What is the best 5G rugged smartphone that works with Verizon and AT&T network? Kyocera DuraForce, Ulefone Armour 10 and Sonim XP8 are notable in this line up. They are chosen due to extreme durability, massive batteries and a wealth of features specific to outdoor use cases. Where to find best price for 5G rugged smartphone Verizon and AT&T?
Price
The Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G UW is available now from Verizon for $899.99 or $37.49/month for 24 months. If you need a phone that can handle the elements and rough handling in the field, while also providing fast 5G access then you should consider this latest model from Kyocera.
Top 3 5G rugged smartphone Verizon and AT&T review
Kyocera DuraSport 5G UW – best 5G rugged smartphone Verizon and AT&T
Pros:
- Slim, sleek form factor
- Reliable rear fingerprint sensor
- Affordable price for a rugged work phone
- Two-year Kyocera warranty
Cons:
- Limited RAM and internal storage
- Android 11 OS
Specs
Display: 6.1 inches (2,400 x 1,080-pixel resolution) IPS LCD | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 | RAM: 4GB | Internal Storage: 64GB | Rear cameras: 48MP f/1.8 wide angle and 16MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera (117-degree field-of-view) | Front camera: 8MP f/2.0 | Battery: 4500 mAh| Weight: 185g
The Kyocera DuraSport 5G UW, priced at $579.99, is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor with 4GB of RAM, 64GB of internal storage, two rear cameras, 6.1-inch IPS LCD Gorilla Glass 6 display, and a large capacity 4,500 mAh battery. It supports wireless charging so you don’t need to remove the bottom USB-C port plug to top it off.
Rugged phones are built to withstand the elements of field work and with the new Kyocera DuraSport 5G UW we get the additional support of Verizon’s 5G network. This phone just arrived in our hands and we are working on a full review. It’s much sleeker than the DuraForce Ultra that Kyocera offered previously for Verizon customers.
The phone is designed to withstand the elements and rough handling with IP68 dust/water resistance, MIL-STD 810H shock test certification, and action overlay data designed to enhance your outdoor adventures.
Ulefone Armor 10 – the first 5G rugged smartphone Verizon and AT&T
SPECIFICATIONS
OS: Android 10Screen size: 6.6-inchResolution: 2400 x 1080 pixelsCPU: Dimensity 800RAM: 8GBStorage: 128GBBattery: 5,800mAhRear camera: 64MP + 8MP + 5MP + 2MPFront camera: 16MP
REASONS TO BUY
+Great cameras+Excellent build quality
REASONS TO AVOID
-5G costly-Camera bump protrudesAdvertisement
The Ulefone Armor 10 5G is the first 5G-compatible rugged smartphone, and though it may not be the best protected handset we’ve tested, it’s still got features which make it competitive with its rivals.
You won’t find wireless charging in many ruggedized smartphones, nor will you get cameras this good or indeed 5G compatibility, so if those features sound important to you, this may be a great pick.
Sure, it’s a little bigger than many could want in a rugged phone, and the storage may be too low for some, but you may not mind these shortcomings.
How about SonimXP8 5G rugged smartphone AT&T?
SonimXP8 is built to take on bumps, spills, temperature extremes, rain, dust, and grime. It is Military tested and rated to meet or exceed MIL-STD-810G1 standards for ruggedness.
Specs – SonimXP8 5G rugged smartphone AT&T
- Up to 35 hours talk time2
- Enhanced Push-to-Talk
- Manual and tutorial
- Dimensions: 5.98 x 3.13 x 0.71
- Weight (ounces): 11.82
- Display: 5 inches
- Resolution (pixels): 1920 x 1080
- Colors: 16.7 million
- Rear-facing camera: 12 MP Phase Detection Auto Focus with Optical Image Stabilization
- Video capture and playback
- Front-facing camera: 8 MP
- Capacity: 4,900mAh Li-Ion
- Talk Time (hours): Up to 30
- Standby time (days): Up to 30
- Audio playback time (hours): Up to 70
- Chipset: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 630
- Cores: Octa-core (4 @2.2GHz and 4 @1.9GHz)
- Internal memory storage: Up to 64GB
- Expandable memory storage (sold separately): up to 128GB
- Memory format: microSD™
- RAM: 4GB
- Wireless technology 4G-LTE : 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 20, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 38, 40, 41, and 66
- 4G: HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul
- 3G – UMTS: 850/900/1900/2100MHz
- GSM/GPRS/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900MHz
- World phone
- Quad-band
- HD Voice capable
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- 802.11a/b/g/n/ac/i/r/k
- Wi-Fi-capablity
- 2.4GHz and 5GHz
- Near Field Communication (NFC)
- Open, Secure
- Bluetooth® technology
- v5.0 + EDR, A2DP, HS, LE
- Mobile hotspot
- Up to 10 devices
- Enhanced Push-to-Talk
- Noise suppression
- Noise suppression by Fluence®
- Wireless emergency alerts (CMAS) capable
- SIM type
- Nano
- Apps
- Included apps (non-AT&T apps)
- OEM, OnGuard Lone Worker
- Web browser
- Sensors
- Sensors
- Accelerometer, ambient light, barometer, compass, gyroscope, infrared, gesture, proximity
- Messaging & email
- Text messaging
- Insert pictures, video clips and sound clips easily (messaging charges apply).
- Mobile email
- Get support for POP3/IMAP, Gmail™, Microsoft® Exchange ActiveSync®, and more.
- Music
- Music player
- Supported music formats
- AMR-NB, AMR-WB, AAC, AAC+, AAC+V2, MP3
- External music play controls
- Accessibility
- Hearing Aid (HAC) rating
- M3, T4
- TTY/TTD compatible
- Sustainability
DaSavage mentioned in att.com
Great phone for outdoor workers!!
First let me start with saying I was running the sonim xp7 before upgrading to the xp8. I already knew what I was going to get with sonim. A super tough and durable phone that can handle my work life. I do building maintenance and spend most of my day out in the weather. Trust me, here in Florida we get enough rain to truly test “waterproof” claims. The xp7 was a brick that survived falling 2 stories to pavement. The xp8 seems slightly more delicate but still the Mike Tyson of phones. This isn’t a galaxy active. It’s not a “outdoor app button” phone. I have broken 3 other “rugged” phones in a 6 month period before finding sonim. Second I’ll talk downfalls. If you can’t handle old outdated OS and less than top of the line features, this ain’t your phone. The predecessor to this phone the xp7 was released in 2014. It started with Android 4.2. It had one update bringing it to 4.4.4. that was it. So if this one gets past 8 I would be shocked. And don’t expect another phone from sonim before 2022. So if you can deal with a few technological set backs for about 4 years because you need a smartphone that doubles as a sledgehammer then by all means. But if you think your buying a top notch piece of technology to show off at your office job, I would stick to Apple and Samsung. Leave the toughest phone on the planet to the men and women that still get their hands dirty for a living and just go back to your latte sipping.
By DaSavage at att.com
Other rugged smartphone
Cat S62 Pro
Display: 5.7 inches (2,160 x 1,080-pixel resolution) | CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 | RAM: 6GB | Internal Storage: 128GB with microSD | Rear cameras: 12MP f/1.8 with Lepton 3.5 FLIR camera | Front camera: 8MP | Battery: 4000 mAh | Weight: 248g
The CAT S62 Pro has a 5.7-inch display with glove mode, IP68 dust/water resistance, MIL-STD 810H drop test up to 1.8 meters, and more. Android 10 is present with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor. It’s priced at $649.
One great function we have seen in some CAT phones is support for thermal cameras. A thermal camera is a perfect tool for fieldwork, whether scanning for hot spots in a switchboard or seeking them out in an emergency.
- Cat S62 Pro unveiled
The FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal camera is the star of the show with the ability to measure temperatures between -20 degrees Celsius and 400 degrees Celsius.
Pros:
- FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal camera
- Fully rugged (IP68/69 and MIL-STD-810H)
- Not large and bulky
- Solid battery life
- Enterprise-ready features
Cons:
- No air quality sensor or distance tool from S61
- Mid-range performance
DOOGEE S96 Pro
Display: 6.22 inches (1,520 x 720-pixel resolution) | CPU: MediaTek Helio G90T | RAM: 8GB | Internal Storage: 128GB with microSD | Rear cameras: 48MP main, 20MP night vision, 8MP ultra-wide, and 2MP depth | Front camera: 16MP | Battery: 6350 mAh | Weight: 308g
The phones in this list all have rugged build, but one thing that sets this model apart is the night vision camera that captures black and white photos when there is no light source. It can be useful for some people working in the field while the rest of the world sleeps.
The Doogee S96 Pro is built like a tank with a massive 6,350 mAh battery to power you for days. It supports 24W fast charging and wireless charging too. We usually see compromises in RAM and storage with these rugged phones, but the S96 Pro has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of internal storage with support for a microSD card.
5G is not supported with this phone, but it works well with T-Mobile in the US.
Pros:
- Massive battery capacity
- Unique night vision camera
- Very affordable price
- High-level rugged design elements
- NFC for Google Pay
Cons:
- Limited software updates
- Lower resolution display than most
