TarsaaMost of on the present time’s high smartphones are built with glass backs to compare the glass inform, but glass makes a phone inclined to damage if dropped. While phone manufacturers and wi-fi carriers are bigger than jubilant to promote you insurance in case of breakage, or a heavy-responsibility case, there could be the next option for you: A rugged phone.
Rugged phones are designed to withstand the ingredients, with excessive IP rankings for mud and water resistance, and militia-long-established finding out for sturdiness — making certain the next chance of computer screen survival when dropped. Many have extra battery skill, or the flexibility to swap out batteries, in yell that that it’s essential to per chance continue working and playing as a replace of charging on the gallop.
Also: The best rugged laptops
Plus, most rugged phones are extra sensible than flagship phones, as they don’t seem like outfitted with excessive-end cameras and as a replace focal level on offering a legit phone for all environments with out extra bells and whistles. Given their keep and utility, these phones are supreme for field work or out of doorways adventures, and could per chance per chance face as much as harsh environmental stipulations. (And likewise you constantly can withhold your iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone at home to pop your SIM card into whilst you need the most modern and best in mobile technology.)
What is the best rugged phone excellent now?
To search out the best rugged phones on the market, we did weeks of arms-on finding out and compare. Our disappear for the best rugged phone overall is the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro, thanks to its swish observe, customizable hardware buttons, mammoth availability, and removable battery. Test out the the rest of our picks for the tip rugged phones that it’s essential to per chance aquire beneath.
The best rugged phones of 2024
Execs
- Samsung ecosystem
- Inexpensive
- Samsung DeX toughen
- Customizable hardware buttons
- Succesful twin rear cameras
- Removable battery and microSD card slot
Cons
- Single bodily SIM card slot
Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro specs: Picture: 6.6 inches (2,408 x 1,080-pixel possibility) | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G | RAM: 6GB | Inside of Storage: 128GB with microSD | Rear cameras: 50MP f/1.8 huge angle and 8MP ultra-huge cameras | Front camera: 13MP f/2.2 | Battery: 4050 mAh | Weight: 240g
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro has a same swish make ingredient because the earlier generation XCover Pro, but improves on it with a new processor, extra RAM, and better cameras. For businesses, or no longer it’s big to peep the addition of Samsung DeX toughen, so that it’s essential to per chance capture info in the sphere and exercise the identical phone to energy your desktop trip.
Rugged gains encompass MIL-STD 810G 1.5m fall test certification, IP68 mud- and water-resistant rating, a big skill 4,050mAh removable battery, and Pogo Pin toughen for equipment.
Execs
- Swish
- Legitimate fingerprint sensor
- Solid camera performance
- microSD card and removable battery
- Two-12 months warranty
Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 specs: Picture: 5.38 inches (2,160 x 1,080-pixel possibility), OLED | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 | RAM: 6GB | Inside of Storage: 128GB with microSD slot | Rear cameras: 64MP huge angle, 16MP ultra-huge camera and 2MP macro | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 4270 mAh | Weight: 237g
Rugged phones are built to withstand the ingredients of field work, and with the brand new Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3, you procure the extra toughen of Verizon’s 5G community. At first stare, its swish invent could need you wondering if or no longer it’s even a rugged phone, since or no longer it’s less stout and awkward to tackle than many others on the market.
I spent a couple of weeks the exercise of the DuraForce Pro 3 while mountain climbing, working, and exploring the out of doorways. It withstood submersion in streams, drops on trails, and tough remedy as I tested its sturdiness.
The Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 processor with 6GB of RAM, 128GB of interior storage, three rear cameras, and a big skill 4,500 mAh battery. While you propose to exercise an prolonged quantity of time in the sphere taking images and video, that it’s essential to per chance swap out a microSD card with toughen as much as 1TB. The battery could per chance be removable so that it’s essential to per chance lift spares and no longer have to agonize about finding a keep of living to price the phone. The DuraForce Pro 3 also supports wi-fi charging, so you do now not must eradicate the backside USB-C port hump to high it off.
Be taught the review: Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 review
Three person-programmable buttons are accessible in yell that that it’s essential to per chance swiftly start your approved app or build key functions with the easy press of a button. Here’s helpful if you’re looking out to start an app swiftly with out having to make exercise of the touchscreen. The phone also supports the exercise of the phone if you’re carrying gloves.
The phone is designed to suffer tough going thru with IP68 mud/water resistance, MIL-STD 810H shock test certification, and action overlay info designed to toughen your out of doorways adventures.
Execs
- Low keep
- Rugged create and certifications
- Exceptional skill battery
- Slim make ingredient
Cons
- No 5G toughen
- Single rear camera
AGM H6 specs: Picture: 6.56 inches (1612 x 720-pixel possibility) | CPU: Unisoc T606 | RAM: 16GB | Inside of Storage: 256GB with microSD | Rear cameras: 50MP main and 2MP macro | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 4,900 mAh | Weight: 240g
At a weight of correct 240 grams and thickness of correct 10.75mm, it’s essential to per chance simply no longer mediate this is a rugged phone designed to withstand fieldwork. On the replacement hand, I’ve dropped it, submerged it, and went working in the rain with it and the software seems to be to be like correct about the identical as when it came out of the sphere.
Survival is the name of the game with the AGM H6, thanks to its IP68 waterproof rating, IP69K dustproof rating, and 1.8m shock-resistant test certification. The body across the inform is raised 0.4mm above the computer screen to assist defend it while extra corner protection (with a lanyard opening in the tip left) is offered for drops. The USB-C port and headset jack are sealed with covers, which is a thoughtful touch.
Be taught the review: AGM H6 review
The new AGM H6 is supreme for those that conception to ski, hike, fish, and explore the out of doorways. It is in particular swish for the rugged phone that it’s far, and on the sub-$300 keep, its sturdiness gains are thoroughly value it.
Execs
- Inexpensive
- Colossal RAM and storage
- Multi-day battery existence
- Stock Android software
- Headphone jack
Cons
- No 5G toughen
- Diminutive software updates
- Exceptional and heavy
Unihertz Tank specs: Picture: 6.81 inches (2400 x 1080-pixel possibility) | CPU: MediaTek MT6789 | RAM: 12GB | Inside of Storage: 256GB with microSD | Rear camera: 108MP main, 20MP evening vision, and 2MP macro camera | Front camera: 32MP | Battery: 22,000 mAh | Weight: 560g
The Unihertz Tank is a beast of a phone with a huge 22,000 mAh battery that can per chance also be historical to price up your other devices. The support is dominated by a 1200-lumen flashlight with five working modes.
A 108MP AI camera, 20MP evening vision camera, and 2MP macro camera maintain out the support camera array with a 32MP entrance going thru camera for out of doorways selfies. A MediaTek MT6789 processor powers the phone with immense 12GB of RAM and 256GB of interior storage. The 6.81-creep inform also will present you with a big computer screen for viewing maps and info on the gallop.
The Unihertz Tank clearly lives as much as its name, and is accessible for a sensible keep.
Execs
- FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal camera
- Fully rugged (IP68/69 and MIL-810H)
- Manageable size
- Solid battery existence
- Endeavor-ready gains
Cons
- No air quality sensor or distance tool from S61
- Mid-range performance
Cat S62 Pro specs: Picture: 5.7 inches (2,160 x 1,080-pixel possibility) | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 | RAM: 6GB | Inside of Storage: 128GB with microSD | Rear cameras: 12MP f/1.8 with Lepton 3.5 FLIR camera | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 4000 mAh | Weight: 248g
Toughen for thermal cameras is a big goal now we have considered in some Cat phones. A thermal camera is a supreme tool for fieldwork, whether or no longer you are scanning for heat spots in a switchboard, or looking out out for out them out in an emergency. I packed along the Cat S62 Pro in the direction of some sea trials on a new ferry and historical it to measure heat stages on a spread of items of machinery for the duration of the engineering areas.
The Cat S62 Pro has a 5.7-creep inform with glove mode, IP68 mud/water resistance, MIL-STD 810H fall test as much as 1.8 meters, and extra. Plus, this mannequin incorporates a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor and Android 10.
Be taught the review: Cat S62 Pro review
Regardless of these gains, the FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal camera is the big name of the trace, with the flexibility to measure temperatures between -20 degrees Celsius and 400 degrees Celsius.
My disappear for the best rugged phone is the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro. It is far a rugged phone that provides tiny bulk while also working across all US wi-fi carriers. The addition of Samsung DeX toughen makes this a phone that can per chance also be historical to energy a desktop trip.
| Best rugged phone | Mark | Picture size | Storage |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro | $600 | 6.6 inches | 128GB with microSD |
| AGM H6 | $219 | 6.56 inches | 256GB |
| Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 | $900 | 5.38 inches | 128GB with microSD |
| Unihertz Tank | $310 | 6.81 inches | 256GB |
| Cat S62 Pro | $649 | 5.7 inches | 128GB with microSD |
All of these phones are powered by Android OS, so there could be no replacement on the working plan. While you are finding out this checklist, you are presumably drawn to a rugged phone that can per chance continue to exist drops and water drunks if you acquire yourself working out of doorways.
The first ingredient to have a examine for is a distinct ingredient that could per chance be particular to your work. As an instance, invent you need a FLIR thermal imaging camera, a evening vision camera, a big skill battery that can per chance also be historical to price other devices, or a phone with a removable battery? Test out the strange gains and peek if any practice to your needs.
The next ingredient is to envision the value, since these rugged phones range from correct over $300 to $900.
| Resolve this rugged phone… | While it’s essential to per chance fancy… |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro | A though-provoking smartphone for field work with DeX toughen |
| AGM H6 | An sensible rugged phone beneath $250 |
| Kyocera DuraForce Pro 3 | A successfully-rounded, 5G rugged phone on Verizon |
| Unihertz Tank | A phone with a immense battery and noteworthy flashlight |
| Cat S62 Pro | A sturdy phone with a thermal camera |
To search out out the best rugged phone for your needs, you ought to gentle take current of the following:
- Mark: The price range can fluctuate wildly for these rugged phones with main brands charging a top price keep for rugged gains while minor brands offer rugged phones at very low prices. Rugged phones are big for your misfortune restoration equipment with long battery existence and gains that guarantee that the phone will tackle any coarse stipulations.
- Dimension: Most of these rugged phones are big and heavy when put next to long-established smartphones. Sleeker gadgets are usually extra dear, but that can very successfully be a alternate-off you settle on to create as you in deciding the best one for you.
- Uses: All of these rugged phones are built to outlive the ingredients, but some have very particular gains. As an instance, the Cat S62 Pro offers a thermal imaging camera that is supreme for some trades. Establish your needs forward of you dive into the chance that matches you.
To search out out our picks for the best rugged phones, we did weeks-long genuine-world finding out and compare, and consulted colleagues who have arms-on trip with the phones. We belief to be the following gains when growing this checklist:
- Durability: Perhaps a truly noteworthy ingredient of a rugged phone is its invent and sturdiness beneath harsh stipulations. Most of the rugged phones we chose for this checklist are MIL-STD 810G-licensed.
- Battery: Rugged phones often have elevated batteries than outmoded phones, and could per chance per chance last you longer in the sphere. Many even have removable batteries so that it’s essential to per chance swap to a new one with out having to price up.
- Capabilities: While rugged phones lack some of the bells and whistles of your new iPhone or Samsung Galaxy phone, they often gentle have spectacular cameras and other gains value noting.
- Mark: Rugged phones often cost less than flagship phones, but are gentle an funding. We’re looking out to create distinct you are getting presumably the most bang for your buck.
A rugged phone is a toughened model of a new dapper or flip phone. Rugged phones have gone thru a rigorous invent job to create them extra proof against liquids, grime, mud, drops, shocks, and coarse temperatures.
They’re often tested against militia requirements for sturdiness, so that it’s essential to per chance rest assured that your new phone can tackle correct about one thing else it’s essential to per chance detect on an out of doorways adventure.
While you acquire yourself any individual who’s tough on a new smartphone, likely because of your job or your hobbies, a rugged phone is a helpful funding. Rugged phones are designed to last thru harsh stipulations, with excessive IP rankings for mud and water resistance, and militia-long-established finding out for sturdiness. Most have extra battery skill, or the flexibility to swap out batteries, so you do now not have to exercise time charging.
While you acquire yourself an Apple trace loyalist and must exercise an iPhone, a rugged case is your best technique to guard your phone, for the rationale that firm has but to create a toughened model of the iPhone.
There are heaps of choices obtainable for weatherized and ruggedized cases, and OtterBoxUrban Armor Gear (UAG) are two of our favorites. Cases are accessible with a number of layers of protection against drops and shocks, as successfully as port covers that are designed to withhold water and mud out of buttons and charging ports. Some case gadgets have kickstands to prop your phone up for arms-free exercise too.
In my check, the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is the best rugged phone for trace loyalists. It gains IP68-rated water and mud resistance as successfully as militia-grade shock and fall resistance. It also supports Samsung DeX so that it’s essential to per chance exercise it with an external computer screen for a PC-fancy trip.
These picks could per chance simply no longer have made our checklist, but are gentle value finding out if you happen to would fancy a new rugged phone.
ZDNET Recommends
Editorial requirements
Tarsaa
