Vote now: Would you buy a rugged phone?

Phones are extremely fragile nowadays, and some say it’s our fault. Joking aside, the glass sandwich design is something of an oxymoron. It seems that everyone hates it, yet people buy it, and manufacturers continue to make it.

Then there’s the case with smartphone cases (that’s not a pun, right?). Again, people hate them, hate that they have to put them on, but nothing can be done. That’s not exactly true. There are rugged phones, and even though they seem to be niche, underpowered, no-name devices (okay, just not a big, recognizable brand name), maybe there’s a place for them.

I’m forgetting the Galaxy Xcover lineup, actually. The latest Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro is not that bad, and yeah, I know—it’s still underpowered on all fronts. But the question stands – would you buy a rugged phone? There are some options, such as the CAT lineup, the BlackView phones, and even some Nokia models.

The CAT S60, for example, comes with an integrated FLIR camera, and that’s super cool and potentially very useful. You can’t destroy those phones, and sometimes you just need a workhorse, not a glamour model, right?

So, what do you think? Would you buy one of these super-tough phones? What about specs? I know, I wish they were flagship-grade when it comes to processor power and cameras. Maybe if we buy enough to make a difference, one day we’ll get our Galaxy S25 Ultra Tough Edition or something along those lines. Vote in our poll and share your thoughts on the subject in the comments below.