Sprint and Motorola just announced a new rugged PTT phone for Nextel's network.  Billed as the Motorola Brute i680 and clad in a buff frame, it's difficult to mistake it for anything else but an extra-tough handheld device.

Thick and bulky, the clamshell phone complies with Military Specification 810F, which provides for a whole host of durable characteristics.  Not only will it survive shocks, vibration, water and dust, it should prove just as capable handling unusual temperatures, solar radiation and fog.

The Motorola Brute i680 phone sports two colored LCDs, a 1.3-inch external display (120 x 160 pixels of resolution) and a 2.2-inch internal screen (176 x 220 pixels).  Details include a 2.0 megapixel camera (with flash), aGPS, stereo Bluetooth, microSD card support, 180MB of internal storage and a "large" battery module for extended talk time (Motorola didn't give exact specifications).  Features include a music player, email support, onboard web browser and threaded messaging.

Apart from the push-to-talk capabilities of Nextel Direct Connect, the device will come with Nextel's exclusive Public Safety application, which will allow users “to communicate, even when they are out of network range," a tool that can prove valuable to many field workers and outdoor enthusiasts.    A convenient ability to switch between PTT and regular voice calls in a push of a button is also provided.

Interested consumers can now get the Motorola Brute i680 (with Nextel Direct Connect calling plans) in all Sprint sales channels.  Price is $119.99.

[Press Release]

Casio's series of ruggedized phones have earned them a good niche following.  The latest in the line, the Casio G'zOne Rock, appears set to continue the positive trend.  With rugged-yet-attractive good looks and excellent multimedia features, it should make a nice companion for both outdoor enthusiasts and regular folks who need a durable phone.

Physically, it's exactly what you'd expect from a tough-natured, clamshell handset.   Looks are decidedly masculine, with jagged angles and blocky corners.  It's military-certified to withstand a bevy of environmental hazards, including water, dust, high falls and extreme temperatures.

On the outside flap lies a 0.9-inch display, while a nicer  2.1-inch LCD (320 x 240 pixels) sits inside.  Both work well for their respective purposes.  Same with the well-designed navigation array and raised keypad, both facilitating comfortable use.

As a phone, the G'zOne Rock makes for somewhat poor call quality.  It's usable - but the voice sounded hollow and harsh everytime we tried it.  The speakerphone was worse, although both offered plenty of volume.  Broadband performance was very good, especially since very few rugged phones come with 3G.   Battery life is rated at five hours of talk time, which is kind of disappointing for a phone that's meant to be taken outdoors.

Of course, it comes with all the basic features, including a 500-entry phonebook, PIM tools and a good messaging suite (SMS, MMS, IM and web-based email).   It also has push-to-talk capabilities, as well as a GPS, making it really suitable for on-the-road applications (such as for in-field workers).

As a ruggedized device, though, none of those capabilities actually come as a surprise.  What is pleasantly unexpected is the rather decent multimedia capability, making for a good entertainment phone whether you're slumming it outdoors or sitting comfy in your home.  It comes with support for Verizon's wide range of streaming services too, handling them very capably.  The music player is a bit sluggish, but audio quality is great.  Casio also threw in a wireless web browser and an average-quality 2.0 megapixel camera (with plenty of editing options).

A feature unique to this phone is the G'zGear suite of applications.  Geared for outdoor enthusiasts, the collection consists of a compass, a pedometer, a thermometer, an astral calendar, a sun-tracker and a tidal graph app.  As a bonus, you can access most of them from the phone's outer LCD, which is especially handy.

Overall, the Casio G'zOne Rock is an excellent rugged handset, bringing a good mix of apps along with the durable construction.  Even better, the multimedia features are robust, allowing you to have a little bit of digital entertainment while enjoying your time outdoors.   The $149.99 price (with contract) does sound a bit steep, though.

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Durability and PTT capability take front and center for the Samsung Convoy, which was recently released on Verizon's network.  Like many of Samsung's phones, form and features are very similar to another existing handset, the Samsung Rugby, so if you're familiar with that, you'll probably take to this device in much the same way.

Physically, the Convoy is unmistakably rugged - hard plastic skin, thick rubber sidings and an extremely firm battery cover.  It passes all the usual military specifications, although it's only water-resistant to a certain degree (don't dare swim in a pool with it).  The clamshell mechanism is sturdy and it feels solid overall.

Like most flip phones, it comes with two screens, a very small microSD-sized one outside and a 2.2-inch LCD inside.  Both are quality displays, with sharp colors and bright graphics.  The menu and navigation array, usually casualties in many rugged phones (especially those from Verizon), are surprisingly good.

As a phone, the Convoy manages very good call quality, apart from offering compatibility for both M4 and T4 hearing aids.  Voices sound loud and natural, despite busy surroundings.  The speakerphone was similarly admirable.  This phones supports 3G, although speed is not very impressive.  Since we're sure it's not the network that's problematic, it's probably the phone.  Take note if you're planning to use this for heavy downloading.  It has a stated battery life of 5 hours of talk time, which pales in comparison to many rugged devices.

On the features end, it has all the basics covered: 1,000-contact address book, stereo Bluetooth and a decent messaging suite (SMS, MMS, IM and POP3 mail).  PTT costs an extra $5 a month, which isn't bad, and there's an onboard GPS too (with VZ Navigator preinstalled).

It comes with a 2.0 megapixel camera, with a good range of editing options, including multiple shooting modes.  Photo quality is good for such a low-res phone camera, although it lacks flash.  Media playback is decent and, since it has 3G, comes with support for Verizon's range of streaming services.  Performance, like we said, isn't the fastest (videos encounter some amount of buffering), but it's tolerable.  One disappointment is the 2.5mm audio jack.

Overall, the Samsung Convoy ($99 on contract) is a pretty good phone, particularly if durability and PTT support are primary considerations in your decision-making.  It's easier to use than most handsets I've seen in the category and the inclusion of 3G makes it a passable entertainment device, too.

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Motorola has seen some bad days in the mobile world lately.  To supplement their losses in the various niches, they've been doing pretty decent business in the PTT field (see the Motorola Debut we reviewed previously).  The Motorola Barrage is another one of those phones, combining push-to-talk with a rugged design and a number of other features.

Rarely have we seen Motorola offer a PTT phone outside Nextel's network, so seeing one out of Verizon Wireless is a refreshing change.  More importantly, though, the Barrage comes with a durable yet attractive design that should let it stand the barrage of elements without looking an eyesore.

Clad in a clamshell form factor, the handset should handle a good amount of abuse, thanks to the patches of rubber overlaying the plastic skin on the sides, front and rear.  It features a solid build and an oversized hinge, making sure it stands through worse-than-normal mishandling.  Even better, it fits in water-proof qualities, allowing it to survive when put in water.  Don't worry about portability, either, as it's still pretty light at only 4.2 ounces.

Being a clamshell phone, it comes with two screens, a 1.6-inch LCD outside and a 2.2-inch display inside.   Both are sufficiently bright and sharp, with excellent colors.  The outside face includes touch-sensitive music controls, so you can use the onboard music player even when it's closed.  Keypads and buttons work surprisingly well, proving easier to use than the stiff ones available on most rugged phones.

As a phone, the Barrage manages good calls, with clear- and natural-sounding voices.  It lacked some extra volume for use in noisy spots, though.  Speakerphone was also decent, but the volume was very much lacking.  The 3G connection works fine, although it seems slower than other phones on the same network (which is pretty odd).  Battery life is rated at a little over six hours, making for a good three days of regular use.

On the features end, it comes with the usual basic niceties, including a 1,000 contact phone book, some basic apps and stereo Bluetooth.  Do note that PTT numbers are stored in a different phone book, rather than integrated into the regular one.   For messaging, it supports SMS, MMS, IM and web-based POP3 email.

More premium capabilities include an onboard GPS, support for Verizon's range of broadband media services and a 2.0 megapixel camera.  It actually manages to snap up good photos for a 2.0 megapixel device, although video recording isn't quite as nice.

Overall, the Motorola Barrage is an excellent choice for a PTT phone, especially with the rugged design in tow.  The addition of 3G is a big plus, making it a really useful media handset.

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The Nokia 3720 Classic received a good amount of early promotion from the company, which included a series of videos showing the handset experience a barrage of abuses.  As you may have guessed, it's Nokia's latest rugged phone, touting extreme durability and survival capabilities across a wide range of conditions.

Like other rugged devices, the 3720 isn't the snazziest-looking phone around.  Compared to many current releases though (such as the Sonim XP3 and the Samsung B2700), it's a lot better-looking.  Special props are in order for not rocking a nasty rubber layer along the side.

As Nokia claims, the device can withstand a great amount of torture.  From dunking in a flood of water to getting hurled from a distance, it survived capably.  There were a few minutes of bad sound coming from the loudspeaker after the water test, but it fixed itself shortly after that.  Suffice to say, this rugged phone should live up to the durable billing.  One notable ommision is a lens cover for the camera.  While it recesses into the surface, there's no extra protection beyond that.

As a phone, it offers decent quality calls, with natural-sounding voices and excellent performance under busy environments.  The battery lasts for a good 7 hours of talk time.  It's nowhere near as impressive as the over-10 hours from some other rugged devices, but it's good enough to last you for a weekend trip without recharging.

On the features end, the S40-powered 3720 isn't all that shabby.  It comes with a complete suite of messaging capabilities (including Nokia's vaunted one-step email setup), active standby and the usual set of basic talents.   Extra comforts include an onboard music player with FM radio (very average quality compared to most of Nokia's current releases), a 3.2 megapixel camera (average stills) and Opera Mini on board (although, there's no 3G).  It doesn't offer a lot of innovation in the apps, but fits in most of the S40 standards.

Overall, the Nokia 3720 Classic's more stylish looks might make the best case for it, considering the largely unpalatable aesthetics of most rugged phones.   It lives up the durable billing and packs a few decent extras too.

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Photo Credit: Pocket Lint

Like the B2700 Bound, the newer Samsung B2100 Xplorer (also called Solid Extreme) fits in nominal features with hard-edged rugged talents.  While both handsets foster similar look and feel, the B2100 is targeted towards even more low-end consumer markets, fitting in less-powerful hardware and a considerably cheaper price.

Compared to the B2700, the B2100 Xplorer is even more single-minded in its approach.  It's an ultra-basic phone with extreme durability that should serve you well for plenty of outdoor uses.  Samsung claims it can withstand a ton of abuse, including rain, dust, shock, water, salt, fog, solar radiation (for real,  they bill sunlight as solar radiation) and extreme temperatures.

Naturally, the bulk of our tests went on that end, putting the phone through hell and high water.  As expected, it survived with nary a complaint.  It's the perfect torture subject for sadists - absorbing all punishment without as much as a squeak.  With its rubberized edges, water-tight flanges and all-around solid construction, this is a phone that should stay alive through most any extreme situation.

Like other rugged handsets, typing on the T9-style keypad is a serious problem, with tough keys that require hard presses in order to register.  The 1.8-inch screen is extremely small and limiting, but it should survive through every travail, along with the rest of the phone.

User-interface and overall specs of the handset harken back to a decade ago.   Features include a 1.3-megapixel camera (below average quality), an FM radio, a basic music player, a voice recorder and microSD card expansion.  The music player is decent and should serve you well for those lonely nights in the woods, though, you'll need an SD card to supplement the phone's 10MB onboard storage.  There's also a very bright torch that should prove quite handy for rugged uses.

Voice calls are excellent, which is a major plus, considering that's pretty much what a handset like this is good for.   It also offers long battery life, which should allow for a good stretch on standby, making it perfect for extended time outdoors.

Overall, the Samsung B2100 Xplorer does as it's supposed to, offering basic phone functions with great call quality and insane survival capabilities.  At the price ($100 to $140 unlocked, depending on where you buy), it's also cheap enough to warrant the choice.

Via GSM Arena

Just want a phone that can withstand ridiculous use?  You may be in the market for a Samsung B2700, which really doesn't bring anything to the table except the most basic cell phone capabilities, along with some outdoor talents.

This is not a gadget lover's phone.  However, for those who anticipate needing a handset that's going to be put under duress, it just might prove to be a stellar choice.

As for its rugged capabilities, the B2700 is IP54-certified, which means it's adequately protected against water, dust, shock and more unusual temperatures.  It's not indestructible (nothing is), but it should sufficiently live through more punishment than your favorite smartphone any day of the week.

For outdoor use, the device sports a LED torch to assist your lighting needs around the camp and an onboard pedometer to help you count steps, in case you're monitoring your burned calories.  The pedometer actually makes it a great choice for a jogging phone - especially since it should survive falling off (which I've seen plenty of times when joggers carry their gadgets around).  Do note that the pedometer on this handset is hardly the most accurate I've seen - maybe it will do better if I tied it around my ankle, but I didn't try.

It comes with a built-in compass and altimeter, which should come in handy during treks.  However, it foregoes outfitting with a GPS, which is really a bummer.  Personally, I'd rather have a GPS tuner than a camera if I'm taking a phone out in nature.  Unfortunately, you'll have to settle for not having the functionality built-in.

Like many rugged phones, the B2700 suffers from difficult-to-press controls.  That, however, usually comes with the territory (it's part of the sturdy package), so no complaints on this end.  A more pronounced problem might be typing with even just regular gloves on - which is downright impossible.

The camera module offers 2 megapixels with average quality and a shutter lag of about two seconds.  Again, this type of camera is something that should have been sacrificed in exchange for an integrated GPS.  It's also got an onboard music player and FM radio, for those lonely, quiet nights at camp.

A welcome addition is the battery, which can last for up to 10.5 hours of talk time.  Voice calls are surprisingly good, although quality should vary when you're out in the woods.

Overall, the Samsung B2700 is a decent outdoors phone.  With the lack of a GPS and so little accoutrements that come with the compass, though, I think this would be better suited for city types who want a phone that can live through careless use.  For joggers who don't have a pedometer, I reckon this would also play a good tool for approximating their runs.

Samsung

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Over the last two days, some movie clips of a new Nokia handset has leaked out.  A rugged candy bar device, it's shown to be at the receiving end of both golf swings and rugby kicks, undoubtedly as a video demonstration of its apparent toughness.  There have been very few details about the phone itself, though.

Today, more details about it are available, courtesy of Daily Mobile.

According to the site, the yet-unannounced phone is officially called the Nokia 3720 Classic.  Since the "Classic" tag has been used by the manufacturer in the past to denote largely entry-level features, the 3720 will likely sport more basic functionalities to go along with the durable design.

It comes with ip54 certification for dust and water resistance, along with the ability to work under more difficult temperatures.  Specs don't look all too shabby either.  It will sport an equally durable 2.2-inch QVGA LCD screen (16 million colors), a 3.2 megapixel camera module, Bluetooth, an FM radio and a light torch.  It will be running with Symbian S40 at the helm and will include a slot for microSD card expansion.

The kick-and-swing-surviving Nokia 3720 Classic is expected to make its  debut for the manufacturer in September of this year.

Via Into Mobile

While Casio has not shied away from the cell phone market, its previous efforts (at least in the US) consisted largely of durable outdoor phones intended for rugged use, with little in terms of multimedia or business features.  All of that changes now as the company rolls out the Casio Exilim C721, a similarly-durable phone with a powerful camera module and a ton of high-end features.

The Exilim C721 may well be the first waterproof and shockproof handset to come with the kind of feature set its touting.  Its camera panel alone could be worth the price of purchase, with capabilities that rival some compact point-and-shoots in the market.  Apart from offering 5.1 megapixel resolutions, it comes with 3x optical zoom, 16x digital zoom and very impressive image stabilization.  The results are stunning photos that look like they came from an actual digital camera instead of a mobile phone.  Not content with packing the best snappers I've ever used in a phone, it also shoots low-res videos (max 320 x 240) in a similarly competent fashion.

Even though it boasts durable talents, the C721 doesn't look anything like a bulky rugged handset.  In fact, it's a sexy little phone with a flip and swivel design (which makes it feel like a real camera when you're shooting).  It has a wide but slim orientation that feels very good in the hand.  Screen is a gorgeous 2.3-inch display that offers amazing brightness and colors even under sunlight.

As a phone, call quality is great on the Casio Exilim C721, with all of the standard calling features you expect from high-end handsets.  Messaging is equally good (SMS, MMS, email and IM), although there's no QWERTY panel, so you'll have to make do with a cumbersome T9 layout.  It comes with a rich set of capabilities, including GPS support, Bluetooth and a full HTML browser. Despite the small screen, browsing over 3G was a pleasant experience, mostly because the integrated zooming features worked so well.  It even comes with good multimedia support, although the player nor the onboard speakers are hardly the most desirable we've seen.

Very few phones have come out this year that truly took us by surprise and the Casio Exilim C721 proved to be one of the biggest.  As I've said, it's arguably the best camera phone in the market, outperforming those silly 8 megapixel handsets without breaking a sweat, all while sporting military-grade durability specs and every feature set you can imagine.  At $279.99 (with a 2-year contract), though, it's more expensive than some of the most high-profile smartphones of the year, which can make it a bit of a difficult sell.  If you want the best phone camera (especially for outdoor use), however, you'll be mistaken to turn your attention anywhere else.

Photo Credit:  Obsessable

In the spirit of ugly rugged phones comes AT&T's release of the Samsung A657, a durable device that doesn't do anything to better its looks.  While the appearance may be cause for complain, the specs certainly don't.  More than a handset for the clumsy, this will probably be really useful for those who like to spend extended time outdoors.

As expected of a rugged device, it comes  with Military Standard MI-SID-810F certification, a test that measures its ability to withstand  exposure to high altitudes, extreme temperatures, dust, shock, vibration and solar radiation.  You read that last thing right - it can withstand solar radiation, for those times when you get too close to the sun while vacationing in other planets.

Unlike other Apocalypse-worthy handsets, the Samsung A657 actually offers some pretty good features, including HSDPA support (so you can Google about how to get back to civilization when you get lost in the forest),  onboard GPS (so you can actually get back to civilization), microSD card slot (so you can listen to music while you're lost in the woods) and Bluetooth.  Oh yeah, there's also an integrated flashlight, in case you're silly enough to hit the trails without bringing an actual one.

The rubberized mono-block form factor allows the Samsung A657 to mount pretty easily on the dashboard, for use as your primary GPS.  No pricing has been announced for the device.

Photo Credit: SlashGear