Tough, reliable phones - suggestions and opinions wanted

Pat Mustard

I think that this forum is probably the best place for this particular query, considering what I am looking for.

In an emergency situation, a phone can be a very useful piece of equipment. Even if the only emergency is that you are going to be late for dinner.

I need to get a new phone, but I want a reliable one. The one that I have is waterproof and dustproof and the battery lasts a long time. It is slowly being beaten to death by me through the punishment that all of my gear gets.

So, what I want is:

1. Good battery life (even the best phone is no good if it's dead).
2. Waterproof.
3. Dustproof.
4. Shockproof and well nigh indestructible if possible.

The three that I have been looking at are shown below.

The Samsung B2100 is rock solid, reliable phone. I wonder if I could do better than it though.

The Samsung B2710 is the successor to the older B2100. It has more features, but some of the reviews show that all of the extra bells and whistles drain the battery, so the battery doesn't last as long as the B2100.

The A81 calls to me. It has GPS, barometer, altimeter, compass, and it looks as ugly as hell. I want to have it, but I just can't be sure that it would be any good.


Samsung B2100



Samsung B2710



A81 (this seems to be a Chinese clone of the A81, in fact)

lockon...

The three phones you picked are too basic imo. Why not look at a decent cover for a iPhone or a decent Android. This company for instance claims it's cover meet the US military requirements - http://www.lifeproof.com/en/iphone

Pat Mustard

lockon... wrote: »

The three phones you picked are too basic imo. Why not look at a decent cover for a iPhone or a decent Android. This company for instance claims it's cover meet the US military requirements - http://www.lifeproof.com/en/iphone

A fair point, but sometimes more basic equipment is better because it can be more reliable.

My main issue with smartphones is the fact that they have to be charged either every day or every second day. If I'm out for a whole weekend, I like to be able to rely on my phone to work, whether or not I have been scrupulous about charging it or otherwise keeping an eye on it.

Otherwise, I think that smartphones are excellent gadgets with a multitude of uses. I was thinking of using something like the Motorola Droid Razr Maxx HD for during the week and then possibly use one of the above beasts of burden for hacking around at the weekend.

It could also be useful to keep a tough reliable phone in the glovebox of the car. You wouldn't know but that one night you might find yourself upside down in a ditch with the wheels of the car spinning, and you need to make a phone call pronto.

I think that Irish phone service providers are talking about 4G being rolled out this year, so I was thinking of holding off on getting a decent smartphone for the time being. I'm guessing that more decent 4G-capable phone options will become available over the coming months. There aren't a lot of 4G capable phones on the market at the moment.

BostonB

By something like a samsung cobble and put it in a sealed hard case. Lasts 2 weeks+ or so. It will keep a charge for weeks if powered off. So cheap you can keep a couple of them and treat them as disposable.

or something like this...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3v5lN4U0bM

ShadowFox

Landrover are doing a great phone search eBay for it as its mostly sold in the UK rock solid phone but pricey compared to what you picked out above

Tabnabs

I'd say a compromise between a useful phone but with the addition of a good case. http://www.otterbox.com/ make some good examples.

thehippychippy

I've done something similar. I've an iPhone, and their not great on the batteries. Actually, their ****e. And not a great phone IMO. But good net devices. I got a "Griffin Mil-Tec" cover for mine and is nearly bomb proof. Dropped it off a 3 story roof last year and it clattered down belting the wall and scaffolding all the way. Not a bother on the phone. For hiking, camping and messing about, I have an old nokia, not a bullet proof phone, but have a spare battery charged with it. And another old nokia with a spare battery, sim card with €20 credit in the bob. Was looking at those land rover phones and they didn't get great reviews, but that was 2-3 years ago

Danpad

I have the B2710. i have found it to be extremely durable and I've taken it out in all weathers. It has been knocked, dropped, clattered and subjected to abuse by my two young sons when they've robbed it to use as an omnitrix. It has GPS and a great little torch. I usually have to charge it once per week, twice-max.

eirator

I keep a cheap Samsung E1195 vodafone prepay with 10 euro on it in a waterproof case in my everyday walking bag. Its left switched off and gets charged once a month (still shows as full when I do) left on it needs charging every 8 days.

Its small, light, cheap and kept safe ready if I need it. When I'm out walking I don't take my normal phone because I don't want calls.

Gosub

A fella I know has a JCB phone. It's fricken bulletproof! He proves it regularly by dropping it from a second floor balcony onto concrete, putting it into a pint glass of water and ringing it.

Added benefit is an extra loud ring so he can hear it over even loud machinery.

Impressive bit of kit.

feet of flame

How about one of these, it even floats
http://www.spareone.com/

BostonB

feet of flame wrote: »

How about one of these, it even floats
http://www.spareone.com/

A bit pricey?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spare-One-Emergency-SOS-Phone/dp/B007ILCQ8I

eirator

OP more from a survival point of view what happens if you go to use you one and only phone in an emergency and your network is down?

Even if all the network services are up and running it doesn't take much of an emergancy for them to get blocked by calls, so even if you don't think a second phone is needed another SIM on prepay with a different operator to your main phone might give you more options.

feet of flame

Good point eirator, here's a JCB toughphone with dual SIM so you could have two different providers and doubles as a two way radio.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/JCB-Toughphone-Pro-Talk-compatible-Network/dp/B004C0J48S/ref=sr_1_7?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1360609238&sr=1-7

The Aussie

I had a Sonim XP 3300 Force. Was a Mil Spec phone that had a battery stand by of about a month or something stupid. Was water proof, shock proof but alas not idiot proof as I left it in the back of a cab on a night out. :rolleyes:

Sonim are the makers of the JCB and Land Rover phones, function wise they a similar to a Nokia 15 years ago.

http://www.sonimtech.com/products/xp3300force.php

Squeaky the Squirrel

Oh, wait, you said tough, never mind.







:P

http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/invisible-smartphone-horizon-130208.htm

Pat Mustard

Squeaky the Squirrel wrote: »

Oh, wait, you said tough, never mind.



:P

http://news.discovery.com/tech/gear-and-gadgets/invisible-smartphone-horizon-130208.htm

A phone made of glass - not quite what I'm looking for!

Enrique2SIM

Hi,

There are a couple of models from Casio that have many extra features related with durability, however its life-battery is not that good:

Casio G'zOne CA-201L
Casio G'zOne Commando

There are also some dust & water proof smartphones models available, but I don't think they will resist a lot of punishment.

Regards

davlacey

id have to agree with the jcb phone my mate has one for boating its bullet proof and been in the sea a few times. very basic just calls and texts.the ring tone would wake the dead. think he paid 100 in the marine suppliers in howth.

Sh1tbag OToole

If you are really hardcore and don't mind spending 100s a year on sim card

http://iridium.com/products/IridiumExtremeSatellitePhone.aspx?productCategoryID=1

Mac2010

Had Sonim Xp 3300 force and while i was testing out toughness of the phone :pac:

i damaged some internal parts and had to send it back to Sonim. got charged for the replacement because they sent me new one from hongkong. paid duty Vat etc. Sonim's customer service is horrible. was told i shouldn't pay duty its already paid by sonim etc words from the customer support total rubbish.

apart from horrible customer service their phones are tough as steel. (well not really )

ended up selling the phone. Battery life, speaker volume etc very good. but no internet

Don't buy Samsung galaxy xcover 2 . had very bad experience with it as well.

sonim is great if you just need phone that has long battery and simple functions.

srsly78

Now we just need to find some solar powered cell towers that can survive the apocalypse.

The Glass Key

srsly78 wrote: »

Now we just need to find some solar powered cell towers that can survive the apocalypse.

True but I don't think we are all preping for an apocalypse. I don't regularly use a Mobile Phone anymore (I don't have any coverage at all from anyone at home - I'm not really in the sticks, just a rural area outside a town) but I still keep a couple of phones for emergencies and always have one fully charged in a shock proof waterproof case in my rucksack (doubles as a BOB) and another in the car.

My main preps would be for surviving until normality returns or if I'm stuck somewhere surviving until I can get back to civilization, secondary would be preping for an apocalypse and even then those preps would be a backup to the others.