Rugged Smartphones for Preppers

Regular smartphones are kinda tough these days, they can survive being wet for a short while and modest drops. But given the power and usefulness of a phone in a SHTF scenario, it is worth having one that is either just for that purpose or as your regular phone. Simply having it on your person is a good reminder to be alert and aware, and is a good conversation piece as well.

These are all aimed at people who want more ruggedness than what the major phone companies offer. There are trade-offs, of course. Here’s an overview of your choices.

Motorola Defy – a decade ago this was my #1 choice, and now under new ownership (was Google, and now Lenovo) it is back, although without the walkie talkie option. It is a tough phone that looks like a normal phone in a not-too-bulky case. Includes a lanyard slot and headphone jack. It is based on the Moto G9, so look at reviews for that and decide if the price premium is worth it for the ruggedness. Importantly, unlike the other phones listed here, this is from a brand that is sure to be around for a long time.

Drop-proof to 1.8M, and waterproof for 35 minutes.

Nokia also have a pricey, reliable, tough phone, the XR20. And Samsung are releasing a new Galaxy XCover with a removable battery.

Ulefone focus on features. Their variety of phones can have things like 5G, 10,000MAH battery (for multiple days of use), 1TB of storage (more survival ebooks), fast charging, dual SIM, built-in air buds, loud speakers, powerful flashlight… even an endoscope accessory or a thermal imaging FLIR camera.

MIL-STD-810G certification is proof of protection against severe temperatures and drops from up to 1.5 meters.

Blackview are similar to Ulefone, and of course are also Chinese. If you could sum up their differences, Blackview are a little bit better in features you would want in a normal phone (processor speed, screen, camera) and has fewer gee-whiz survival aspects (battery and flashlight not as good, for example). However, the cheap BV7100 has a massive 13,000MAH battery…

If you want walkie-talkie communication, look for a used Blackview BV9500 Pro.

• Another, similar Chinese brand is Dooge. They are all so similar, don’t be surprised if they are related in some way
• Cat – the machinery company – makes rugged phones. See CatPhones.com
• Unihertz make odd phones – tiny ones, or with physical keyboards – and many come in a rugged version. Well worth a look, not expensive.
• For Australians like me, this store sells most of the above. Or take a gamble buying them from AliExpress