durable cell phones

Hey all-

I'm pretty disappointed with cell phones (just about every make and model)/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/xyxgun.gif . It seems that many of my friends and acquaintances (schoolmates and coworkers) have complaints about their handhelds, and I'm on my fifth in four years. The screens stop working, or they can't take a drop onto a hard surface, etc. I figured this was the place to ask: who makes the most absolute bomb-proof hand held. It doesn't need to be submersible, but shock resistance would be nice...

-Bo

My favorite was a Motorola star-tac 7868. They don't make them anymore, but man would they take a beating. I actually had two. The first one was ran over by a car, and it still worked until the battery died. Can't count how many times I've dropped The second one. I eventually gave it away after getting a Samsung sch-a530. As far as I know, it's still working. Might be able to find one cheap on Ebay.

Any old cell will be able to take a beating. I had am old nokia that was rock solid. They dont make them a solid as they used to be...

Nextel.

Motorola i530 and i58sr and i305... bult to mil specs, rugged, dependable...

But expensive service and not available in all places. If you dont know anyone who uses Nextel you are wasting your money on two way feature.

Just my 2 cents.

Matt

Have to agree w/ tiktok. Maybe a step back is needed. When my 4yr old Nokia 6100 got dropped in salt water, I searched hard to find another just like it. It's served me very well, particularly with the long running Li-polymer batts.

But then, all I want to do is talk.

[ QUOTE ]
polak187 said:
Nextel.

Motorola i530 and i58sr and i305... bult to mil specs, rugged, dependable...

But expensive service and not available in all places. If you dont know anyone who uses Nextel you are wasting your money on two way feature.

Just my 2 cents.

Matt

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I figured those Nextel Motorolas must be tough, but it's not worth it to me to pay the extra for the two-way feature. It's a crying shame, I think, that cell phone manufacturers seem to have sacrificed durability for compactness. Frankly, I think it sucks...

-Bo

If you can deal with just ok reception, and not many features, and are using a GSM provider (T-Mobile, some Cingular, and some AT-T), take a look at the Nokia 3390. It's an older phone, but it is very durable, and fairly small. I dropped mine more than a few times, and a co-worker slammed his around a lot, threw it on the ground a couple times, broke two covers (yes, he was like a little kid), and it still worked fine. The even older 5900 series was extremely durable as well. I know someone who dropped one from a second story building, watched it bounce off the ground onto the hood of a car, and it still worked.

I've been an extemely high volume cell phone user for over 14 years (It is my business phone). I started out with a permanently installed phone in my car that was hooked up to my horn, so that when I wasn't in the car, the horn would blow when I got a call.

In hand helds, I've used mainly Motorola and Nokia and I agree that it seems the older phones were more durable. You're limited to what phones you can use based on your provider. Competition is so great today, plans have gotten dirt cheap. For 8-9 years, I paid over $400 a month. Today I've got unlimited local service, including unlimited nationwide long distance for $50 and I qualify for a new phone every 10 months. Now, it's even more competitive with the new number portability that became effective in November.

If you shop carefully, you should be able to get a replacement phone every 12 - 18 months.

The last shopping that I did looking for the "most" durable phone, was the Panasonic Duramax. It has a rubber coating and is drop tested. I'm pretty sure that it's still being made.

Went to the local mall this afternoon and shopped around for handsets, asking particularly shock resistance. The clerks at the stores looked at me like I had a turnip sticking out of my ear. I guess the average customer doesn't care a lick about durability *sigh*. No one cares about quality anymore.

[ QUOTE ]
kitelights said:[/b}
The last shopping that I did looking for the "most" durable phone, was the Panasonic Duramax. It has a rubber coating and is drop tested. I'm pretty sure that it's still being made.

[/ QUOTE ]

Funny you should mention the Panasonic Duramax. One of the clerks mentioned it by name, and said he thought they were no longer in production. Clerks at two different stores offered the Nokia 3560, claiming it the most durable of Nokia's lineup. Well, it's the phone I have now. It seems a little flimsy to me, tougher than a flip phone, to be sure, but not intentionally durable. I don't need every bell and whistle in the phone department, I just want one that can take a fall, and look like it was designed with that in mind. Maybe I'm nuts, or maybe Glock or Surefire need to get into the phone market. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

-Bo

My Motorola Startac 7867 has held up for about 4 years now, and I bought it used of ebay /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Actually, there are a couple of nokias in the 5xxx series that were made to be rugged. Current model is the 5100, and its predecessor which I forget the model #.

Extracted from the Nokia site on the 5100: (Check out feature #2!!) /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif
Features for an Active Lifestyle
Durable design with improved protection against splashes, dust and bumps
Easy-to-activate flashlight
Thermometer lets you know the temperature of your surroundings
Calorie calculator estimates calories burned during activities
Integrated speakerphone allows for convenient communication
Use the optional HS-1C Camera Headset to take photos that you can send to friends and family

Personally I'm using an old Nokia 8210, which I put in a clear plastic case. Its been dropped many times but fortunately the plastic case managed to absorb most of the impact. Up till today (touch wood) I haven't had any problems whatsoever!!

Verizon and Sprint have ruggedized push to talk phones but don't require you to pay for the PTT service. You are just paying a little more for a phone with features you won't use.

Look at the Sanyo 7200 or 7300. Depending on wether you like the flip phones or candy bar style.

I've been beating the 7300 up for the past week, looks like it'll hold up.

http://www.phonescoop.com/phones/compare.php?id%5B%5D=455&id%5B%5D=297

--Chris

[ QUOTE ]
ChopperCFI said:
Verizon and Sprint have ruggedized push to talk phones but don't require you to pay for the PTT service. You are just paying a little more for a phone with features you won't use.

[/ QUOTE ]

Nextel also wont charge you for PTT serivce but their regular phone plans are expensive. I guess ruggerized phone with verizon serivce is the way to go.

I use a Nokia 5210 at work. I'm a mechanic and work in a five shift system. So there are 5 different people who use the phone, 24 hours a day. It's now 2.5 years old and still as good as new. You can take of the covers and wash them. The only problem is that it's very ugly.

Mylan

I used a Nokia 5210 for a couple of years with no faults.I treat them with respect but don't mollycoddle them.I'm an engineer,biker,outdoors type and I didn't break mine...
But now I use a Nokia 5100,a superb thing.Slightly larger(good for my silly big hands)and even more resiliant.
Tri-bander,colour,polywhatsits.Includes a "hands free" loudspeaker built in,useful as it's now illegal to use a mobile whilst driving in the UK.Good thing too IMO.
Best thing about it? IT HAS A BUILT IN TORCH!!!
No other phone out there gets near it for the money.

I for one like the tiny portable phones, even if they're not quite as durable. I found that my previous phones (Mitsubishi beast, older Ericsson flip phone (not bad), Nokia 5160, Motorola P280) were nice enough, but didn't go with me most the time because they were too big! (Mainly the little stub antenna). Well now I have a Sony Ericsson T610. It may not be as durable as the older ones but I am actually USING it, as opposed to letting it sit on the charger all the time.

It will probably only last a year or 2 before it needs replacing but that's fine by me, they'll have newer better models out then anyway. Most carriers will let you replace for free about every 10-12 months. I'm on a dirt cheap plan right now though. Cheap enough I can afford to buy a phone every couple of years.

It would be nice, however, if there were more choice. I like, for example, flip phones with a real flip over the keys. I like this design much more than todays clamshell phones, but such is life, so I'm "stuck" with my little 610 /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinser2.gif

Well I can tell you that a Motorola I90 should never be left in a margarita overnight. It does bad things to them. As fragile as they are today the insurance might be a good idea. I've already had to replace a couple.

[ QUOTE ]
TTS said:
Well I can tell you that a Motorola I90 should never be left in a margarita overnight. It does bad things to them.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bwahahahahahahahahaha! That's good advice!

-Bo

My wife and I both have the Motorola i700 Plus phones for about 4 years, using Nextel. They are tough as hell, too bad they don't make them anymore. I drop mine at least 3-4 times a year on various surfaces, carry it while mowing, chainsawing, etc. Anyway, I think you can still get factory reconditioned ones at the Nextel service centers. They are a little bigger than most people like, but the battery life is very good and we don't mind them being bigger.

Nextel is the best service where we live. Hardly any dead spots, maybe two spots that are about 1 mile long each on the island. When my wife drives into work (off island) there is one spot where it breaks up a bit ..... but only for about a mile or so.

The Direct Connect is great for my wife and I .... it's no fuss, no muss.

We have been thinking about getting newer phones but these are working fine and they have proven to be quite durable.

Mike