The so-called rugged, armored or unbreakable mobiles are a special category within the smartphone universe. The truth is that not many people, even in work environments where they fit in perfectly, know that they exist. Its popularity has gone through different stages. In other times they were terminals that were too rough, ugly and technically more backward than their traditional smartphone siblings. Now, there are ruggedized mobiles for all tastes, making the leap to 5G, with wireless charging and a much more stylish design.
But in the same way that it happens with smartphones, rugged mobiles also have various benefits, characteristics and differences between one and the other. For this reason, it is convenient to take into account some aspects before opting for one or the other. We may miss a key feature, in case we rush through the purchase process.
Choose the best rugged mobile
By resistance
The famous IP certificates are the identity seal of this type of device. In this sense, it will be very easy for anyone we are going to buy to have IP68. In this way, their resistance to the entry of dust and water is guaranteed, and can be submerged up to 1 meter deep for half an hour. Additionally, although in a more marginal way, we can find a higher level called IPX9K, which immunizes the device against high pressure jets and high temperatures.
Additionally, we must check if it has some degree of military resistance, represented as “MIL-STD”, such as MIL-STD-810. To achieve this label, the terminal has withstood different tests related to falls and shocks to make it more resistant. As extra protection, the screens are usually covered with some specialized glass such as Gorilla Glass. If our goal is maximum protection, we should not buy anything that falls below these standards.
By its design
Rugged mobiles had their origins and were very rough and not very aesthetic. The important thing was not that they were more or less beautiful, but that they resisted carts and wagons. Over the generations, technologies have advanced and can now be robust without sacrificing design. Manufacturers have refined these designs and now they look more like conventional mobiles, although there are elements of their design that will reveal that we are dealing with a ruggedized mobile. However, they can now go unnoticed.
By connectivity
In addition to resistance and aesthetics, today we must take into account the type of connectivity that the device offers. If this is one of our priorities, we may have to start thinking about a ruggedized mobile with 5G , which are already present on the market. In addition, if it is going to be our mobile on a day-to-day basis, it is almost certain that we will have to take into account the NFC as an attribute of our ruggedized mobile.
By brand
Whether or not to be a brand of a rugged mobile phone may depend on previous experience. However, it is easy that we are going to debut in this world and we find a large number of unknown brands and we do not know where to wait. The funny thing is that many of them are Chinese manufacturers such as Blackview or Ulefone, which have specialized in this type of terminal . Just below you can find some of the best known:
- Doogee
- Elephone
- Blackview
- Cubot
- Ulefone
- CAt
- 5Galaxy XCover (Samsung)
By price
How could it be otherwise, prices also play a fundamental role in this type of smartphone. We can find ruggedized terminals that barely exceed 100 euros and fully protected and more modest technical features, terminals that integrate 5G, wireless charging, a more advanced processor and high RAM and internal memory settings. In this case and as with normal smartphones, it will be our pocket and technical demands that have the last word.
