Posts Tagged ‘rugged’

Samsung is moving quickly to diversify its phone line, with variants of the S4 popping out of the woodwork left and right, including the Galaxy S4 Zoom, which features a rumored 10x optical zoom on its rear camera. Today the Galaxy S4 Active, a ruggedized, smaller version of the flagship S4 has hit the Bluetooth Special Interest Group for certification, which means it could be coming along shortly, too.

The S4 Active is supposedly a water- and dust-resistant phone designed for use with an active lifestyle, or in outdoor conditions where generally phones don’t fare very well. The S4 Active would compete head-to-head with Sony’s latest lineup of phones, including the Xperia ZR announced today, which is a smaller version of the Xperia Z with slightly less impressive specs. It’s submersible in water for up to 1.5 meters, however, which pits it against the Active’s rumored feature set.

Both the Active and the Zoom S4 variants remind me of how companies are diversifying in another crowded, near saturated market: point-and-shoot cameras. Manufacturers regularly highlight the long zoom and rugged versions of their devices, as these are areas where consumers feel they need more than what’s available to them on the smartphone devices they carry around every day.

Manufacturers like Sony and Samsung moving in this direction with their devices marks an attempt to broaden their lineup’s appeal vs. other similar competitors, but also encroaches on the territory of single-purpose devices like the camera. And the market is likely to get more crowded, not less, as Google has been teasing devices that can withstand harsh environmental forces coming from its Motorola acquisition, through executive statements.

I said previously that Samsung is essentially preparing a phone for every feature to compete with any unique advantage its rivals may try, and the S4 Active is definitely that. But these variant devices also have the potential to act as advance market research for tech that can be adopted back into a flagship device: if any is particularly successful, it provides a roadmap for Samsung about what will draw customers to the S5 or beyond.

The S4 Active getting its Bluetooth certification means it’s likely to get a consumer reveal before too long, so we should see exactly how far Samsung has taken the rugged phone concept soon.

Related Posts:

• Samsung Prepares A Phone For Every Feature As The Galaxy S4 Zoom Shows Up At Bluetooth SIG
• Smoked by Windows Phone ads move to TV, Microsoft targets Samsung’s Galaxy S3
• iPhone Brand Outshines Samsung’s Galaxy As iPhone 5 Becomes Best-Selling Smartphone Globally In Q4, iPhone 4S 2nd — Analyst
• SAMSUNG GALAXY EXHIBIT II 4G T679 – BLUE T-MOBILE UNLOCKED SMARTPHONE CELL PHONE
• Motorola i1 Nextel / Boost Rugged Android Bluetooth Touch 5MP Camera Cell Phone

Sacrificing a smartphone’s thin and sleek form factor with a case is tantamount to sacrilege in some circles. Others feel little comfort venturing outdoors without having their phone wrapped safely in one sleeve or another. Sprint’s Kyocera Torque, though, is for people who demand more than just a sheath of silicone to keep their device safe. Instead of relying on a case for its protection, it’s durable in its own right, with an IP67 rating and Military Standard 810G certification to help it withstand everything from water to salt fog.

In addition, the handset carries the distinction of being the very first phone released in the US with Kyocera’s Smart Sonic Receiver tissue-conduction tech, which does away with the traditional earpiece. We put the Now Network’s first LTE push-to-talk phone through our review gauntlet not only to gauge how tough it is, but also to find out how well it performs. Head past the break to see how it fared.

Filed under: Software, Mobile

Comments

Incoming search terms:

• All Rights Reserved Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service tv and off topic message board
• All Rights Reserved Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service play oregon trail game free
• All Rights Reserved Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service football games to play online
• All Rights Reserved Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service free football games to play online
• All Rights Reserved Use of our service is protected by our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service online toys
• Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups plans for storage buildings
• Published News Upcoming News Submit a New Story Groups free message board hosting

Related Posts:

• Kyocera Torque review: a rugged phone delivering superior sound
• Kyocera Torque review: a rugged phone delivering superior sound
• Huawei Ascend Mate review: a supersized phone with supreme battery life
• Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Active Rugged Smartphone Hits Bluetooth SIG As All-Terrain Phone Battle Heats Up
• HTC T8788 7 Surround Unlocked Phone with Windows 7, Surround Sound, 5MP Camera and HD Video – US Warranty – Black

Sacrificing a smartphone’s thin and sleek form factor with a case is tantamount to sacrilege in some circles. Others feel little comfort venturing outdoors without having their phone wrapped safely in one sleeve or another. Sprint’s Kyocera Torque, though, is for people who demand more than just a sheath of silicone to keep their device safe. Instead of relying on a case for its protection, it’s durable in its own right, with an IP67 rating and Military Standard 810G certification to help it withstand everything from water to salt fog.

In addition, the handset carries the distinction of being the very first phone released in the US with Kyocera’s Smart Sonic Receiver tissue-conduction tech, which does away with the traditional earpiece. We put the Now Network’s first LTE push-to-talk phone through our review gauntlet not only to gauge how tough it is, but also to find out how well it performs. Head past the break to see how it fared.

Filed under: Software, Mobile

Comments

Related Posts:

• Kyocera Torque review: a rugged phone delivering superior sound
• Kyocera Torque review: a rugged phone delivering superior sound
• Huawei Ascend Mate review: a supersized phone with supreme battery life
• Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Active Rugged Smartphone Hits Bluetooth SIG As All-Terrain Phone Battle Heats Up
• HTC T8788 7 Surround Unlocked Phone with Windows 7, Surround Sound, 5MP Camera and HD Video – US Warranty – Black

Compromising a smartphone’s thin and streamlined type aspect with a case amounts sacrilege in some circles. Others feel little comfort venturing outdoors without having their phone wrapped securely in one sleeve or an additional. Sprint’s Kyocera Torque, though, is for people who demand more than just a sheath of silicone to keep their gadget safe. Rather of counting on a case for its protection, it’s durable in its own right, with an IP67 rating and Military Standard 810G accreditation to assist it withstand everything from water to salt fog.

In addition, the smartphone carries the distinction of being the really first phone launched in the US with Kyocera’s Smart Sonic Receiver tissue-conduction technician, which does away with the typical earpiece. We put the Now Network’s first LTE push-to-talk phone through our review gauntlet not only to evaluate how difficult it is, however likewise to discover how well it performs. Head past the break to see how it fared.

Tags: delivering, Kyocera, Phone, Review, rugged, sound, Superior, Torque | No Comments »