viewing in the sun and Gorilla Glass 4 for scratch protection. The touchscreen can be operated with gloves on. The battery is relatively large at 3000mAh. Although its 540 x 960 qHD screen is not competitive with newer rugged smartphones, it will result in better battery life.
PROS: Gorilla Glass 4, 3000mAh battery
CONS: low-resolution display
Buy CAT S40 at Amazon Buy CAT S40 on eBay
CAT S50
The CAT S50 looks similar to the CAT S40 but it is slightly less rugged with an IP67 rating. It has the one of the highest resolution displays on this list at 720×1280 but its 2630mAh the battery is smaller than the S40. It has a slightly faster CPU and 2GB of RAM versus 1GB on the S40. The 8GB of internal storage is the most glaring inferior spec on this phone, but it does have a microSD slot. If screen resolution is important then the S50 may be worth choosing over the S40. The newly launched CAT S50c adds push-to-talk capability but is only available on the Verizon network.
PROS: 720p HD display, competitive ruggedness, 2GB RAM
CONS: smallish battery, only 8GB internal storage
Buy CAT S50 at Amazon Buy CAT S50 on eBay
Kyocera DuraForce E6560
The Kyocera DuraForce E6560 was a popular rugged smartphone on the AT&T network, and it is now available unlocked. The DuraForce is a great all-around choice featuring a 4.5″ IPS screen with 720×1280 HD resolution. Its IP68 rating allows it to handle water immersion up to 30 minutes and the touchscreen can be operated when wet or with gloves. It is MIL-STD-810G certified for protection against shock, vibration, extreme temperatures, blowing rain, salt fog, dust, and water.
The DuraForce is also designed for use in very loud environments such as construction sites or concerts. Its Smart Sonic Receiver technology sends vibrations directly to the eardrums and it has dual microphone noise cancellation, so you can use the phone even if the background noise is up to 100 decibels. The DuraForce also has a barometer sensor to measure atmospheric pressure, a useful feature for outdoor use to predict changes in weather. The DuraForce is surprisingly affordable but it doesn’t sacrifice features or durability for its lower price and it is a good choice for those who need a tough phone for work or those who enjoy spending time in the outdoors.
PROS: MIL-STD-810G, 3100mAh battery, barometer, programmable dedicated button
CONS: New model may be on the way
Buy Kyocera DuraForce E6560 at Amazon Buy Kyocera DuraForce E6560 on eBay
Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro
The Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro is a good choice for those looking for a small yet tough smartphone. The Galaxy Rugby Pro passes military tests for blowing rain and sand, high humidity and thermal shock. It is also shock and dust resistant and can handle submersion in up to 1 meter of water for 30 minutes. The 4″ screen is scratch resistant. The Galaxy Rugby Pro does not have the best protection or advanced specs, but it is one of the more affordable rugged smartphones. It should satisfy those on a budget, as long as expectations for performance are kept in check.
PROS: small and lightweight, affordable
CONS: low-res 800 x 480 display, only 8GB internal storage, camera only 5MP, dated Android 4.0
Buy Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro at Amazon Buy Samsung Galaxy Rugby Pro on eBay
IP68 Water-Resistant Non-Rugged Smartphones
IP68 dust and water resistance is now a standard feature of some mid-range and high-end flagship smartphones. The following recommended phones do not have a rugged exterior case and drop protection, but do have IP68 dust and water resistance. However, it is recommended not to push this feature to the limit. Submersion and exposure to non-freshwater liquids should be avoided and the phone should not be charged when wet.
LG G6: IP68 Water-resistant up to 1.5 meter for 30 minutes. (Amazon)
LG V35 ThinQ: IP68 water-resistant (Amazon)
Moto X4: IP68 protected from accidental spills, splashes and even puddles. (Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy Note 8: IP68 water-resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes (Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy S8: IP68 water-resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes (Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy S8+: IP68 water-resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes (Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy S9: IP68 water-resistant (Amazon)
Samsung Galaxy S9+: IP68 water-resistant (Amazon)
I have Conquest S8 Pro for almost 6 months – bought with Chinavision.com – but it was a mistake (explanation at the end).
Pros:
Battery looks strong – that was my main reason for buying, charging takes time but lasts also loooong.
In general the phone is ok: it may be big but is solid, it is very fast even with this CPU which people say it’s low spec.
While the phone is really big, the screen size it’s smaller than the one in iPhone 6s Plus but the phone is 3 times fat 🙂 – Mostly due to the rugeddness.
Cons:
First issue I’ve notied just after unpacking was when it got some humid inside, on the screen. I could see a nice small fingerprint at the
very middle of the screen FROM THE INSIDE. I think the quality of production leaves some field for improvement.
I had also an issue with Walkie Talkie when antenna was connected – PPT button did not workd correctly. This was fortunatelly fixed with the OS update.
The power button is getting loose with time, but haven’t felt out yest for those few months.
The factory screen protector looks like if it was sticked by a child – it is uneven and skewed, there was a dust under the protector like if this was sticked on Beijing streets, not a clean factory.
The socket charger is a standard $0.50 charger which actually smells like if it was burning inside when plugged – never will use it again.
One of the features Conquest advertises is the stand charger, for powering the phone without opening the waterproof claps. Actually it is a cheap piece of plastic which does not even fit the phone.
The phone just immadietely jumps out of it and is not charging.
The camera spec says “13Mpix” which is true but the phone takes worse pictures than 5Mpix iPhone 4S’ camera.
There’s no cards hotplugging – when you insert a SIM or a SD card you need to reboot the phone.
Thermal sensor shows rather the main board temperature than the exterior one.
I have not tested the waterproofness yet – I’m a bit scared to drown the phone with this quality but people online did it and seems fine.
It did fell once once and not broke, however it has shut down and I had to power it on manually.
The phone has a few chinese apps preinstalled, eg. QQ, the bootloader is in chinese so you might need to use Translate with camera to find the right option (like factory reset).
It also seems that after the last system update Google Play Services stopped working so App Store in unusable and I have to copy APKs from other phone.
There are a few glitches which could work better (eg. handling of the home button) but one can live with that.
And here goes the best one: the model I have has a serious problem with the GPS.
The signal strength of the sattelites is way weaker than measured with any other Android phone – this might be due to ruggedness but also poor technical design of the GPS module.
If you put other phone next to S8 they more sattelites (including GLONASS).
After the phone gets the fix on the sattelites – you need just to shake the phone to loose signal of all of them; if you do it twice it will be permament and a reboot is required.
So this “outdoor” phone is not fit for running or driving a car with use of the GPS.
What’s more when you get the fix the attitude reported is totally wrong and the gauges show that you’re walking when you are standing still.
And the last but not least – GLONASS support is a lie – S8 never showed me any russian sattelite; shows however chinese sometimes (without getting fix)
It could be related to the previous GPS issue but I have sent the phone back for repairs twice and Conquest says it did fix those issues – so maybe that is the way the phone is build?
The OS seems to be the only reliable part of the phone – probably because it’s almost raw Android so it’s not manufactured by Conquest.
I have sent the phone for repair and it seems the manufacturer either can’t understand English neither videos with reproduction steps.
I did sent the phone for repair twice (!) and while the producer said it has fixed the issue – it did not. Only new OS compilation was introduced – not even the seals were changed.
So if get no luck as I did you might not have your issues repaired what does not say a good word about Conquest.
And finally, unreliable Chinavision.com – I had to send the device two times, as first they have send me back the device in exact same condition.
I have sent it once more, after providing them a few videos with the GPS problem reproduction they said they will send me a brand new one – of course they have sent me exactly same broken device back,
unfixed and did not even had slightiest decency for reimbursing for the costs of 1st return. They have explained that they rely on the producer tests after repairs while
they state on their page they perform a Quality Control before sending back, and that seems to be a lie.
I do not recommend using they services as I have never been treated so badly by a seller.
This experience does not show in a good light neither Conquest or Chinavision.
I see in the Conquest page they are preparing next model – S9 – but excuse me- I won’t take the risk.
I had similar issues with Chinavision.
Just sent back my s8 conquest…
Pretty sad as its a awesome bit of kit from the spec sheet.. but..
1) Sound Quality in a call, very very poor, everybody hangs up and tries again. It sounds like a waterfall behind you at all times
2) Speaker Phone, Also not possible, the mic is not strong so the callers can not hear you
3) Text messages,, does not work on Bell network.
Its a very awesome phone, the apps all work, the camera is great, its water proof and a freaking brick.. its just not a phone.
So sad
Thanks for sharing your comments on the Conquest S8. On paper it looks like an excellent rugged smartphone but it seems to have some major build quality issues and I’m glad you are pointing them out to people who might be thinking about buying it.
About Conquest S8 Pro. Using this phone for about half of the year and can say following.
Pros
-huge battery, forget about charging
-survived accident with car
-4G support
-3Gb of ram makes sense
-really loud speaker
Cons
-shitty sound chip, very noisy, low dynamic range
-crappy camera (~2008 picture quality) but suddenly very nice bokeh
They have plenty of headroom for improvement and they don’t have any competitors in terms of specs. Recommend to keep an eye on them.
We all need a little more strength on our phones :S From back-office processes to customer transactions, today’s smartphones should have ip 68 at least … and off course the performance and flexibility to empower; in that sense ( mostly for the PPR ratio i strongly prefer AGM … and now they are even getting GOLD version wit a 5k battery for hix x1 . Check it out! ( i think is called AGM x1 18k GOLD edition or so) GL!
Hello. I just purchased one and would like to know what service in the Florida USA area I can get a service provider?
And you can check AGM X1 first
Display 5.5’’FHD 1080P display
Type Super AMOLED
Chipset Snapdragon 617
Internal 4GB, 64GB
Rear Camera 13MP dual lens
Front Camera 5MP
Battery 5400mAh
IP rating IP68
a competitor of the best rugged phone
Can you compare them with AGM x1 because i have to buy a rugged phone and i see it and i think it is the best. What do you think about? can you help me?
It certainly has great specs but the exterior does not look as rugged as other phones and it doesn’t have any drop-test rating.
It also doesn’t look compatible with any US LTE towers.
The Sonim XP7 is excellent – if you want a phone, with some apps, and not a toy, with loads of music and games. Works perfectly off Virgin Mobile Canada, part of Bell Canada, though the article mentioned the phones were incompatible with the network. All 3 Cdn networks sell them though mine was the special, unlocked version, directly from the company. I have it because I’m hard on phones and spend a lot of time outdoors.
Pros: Everything positive ever written about the phone; smash-proof, excellent quality, sound. I think it’s a 103 decibel speaker. Weight; I actually like the heaviness and wear a clip. Charge lasts forever. Charges fairly quickly. I’ve spilled all kinds of stuff on it, dropped it, etc. Perfectly fine. Glass is scratched but usable.
Cons: Phone must be sent back should battery fail, typically from user miss-use on charging this type of battery. Then it isn’t covered (I didn’t do this, know someone who did – charging the battery at say 25%, frequently, and never at 3 or 4%, will kill the life of the battery. Common in this type of battery). Expensive, time-consuming, tedious process to send it back. Very little storage if you use your phone as a toy. Takes a while to dry everything out if you do soak it but it does work perfectly again. Mediocre screen quality. Very poor photo quality though functions.
I have a Cat S50. It is rugged alright, went into the sea with it several times, survived a zip line fall.
But the sound is very poor, too low to talk in a noisy place like an airport, stuck in Android 4.4 and comes with lots of apps that can’t be removed. Thinking in change It for agm x1
currently using a Ulephone armor – checked by dropping it from 10 meters not a single scratch, under water for 20 min . speaker isn’t that loud but with headphones it rocks.
CONS: Battery isn’t fast charging following a certain way of discharge , battery lasts 3 days along with an app – shut app. camera is decent . but if we ate looking at a good rugged phone black view bv6000 .
looking at agm x2 pro but looks decieving for a rugged phone,
Never ever buy the Conquest phones. I made the mistake of purchasing the S9 and have been left with a doorstop. The buttons never worked properly and eventually stopped working altogether. The phone crashed spectacularly. It would not charge or boot for a few days. After banging it around a bit, it stated charging. When attempting to boot, it went into a diagnostic screen (all in Chinese) which showed that there were major problems with components.
After numerous emails (no phone support) I finally got a return ticket. Well that turned to a farce too as the phone had to be returned by normal postage and the local postal service refused to ship a phone. Said I’d have to use an express delivery company. Well the supplier refused any delivery other than standard post.
So now I’m left with a $500+ phone that’s not worth the postage.
Never again!
i travel intl a lot, and although i use multiple phones: Motorola, Xiaomi, Iphone7, i was curious about how the BV8000 Pro would be compared to these. I’ve compared it to the 6000 and its an obvious improvement, just unsure of its competitors.
Yes… I do think the same …. i own bv8000 pro and from my perspective … i think it would be ranked as one of the top rugged phone but why dont it being shown here
Hey there, I´m searching for days now for a smartphone which survives my clumsiness, a lot of different weather, but as well has a really good camera. I found lots of good rugged phones by now, for example the AGM X1 is one of my favorites.
But one of the most important features for me, is a relly good camera.
Does anyone have a tip for a rugged smartphone with a good camera?
And by the way, does anyone know the release date for the AGM X2?
Thanks in advance.
Sina
Why no JCB phones?
They don’t make smartphones anymore.
HTC 1 M7 , 6 Years old and still better than this lot, been through rivers, firey kitchens, out car windows and landed on. Big chunk of metal and tough as..
U serious? Have you checked blackview bv8000 pro and doogee s60? They’re way better than any other smartphones existed.
What about Nomu phones???
the S30 seems to be the best of all
I love the ruggeds one: but Got myself a a new AGM A8 couple month ago; High PPR, and the phone get on same par with other famous brands. And sooo an affordable price for that specs :O now i m checking out the new x1 18k gold edition … good to know that the ruggeds are becaming a popular choice!
I work in Malaysia in the jungles including managing and raising rescued abandoned or severely injured wild elephants as well as tranquilising and relocating problematic wild elephants too.. Ive used many rugged phones before. Fortis Evo was very good, simple and basic. ZGPAX S9 was also good too. Jeep was ok, basic and cheap. Ialso used No 1 X2 and it was a con job of its supposedly huge battery. Then it was Black BV5000 and it wasnt at all rugged. My current rugged phone is the Blackview BV6000 good though speaker is bad.
All these phones suffered tremendously in the jungles – Fortis Evo and Blackview BV6000 was body slammed by elephants as well as stepped onto and all the phones were also exposed to rain, the river, mud and humidity. I would recommend them anytime.
With budget cuts, there goes my intention of changing and upgrading to a higher technical and capability rugged phone.
Using rugged phones have helped my team to save ourselves, villagers and the elephants themselves.
Id love to be able to test the DooGee S60 in the jungles ….
Compared a Dogee S60 and AGM X2 – The Dogee S60 ONLY HAS A PLUS POINT ON the wireless charging. Even though the Battery says Li – Po battery .
Depends on how fast the battery drains and take’s a full cycle charge. All the rugged phones with Mediatek process takes Min charge time on 45min to 1 hour. If your well on a budget side the Dogee S60 will be a better option. Ensure to have Shutapp installed on your android it avoids all the cached and background process running . ( On coolicool website it seemed to be the cheapest @ $300 USD ) . I personally would prefer the Dogee S60 as the location and GPS is much stable without the updates on the phone. the AGM X2 comes is 2 variants : one with a 6000 mah battery and the other with a 10000mah battery . Check these website to get a better deal ::: Bangood.com , chinavasion, coolicool and tinydeal.
I really REALLY wish Doogee put lte band 13 support in the s60. That phone is exactly what I’m looking for just missing the single most important band for my network, such a shame. I’d probably pay any price for it if it supported my network.
I have a BV6000S. I put it in the sea for 1 minute. After that it went ruined. The salt water ruined the inner parts. I tried to contact the manufacturer more times but did not answer anything. Never again Blackview!!
Hi,
I would like to speak about Kyocera.
I’m a French citizen (sorry for language. Also may explain why people from different country may have experiment another situation). I work in hard condition so I bought a Kyocera Torque KC-S701 for around 400€ (470$. No small price!)
At first I was very happy : it is rough as hell, touchscreen works even with thick gloves, withstands being put under water or falling without problem, can stay 2days without having it’s battery refill (ok, with normal phone, texto and internet surfing). Ah, and it has a 100dB speaker, so…
Troubles arose when I tried to update the phone. It’s stuck to android 4.4.x, with all it’s safety troubles.
I tried to contact Kyocera customer service which basically keep telling me in a very polite way that “some day” they may think to update this and are very sorry not to be able to do this now. Which is -imho- a polite way to say : “once you have bought it, we don’t give a f! about you”.
Last and desperate, I tried to root it… Apparently they locked it properly : no root method has ever worked.
So… I should say that while I appreciate the hardware, I’m very very very upset about about the software and the behavior of the company and their lack of customer service. Especially for a 400€ (470$) smartphone!
I also had issue with the software. someone phoned me at the same time I was taking a picture – it locked up and never worked again.
I have a CAT S50 great phone. Speakers not very loud but I didn’t buy it for that. Ran it over with a 17ton vehicle and left it in a damp field over night when I found it it worked fine. When I did finally break it, a 12 foot drop on to hard wood, the mic, vibration function and micro SD reader stopped working. The screen is fine and everything else works.
My only complaint is that while trying to get it repaired I found almost no one would work on it and those that could were unable to get parts. So if you don’t think you can break it buy the S50 I’m still using it now.
My HOMTOM phone broke within 6 hours. The power button fell out and disappeared. After that I continued ti use it with the fingerprint scanner, but he whole phone died within a month. That’s approximately the same amount of time that it took them to send it to me. I’ll send it back, but I’m not sure I’ll get my money back. I followed this websites advice and it was worthless. I repeat, do not buy that HOMTOM phone!
Be aware that the CAT S60 is very expensive but he specs lack. And I mean a lot. It is slow and sluggish. And the screen is horrible. The resolution is too low. The price is high because of the FLIR. and that’s it. The covers over the charging ports also break for most people.
I now have a Doogee S60. And I like it so far. Lot’s of storage space and memory (6GB). 1080P screen. Big battery and it has NFC and wireless charging. Because of the wireless charging you don’t need to open the flaps all the time. Because that is the first thing that’ll break down on a rugged phone. The camera is a 21 MP sony unit. Which is not as good as I hoped. But still better than that of all other rugged phones.
Hello fellow rugged phones lovers
I am interested on getting one rugged phone, but I have my concerns as this would be the 1st rugged phone i ever had and mostly been a flagship devices users where gaming was a priority, these days I gave up gaming on phones, but off course a smooth experience is always a priority, I am interested with the Doogee s60 as it seems a good all around that i think will offer a smooth and rugged experience, but here are few of my concerns:
1st it is Chinese, and the quality control worries me because i will not be able to repair or find parts locally
2nd I tried to contact the main producing company and they did not even reply on my simple few questions and this scared the shit out of me, if they don’t reply to a potential buyer will they reply when you send them a mail with issues if/when it happens?
So the question would be, should I venture and order one online? or just look for an another one? but which one would be a competitive or more to say which one would be recommended based on good feedback that cover my concerns minus the local availability.
PS: price do matters or else i would go for the cat s60
Thank you.
Best regards
Steve Marinos
I am a tree surgeon. Have been for 25 years plus. What the desk people are calling tough phones is the same
as cardboard to tissue paper. I NEED a flip phone, or a similar facsimile, thereof (face protected). When I mention flip phone, I end up getting these sissy little child”s phones. The last one att sent me was kyocera.. Major rugged on the
outside. comparable screen. Even though the font was able to be enlarged on the phone, in the internet screen functions, the font was about 2 hairs thick. PRIMITIVE operating system, and a sim card problem. My phone that I am reluctant to get rid of is a samsung SGH A847. One of the last of the good rugbys. Att discontinued supporting the browser (about to drop them, with all their b.s. about customer service). When I say rugged, I don’t mean good to 3 feet of water (meter is just a power word to catch us non metric people). Face protected! Not with some thin piece of thick cellophane, with a fancy name. My crew comes to work with those sissy built phones all the time. The face is broke by lunch. Chainsaws are not jewelry. Tree limbs are not pencils. Our phones either have to be left in the truck, or not be brought to work at all. My phone, personally, stays in my pocket while I’m working. It gets hit by tree limbs, chainsaw handles, leaned against machinery, dropped, etc. If you’re not bleeding at the end of the day, you didn’t work. I don’t think another 1/16th of plastic protection merits $1000 price tag. I’m tired of hearing from the phone people that cement workers need rugged phones. Nothing against cement workers, but what’s involved? Building forms, shoveling, screeting, truck driving. I need a real, live, rugged phone. Most MEN can’t handle what we do, I need a phone that does..
Snowpow m10?
Get a bv8000 rugged and cheap… PTT ..SOS buttons
done deal
I have a Sonim XP7. I will never get another. Call quality and speaker phone are fantastic. If I have issues with people hearing me or me hearing them it is almost always on their end. We live rural, on a farm so not always the best for signal, yet my Sonim is always one of the phones that works in the “dead” areas. Not always the best for apps but it isn’t meant to be a glorified laptop. Sturdy is an understatement. It has been dropped on concrete, gravel, mud, buried in snow and mud (even at the same time!). It has been to the bottom of the water trough, ponds, pools (ok that was deliberate but hey, my sister forgot the kids’ diving toys!) and mud puddles. It has seen poop from many different species. And the ultimate…I had to fish it out of the mouth of a 700 pound Yorkshire sow. Her snout is about 6 inches in diameter and she can bite through a cinder block like a chew toy. She had been chewing on it for a good 5 minutes before I realized I dropped it. All she did was some mild scratches and a small delamination on the top left side of the screen. Doesn’t even come down to the front camera lens. That was over a year ago and it hasn’t grown or changed in any way or affected the phone’s performance. Not many phones can say that!
I Have a Doogee S60.. Freaking Awesome! Best phone I have ever had.
Buying another for a friend.
Great phone, replaces the shitty conquest
I Have Same Problem With A6+ that i been owned for a week
Finally picked up 2 phone’s with 2 different config : Doogee S60 and the other one was POPTEL P9000MAX IP68 .
The Doogee S60 is really good. The POPTEL phone is more like a powerbank with 9000mah battery . I had initially comapred the Specs before the purchase before buying these 2 phones. Both are worth the money your paying .
Comparison : https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/845310a28e
we have better deals on certain website like DX.COM for a POPTEL Currently .
What about
DOOGEE S50 Full Screen IP68 Waterproof Android 7.1 4G RAM 6GB+ROM 64GB/128GB with 5.7 inch Display
Specification:
Dimension: approx. 163.9*79.8*13.3 mm/6.45*3.14*0.52”
Weight: approx. 250gh
Processor: Helio P23 Octa-Core 2.5GHz
GPU: ARM Mali G71 MP2 800MHz
Battery: 5180mAh Built-in Polymer Battery 5V2A
External Storage: Micro SD card (T-Flash card) Up to 256GB
Rear Camera: 16.0 MP+13.0MP F/2.0 PDAF LED Flash
Front Camera: 16.0 MP+8.0MP F/2.0 130° Wide Angle
Recording: 1080p Supported
Resolution: HD+ 1440*720
Pixel Density: 276ppi
Panel Technology: Multi-touch
Type: IPS
SIM Card: Dual SIM Cards Standby Micro-SIM + Micro-SIM
2G: GSM: B2/3/5/8
3G: WCDMA: B1/8
4G: FDD_LTE B1/3/7/8/20
Features: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, OTA
Video: Support 1080p
Audio: Support MP3, M4A, AAC, AMR, FLAC, APE, WAV
Sensor Support: Fingerprint, NFC, GPS, G-sensor, Proximity sensor, Ambient light senor, Compass, Geomagnetism, Gyroscope
instead of the S60?
I need to store quite a bit, the S60 is limited to 128GB microSD, where the S50 has up to 256GB.
64GB or 128GB internal storage builtin verses only 64GB built into the S60.
5.7 inch screen verses the S60’s 5.2 inch screen
I do wish the S50 had the S60’s camera, and the extra 400mAh of battery like the S60 has.
The S50 has android pre-installed at 7.1 instead of 7.0.
Thanks to verizon dumping customers like me with my Convoy4, my Convoy4 flip-phone is going on the shelf… so my new carrier sent me a piece of junk so-called smart phone which does not even like 70 percent humidity, much less higher humidity, which is forcing me to look for something which will take a bit of a beating yet keep on providing what I need. My Convoy4 took a lot of abuse yet provided me the connectivity I needed.
Any opinions?
What about the Vernee Active?
The Vernee Active looks nice, has good specs and good reviews but I have to question how rugged it is with that curved screen design.