Yesterday we saw a couple of leaks for a new Samsung rugged phone, and whaddya know, here it is. The Galaxy XCover 5 is a smaller, cheaper entry in the tough-as-nails series, a fraction of the cost of the XCover FieldPro. And crucially, it's actually running a current version of Android.
Read More
You gotta love a phone that can take a beating. Samsung has made a few, from the Galaxy Active series to the more recent Xcover Field Pro. That last one made a splash with its high price and ancient software, but an updated Xcover 5 was leaked in a software update schedule earlier today. Just a few hours later, both photos and specs are available.
Read More
In our Wi-Fi-connected-everything reality, Bluetooth-only speakers aren't all that exciting. If you spend a lot of your time outdoors, though, Wi-Fi probably isn't your closest friend, and you might find yourself wanting for a wireless speaker that can brave the elements. Aukey sells just such a speaker, and it's currently more than half of on Amazon with a coupon code.
Read More
Samsung's Active series takes the hardware from its primary Galaxy S phones and wraps them up in big, tough plastic and a water-resistant chassis. The Galaxy S4, S5, and S6 were all given Active variants, and now it's the S7's turn, as previously leaked. While the new AT&T phone hits all the familiar notes from previous generations, a little extra engineering manages to cram an impressive 4000mAh battery inside. With similar specs elsewhere, the S7 Active should last a solid 30% longer than the standard S7 and even a bit longer than the larger S7 Edge.
Read More
Alcatel Onetouch has been working to become more than a purveyor of mega-cheap devices that lurk in the back of carrier shops. The Idol 3 was a step in the right direction, and now there are two new devices in Alcatel's portfolio, the GO PLAY and GO WATCH. One is a phone and the other is a watch. Can you guess which is which?
Read More![[Update: Press Images] First Galaxy S6 Active Leaked Photos Show AT&T Branding, Rumored Specs Mostly Match The GS6](https://www.androidpolice.com/wp-content/themes/ap2/ap_resize/ap_resize.php?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.androidpolice.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2015%2F05%2Fnexus2cee_gsmarena_001.jpg&w=150&h=150&zc=3)
Samsung's Active line of phones have been dull but reliable machines for the last few flagship generations, and it looks like they're bringing them back for another round. GSMArena has posted photos of what definitely looks like a Galaxy S6 Active, and we've been able to confirm that this is what the phone will look like (with a very small margin of error) thanks to a secondary source. If you prefer your Samsung phones a bit more rough-and-tumble, this is the 2015 model for you.
Read More
Sometimes PR people make up words they think are clever—they usually aren't. Kyocera's new "fragiphoniphobia" line is an example of this. The "fear of fragile phones" will allegedly be mitigated by the new ruggedized Kyocera Hydro Life. Whether or not you want a rugged phone, I think we can all agree that fragiphoniphobia should never appear in print again.
Someone at the Caterpillar equipment company had a lot of fun devising this promotional video for CAT's Android-powered, ruggedized smartphone, the B15. In addition to some dramatic drops using machines right out of a Tonka fantasy, the demonstrators set up a line of 600 smartphones, all powered on and running, then ran over them with a CAT 277D Multi-Terrain Loader weighing over 9,000 pounds. Let's watch!
Naturally the phones come out unscathed, or at least apparently so. That's because the CAT B15 might just be the toughest "rugged" phone yet: this brick of a device covered in thick rubber and plastic is designed specifically to be abused at construction sites, oil rigs, and other hazardous workplaces all over the world.
Read More
Do you like the idea of water and ingress protection on the Galaxy S5, but don't feel like ponying up for a flagship phone? Then Kyocera hopes you'll consider its Hydro Vibe smartphone, at least if you're a potential Sprint or Virgin Mobile customer. The "ruggedized" Android phone will be launching on Sprint on May 9th and Virgin on May 27th. Sprint is talking up its "Easy Pay" payment plan, where the phone costs ten bucks a month for two years, but Virgin will sell it outright for $149.99.
That will get you a decidedly low-end phone, though you might have to look hard to tell.
Read More
If you habitually rock climb, scuba dive, ski cross-country, or do any of the things you might regularly see on a heath food or Viagra commercial, you're probably in the market for a ruggedized smartphone. And if you're on Verizon, your options have been somewhat limited as of late (try not to drool over AT&T's shiny new Galaxy S4 Active, please). Verizon just made the Casio G'zOne Commando LTE official: it's a super-sturdy Android device in the same vein as the former Commando and the G-Shock watch line. It will launch on Thursday for $99.99, after a $50 mail-in rebate on-contract.
Read More
Loading ...
