Smartphones are a crucial tool in everyday life, but more often than not, they tend to be fragile. That’s fine if your phone spends most of its time in your pocket or your hands on the ride to work, but if it spends any time in the great outdoors, you may be (rightly) worried about dropping your phone into a crevasse or a stretch of wet sand. An adventurous lifestyle calls for a phone that can take a beating; luckily, there’s an entire class of rugged smartphones out there. Sadly, most smartphones that are built to withstand the elements also cost a lot of money, and if you’ve already invested in camping gear, you might not want to shell out $800 or so for a new phone.
If you’re willing to look outside of the usual brands, however, there are cheaper options, such as the Doogee S60. If you haven’t heard of Doogee before, you’re not alone. Originally a Spanish company, Doogee relocated to China after changing ownership. Although Doogee is not a household name — at least not currently — the company produces high-quality smartphones with powerful specs.
The aforementioned Doogee S60, for instance, contains a Mediatek Helio P25 processor and an Octa-core CPU that packs a mighty punch. It even packs a welcome 6GB of RAM.
Other features include a 21-megapixel camera, a fingerprint scanner, an SOS button, and a 5,580mAh battery that supports both quick and wireless charging. The 5.2-inch screen has a pixel density of 424 pixels per inch, and the speakers can project loudly (for a smartphone).
All these premium components are worthless if the phone shatters when dropped, though, which is why Doogee built the S60 like an impregnable fortress. The smartphone’s casing is made out of aluminum and high-density polycarbonate, and the screen is Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The phone achieves an IP68 rating, too, meaning it can withstand dust and immersion for up to 30 minutes in up to 1.5 meters of water.
The S60 runs Android, and if the phone has a weakness, it’s the strange bloatware that comes pre-installed on the device, which can at least be turned off.
The S60 is a great phone, one that can be had for relatively cheap — in some places, you might find it as low as $280. If you spend a lot of time adventuring, it’s certainly a good investment.
David Cogen — a regular contributor here at Digital Trends — runs TheUnlockr, a popular tech blog that focuses on tech news, tips and tricks, and the latest tech. You can also find him on Twitter discussing the latest tech trends.
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