For those of us out there who look primarily for ruggedness in a phone, Sonim's new XP2 Spirit model aims to please. For those who are not familiar with Sonim's previous phones, these cell phones are well known in the mobile device market as being tough to kill, perfect for those who like the outdoors or are simply less-than-kind to their devices throughout the day. Previous examples of "tests" users have done to see how tough the phones really are include dropping them from great heights, throwing them into walls, submerging them in water (repeatedly), hitting them with hammers, and even shooting them point blank with a pistol. While unfortunately the pistol shot DID actually cause the phone to cease functioning all other impacts didn't - which is something not many companies can claim.

To top off the extreme ruggedness of the XP2 is the fact that it's not simple a communicator in a block but a fully functioning social networking device as well, complete with an Opera internet browser, 3-megapixel camera, 3G connectivity and your other standard wireless connections you'd expect to see on modern phones these days. GPS enablement further means that the phone can keep you up to speed on your exact location at all times and help you share that with your friends and family when you're out and about in the wilderness - either rural or suburban.

However, one of the primary drawbacks of the phone is its relatively poor appearance compared to other devices hitting the market as of late. In fact, many people have even described the XP2 as outright "ugly" in many ways due to its octagonal form and blockish structure. While it's true that the phone may somewhat resemble the concept cell phones of the early 1980 this is for good reason, as the less-than-trendy design actually allows for the phone to disperse impact energy throughout its shell, thus protecting the important electronics within and only adding to the overall durability of the phone.

Another concern voiced by some people who are keen on big screen and high resolutions these days is the lack of such on the XP2. With a screen coming in at only 2 inches large, that isn't much to wow a strict audience; however, the fact that it is protected behind 1.5 millimeters of what is known as "Gorilla Glass" - a shatter resistant, scratch resistant, and virtually-everything-else resistant protective shield - does somewhat make up for the fact that the phone is lacking that "wow" factor in looks as it more than makes up for it in durability.

For those looking for good internal storage as well, the XP2 is a keeper, coming in with roughly 4 gigs of internal storage space while most other machines out there can only boast a few hundred megs. If you're worried about your information's safety in hot or cold temperatures, quite simply don't, as the XP2 is tested to safely store and retrieve information anywhere from -20 up to 55 degrees Celsius (or -4 to 131 degrees Fahrenheit). In short, once this phone hits European stores in March with its unconditional three-year warranty, make this the first on your list if you're looking for something that is sure to keep up with you no matter where you may find yourself.

It is finally official, or at least, somewhat official.  Verizon Wireless has given a somewhat official date, or timeline, of their first 4G LTE mobile phone.  It appears that Verizon will be releasing their first LTE 4G phone around the middle of next year.

Verizon first expected to have their handset on the market in the last few months of 2011 or the first few months of 2012, but they’ve been able to bring that time scale down quite a bit.  Some regions will be able to latch onto these new 4G phones from Verizon at the end of this year.

Competitor and rival, Sprint Nextel Corporation has successfully launched data cards already with 4G capabilities and are in preparation of launching their first 4G cell phone summer of 2010.

Verizon is expecting to launch a mobile phone that uses Long Term Evolution technology, which is wireless high-speed technology, for their 4G phones.  They are hoping to use this integration of LTE within about six months after the launch of the 4G wireless service.  The phones that use the Long Term Evolution technology will more than likely come with dual-chip sets instead of single chip sets as the dual-chips are needed for the Verizon network and the 4G LTE phones to be compatible with each others in its fullest form.

You can expect to see broadband data cards in 4G before anything else and you can also expect that complete full coverage won’t be likely in the immediate future of the 4G mobile phone and plan launch, says Verizon.  Furthermore, Anthony Melone, a chief technology officer of Verizon, thinks that they will need to eliminate the unlimited data packages in order to fully integrate the Long Term Evolution technology and 4G handsets and plans.  Frankly, it’s not going to be cheap for this technology and 4G, and unlimited data plans simply take away a lot of their revenue, which could ultimately be used towards this new 4G service.

If Verizon decides to eliminate their unlimited phone and data plans, will they be able to survive in this heavy competitive market between cell phone carriers? In my personal opinion, if they do this and the competitors, such as Sprint and AT&T decide to allow their unlimited plans to stay intact, then there may just be a problem for Verizon Wireless.  On the other hand, who will be on top if all mobile carriers remove their unlimited plans?



First announced back in November of last year, the Casio G'zOne Brigade has finally gone on sale over at Verizon's website. Sporting ultra-rugged features paired with a slew of multimedia and messaging capabilities, it's one of the most unique handsets to make its way to the market.

As expected, the handset can withstand some serious stress, certified to 810F military standards for resistance to shock, water, dust and a whole host of extreme conditions. If you're used to rugged phones being short on features, you'll appreciate the talents that this outdoor-ready clamshell brings forward. Designed for serious messaging, it boasts a full QWERTY keyboard, visual voice mail, IM and corporate email. Not to be outdone, it's heavy on the multimedia prowess too, providing support for the range of VCast services (including streaming music and videos).

The Brigade comes with two screens - a 1.2-inch external display (paired with a T9-style keypad so you can use it like a candybar phone) and a 2.9-inch horizontal panel with 400 x 240 resolution. Details include a 3.2 megapixel camera module, aGPS (with VZ Navigator), Rev. A push-to-talk, a full HTML browser, microSD card expansion (up to 16GB) and six hours of talk time. It measures 4.4 x 2.2 x 0.9 inches and weighs 6oz.

Sure, Casio G'zOne looks a tad bulky and industrial. However, this kind of feature set rarely comes posted right next to a rugged device, that also especially a cell phone . One possible barrier? The price. Available for $249.99 with a two-year agreement (after a $50 rebate), it's more expensive than the current crop of high-profile smartphones. Still, if you need a heavy-duty cell phone that can do more than the basic stuff, it's hard to beat.

[Verizon via Softpedia]

At the time it came out, the HTC Hero was, by far, the best Android phone on the block. With the HTC Legend, the manufacturer took everything good about that handset and made it even better.

Physically, it looks a lot like the Hero, down to the trademark chin. The body is cut from a single piece of aluminum (taking a bite out of Apple's aesthetic), making it both more attractive and durable at the same time. Replacing the trackball with a metal-trimmed trackpad also raises the style points up a notch, apart from working just as effectively.

Display is a gorgeous 3.2-inch AMOLED screen, with 320x480 resolution. Colors literally pop out, adding a "wow" factor that you seldom get with the mass of Android phones in the market. At 3mm thinner than the Hero, it's easily one of HTC's more pocketable devices.

As a phone, the HTC Legend manages slightly above average call quality. Voices sound natural with plenty of volume to go, although we did encounter a slight amount of distortion. Speakerphone worked just as well, perhaps lacking just a tad more volume to my liking. Battery life is quite disappointing, though, likely requiring a recharge every day and a half for most common uses.

While the Hero suffered from some form of sluggishness (which they later rectified via firmware), the Legend runs with satisfying speed out of the box. Navigation is smooth, transitions are fast and apps launch quick, putting all 600Mhz of that processor to good use. Web browsing (both over WiFi and HSDPA) is exceptional, with pages rendering almost twice as fast, compared to many Android phones we've seen. Plus, the browser's got multi-touch and some amount of Flash support.

It delivers all the usual Android 2.1 favors, from the nominal music player to the mass of Google apps to extensive messaging capabilities. HTC primps it up with their fancy Sense UI, which adds a lot of value to the device, including features such as being able to add mail to your Outlook folders, an improved mail interface, a very good onscreen keyboard and the MotoBlur-like Friend Stream. The latter, by the way, doesn't work as well as expected. Expect software updates on that end. Camera module is a 5.0 megapixel unit that manages to snap average-looking shots.

Sure, the Motorola Droid and the Nexus One have probably gotten the most press out of today's Android phones. In terms of overall value, though, I'm tempted to side with the HTC Legend, with its great looks, sleek operation and robust feature set.  Price should vary from retailer to retailer, but expect it between $550 to $600 unlocked.