Which Rugged Mobile Phone?

[Aij29]

Hi Guys

After the death of my Iphone 3gs i`m on the lookout for a cheap but robust mobile phone,

Must be waterproof and tough and ideally have a camera (not a smart phone)

Any recommendations?

Maybe Kazam,Jcb or similar

Cheers
Adrian

[TheDaddy187]

it would be very old now, but landrover made a phone that could take a beating and a drowning and live to tell the tale

if you would consider a smartphone samsung make one... i believe its called the xcover robust but dont hold me to it...

this again is maybe 2 years old so you should be able to pick one up cheap

you can buy a normal phone and get a water/shock proof case for it... gator cases or something... (im pretty sure thats wrong but its something like that)

hope this helps

[Primerib]

I can always recommend the Sonim phones. I had two the XP1 and I believe XP1300. Unbelievable batterie life of several weeks if you don't make to many calls. Quality is excellent and they really live up to what they claim to be. I also had an Utano Barrier Outdoor Smartphone which also appears with different brands as JCB or believe also as the already named Landrover phone. This Outdoor Smartphone sucked big time.

I would really recommend you to get a Sonim but I think they miss the camera you asked for. I am waiting for them to make a smartphone and I would be the first to order.

Check them out on the tube.

Edit: just checked their homepage and they just did release a tough smartphone called the XP6 with android 4.4! Hooray.... But I guess my excitement will be dulled for once I find out what they cost! [emoji16]

[Dreward]

A good person to ask maybe someone who works on a building site or does building work in people's houses...the ruff and tumble of work may suit a Bushcrafter...

[bikebum1975]

Personally I'd say get a good phone and a lifeforce case read good stuff bout them. The cell cameras aren't bad today but personally I'd rather have a seperate camera

[laika]

Hi Guys

After the death of my Iphone 3gs i`m on the lookout for a cheap but robust mobile phone,

Must be waterproof and tough and ideally have a camera (not a smart phone)

Any recommendations?

Maybe Kazam,Jcb or similar

Cheers
Adrian

After smashing the glass again on the free 'phone the company gave me I spent way too long investigating this issue...... Eventually I bought a Snopow on Amazon - not cheap but neither is replacing the glass every 6 months..... It's an IP68 so should withstand serious abuse.......

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55ubnYdNJzE
I dropped it almost immediately (accidentally - not as a test!) and it appears to live up to the claims - not a scratch on it. It has a dual SIM card tray which is really helpful for increasing the chances of getting a signal - just put a second SIM from a different network in and it will switch to it if you're default SIM has no signal - very useful on mountains and abroad.....

[TheDaddy187]

that phone has the same guts as a phone i had... an alps u89...

and i can actually say that its very good as phones go...

the only 2 things i would say let it down (barely) was screen quality (i came from using a super amoled screen) its certianly wasnt bad... but its noticable coming from something with HD clarity

and the fact the charging port was set deep into the phone... only the original cable (although micro usb) had the reach...

my cable wasnt the best quality and broke so had to order a new one and was without a phone for a few days...

good things that i doubt you will hear anywhere else, if you are off for a few days in the wild and cannot charge it... use the gsm sim card slot... internet searches will be slow as hell, but gsm uses less than half the battery life of hsdpa/3-4g


i got a day out of mine with medium to heavy use (music, internet ect on hsdpa) but i managed almost 3 and a half days of light use with the gsm slot... compared to 1 and a half days with simmilar use in the hsdpa slot...

i warn you, having 2 sims in it drastically reduces battery life... i had barely a day with light to meduim use when i had 2 in it
the graphics chip is pretty good (if thats your thing) so gaming is reasonable...

camera quality is passable... i managed some really good pictures in good light... but in bad light or moving they are a bit blurry... if you are one for taking pictures, i suggest a seperate camera...

hopefully this helps...

[ADz]

Galaxy S5 Active:
http://www.3g.co.uk/PR/Oct2014/samsung-galaxy-s5-active-is-coming-to-europe.html

Or just get any phone you like and get a decent protective casing for it like an otterbox etc.

[laika]

and the fact the charging port was set deep into the phone... only the original cable (although micro usb) had the reach.

Not a problem on the Snopow M8 - any micro USB fits but I am worried about how easy getting spares will be....... The S5 Active looks great but £500 for a 'phone would smart a little..........

[TheDaddy187]

technically, you shouldnt need spares if it lives up to its claims... right?

[laika]

technically, you shouldnt need spares if it lives up to its claims... right?

I was thinking spare batteries, precisely because of the dual SIM drain you mentioned..... Will be doing the Ordesa circuit in the Pyrennees next Summer and will need to keep it running for 3-4 days...... anyone used one of those wind-up chargers?

[TheDaddy187]

never used any wind up chargers... but i do use a solar charger... it works ok but charges slowly if the phone is on... if i power is off then an hour and a half and its charged fully...

i have a samsung galaxy note 2 if this helps

[laika]

Thanks - really helpful, I shall investigate.....

[ADz]

never used any wind up chargers... but i do use a solar charger... it works ok but charges slowly if the phone is on... if i power is off then an hour and a half and its charged fully...

i have a samsung galaxy note 2 if this helps

Why bother with a solar charger when you can take spare batteries? I have just gone from Note 2 to a S5 and the main reason I prefer Samsung devices is because of removable battery. Extra battery's are more compact and lighter than power banks or solar chargers and you don't need to wait around, just swap battery and you're done. I would only take a charger if I needed it as a backup.

[laika]

Why bother with a solar charger when you can take spare batteries?

yep, agreed but not yet sure where I can get a spare battery for a Snopow M8...........

[happybonzo]

Why bother with a solar charger when you can take spare batteries?

yep, agreed but not yet sure where I can get a spare battery for a Snopow M8...........

Amazon? Ebay? - if you can get the model number off the battery you should be able to get one that way. I've had similar problems with obscure LiPo batteries and have got hold of them that way

[ADz]

Why bother with a solar charger when you can take spare batteries?

yep, agreed but not yet sure where I can get a spare battery for a Snopow M8...........


As mentioned, just get the part number of the battery and do a ebay/amazon/google search.

[laika]

As mentioned, just get the part number of the battery and do a ebay/amazon/google search.

aha - not so easy - no part number on the battery.... but I have tracked it down to the YongChuang Technology Co., Ltd....... I shall brush up my Mandarin and order one forthwith.......

Checked some reviews of wind-up chargers - sounds like a bad idea...... Meanwhile, I can report the Snopow M8 is still going strong and looks rugged, but I have yet to throw it in a river, use it as a striker or allow the kids near it (the real test)...... Will update if it betrays any less-than-rugged qualities......

[Aij29]

Thanks for the replies guys,

Lots of great options but all a tad expensive for me,

So i`ve ordered a Kazam Life R5 from Argos Direct on offer at £39.99

It has an IP67 rating with a 2MP camera and a torch,

But what swung it for me was the 2500mah battery with 30 days standby life,

I`ll let you know how it goes (i`m not expecting much for £40)

Cheers
Adrian