I'm an iPhone user; in fact, I'm something of a fan of Apple's gadgets generally. Whilst the iPhone is is an excellent piece of kit, no-one would pretend that it's suitable for sustained outdoor use.
As well as for use outdoors, I also wanted an additional phone as a backup; in order to have a 'disposable' number for use in circumstances when I don't want to reveal my primary number (online purchases etc.); and to take with me when I go to sandy places later this year.
I bought a Samsung B2700 from 3. I got mine from a retail shop, which was slightly cheaper than online - around £120. It's supposedly exclusive to 3, but an open to all networks version is available from Expansys.
The phone feels reassuringly solid in the hand, with a grippy rubberised texture, and comes with a carabiner clip which could be used to hang it on a belt or daysack strap. It has all the standard features you'd expect from a modern mobile phone. The Bluetooth includes A2DP, and it has an FM radio and music player. The camera is 2 megapixel, which is perfectly adequate for me - I always have a digital camera with me anyway. The phone will accept mini-SD cards up to 8GB.
I decided not to bore everyone with pictures - it's a standard-looking candy-bar format phone in grey. This might sound boring, but it also means that it's unlikely to attract unwelcome interest from hoods.
Apart from the water and dust-resistant casing, the phone also has some other features that appealed to me.
- LED torch, with a dedicated button on the side; it looks to be about the same power as a Photon, and is actually quite useful.
- Compass. I tested it against my Suunto Core, and it gives the same readings. Not something I'd be using as a primary navigation tool, but certainly useful in an emergency or for quick reference.
- Pedometer. I haven't tested this yet, but it looks reasonably useful.
- Altimeter. Again, not tested yet, but seems similar to the Suunto Core.
- Long battery life. It's claimed that the battery can last 14 days on standby.
Overall, this is a useful phone for bushcraft, if only to use in an emergency, though it would make a perfectly good EDC phone.
Sadly, although the advertising blurb suggests this phone would be useful for cyclists, it doesn't have a feature that warns lycra-clad cretins that they are blocking the road and are about to be destroyed by an angry man in a 4x4....
As well as for use outdoors, I also wanted an additional phone as a backup; in order to have a 'disposable' number for use in circumstances when I don't want to reveal my primary number (online purchases etc.); and to take with me when I go to sandy places later this year.
I bought a Samsung B2700 from 3. I got mine from a retail shop, which was slightly cheaper than online - around £120. It's supposedly exclusive to 3, but an open to all networks version is available from Expansys.
The phone feels reassuringly solid in the hand, with a grippy rubberised texture, and comes with a carabiner clip which could be used to hang it on a belt or daysack strap. It has all the standard features you'd expect from a modern mobile phone. The Bluetooth includes A2DP, and it has an FM radio and music player. The camera is 2 megapixel, which is perfectly adequate for me - I always have a digital camera with me anyway. The phone will accept mini-SD cards up to 8GB.
I decided not to bore everyone with pictures - it's a standard-looking candy-bar format phone in grey. This might sound boring, but it also means that it's unlikely to attract unwelcome interest from hoods.
Apart from the water and dust-resistant casing, the phone also has some other features that appealed to me.
- LED torch, with a dedicated button on the side; it looks to be about the same power as a Photon, and is actually quite useful.
- Compass. I tested it against my Suunto Core, and it gives the same readings. Not something I'd be using as a primary navigation tool, but certainly useful in an emergency or for quick reference.
- Pedometer. I haven't tested this yet, but it looks reasonably useful.
- Altimeter. Again, not tested yet, but seems similar to the Suunto Core.
- Long battery life. It's claimed that the battery can last 14 days on standby.
Overall, this is a useful phone for bushcraft, if only to use in an emergency, though it would make a perfectly good EDC phone.
Sadly, although the advertising blurb suggests this phone would be useful for cyclists, it doesn't have a feature that warns lycra-clad cretins that they are blocking the road and are about to be destroyed by an angry man in a 4x4....
