rugged phones, would you buy an extra sturdy smartphone?
Nokia recently entered the rugged device market with the XR20. The housing of the phone can absorb shocks when dropped from a height of 6 feet. Do you see yourself using a rugged phone? Leave your vote in our poll.
Rugged smartphones
The Nokia XR20 is the ultimate survivor. Not only can you drop it from high, but it can stay underwater for an hour and has a Corning Gorilla Glass Victus screen. Even on the software side, it lasts a long time, as the XR20 can enjoy three years of version updates and four years of monthly security patches.
Manufacturer RugGear made it clear to Androidworld three years ago: there is still room for growth in the rugged phone market. This year alone we see that new players are applying. First Motorola with the Defy, a device that we could already extensively test, and now also Nokia.
Who is rugged for?
Rugged smartphones are primarily of interest to users who are forced to use their phones in potentially dangerous circumstances. This is usually the case with heavy jobs, but also for those who practice extreme hobbies. It is often noticeable that manufacturers save on other specifications because the durable housing drives the price up, and that can deter users.
In some cases, an alternative to rugged phones is to buy a regular phone and then protect it with an extra strong case. Otterbox, for example, is one of the accessory makers that has specialized for years in developing such extra sturdy covers. If you equip a phone with a case from the Defender series, it can handle four times as many shocks as the military standard MIL-STD810H, according to the brand.
AW Poll
What do you think? Would you ever buy a rugged device, or do you not need that extra protection at all? Are you perhaps more inclined to opt for an extra sturdy case? If you’re not using a case or a regular case, please vote “No, my phone doesn’t need any special protection”. Leave your vote in the poll and clarify your answer in the comments at the bottom of this article.
