Sure, when you think of smartphones you might think of names like Apple, Samsung, LG, HTC, Sony, and so on, but there are some who might think of other brands like Casio, CAT, and Kyocera. If you’re wondering why, it is because those three companies have in the past been known for specializing in smartphones that are rugged.
In fact for those in the market for such a device, T-Mobile has recently announced that the Kyocera DuraForce XD will soon be making its way to the carrier next week. Like we said, Kyocera’s trademark seems to be for rugged phones (at least based on what we’ve seen sold stateside so far).
The DuraForce XD is no different as it comes with Military Standard 810G specs that will allow it to withstand dust, water, drops, extreme temperatures, and other elements in nature like rain, salt fog, and more. It is also IP68 certified and OSHA certified meaning that using it in hazardous conditions should not be a problem.
As for specs, it’s not the most powerful smartphone we’ve seen but it should be enough to get the job done. It will pack a 5.7-inch 720p HD display which will work when your hands are wet or when wearing gloves. It is powered by a Snapdragon 400 chipset with 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and will also come with an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. It is priced at $449.99 at full retail, or you can opt for 24 monthly payments at $18.75 per month.