Rugged smartphone


A rugged smartphone is a specific type of toughened smartphone which is designed to be completely sealed within a durable housing to protect it against damage from water, shock, dust, and vibration. Rugged smartphones are designed to survive extreme weather and temperatures, accidental damage, and rough handling; making them ideal for working outdoors, or in harsh environments, along with use during extreme sports, such as sailing, rock climbing, etc. Most rugged smartphones have been tested to tough IP68 standards.
However, not all waterproof smartphones will be ruggedised.

History

Classification

There are three general types of rugged phone:
  • Outdoor sports
  • Military
  • '''Stylish'''

    Functional requirements

The following IP code ratings for ingress protection, as defined by the International Electrotechnical Commission standard 60529, are typically used for certifying various toughened and ruggedised smartphones.

Primary standard

IP54 — Solid particle protection level 5 and liquid ingress protection level 4.
IP56 — Solid particle protection level 5 and liquid ingress protection level 6.

Intermediate standard

IP57 — Solid particle protection level 5 and liquid ingress protection level 7.

Advanced (professional) standards

IP67 — Solid particle protection level 6 and liquid ingress protection level 7.
IP68 — Solid particle protection level 6 and liquid ingress protection level 8.
IP69K — In the IEC 60529 rating system for ingress protection, IP6* refers to the product's ability to resist ingress of dust. The IP*9K refers to the product's ability to resist ingress of high temperature / high pressure water. If the device passes all these tests, then it can be considered as IP69K rated smartphone, and can be used in harsh environments with high pressure / steam cleaning.

Testing procedure per ISO 20653

  1. A spray nozzle that is fed with water at and a flow rate of.
  2. The nozzle is held from the tested device at angles of 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90°, for 30 seconds each.
  3. The test device places on a turntable that rotates once every 12 seconds.

    MIL-STD-810G

G is a U.S. military standard that stipulates a level of durability for an item of equipment. Specifically, it means the equipment has been subjected to a series of twenty-nine tests, including shock tests, vibration tests, and more. This means it should be field ready, or even 'combat ready' in principle. A lot of technology sold to the U.S. military must be MIL-STD-810G compliant.

List of rugged smartphones

Rugged dumb phones

;Cat Phone: B25, S22 Flip,
;Evolveo: StrongPhone
;Nokia: Nokia 5210, Nokia [3720 classic], Nokia 800 Tough
;Aspera: R25, R25t, R32, R30, R40