For people who wear suits every day a smart
phone is great. But if you're the kind of person that thinks rock climbing is
more exciting than shopping, and who prefers to be down in a cave rather than
on the golf course, then a smart phone might not be a practical decision for
you. Traditional smart phones tend to be delicate, and to have fragile touch
screens, which is why some manufacturers design specially made tough phones, so
that even the more adventurous amongst us can have constant communication.
Today we're looking at
two such phones, the Seals TS3 and the D9. These are both specifically designed
for the outdoors market, and are the kind of device that can be dropped, hit
and stepped on without skipping a beat. But which is better? We took a closer
look at each of these devices to see how they compare. If you're on the hunt
for a decent tough phone, then keep reading to find out how these two match up
and which one gets our seal of recommendation...
What the Seals TS3 Can
Do...
The Seals is a bit of a
wonder phone, and can do pretty much everything. It's IP68 certified, so it's
fully dust proof and submersible in water up to a depth of two metres for an
hour. It's also MIL810G certified against transport and thermal shock.
The camera is fully waterproof (and has auto focus), and the whole casing is impervious to micro particles. Plus, the Seals is operational from minus twenty degrees Celsius to plus sixty degrees, so you're not likely to lose functionality, no matter what the weather. It has acoustic noise-cancelling technology, improving receptions, and high performance GPS navigation systems, just in case you do get lost. And it has some added extras, like a pedometer, compass and torch.
It is a touch screen phone, with a 3.5 inch display, but the screen is impact resistant and scratch resistant too. The Micro SD slot lets you add memory up to 32 GB, and there's an SOS rescue feature, just in case. The battery life is pretty stellar, getting around tweenty six hours of talk time and 950 hours of stand-by time per battery charge cycle. The Seals will cost you close to £300.
What the D9 Has Going for It...
The D9 is a nice phone. It's a dual core processor, so it's fast, and it has a massive 8 MP camera as well as a 4.3 inch touch screen. It's fully Bluetooth and WiFi compatible, has a micro USB charger and a double LED flash on the camera, oh, and a front facing camera too. And it has a built in FM radio, which is kind of cool. The battery life is okay, it gets around thirty hours of talk time and 750 hours of standby time per battery charge cycle, which isn't too bad. Things that it doesn't have? Any kind of certification for water, dust, fog, humidity.... It will also cost you around the three hundred pound mark...
Which is Better?
It's got to be the Seals. The D9 is nice, but lacking any kind of certification means that we're just not sure how rugged it is. We prefer the certainty of the Seals.
Author Bio:
Phil Turner has a brother in Switzerland who is looking for a tough phone that will not break when he falls off his skis.