A good outdoor mobile phone? Suggestions please

[Rebel]

I have a Nokia 5140 which is an excellent phone for outdoor use but I'd like some of the new features that are being crammed into phones in these modern times.

Mrs Rebel recently got a Nokia N95 and I like many of the features on it. Built in GPS/Sat Nav, can read PDF files, make audio notes, play MP3 files, store and display photos, etc. It even has a halfway decent camera.

However it looks very fragile. I can see me destroying this phone in a very short period of time. With my 5140 I can stand out in the rain talking on it, drop it off ladders onto concrete, drop it in the toilet bowl, lend it to the kids, stand on it and generally abuse it and it keeps on going.

Are there any phones with the ruggedness of the 5140 with the mod cons of the N95?

 

[Jodie]

I don't know to be honest - I thought my phone had gone ridiculously high tech when
a camera appeared on it, I'd previously had a 'brick'.

Didn't know they had GPS on them now - I can see how that would be useful although
I've no clue how to use that technology.

Apart from the ruggedness of the casing (which presumably can be improved with
an over-case?) if you want a signal I suppose you have to be near-ish to a transmitter.

I'd have thought people would want to use the little radio talkie thingies that Maplin
sell (everywhere else sells them too of course but Maplin is wonderful) as they sound
the most fun.

 

[JonnyP]

Hmmmm, Same for me Rebel....As well as loving the outdoors for playing, I am a builder and have to deal with dust and damp and drops etc...I have had the builders phones like the 5140 which I thought was rubbish compared to the older 5210, which was much easier to take off the shell, was more water and dust proof, so more robust...I have had many other phones with more features, but they all break. I now have a more up to date phone, an orbit x9 pda phone, it has gps and camera etc etc, but I bought a silicon case for it so it will now take a bump or two (I hope). I also have a waterproof (and dustproof) bag for it too, so I am hoping this one will last. Thing I like about it, is it beeps at me to remind me to go look at a job or go to the dentist etc....
So, I say, get the phone you want, but protect it....

 

[Jared]

I dunno, the more gizmos they add, the more battery power the thing will chew up.

I'd be tempted with a motorola motofone f3, cheap (~30quid) so not too bothered when it gets smashed, built from the ground up to have a long battery life, 400hrs standby, 450mins talk.

 

[Gailainne]

I have the Nokia n73 the music version, first thing I did was get a crystal case for it (check amazon), also a spare battery and two 2 gigabyte sd cards.
I drop it all the time (lives in the top pocket of my shirt), the crystal case is well beaten up but the phone is still pristine.

I installed Tomtom so with a GPS reciever it is great for car satnav.

And it has around 4.5 days worth of music stored on an 2gig sd card (still room for more, or pictures, 3.2 megapixel camera and flash).

I can check my email, log online and google, or check out threads on BCUK .

The N95 is the next generation, better camera, built in GPS, the office package is better too I believe.

There are some very robust cases out there guys, should more than cater for your needs.

Theres a sealed neoprene one some company makes which would suit you guys well, I'll see if I can find a link.

I also just took delivery of a solar recharger "freeloader" I'm off to the sticks for 2 weeks and need to keep in touch at home. Hopefully it will work out and charge various bits of electronics including the mobile that I'm taking with me.

Stephen

 

[Jared]

Casio do a rugged phone, the G'Zone, http://www.casiogzone.com/ , just don't seem to be able to get it over here.

 

[JonnyP]

Theres a sealed neoprene one some company makes which would suit you guys well, I'll see if I can find a link. Yes Please...

I also just took delivery of a solar recharger "freeloader" I'm off to the sticks for 2 weeks and need to keep in touch at home. Hopefully it will work out and charge various bits of electronics including the mobile that I'm taking with me.

Stephen

I would also be interested to hear about how the solar charger does....

 

[JonnyP]

Casio do a rugged phone, the G'Zone, http://www.casiogzone.com/ , just don't seem to be able to get it over here.

That one looks good....

 

[Goose]

I have had the 5140 the 5210 and the one before(don't recall the model number, 5100?) and the most rugged by far was the first one . It was properly sealed, compact and had a "suspension" system to protect the innards. I found the 5140 only looked ruggedized and the"seal" was none existent. I now have the N80 and can't wait to change it, it is a slide phone and it is forever unlocking in my pocket has lots of features that I don't use, is very fragile but has an excellent camera, it is great for the internet( if you can afford to use it, I changed the settings to stop internet usage when I got my bill, two or thre times my normal bill and I had just looked at a couple of pages to try it out ) if you are around an office it would be ok but is useless outdoors,slightest moisture stops it working. I bought a case for it, that helped but didn't stop the accidental useage, and found I couldn't get it out of my pocket and out of the case in time to answer calls.
I remember seeing a neoprene case made by body glove a few years ago that was a good design and gave good protection to your phone with easy access, it was proper wetsuit material, been looking for one for years but the only body glove cases I find now seem to be flimsy plastic affairs.
So I am on the look out now for the same thing, preferably Nokia, I am used to their system and have found them reliable, I have had three models of motorola in the past and they have all had faults(had one model of phone exchanged 6 times before I insisted on a different model, then was told it was"an upgrade" and they wouldn't swap it again as I had exchanged my phone too often, I swapped provider )

 

[Gailainne]

http://www.body-glove.com/?gclid=CJ_cm7jPtowCFRWOEgodoCMCSg

Bodyglove was what I was thinking about Goose

specifically for my phone https://www.directmobileaccessories.co.uk/product_info.php?cPath=4134_5022&products_id=4384

 

[Goose]

Your link doesn't work, http://www.bodyglove.com/ this one might.
Still couldn't find the one I saw a few years ago though, most of those have the corners cut out, that is the bit that needs more protection. I think a lot of the stuff goes for "form over function", it might look better but it protects less and is probably more expensive to produce!

 

[fred gordon]

I would have thought the ideal phone for a Bushcrafer was a Blackberry.

 

[Rebel]

The Casio phone does look good. It seems like the Sat Nav is an optional extra though and it only has up to 128MB memory (the Nokia has 2 gig).

I could be wrong but I think the Bodyglove looks more stylish than truly functional. Perhaps there are some good covers out there that would protect the phone and allow it to be used also. ie Without having to remove it from the cover.

The advantage for me of something like the N95 is that I could probably squeeze it out of the phone company as a "free" upgrade.

 

[Gailainne]

Hmm pity about the neoprene bodyglove, it sounded like a good idea the crystal cases however, do stand up to a lot of abuse, they aint dust proof tho, the only solution to that is a water resistant phone, and there are some out there, or a water resistant cover, again there are some out there, but a zippo bag will do that for you.

The reason I like my crystal case, apart from the fact is saves my phone everytime I drop it is I can use all the functions while its fitted, recharge, recharge while in the car cradle doing "at the next junction turn left stuff" and it lets me use the camera, which has a slide protector plate. I had an E65, liked the qwerty keyboard, didnt like the size, sold it. I like the N95 dont like the price, maybe next year.

BTW Goose which link doesnt work ? I just tried both and they work for me.

 

[Jared]

Maxpedition recently announced their new product lines for summer '07, and had some good looking phone holders.

http://www.maxpedition.com/store/pc/viewContent.asp?idpage=8

#0107 #0108 #0109 #0110

Perhaps with a skin (mobile phone condom thing) http://www.skins-mobile.com/main.aspx to keep it waterproof.

 

[Zammo]

That Casio one looks good if you can get it over here. As for the Nokia N95 you'd need to take a spare rucksack along for that alone, why do Nokia makes such bricks?

My tip would be to get a silicon case for whatever phone you get they really do stop phones from being damaged and when I had one with my old Sony Ericsson K750i it literally bounced when I dropped it.

This place does a selection of silicon cases for various phones:


http://www.pivothk.com/shop/index.php?cPath=21&osCsid=8803894f9516f70036308bc4310cb19a

 

[DarDar]

have a look at the nokia 5500. Same line but a bit more up to date

 

[gunnix]

I've just got a Motorola C115 http://www.motorola.com/motoinfo/product/details.jsp?globalObjectId=73
It's small, has good battery life and only cost me 10£. I just put it in a ziplock bag to waterproof it. I can talk while it's in the ziplock bag, it doesn't seem to stop any noise.
Only thing is the ziplock bag does rip apart after a while.. But then again, the phone was cheap.. it's also built strong enough.

Doesn't have the camera and other features though, it's just a phone.

I have been looking some time ago for a strong waterproof phone as well. For my girlfriend as she doesn't care for things so well so phones do brake now and then.. So she got a 5210 but it did not survive sitting in her bag while the rain was pooring down.. I'm not impressed with nokia 5410 either. Seems like it's maybe 20% more water resistant then normal phones.. Not very useful.

I did see waterproof phones on the internet:
casio gzone : http://www.mobilewhack.com/reviews/casio_gzone_w42ca_cell_phone.html
ericson 310 and r250 was a phone which was built bombproof and waterproof, bit old though..: http://www.mobile-review.com/phonemodels/ericsson/ericson-r250-en.shtml

I just ended up buying the cheapest phone I could find with decent battery..

greetings, gunnar

 

[neoxerox]

Hi,

i've had the 5210 (first nokia outdoor phone) which was great for a couple of years until the software just went nuts,

I then moved onto the 5410 ( 2nd outdoor phone), this was awesome, until i lost it powerkiting in a long grass field, and it was on silent - DOH

Moving onto my current phone - the nokia 5500, which is the latest outdoor phone by them.

I've had it since september and it's not let me down, it's been sailing with me (in a wproof bag), mountaineering up ben nevis in winter (when i forgot my wproof bag), countless wet bike rides and hikes, every day in my pocket and it still looks near perfect.

The 5500 is also technically a "smartphone" in that it runs symbian s60 3rd edition, meaning that you can put all sorts of software on it. I have put tomtom navigator on it and it works fine! There is some GPS sofware included with the phone also, for using as a waypoint marker etc (of course you need to get a bluetooth GPS device to connect to).

The battery is not the greatest due to the usage requirements of being a smartphone, but it is not unacceptable.

I'd reccomend it to anyone. - couple of deals i found here: http://student-mobile-deals.com/display.asp?search=5500&showdeals=75

 

[Jared]

Just talking to a vodafone bod on IRC. He says they stopped selling casio gzones as they had been discontinued, and imagines something is about to replace them.

Seeing as there are various models of GZones (Type-R etc ) presumably newer model perhaps.