Need a new verizon phone, as tough as I can get.

[SquarePizza]

So my 8 year old GZ Boulder died today due to rebooting on its own and getting stuck in an endless reboot cycle. So now I have to replace it. And I fricking hate phones. To make things worse I live in the middle of NOWHERE. AT&T is hit/miss in my area, sprint and t-moblie are zero from what I know. Straight talk off of at&t sims is decent, but verizon gets the best service. They are also the only way I get in-home internet with their mifi.

I am looking for something that can be dropped on a regular basis, be exposed to heat/humidity, and be submerged in water.

My last phone survived a motorcycle accident, many many careless drops of the phone on hard surfaces, and numerous soaking downpours on the motorcycle.

I am not much of a fan of smart phones, but the current tough flip phones are a $200 upgrade for me. So I decided to be open to smart phones if I must since they are going to be the same ball park in price and at least I could justify it with shooter aps.

Looked at the Cat b15, but yeah... no verizon. Boo. Anything else out there I should look at?


The worst part about all of this is not the money but losing all of my photos of my dog as a puppy. And just one day after I thought... boy I had better get these off of the phone to make sure I have them forever. =(

I should say again... I hate phones, I hate technology in my home life, and I know jack shit about cell phones..... and they used to let me adjunct in computer science! Bahaha.

 

[ollie]

I just told Verizon to go and take the cash ive given them, go to the bank, change the cash into rolls of quarters, and shove it all up there a55.

 

[hermosabeach]

I have a verizon Blackberry that you can have... it is a Bold 951 with a 3.2 Megpixel camera... The older phones are much more durable than any of the new phones...
pay for postage and it is yours.... I have no idea where the micro USB charger is but any cord plugged into a PC works just fine

I like my I phone but I have broken it twice in 2 1/2 years....

 

[lash]

I bought a Lifeproof case for my iphone two years ago for the reasons you mention above and it has served me very well. It gets wet regularly, covered with coolants and oils at work, dropped on all sorts of surfaces including pavement and still has protected the phone from everything. They cost almost $80, but work as well as they advertise.

And no, I do not work for anyone in the phone or accessory business. I'm in manufacturing of machined aluminum parts for automotive OEMs.

Oh, and Verizon is the only service that works where I live too, so I know what you mean.

 

[Boxcar]

I love my iphone 5. My only comparison to modern smartphones was coming from a droid Global and blackberry storm. The iphone is the most trouble free simple to use smart phone I have ever had. Pair the iphone with an Otterbox Armor case almost indestructible.

I'm a phone junky, after having my old phones for a year I couldn't wait for my contract to end so i Gould upgrade. Going on 2 years with the iphone 5 with nary a problem I don't want another phone.

 

[Diablo]

I use an Iphone 5, cause I have to, and have Verizon 'cause of travel.

This one is in an OtterCase Defender, etc., but iphones don't stand up well to moisture.

Keep that sucker out of monsoons and bag it good when you wade/swim with it.

The ottercase does fairly well but it's not fool-proof or indestructible.

Until Superman goes on the Apple payroll to design Iphones, be careful with them.

 

[SquarePizza]

Yeah, I had the misfortune of bumping my GF's hand and dropping her iphone4 (with a lower model otterbox) in a puddle. Game over. Phone worked, but the speakers and microphone died.

My biggest worries with any smart phone are how long it will last (I don't care if its slow and out of date, I want it to last another 5+ years), and I hate that I will have to spend more money on a plan. Those bastards are already getting enough of my cash (45 bucks for a nationwide plan that is grandfathered, and 45 bucks for 3gb mifi).

 

[Headquarterz]

Stay away from Samsung decides. They are fragile. Motorola in an otter box defender is pretty robust.

 

[truth]

Go Commando!

Set Your Location

[url]http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2421513,00.asp
[/URL]

 

[LRDD]

My commando is atough SOB. I have had it for 3 years and it has survived multiple 3-4 story falls. Came off my tool box a 45 mph and been submerged in the bay more times than I can count when I have forgotten about it being in my pocket while wade fishing. I used to go through a phone every few mounths till I got the commando. It has served me well. The camera and video sucks on it but it always functions for me and I need that more than taking nice pictures and watching youtube.

 

[LRDD]

Double post

 

[WATERWALKER]

I've been using the Commando for the last year & 1/2. It's been beat to hell, submerged, etc. Another member posted that the camera sucks; he doesn't lie. It holds a charge well. The screen is hardly even scratched.

 

[dmike]

Samsung galaxy s4 Active seems legit

 

[MilDot1960]

I still have a Motorola flip I bought back in 06 and its just about ready to choke, but my main phone is the first Galaxy Note, (only because my brother got 2 new ones) but before that I had the Galaxy Ace and I got my Son one as well and he has killed the heck out of it and its still going and I gave him my one as a spare, I asked him if he wanted a new one and he said NO, they are cheap But Tough and they run my shooting Apps, I pay $39.00 for 2000 minates air time 5000 txts and 5000 3g to 3g minates air time and Unlimited DATA, Which means I can take it anywhere I want country wide, In fact this Laptop is tethered to it and so is my Nexus 7.

Blessin's John

 

[sib1948]

I love my Galaxy S4 (commercials suggest S5 is waterproof) and have dropped it many times without issues. Protected in Otterbox. Head and shoulders above any of my 3 prior iPhone with great screen and camera. Verizon service is great and would never go back to AT&T!

PS-Bryan Litz's Android App is great.

 

[Joea132]

I've got a Samsung galaxy s4 in a life proof case. I tend to break everything that I touch and I've had this one since January. I accidentally threw it down 5 or 6 stairs and it landed on tile, no problem. Dropped it in water a few times, no worries. I'm sold on this phone and case.

 

[JMGlasgow]

I vote commando as well. Very tough phone.

 

[rjacobs]

Samsung galaxy s4 Active seems legit

My buddy had one, had it in an otterbox. He works heavy equipment. Had it 2 days, leaned up against something hard on a dozer or something and the screen shattered. AT&T replaced it, but wanted to do an insurance claim on it and my buddy fought them. His second one has gone over a year with no issues.

My sisters boyfriend is a doc. He has his IPhone in the $100 life proof case. Its had blood, vomit, piss, and probably shit on it. We were sitting in a hot tub with a bunch of people partying at the lake, he had it in his pocket, it rang, he pulled it out of his pocket(underwater), answered it, talked on it, hung up, put it back in his pocket underwater. Everybody else in the hot tub had their jaws hanging open. The case is amazing, but me personally I dont put my phones through that much abuse that I can carry it around with a case that makes the phone twice as thick as it normally would be.

 

[SquarePizza]

I have a verizon Blackberry that you can have... it is a Bold 951 with a 3.2 Megpixel camera... The older phones are much more durable than any of the new phones...
pay for postage and it is yours.... I have no idea where the micro USB charger is but any cord plugged into a PC works just fine


I like my I phone but I have broken it twice in 2 1/2 years....

Thank you for the offer, that is very generous of you. I haven't upgraded in so long I was able to get a new phone and lower my monthly cost, so everything worked out in the end. =)

 

[SquarePizza]

I went with a commando, mostly for the water resistance. I don't mind slow, or a bad camera. Coming for a first gen boulder anything is a huge upgrade. =)