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

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,702
Cumbria
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

Full Member
Jul 28, 2021
376
208
38
South Wales
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

It is what it is.
Mar 5, 2008
28,222
3,199
63
~Hemel Hempstead~
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
 
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dean4442

Full Member
Nov 11, 2004
603
59
Wokingham UK
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.
 
Apr 8, 2009
1,165
145
Ashdown Forest
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

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
4,079
1,774
Berlin
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

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,413
1,702
Cumbria
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
 

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