Thanks so much for giving rugged phones a fair shake. I've owned so many premium/flagship phones in the past, and moved to a Sonim XP8. Very happy for what it does. I don't need flagship specs - I need replaceable batteries, waterproof, rugged and made for real use, also not needing to buy a case for said phone.
we all know.. it not really rugged... the battary and the touch screen is the two thing that whatever you do... it still going to broke,,and the processor running it is so last gen... it just waste of time.. don't forget about the update that oem had to look after...
Great video. First responders are moving away from radios and going towards smart phones. I used one when I worked in EMS. I'm in law enforcement now and trying to convince my chief to move us to the smart phones we had in FirstNet with EMS. They were pretty great.
What up Cooley! Nice seeing One of the Original Kings of Tech still doing his thing, miss you, Brian tong, Molly & the list goes on! Cool review, always thorough & complete!
I have a sonim xp8 and it has out lasted any CAT phone I've owned. I'm a plumber and gasfitter and iPhones last me a couple weeks even with a case but sonim I've had for over 2 years and it's still going strong without a case just as it comes.
@@zvell636I would assume so. The XP10 just released in July. Look up Scrammy Productions, he has a massive video series attempting to destroy XP8 and XP10 units. They're tanks.
When i think of a rugged phone, I think of one of the early androids that used some form of polymer for the screen instead of glass or gorilla glass. You couldn't break those things to save your life. I've broken two gorilla glass phones in the same way, a few feet drop getting out of the car onto a surface that had a small sharp rock or debris which cracked the screen when it landed face-down. Doesn't matter how "rugged" the phone is, if it's gorilla glass and it happens to faceplant on an "average" parking lot, it's gonna crack. I wonder which ones of these are using just gorilla glass.
The first time I had a phone where the battery wasn't removable, I was so annoyed. I thought "if something happens to my battery, I can't just change it out with a functional one!"
You do realise that a phone dropped into a toilet has to be able to withstand at least 2 immersions in water/cleaning liquid for: 1) When it's first dropped in the toilet and the time spent trying to find a pair of tongs which you never will use on food again, and 2) The time it must spend being immersed in an appropriate cleaning fluid, before being allowed into your pocket again or near your mouth to make a call. The time periods increase exponentially of course, if it is a public toilet or a construction site porta-loo.
CNET _really_ needs to put affiliate links in the description. The video is useless unless those who are interested in rugged phones actually buy one. Also, why not review them all and pick a winner on your website and link to that?
I thought I was going to hate this because I don't care about rugged phones and I honestly thought this was an old video at first. However, Cooley can make anything entertaining!
Deng! I want more like these by Cooley. He totally murdered modern slick designed phones .... hahaha. And you have to agree with him! Why the heck are speakers mounted on the bottom edge? Set aside smart phones, why are most laptop speakers bottom firing???? Who told these manufacturers that's where we prefer them???
I own a Cat S61. Very nice specs. But mine had way too many problems. Water in the housing (behind screen and Laser glass). Battery problems (severe!), VOC sensor not working. I returned the phone 5 times!! In fact: The phone was more time in repair than it was in my pocket. That's onacceptable. The last time I had to return the S61 for repairs, I bought a Blackview BV9800 Pro. No fancy laser distance meter, no hymidity sensor, no VOC sensor. But it does have fingerprint scanner, Qi charging, fast charging, way bigger battery AND it also has FLIR (so I don't have to miss that one). Bonus: price is just 50% of the S61. Just one minor thing about the BV9800 Pro: video recording directly to SD-card is buggy with the inbuilt camera app. But another free camera app from the app store solves that problem.
Any chance you can do a video with these phones and show how to send an email, text message, etc? I need to replace an old blackberry and want a rugged phone. Could care less about cameras and every single phone video I watch is focused on cameras when I need to know how basic functionality works with email and texting, etc. Had blackberries for 20 years, dropped them and never had a broken screen or phone with the tough gorilla glass. I do not want a flagship phone as they break. Thanks.
I ordered a new rugged Oukitel WP6. Great specs. Android 9 Pie and Helio p70 octacore which scores around 170000 points in Antutu.128Gb Rom, 6Gb RAM, 10000mAh, 6,3" ips screen with fhd+ res, rear camera 48mp+5mp+2mp with flash, front camera 16mp with face unlock, Side fingerprint scanner. I dropped it screen first from waist height onto tile floor and no damage to the phone at all.
@@dkaspar67 I absolutely agree. A phone should not be rated as dust resistant if all it takes is a speck of sawdust to keep it from charging. I just bought a Cat S62, but it has no dust cover. I like the phone, but I had to buy a plug to keep stuff out of the charging port.
i liked the Kyocera Duraforce pro 1 really good. It's just the screen is like 1 inch too small wide and tall and its slow performance wise. Then with the Duraforce 2 they make the screen smaller with those stupid touch screen buttons that get you stuck in fullscreen and don't respond when you have water on your hands. Bring back the mechanical buttons, please!!
Dont mind covers for ports if they aren't in use all the time, a few older phones i've owned had them, but they will tear off eventually with heavy use in my experience.
Butterfinger here, I now own a z2 force, that crashed against the ground and got wet many times over almost 2 years. Now I'm looking for a rugged to replace doogee s88 pro is looking good for me. (10ah/h battery 6gb ram 128gb storage 1p68/ip69k/mil810G, quick-charging 28W, wireless charging 10W, 2 customizable buttons -PTT/SOS or whatever- and fairly cheap)
Wireless charging is good. Without the covers, IP68 or not, the connectors will corrode so the companies can sell more devices. The only reason for non user replaceable batteries is so the companies can make more money selling devices. Fast charging sounds good, but it destroys batteries so the companies can sell more devices. The circuits for the batteries are designed to over charge and over discharge the batteries so the companies can sell more devices. It is always about more money.
A problem that I have notices with all rugged phones, except possibly those from Samsung, is that they run old versions of Android and do not get security updates. It is therefore very possible that you will get infected with malware on these phones
I had the older Kyocera one (DuraForce Pro), and it overheated so badly! However, it makes a wonderful underwater camera, good for kids who want to take video of each other swimming in a pool. I've been looking at some of the Chinese brands like Ulefone, and it's nice that there are more options with better specs, as the Samsung one would be a downgrade from what I have. I might just get a nicer phone with a waterproof case. But as someone in Canada, I like that charger cover since getting snow to melt and dry before charging for phone can take forever, but wireless charging is a great option in things like Ulefone, Blackview, etc, although I'm not sure how well they work.
There's some great rugged off brand phones out there.. after a bit of research I picked up the Doogee s88plus. It's heavy and bigger than most, but has flagship specs. The bonus a 10,000Mah battery. I can actually charge my wife's s9+ and have 75% battery left. It's pretty nice to not have to worry about charging for three days of normal use. Being able to drop it in the lake, bounce it down the stairs without damage is also a huge plus
My husband had a Kyocera Duraforce pro. Not worth the money. It’s constantly running hot and freezing up. He bought an iPhone 14 pro max, bought a waterproof case and he loves it. He has dropped it in the toilet. He ran over it with a forklift in soft dirt. Still working. He loves it! He says it’s worth buying a indestructible case. He said it’s the best phone he’s ever owned
THAT would be some good testing and is exactly what I am looking for. The case can be easily replaced when worn and damaged. I would choose a lower end phone with a removable battery and wireless charging then add a case.
As a civil engineer - I use a Samsung S21 as my daily driver, and a CAT S62 when I have to go to a construction site. It works fine for those rare occasions, but I gotta say I'm always eager to switch back to my trusty old Samsung as soon as I'm outta there.
Sonim XP8 on the way. Ancient in tech years but I drop more than I need the latest features. The XP8 is replacing a Kyocera Brigadier which has survived countless drops.
Rugged smartphones with huge batteries are great and all and i've had a few of those but never ever recieved an ota update with a newer android version. Why are chinese rugged phone manufacturers not releasing new android versions for their customers phones? Must i really go back to buying non rugged phones to achieve this?
Though the Umidigi Bison x10 boasts incredible specs for a decent price, it was for me as an artist the macro 5 mp features that ultimately swayed me to choose the Umidigi Bison x10. But sadly this feature has been a huge disappointment. The photo quality, in general, has not been better than on my old phone, but the macro features are not working at all. This unfortunately is a deal-breaker for me. I have projects that depend on taking clear detailed and even macro photos vital to my income. I also seem to have poor wifi issues even when the USB is connected.
2 years late to say Verizon is very limited in what they certify. So your options are Kyocera, Sonim, and the Samsung XCover 6. If you're on a business plan you can get the XP10 from Sonim. Absolute tank. Scrammy Productions on YT does testing on them (frozen solid and called, left under a truck wheel for 1hr, etc). Can't use a Nokia XR or any of the Chinese brands.
Well i use UAG cases... Like for my Note 20 Ultra, i already ordered UAG Monarch Carbon... Its enough for me. Saved many of my phones after dropping...
Having a Phone WITHOUT a removable Battery is just Stupid...I hate having a phone 1 year old that has a 5 minute call/battery life... My Current Phone LGV20 has served well for 5 years, and needed 4 batteries in that time. I am NOT buying a 500-1200 Dollar paperweight every year!
I disagree on the port cover opinion. Ports, at least from Kyocera, have internal seals. The inclusion of the port cover keeps the port safer from debris. Anyone who has used a game cartridge knows that you want to keep ports clear.
This video is actually more informative than other regular phone reviews! Great job!
indeed
Cooley is alive!!!!! Missed this guy so much! Welcome back Mr
Thanks so much for giving rugged phones a fair shake.
I've owned so many premium/flagship phones in the past, and moved to a Sonim XP8. Very happy for what it does.
I don't need flagship specs - I need replaceable batteries, waterproof, rugged and made for real use, also not needing to buy a case for said phone.
Well stated
I'm glad someone's still talking about ruggedness and product durability and longevity.....please keep this conversation alive.....
we all know.. it not really rugged... the battary and the touch screen is the two thing that whatever you do... it still going to broke,,and the processor running it is so last gen... it just waste of time.. don't forget about the update that oem had to look after...
Really appreciated your comment concerning phone cases fixing a problem the manufacture didn't deal with!
This review is probably the best phone review of technology I've ever seen. Very dense information provided, thank you.
Great video. First responders are moving away from radios and going towards smart phones. I used one when I worked in EMS. I'm in law enforcement now and trying to convince my chief to move us to the smart phones we had in FirstNet with EMS. They were pretty great.
I thought this was uploaded 7 years ago
Sybrand me too
17* years ago
@@Doabubba Man thatd predator RUclips as a whole.
Brian Cooley could be reviewing 3 inch nails and I would still watch it!
What up Cooley! Nice seeing One of the Original Kings of Tech still doing his thing, miss you, Brian tong, Molly & the list goes on! Cool review, always thorough & complete!
wow i remember always on i feel like ive heard this dudes voice before idk
This, viewers, is what watching a professional at the top of his game feels like. Well done Sir!
OMG Cooley doing phones for the first time in what, ten years?
That seems about the same
last time id seen cooley was on costco tv screen a few years ago!!
I have a sonim xp8 and it has out lasted any CAT phone I've owned. I'm a plumber and gasfitter and iPhones last me a couple weeks even with a case but sonim I've had for over 2 years and it's still going strong without a case just as it comes.
How is it now, Still using Sonim?
@@zvell636I would assume so. The XP10 just released in July. Look up Scrammy Productions, he has a massive video series attempting to destroy XP8 and XP10 units. They're tanks.
Thanks for the cat/ sonim comparison.
When i think of a rugged phone, I think of one of the early androids that used some form of polymer for the screen instead of glass or gorilla glass. You couldn't break those things to save your life. I've broken two gorilla glass phones in the same way, a few feet drop getting out of the car onto a surface that had a small sharp rock or debris which cracked the screen when it landed face-down. Doesn't matter how "rugged" the phone is, if it's gorilla glass and it happens to faceplant on an "average" parking lot, it's gonna crack. I wonder which ones of these are using just gorilla glass.
I miss Cnet on Cars with Brian Cooley.
The first time I had a phone where the battery wasn't removable, I was so annoyed. I thought "if something happens to my battery, I can't just change it out with a functional one!"
Don't even care about these phones just clicked for Cooley
You do realise that a phone dropped into a toilet has to be able to withstand at least 2 immersions in water/cleaning liquid for: 1) When it's first dropped in the toilet and the time spent trying to find a pair of tongs which you never will use on food again, and 2) The time it must spend being immersed in an appropriate cleaning fluid, before being allowed into your pocket again or near your mouth to make a call. The time periods increase exponentially of course, if it is a public toilet or a construction site porta-loo.
Cooley should be doing cars, he was very good at it.
He’s now editor in chief of all of CNET. He’s no longer doing Roadshow (formerly CNET on Cars) as far as I know.
@@CalebCissna that's awesome I didn't know that, well deserved he's definitely more capable than just doing car reviews
@@CalebCissna I wonder if he's still driving his Crown Vic wagon ?! lol
@@CalebCissna if he can do cheesy phone review. He sure can do more important car reviews.
Car: 20K to $80 000
Phond: 500 to $1500
His dry sense of humor and sarcasm are the best.
oh my, now I missed my small Sony Ericsson Xperia Active...
CNET _really_ needs to put affiliate links in the description. The video is useless unless those who are interested in rugged phones actually buy one. Also, why not review them all and pick a winner on your website and link to that?
Hitch rugged phones work in us?every rugged phone I buy won’t work ..is the unihertz a us phone? Is it 4 g?
I didn't know I miss Cooley so much until I see him again ,BRING HIM BACK
why you dont list all phones in description?
I thought I was going to hate this because I don't care about rugged phones and I honestly thought this was an old video at first. However, Cooley can make anything entertaining!
Deng! I want more like these by Cooley. He totally murdered modern slick designed phones .... hahaha. And you have to agree with him! Why the heck are speakers mounted on the bottom edge? Set aside smart phones, why are most laptop speakers bottom firing???? Who told these manufacturers that's where we prefer them???
I own a Cat S61. Very nice specs. But mine had way too many problems. Water in the housing (behind screen and Laser glass). Battery problems (severe!), VOC sensor not working. I returned the phone 5 times!! In fact: The phone was more time in repair than it was in my pocket. That's onacceptable.
The last time I had to return the S61 for repairs, I bought a Blackview BV9800 Pro. No fancy laser distance meter, no hymidity sensor, no VOC sensor. But it does have fingerprint scanner, Qi charging, fast charging, way bigger battery AND it also has FLIR (so I don't have to miss that one). Bonus: price is just 50% of the S61.
Just one minor thing about the BV9800 Pro: video recording directly to SD-card is buggy with the inbuilt camera app. But another free camera app from the app store solves that problem.
Well done video. Which of these phones have 3.5mm headphone jacks? And what level of bluetooth?
Cooley does some of the best reporting!
Hahahahahah! “Take that quick charge technology!” Hahahahahah!
Any chance you can do a video with these phones and show how to send an email, text message, etc? I need to replace an old blackberry and want a rugged phone. Could care less about cameras and every single phone video I watch is focused on cameras when I need to know how basic functionality works with email and texting, etc. Had blackberries for 20 years, dropped them and never had a broken screen or phone with the tough gorilla glass. I do not want a flagship phone as they break. Thanks.
really good review! thanks, especially when it is hard to find even a decent one for rugged phones these days
Was expecting doogee and Ulefone devices to be reviewed, so part 2!?
Finally a useful review. Thanks
man this guy is great , i love the xcover series
I ordered a new rugged Oukitel WP6. Great specs. Android 9 Pie and Helio p70 octacore which scores around 170000 points in Antutu.128Gb Rom, 6Gb RAM, 10000mAh, 6,3" ips screen with fhd+ res, rear camera 48mp+5mp+2mp with flash, front camera 16mp with face unlock, Side fingerprint scanner. I dropped it screen first from waist height onto tile floor and no damage to the phone at all.
Hi is thw battery removable? Has it upgraded to android 11? Is it 4G or 5G compatible?
Will it work on Metropcs?
The dust covers are very important for some of us.
@@dkaspar67 I absolutely agree. A phone should not be rated as dust resistant if all it takes is a speck of sawdust to keep it from charging. I just bought a Cat S62, but it has no dust cover. I like the phone, but I had to buy a plug to keep stuff out of the charging port.
Very Informative. Thank You for taking the time to make this video.
You've nailed it. What a excellent video to be honest.
i liked the Kyocera Duraforce pro 1 really good. It's just the screen is like 1 inch too small wide and tall and its slow performance wise. Then with the Duraforce 2 they make the screen smaller with those stupid touch screen buttons that get you stuck in fullscreen and don't respond when you have water on your hands.
Bring back the mechanical buttons, please!!
guy 's way to point on rugged fons makes me wanna go shopping! Very good!
2020 you cant ignore rugged phones anymore
2022 you can't buy rugged phones anymore
In 2022, the Galaxy XCovet6 Pro was released.
Dont mind covers for ports if they aren't in use all the time, a few older phones i've owned had them, but they will tear off eventually with heavy use in my experience.
They use the Samsung X cover pro as work phones at my job
Butterfinger here, I now own a z2 force, that crashed against the ground and got wet many times over almost 2 years. Now I'm looking for a rugged to replace doogee s88 pro is looking good for me. (10ah/h battery 6gb ram 128gb storage 1p68/ip69k/mil810G, quick-charging 28W, wireless charging 10W, 2 customizable buttons -PTT/SOS or whatever- and fairly cheap)
Wireless charging is good. Without the covers, IP68 or not, the connectors will corrode so the companies can sell more devices. The only reason for non user replaceable batteries is so the companies can make more money selling devices. Fast charging sounds good, but it destroys batteries so the companies can sell more devices. The circuits for the batteries are designed to over charge and over discharge the batteries so the companies can sell more devices. It is always about more money.
A KOAMTAC charger with the CHARGIE app (google it) will fix this. And keep both your 2 batteries good for 5 years.
Try the CHARGIE app to not overcharge. Just vote with your purse. Otherwise it will change for the better.
Otherwise it will NOT change for the better.
A problem that I have notices with all rugged phones, except possibly those from Samsung, is that they run old versions of Android and do not get security updates. It is therefore very possible that you will get infected with malware on these phones
Samsung Xcover Pro runs Android 10 (soon 11) and gets monthly security updates usually on the first day of the month.
I had the older Kyocera one (DuraForce Pro), and it overheated so badly! However, it makes a wonderful underwater camera, good for kids who want to take video of each other swimming in a pool. I've been looking at some of the Chinese brands like Ulefone, and it's nice that there are more options with better specs, as the Samsung one would be a downgrade from what I have. I might just get a nicer phone with a waterproof case. But as someone in Canada, I like that charger cover since getting snow to melt and dry before charging for phone can take forever, but wireless charging is a great option in things like Ulefone, Blackview, etc, although I'm not sure how well they work.
There's some great rugged off brand phones out there.. after a bit of research I picked up the Doogee s88plus.
It's heavy and bigger than most, but has flagship specs.
The bonus a 10,000Mah battery. I can actually charge my wife's s9+ and have 75% battery left.
It's pretty nice to not have to worry about charging for three days of normal use.
Being able to drop it in the lake, bounce it down the stairs without damage is also a huge plus
My husband had a Kyocera Duraforce pro. Not worth the money. It’s constantly running hot and freezing up. He bought an iPhone 14 pro max, bought a waterproof case and he loves it. He has dropped it in the toilet. He ran over it with a forklift in soft dirt. Still working. He loves it! He says it’s worth buying a indestructible case. He said it’s the best phone he’s ever owned
What about buying a smartphone and use a rugged case?
THAT would be some good testing and is exactly what I am looking for. The case can be easily replaced when worn and damaged. I would choose a lower end phone with a removable battery and wireless charging then add a case.
Now we need more stuff like this! Thx BC
he sounds like Jim Davis doing MotorWeek on PBS. good stuff.
As a civil engineer - I use a Samsung S21 as my daily driver, and a CAT S62 when I have to go to a construction site. It works fine for those rare occasions, but I gotta say I'm always eager to switch back to my trusty old Samsung as soon as I'm outta there.
Can you do reviews of the Ulefone Armor 9 (and the Ulefone Armor 11T 5G) ?
I want to know how they compare to models like CAT's etc, but especially for the 11T reviews are a bit hard to find.
This guy is awesome, why didn’t this get recommended sooner ?!
thank you very much for this video!
Sonim XP8 on the way. Ancient in tech years but I drop more than I need the latest features. The XP8 is replacing a Kyocera Brigadier which has survived countless drops.
How is your Sonim? Still works ?
@@zvell636 Still works but it has been retired.
Are any of these still available and able to be used on spectrum(uses verizon towers)? The samsung xcover isn't and tmobile for the cat phone sucks
Just bought two used unlocked AT&T Kyocera Duraforce Pro 2 for my wife and I...... love em! Hundred bucks each.
Great job. Thank you.
Interesting and intelligent review thanks so much.👍
Take that fast charger
Is this an archived video? Missed your car reviews!
Good overview, thanks!
Cooley finally having a comeback
so what's the diff between swapable batteries vs. heavy 2-3 day batteries ?
Rugged smartphones with huge batteries are great and all and i've had a few of those but never ever recieved an ota update with a newer android version. Why are chinese rugged phone manufacturers not releasing new android versions for their customers phones? Must i really go back to buying non rugged phones to achieve this?
must we be forced to use Chine$e-made phones Period?!
How do these phones fair with oukitel, ulefone, blackview phones as far as water depth, debris and higher or hard drops ?
You should make user guides for every, EVERYTHING!!!!
Fantastic vedio. I would love to see more on the subject.
I'm 17 I have a moto Z2 very indestructible I love it.
We need Cooly back in cars. But EV cars this time.
Do any of the rugged phones support wireless charge?
I'm Going Buy One of Them Rugged Phones and Forget about all kind of phone reviews for at least 7 years
Though the Umidigi Bison x10 boasts incredible specs for a decent price, it was for me as an artist the macro 5 mp features that ultimately swayed me to choose the Umidigi Bison x10.
But sadly this feature has been a huge disappointment. The photo quality, in general, has not been better than on my old phone, but the macro features are not working at all. This unfortunately is a deal-breaker for me. I have projects that depend on taking clear detailed and even macro photos vital to my income. I also seem to have poor wifi issues even when the USB is connected.
God bless you Sir for sharing information of mobile devices
What are the best options for the Verizon network?
2 years late to say Verizon is very limited in what they certify. So your options are Kyocera, Sonim, and the Samsung XCover 6. If you're on a business plan you can get the XP10 from Sonim. Absolute tank. Scrammy Productions on YT does testing on them (frozen solid and called, left under a truck wheel for 1hr, etc).
Can't use a Nokia XR or any of the Chinese brands.
What is the latest rugged phone release date are they compatible with upgraded apps
Well I know a phone who is more rugged than any of these.
Nokia
True bro
Actually it was proven that sonim is more rugged when featured on will it blend.
Well i use UAG cases... Like for my Note 20 Ultra, i already ordered UAG Monarch Carbon...
Its enough for me. Saved many of my phones after dropping...
Awesome advice and coverage of these devices! Thanks!
Really cool video! Thanks!!
The software on the CAT phones suck. I can't remember the name of the company that did the software for CAT.
What he didn’t mention is that the battery life lasts for literal days too
That samsung Xcase is interesting
Welcome back Cooley
Having a Phone WITHOUT a removable Battery is just Stupid...I hate having a phone 1 year old that has a 5 minute call/battery life... My Current Phone LGV20 has served well for 5 years, and needed 4 batteries in that time. I am NOT buying a 500-1200 Dollar paperweight every year!
Yes I can
this guy is good on camera
Cooley is so nostalgic
New subscriber here, this was very informative thanks.
Very good information, thanks.
Awesome video! Very informative 👏 👌
I never understood the trend to the flagship glass everything. Its ridiculously impractical.
I don't know about this dude but I always enjoy a good phone drop 🤣
My boi's back!!!!! ✊🔥
The LG G7 from 2018 is also MIL-SPEC 810G! Thats a consumer phone though?
forget thin. i want rugged with a massive battery of 8000mah or more
I disagree on the port cover opinion. Ports, at least from Kyocera, have internal seals. The inclusion of the port cover keeps the port safer from debris.
Anyone who has used a game cartridge knows that you want to keep ports clear.
What about the blackview phones?