I need some cell phone recommendations. I want a tough phone with some water resistance with good battery life. Backing up a little I had a Sanyo 7050 when I was with Quest and loved the phone. When Quest stopped their cell coverage in my area I went with Verizon and got sold a couple of Moto phones through Costco and they just have awful battery life and the one I carry is banged up pretty bad from daily pocket carry. With my 2 year contract with Verizon coming up in a few months, I’m trying to get some phone recommendations, as there are three carriers that seem to have about equal coverage in my area. I’ve never used the camera on the current phone but I guess it could come in handy to document a car accident or whatever. But certainly don’t need one with a camera that would drain a lot of battery. So a good tough basic phone is what I’m after and I like the flip phone style.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations.

How about the Samsung B2100 solid extreme

For 3G connectivity there is also the Samsung B2710

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HXNZmIJ5VA

Maplin also does a solar powered mobile phone rated to IP67 in the UK.

http://www.maplin.co.uk/rugged-solar-powered-mobile-phone-509386?c=froogle&u=509386&t=module

I'd rather go for a candy-bar style with exposed (not sliding) keyboard for a survival type phone. You can put it in a zip-lock bag and make it waterproof but usable instantly as the need arises. Also they might have dozens of dedicated protective cases or skins available on the market, which you can wear on the phone permanently. No doubt the candy bar is more reliable just by design (no moving parts to break), and the battery is often of a larger capacity in them. Regarding the carriers, Verizon - is still the best in the coverage department (on the West side at least).

Just my 2c.

Here's a couple of constructive suggestions. And i really need to get these items myself.

1. If you go down to any major outdoors retailer, you can find small waterproof bags and containers that are designed to hold cell phones or GPS units. Great idea! Not only does it guarantee that your phone is now waterproof and less prone to mechanical damage, but it also makies it harder to lose in an emergency. Cell phones are easily misplaced.

2. I just noticed a really cool idea in an REI outdoors store. They have a section related to "green technology" now. Someone has got a roll-up solar panel that looks like a small blanket. It's not big - maybe 2 feet x 3 feet. hat panel can generate enough electricity to re-charge your phone, so long as you have good strong sunlight. That's pretty ingenious! If can be used to re-charge batteries too. You can actually get these roll-up flexible solar panels in various sizes. Something to think about.

cheers,
Pete #2

I think Rebwa's from Seattle.

Be great if there's a phone with a snorkel that can be charged by clouds.

I'm from Oregon so feel qualified to razz on the northern neighbor state.

Good luck, Rebwa.

My vote is for an i-Phone. Am waiting for my Verizon contract to expire to get one.

Thanks all and yes we've had all of two days of sunshine here in Olympia this month much the same amount of rain and clouds as Oregon. Charging isn't a problem just want decent battery life.

I probably should have been a little more specific as I’m interested in the flip phones that are sold as "rugged" or military grade or tested. Primary use to make and receive calls. Cases just don’t work for me as I want to pull it out of my pocket and use it.

I expect that in a couple years, we'll be able to insert an i-Phone module into an ear canal, through which nano-bots will sprint into our brain, enabling us to surf the Internet with our eyeballs and make the screen bigger or smaller by waving two fingers in the air.

Can hardly wait. Much more rugged, and waterproof.

You could Control-Alt-Delete by lifting your left and right feet while simultaneously clenching your buttocks.

Somewhere, someone is working on that software....

I have the Casio G'z One (Verizon) which I really like. They do not make the model I have anymore, but you might be able to pick up a used one or look at the current models.

Casio G'z One Phone

Pete

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56N7EsOZ5OU

Apparently you can now even make calls with an iPhone 4 with the Verizon network (I've heard that the iPhone was having some problems with the AT&T network). I don't think the iPhone has particularly good talk times or standby times and isn't very rugged for outdoor use and is extremely expensive i.e. upto 4-5x the ownership cost of other capable mobile smartphones.

Typcially an iPhone 4 will cost around £480 compared to £100 for a ruggedised Samsung B2710.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Samsung-B2710-Makalu-Water-Mobile/dp/B0042ORU08

The main advantage for the iPhone 4 is of course the ability for the end user to wave them around in the air with any embarrassment down the local pub, club and bar as an aid for social interaction.

If you wanna go dirt cheap and major basic Nokia Candybar phones for Pay as you go companys are the best bet. They are often designed and made for developing countries with little to no bells and whistles. I have one unactivated for 911 calls that I would bring with me when I consider it would be needed. Also look up videos on some of them the one I own I found a video of two kids throwing it in a sink of water while on and it lasted over a few minutes with no issues.

A USAF combat controller had his iPhone fall out of a sleeve pocket while jumpmastering here at FT Bragg. The phone fell 1000 feet. Guy used an app to find his phone, and amazingly it was unscathed. Fell into a pine forest w/o a scratch on it.

Usual disclaimers, my cell phone is a tracfone, pay as you go, pos.

I second paramedicpete's recommendation. I have had the Boulder from Casio for several years with no problems. It is similar to the Ravine in the link that Pete provided.

Several of my co-workers have the same phone. they are all hunters and outdoorsmen.

I've seen a lot of complaints about the new smartphone's battery life. I always carry a spare battery just in case in a waterproof holder. On the issue of durability, almost any phone can be made more rugged by an Otterbox case. They make them for lots of different models.

While smartphones such as Android based Cellphones and Iphones Are amazingly usefull the battery life does seem to be a issue with them when used to their full potential daily. One of the best ways to choose a phone I have found is going on the providers website and checking out what they sell figuring out what you may like and if it is sold in stores then going to these stores to tenderly fondle um =D! Cellphones are always designed to look pretty but when you handle them and check out their GUI/OS its always a different story. Cellphones are always constantly changing towards what looks Hip and now and rarely do they consider functionality and comfort over looks.

Motorola. My Motorola smartphone I gave to my 4 year old too use as a music player when I got a newer one (would have kept using it if it wasn't running windows mobile). Its been dropped, thrown, stepped on, hit, bit, gotten wet in bed, etc. Still was working fine when he lost it. I bought a new battery when it was around three years old. My new motorla droid, I'd dropped while riding a bicycle, its car dock has fallen off the windshield and bounced across the floor of the truck, its been smashed in my pocket wrestling around the floor with the kids. They just keep on going.

Thanks Izzy, I may have to do some thinking on the i-phone and Otterbox now.

I've got a Casio G'zOne Ravine through verizon.

If you can live without a lot of the smartphone stuff, it's great. It was designed to meet military testing standards for high altitude use, water resistance, dust resistance, salt fog resistance, solar radiation resistance, ect. Basically, you can do stuff like this with it and it will be just fine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UGLJcdQiaYA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSF6pGgL2pY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=587eETWN4Us&NR=1

It also has some neat outdoor related functions; like a flashlight, compass, thermometer, tide tables, pedometer, and star chart.

Finally, I really like that it uses micro-usb as its charging connector vs. a proprietary charging connector. I just carry a little 'USB male to USB Micro male' adapter in my phone case and I can charge it from any typical computer USB port. Plus, I got the extended battery and it lasts forever.

Any new phones use microsub, thats the industry standard.

Motorola Defy

http://www.motorola.com/Consumers/XW-EN/...ROLA-DEFY-XW-EN

I have a friend who can testify that it is hot soup and sand compatible (not both on the same day).

The phone has toughened glass and is "water proof" and "dust proof"

I'm pretty happy with my G'zOne Boulder, although I have seen better battery life. Somewhere in the manual it says that if it gets dirty, just "rinse if off". I got one for my wife and I after she dropped her old phone in a cup of water and toasted it.

Dagny, don't be caught in the iPhone hype. You will regret leaving Verizon very soon. I did that last year and now desperately waiting for my current contract to expire (or go through the first year to lower the penalty at least) to get back to Verizon with its fantastic coverage and reception, real 4G internet, and fantastic Android smartphones.

I suggest against the iphone and vote for a Android based phone. Everyone I know in RL that own iphones are in some major form of denial. They Tell me at the same time that they love the iphone with no reason behind it then how much they hate the iphone with many many reasons behind it.One friend of mine infact stated its the worst phone she has ever owned and wished she never bought it.....and how she was gonna buy the new iphone....Its just amazing and makes no sense. On the other hand everyone i know with androids have a pure love relationship with um, Not much left to say on that pretty straight forward.

I do not own a Iphone but i do own a Ipod touch and i have to say its not the most fantastic wonderfull magical thing its made out to be. Im constantly loosing money with it and 99% of the lower priced apps are Poorly made and useless toys. How many fake gun and lighter apps can one person need? Most of the Calculation apps i had Didnt work right at all such as the tip calcs or tax/sales calcs. After the initial OMG look at all these apps they do everyting! wears off its more like wow look at all the useless half working apps and how i never use them anymore why did i spend money on these. Its Much like a quick burst of entertainment most of them even the ones with some form of use. Also Making me pay To unlock features they held out on and making me pay to fix crippling errors on their fault is not good business. I still think they have not unlocked FM radio for pete and petes sake! And To make things worse The Dumb thing Does not even play music that well with multiple GUI errors including a volume bar that barely works right.

I'll throw in my $0.02 worth.

I have destroyed several phones at work including a couple of the first generation motorola razrs. My current phones (yes plural) are a fairly cheap samsung SGH-a237 and an iphone 3GS. Both are on the ATT network and in my area I get good performance from both of them (as a phone that is). So far both of these phone have stood up pretty well to my fumbling. Both have been dropped, kicked, stepped on and generally subjected to a lot of accidental stress tests. So far the worst damage is to the samsung which has a couple of deep scratches in the plastic. I do have a (thin) case for the iphone and that may help it some.

For what it is worth I really like the iphone and have not had bad luck with apps for it. Of course I tend to read a lot of reviews and don't just grab "cool" looking apps. The phone has been great when traveling with my son since we need to be able to find gluten free restaurants and groceries as we travel, this makes is almost literally a life saver for us. The other apps I have tend to support my work (engineering type stuff). Like all things in life, YMMV

- Eric

Nthing the Casio G'zOne. I've had one of the older ones for four years now - I keep refusing to upgrade.

I worked as a canoe guide for awhile, and at one point dropped the phone into the water while disembarking from a canoe - into the muddy, nasty, stirred up water of the boat launch. I couldn't see it through the silt at all. By my good fortune, a friend of mine called a few seconds later. The thing lit up like a Christmas tree and began to ring underwater. I fished it out, dried it on my shirt, and answered the call. Worked perfectly, no problems whatsoever.

Hopefully the newer ones are keeping up the quality!

I have a Sanyo 7050 and have found it to be a tough phone, I built a Mini-Survival Kit around it.

I am watching your Post closely as I will be in the same situation soon.

Thanks,

Mike

I really miss my Sanyo 7050. I unfortunately bought the sales pitch on the present phone that I've been living with for close to two years, so giving myself a couple of months this time to do some research. For my lifestyle, I’m fairly certain I want one of the rugged phones.

I'm not leaving Verizon. Verizon now does the i-Phone, but I still need to wait for my current contract to expire.

Everyone I know with an i-Phone loves their i-Phone. And the peops I know with the Androids like those, too.

Dunno, I'm overwhelmed by options. But I do so love my MacBook that I'm now an Apple devotee.