Best current rugged phones for outdoors use - what's your opinion?

[Paul_B]

I'm wondering what the best flagship, mid range and budget rugged phones for outdoors use and gps mapping is? What is your opinion?

I'm thinking of phones a bit more rugged than normal phones with waterproof rating.

 

[Decacraft]

Most phones are ip rated in the mid- high range.
It's the battery life that let's most smart phones down, unless you look at a dumb phone (Nokia 800 brick for example).

I looked at them for quite some time, and came to the conclusion my samsung note in a rugged case suited merthyr than having an additional phone. I like the picture quality, maps and other features it offers, but carry a powerbank with me.

I Wouldn't mind a garmin inreach or similar but my current hikes and adventures don't take me too far where I can't get adequate signal on 4g/5g.

I normally have a payg Nokia 105 in the car in case of emergencies where I trash my current phone/loose it with some credit on there as a backup

 

[Mesquite]

I've had a Ulefone 14 Armor Pro for just over 6 months and I'm really happy with it. Extremely rugged, large battery capacity, wireless charging, reasonable camera.

Yes, it's a pocket anchor but the way I unintentionally abuse my phones by dropping them through cack handedness which it just shrugs off is what I like

 

[dean4442]

I bought a blackview phone which although heavy had a great battery life and seemed nice and rugged. Until today when I knocked it out of my van and it fell screen down onto a stony car park and the screen is toast, here's where the issue comes up. Nobody local will repair the screen so my nearly £200 phone is useless.

 

[The Lord Poncho]

I've got an Ulefone Armor 8 Pro that i've had a fair while - its excellent, and fast. Camera better than the Ulefone Armor X6 that gave me three years of good service previously. Battery lasts an easy 3 days of moderate use, but it is thick and heavy.

 

[Erbswurst]

I still use a Samsung X cover 4 because it doesn't break and has a replaceable battery.
It does what it should do.

 

[Paul_B]

The xcover and dedy are two more common rugged phones but they're a kind of halfway house between the slightly weatherproof mainstream high end phones and the truly ruggedized phones. Rugged light if you like. Still good for most users of rugged phones I reckon