Cellular Abuse: Rugged Cell Phones Put to the Test (with Video!)

**TXCharlie** · 08-10-09, 02:46 AM

Rugged Cell Phone Comparison Test - Abusive Lab Test for Rugged Cell Phones - Popular Mechanics

Ruggedized cellphones are typically designed to comply with Military Specification 810F, able to withstand light shocks, short falls and splashes. But just how far can they go? We took three and pushed them way beyond their spec sheet to approximate real-life mishaps—if real life was a demolition derby run by Navy SEALs. For the phones, it proved to be a one-way trip to PM’s lab.

By Seth Porges
Published in the August 2009 issue.

1. Motorola Tundra VA76r

($200 with two-year contract)

Drop It: We dropped it again and again, but the Tundra continued to be in call-ready condition.

Drown It: The Tundra survived a few quick swims. But after the fifth fall, a hard hit on the porcelain bowl caused it to spring a leak. The water killed the phone.

Smash It: The Tundra’s hinge busted after one hard stomp from the business end of a boot. After the second smash, it was lights out for the Motorola.

2. Sonim XP3

($500 unlocked)

Drop It: The bricklike Sonim survived repeated falls, damage- and ding-free. Its rubberized surface even caused it to bounce like a SuperBall.

Drown It: The Sonim’s seams are coated with a watertight array of gaskets and seals, all of which held up to repeated dunks.

Smash It: The phone looked fine. But after eight stomps, the Sonim simply stopped working. Our guess: An interior circuit got nudged loose.

3. Verizon G'zOne Boulder

($130 with two-year contract)

Drop It: Despite its clamshell design (which presents an obvious weak point—its hinge) the Boulder shrugged off falls to the floor.

Drown It: The water was no match for this water-resistant phone, which held up to multiple plunges in the privy.

Smash It: We stomped on it. We jumped on it. Finally, we broke out the baseball bat—and even then it took three swings to turn our winner into a tangle of wires.

The Bottom Line

The Sonim looked and felt the toughest, but the Verizon G’zOne Boulder was the winner—it continued to work until it was literally a tangle of plastic shards and wires.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4ViaH6F24g[/ame]

**Odd** · 08-10-09, 05:23 AM

Anyone else see this and think "I want that job!"?

**Jim1348** · 08-10-09, 09:49 AM

I have a Nextel Motorola i580 and a Motorola Tundra VA76r now. Both are rugged and quite similar to one another, although they are for different incompatible networks. I may even end up getting a Casio G'zOneat some point in the future. These well may be some of the best phones that stand up to the rigors of police work right now, although the forthcoming Nokia 3720 looks like it may be a contender soon.

**TXCharlie** · 08-10-09, 01:22 PM

Originally Posted by Odd

Anyone else see this and think "I want that job!"?

Yes

Of course almost anything that gets me out from in front of a computer screen all day without killing me seems like a "dream job" now, and it gets dreamer every minute of the day.