Best Rugged Android Phone
Life is tough enough. The Galaxy S7 Active is the best phone to let you traverse the perilous, waterlogged journey ahead.
Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
It is truly a bummer that the Galaxy S7 Active is an AT&T exclusive because this is a smartphone worthy of all SIMs. Inside, it's packed with the same stellar components as the rest of the Galaxy S7 family, including a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. It also offers a massive 4000mAh battery, in addition to a rugged, dust-proof, and water-resistant enclosure. Its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display is bright enough to see in the great outdoors and sits behind a shatter-resistant protective coating that can withstand the toughest of falls.
Bottom line: The Galaxy S7 Active is what other consumer-oriented rugged smartphones should aim to be like.
One more thing: If you're bummed about the exclusivity of this particular device, you might consider the next best thing for your Galaxy S7: An Otterbox case.
Why it's the best
It's basically a more robust Galaxy S7 with a better battery.
The Galaxy S7 Active is a great example of what works when a manufacturer attempts to ruggedize one of its existing smartphones. Samsung took the best parts of the Galaxy S7 — its components, its camera capabilities, its other extra bits — and shoved it all into a shock-resistant case. It's also stylish enough that it's not a complete outlier; You don't immediately look at this phone and go, "Well, that's certainly not geared for me." The idea is that anyone who wants a tougher smartphone can have it without sacrificing features and aesthetics.
Best MacGyver phone
CAT S60
The Cat S60 is an unlocked, GSM-compatible smartphone with FLIR thermal imaging available at the touch of a button. CAT swears this is "the world's most waterproof smartphone," as it can survive depths of up to 5 meters for an entire hour—that's 30 minutes more than any of the Galaxy S7 variants claim to last. It's also drop-proof up to 1.8 meters and reinforced with a strengthened die cast frame, which makes it perfect for perilous environments like construction sites. However, there are some downsides, like the fact that the CAT S60 has a mere 13-megapixel rear-facing camera and it runs on a mid-range Snapdragon 617 processor—the same SoC that's inside the HTC One A9.
Bottom line: If you're out in the field on a daily basis and you're with T-Mobile or AT&T, you have a choice of the CAT S60 as your badass daily driver.
One more thing: The Cat S60 will not work with Sprint, Verizon, or any of their MVNOs.
Best Verizon-compatible phone
Motorola Droid Turbo 2
It's really too bad that Motorola keeps its exclusives with Verizon, because the Droid Turbo 2 is still pretty impressive even a year later. This smartphone features Motorola's ShatterShield technology, so the 5.4-inch POLED Quad HD display is essentially shatterproof. It also comes with a massive 3,760mAh battery, a 21-megapixel rear-facing camera, and 32GB of onboard storage with expandable memory. And best of all, this phone has received its Marshmallow update.
Bottom line: If you're on Big Red and you're in need of a smartphone that can withstand all that life throws at you, the Droid Turbo 2 is a worthy consideration.
One more thing: You can order a replacement Moto Shattershield Lens if you scratch up your Droid Turbo 2.
Best Overall
Samsung Galaxy S7 Active
It is truly a bummer that the Galaxy S7 Active is an AT&T exclusive because this is a smartphone worthy of all SIMs. Inside, it's packed with the same stellar components as the rest of the Galaxy S7 family, including a Snapdragon 820 processor and 4GB of RAM. It also offers a massive 4000mAh battery, in addition to a rugged, dust-proof, and water-resistant enclosure. Its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display is bright enough to see in the great outdoors and sits behind a shatter-resistant protective coating that can withstand the toughest of falls.
Bottom line: The Galaxy S7 Active is what other consumer-oriented rugged smartphones should aim to be like.
One more thing: If you're bummed about the exclusivity of this particular device, you might consider the next best thing for your smartphone: An Otterbox case.
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