Rugged mobile phones

Phones with a rugged casing are more resistant to drops. This is usually due to the use of additional materials, which makes the casing look a bit more robust. Rugged often also means waterproof, but the reverse is not necessarily true.

In the past, water- and dust-resistant phones were generally also robust. These days, manufacturers are increasingly adopting a waterproof design without the device necessarily being robust as well. As a result, the design is often sleeker and more compact, and therefore also more susceptible to damage from drops. In particular, the screen – which has become increasingly larger in recent years – is often the first to suffer following an accidental drop. Mobile phones with a rugged casing offer protection against damage from drops in particular. This is usually achieved by adding extra material around the edges, particularly rubber.

Phones resistant to drops

However, there are also phones that do not immediately appear robust but are nonetheless more resistant to damage from falls. This is sometimes due to the construction used, featuring a sturdy metal frame and a display that is recessed into the casing. Developments in the field of screen glass are also continuing. For example, Corning’s so-called Gorilla Glass is getting better and stronger with every generation. However, even the latest generation of Gorilla Glass can still shatter in unfortunate circumstances. This category is for those who absolutely do not want to run that risk. It’s useful for people who spend a lot of time outdoors, as rugged devices are usually water-, dust- and temperature-resistant. But it also appeals to those who work a lot with young children, where accidents are always a possibility.

Brands of rugged phones

The ‘rugged phones’ and ‘tough phones’ from most mobile phone manufacturers are often easy to recognise thanks to the use of specific model names. Samsung often uses the names ‘Active’ and ‘Xcover’, whilst Lenovo/Motorola generally uses ‘Force’ as a suffix for its rugged smartphones. In addition, there are manufacturers that specialise exclusively in producing rugged products, including:

• Cat rugged phones
• Sonim rugged phones
• RugGear rugged phones
• Crosscall rugged phones

MIL-STD-810

Although ruggedness is difficult to measure, standards have indeed been developed. MIL-STD-810 is one such standard. The standard was first developed in 1962, and products bearing this designation are authorised for use by the US military. The standard has several versions, of which MIL-STD 810G is the most recent. Despite its military background, the standard is also frequently used by mobile phone manufacturers to demonstrate robustness. However, manufacturers are free to use the term without needing approval from any governing body. Consequently, one should not immediately attach too much significance to a manufacturer’s claim of being MIL-STD 810G certified.