JST Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 right Mods feel free to del if this is too far off topic. i dare say most of the folk on here are out and about a fair bit and as such their mobiles get a battering - well mine does so i am ideally after a shockproof and waterproof mobile that will take a Micro SD card and have bluetooth and preferably Nokia (as i can work (well bits of) their phones. so what do people recommend for handsets? i am on a contract so would probably be looking for a sim free phone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
landmannnn Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 It doesn't matter how robust or waterproof your phone is if like me you don't realise you have dropped it in the mud until you are halfway home. Since you are on contract why not just get a normal phone and replace it every 12 months for free? Saying that the JCB branded one is pretty tough. I saw a write up on a Casio phone (not yet in uk) which is designed for outdoor people. Not sure when it will be released though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest noggy Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 JST sony Ericsson's are by far the most simple to use phone, nokia are somewhat incredably irritating and takes a long time to do anything! No help on the waterproof thing tho, altho i am very intrested on the farm last year me and my dad got through 12 phones several went up the grain orger and lots ran over or fallen on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Twig Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Phone manufacturers don't make rugged phones to any serious level purely because people dont then buy new ones. If you have a bombproof phone, you have no incentive to upgrade, therefore the companies that give you a "free phone" with your contract won't buy up so many from the manufacturers. Thus less profits. I did a load of research on it for a project once. The technology is there. There's the olympus bombproof camera for example which I've thrown at curbs and taken surfing and it's still fine. But no incentive for the manufacturers, so none are made to a similar level. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 The nokia Sport phone is rain proof , I had one for a while but went back to my 6300 as the settings were all different and not old school Nokia . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
honitonhobbit Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have a 6300 with a glove and it takes all of what I chuck at it. I like it so much I may wave my yearly upgrade Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 Yep the 6300 are very robust but the screen on mine is a bit hazy now after 18months in pocket with beer change . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted July 1, 2008 Author Share Posted July 1, 2008 jase if i could loan the 5500 that would be great failing that a 6300 is a possibility! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ciderman Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 5500 has a gps on it but needs a bluetooth aerial to run it , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GBMUD Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have had a 6300 for the last year and, while I am careful with it, it seems to have lasted a year just fine. Have you tried keeping a mobile in some sort of case James? Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dirtydiesel Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I've a jcb thing. it seems to be coping ok, only had it a couple of months though. It's normally the speakers that fail on mine though due to metalic dust ingress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Young bobtail Rhys Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 have a look on the gadget show's website on channel 5. They did a test just like what you are talking about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HiFonics Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have both the JCB phone and a Nokia 5140i and tend to be a bit rough with phones. The 5140 doesnt have bluetooth though which makes it a bit rubbish. The JCB phone is very tough and simple to use. I was firmly a Nokia user but have adjusted to the JCB with little problem. If you want to sign up for Crazy Frog ring tones then the JCB isnt the phone for you and PC connectivity is virtually non existant. Ben Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddy Posted July 1, 2008 Share Posted July 1, 2008 I have an N95, out of the 10 months of ownership i reckon i've used it for 4, when my new one arrives i will be on my third screen, the earphone speaker is fecked and the volume button has dropped off, its a great phone when its working but cant take much pain. My back up is a 6210, its falling in bits but still works fine if a little slow, yes its old but it does the job, i'd have another when this one snuffs it. Will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I have a JCB phone which I bought full price, SIM free as T Mobile do not support it - and I'm really pleased with it! It has the best calculator of any mobile I've used. Has decent Bluetooth, no camera, no push email, no web browser, no GPS or navigation software, no Java - it's just a phone - and does a bloody good job of that (unlike my last two - Samsung and Sony which had lousy user interfaces. They were great as a camera come PDA but lousy for talking to people!). I think a lot of manufacturers have forgoten what a phone is actually for! I'd buy another one like a shot! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted July 2, 2008 Author Share Posted July 2, 2008 Cheers Guys, so JCB looks favourite, just not the sim free ££££, luckily Jase has a 5500 that i can trial so will see how that goes. thank you again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I have been looking at the JCB one and also the Sonim XP1 which is the same thing without the Lego colour scheme (Sonim make the phone for Messrs Bamford). The big irritant with me and the reason I still have my old Nokia 6230 is that despite promising to be rugged they all fall down at the first hurdle which is proper waterproofing, which I expect to mean waterproof not shower resistant - being able to drive a truck over it is not much use if it goes pop when you drop it in a puddle (quite likely for anybody driving off road). The reason for this is probably as said above but as I have a RIB, a rugged phone that is not waterproof is F A use to me as I will still have to keep it in an Aquapac as I do at the moment and on the boat it forms part of the safety gear in the event of a breakdown. Of the ones available, I like the JCB but I need to have the Chicken Song as my ringtone therefore it also falls down on that but the lack of waterproofing is the biggest issue for me. Some of them seem to be waterproof and others not, judging by the reviews. My current Nokia has been drowned in salt water (yes I forgot the Aquapac that time...) and after being rinsed under a cold tap to get the salt out, and 48 hours on top of the hot water tank with the battery out, it is still going strong so that seems quite rugged to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_John Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 have a look on the gadget show's website on channel 5. They did a test just like what you are talking about. I saw that when it was on the telly - a very impressive test, whitewater rafting, towing them on a rope behind quads round a field Etc. The JCB was pretty good, but the screen broke - when they ran over it with a tractor!! The other phone they tested was the Samsung Solid (appears to be called the Samsung M110 Solid as well), they put it through the same tests at the same time and it was fine, even surviving being run over by the tractor!! Doesn't seem to be any info about it on the Samsung website for some reason...plenty elsewhere though. There's not much info about the test on the gadget show website unfortunately. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pugwash Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 you could look out for the Samsung Solid - i know orange sells them [edited: dammit to slow!] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
will_warne Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 I've got a 5500 at the moment (had it for about 12 months) and it's been good. Not as simple to use as the earlier Nokias but pretty tough (splashes and shock - eg dropping it out of a 2 storey window onto concrete). Its a shame Nokia seem to have stopped making a more rugged phone as, IMHO, they are a good product. The JCB phone looks good - I may well go for that next time. As Si said - I want a phone that's just a phone and that looks like it fits the bill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simonr Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Just to prove how good it is: 5 mins ago - 30cm deep in my water butt. You can have the birdie song - so long as you convert it to a .wav file or midi. I have this as my text message tone: http://www.x-eng.co.uk/klaxon.wav which any of you are welcome to use! It's actually a submarine dive siren. and use this: http://www.x-eng.co.uk/phone/old_phone.mid as my ring tone! I also have a 'trim phone' http://www.x-eng.co.uk/phone/Trimphone.wav for all you wrinklies who thought they were cool in the 70's! I had a look at the Samsung as well, but thought the UI was diabolical! Si Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyb Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Another vote here for the 5500. It isn't as waterproof as the JCB thing above ^^^^ Mine has bounced off a concrete floor and the edge of a 4 post lift and the metal surround has got a few dents but nothing else. As well as the Bluetooth GPS bits it's also got a little torch in the end. I got it as a free upgrade with Orange. Used to have a 6210.....now there's a phone! ......ok I'll stop there, I can here the Mods "OT post" alarm going off Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Just to prove how good it is: 5 mins ago - 30cm deep in my water butt. You can have the birdie song - so long as you convert it to a .wav file or midi. I have this as my text message tone: http://www.x-eng.co.uk/klaxon.wav which any of you are welcome to use! It's actually a submarine dive siren. and use this: http://www.x-eng.co.uk/phone/old_phone.mid as my ring tone! I also have a 'trim phone' http://www.x-eng.co.uk/phone/Trimphone.wav for all you wrinklies who thought they were cool in the 70's! I had a look at the Samsung as well, but thought the UI was diabolical! Si OK that's useful then, ta, though other reviews said it was not 100% so maybe it depends on the individual one. When I have £200 burning a hole in my pocket I might look at one I wish they would be more specific - the blurb says "polyphonic" which I assume to be a sort of advanced version of the diddly widdly stupid Nokia tune Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark90 Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 Not used one so can't actually give it a personal recommendation but the Sony Ericsson C702 might be worth a look, IP54 and built in GPS. Having stuck exclusively to Nokia for many years my last phone was a Sony Ericsson and it's coming up to 2 years use and abuse and still going strong having never missed a beat. I shall be sticking with Sony Ericsson I think, however I'm not keen on 'joysticks' and that's the only thing that puts me off the C702. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BogMonster Posted July 2, 2008 Share Posted July 2, 2008 this might be interesting covers all the tough phones http://www.mphone.co.uk/rugged_tough_phone.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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