Ruggedised phones.

[BigClive]

Anyone got any thoughts on ruggedised phones for outdoor and industrial use? I recently bought a Motorola Defy-plus and it's surprisingly slim for a ruggedised phone. It's an Android phone with quite a large screen and has the very desirable attribute of being IP67 rated to help it survive the rigours of outdoor work. It's supposedly impact protected as well, and has Gorilla Glass, but I'm playing safe and put a screen protector and silicon case on it anyway.

So far I like it a lot. My only niggle is that it comes with Motorola's "Motoblur" interface which can't be completely removed without hacking, but it can be largely removed to the point that it's not too intrusive. (I prefer a bare-bones Android system.)

One interesting perk is the built in WiFi hotspot facility which I've been using with a UK network called Three with their all-you-can-eat-data add on. So far I've been using it as my main Internet connection for my laptop without incurring their wrath despite their insistence on it only being for the phones own data use.

[bmidler]

Ha... who'd a thunk it

[BigClive]

Ha... who'd a thunk it

Thunk what?

[Swamprat]

Looks like a Real Cool Phone Clive, by the pictures and writeups I've seen on the internet.

Do you have a case for it, that makes it any "Tougher" than anyother "Cell Phone"?

I got a Blackberry Torch. I don't do many BS apps or games, just apps I really use.

Guess I don't understand the new "Ruggedness" Phones. If I drop mine on a sidewalk....It's probably gonna be screwed. I need to read up on them.

What makes these "ruggedized" cell Phones any more "Rugged" than a regular Cell Phone?
Can ya post a link on that? I'm pretty "Rough" on anything I carry.

[BigClive]

Apart from the waterproof seals on the battery cover, USB port and headphone port, I think the main ruggedising is down to the use of very tough glass and an internal mounting system that is designed to give slightly on impact and take the sharpness from a blow.

You do get military grade chunky rubber cases for things like iPhones and iPads, but I think a decent silicon case that fits snugly on your phone is a significant aid to avoiding damage.

If any phone gets dropped in such a manner that it's screen makes contact with a sharp surface then damage will still potentially occur.

The new generation of OLED displays will be much more rugged than the traditional LCD displays, since they are made of a flexible plastic material instead of glass.