The Balance Small Business
The Best Rugged Smartphones for Builders
  • Becoming an Owner
    • Small Business
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Online Business
    • Home Business
    • View All
  • Industries
    • Retail Small Business
    • Nonprofit Organizations
    • Restauranting
    • Freelancing & Consulting
    • View All
  • Operations
    • Business Law & Taxes
    • Marketing
    • Accounting
    • Supply Chain Management
    • View All
visit our other sites
Construction
  • Tech Trends
  • Tips for Contractors
  • Management
  • Projects
  • Design
  • Remodeling
  • Materials
  • Gov't Requirements
  • History
  • Tools and Resources
  • All Construction
    Construction Tech Trends

    The Best Rugged Smartphones for Builders

    Move your job sites into technology with these 5 great phones

    • Share
    • Flip
    • Pin
    • Email
    By Juan Rodriguez
    Updated January 01, 2018

    Communication through rugged phones is so important for builders. Your crews must be equipped with the best devices on the market. Having the ability to snap pictures, record videos, make annotations, upload data, make calls and receive texts at the job site is now part of the job.

    With the technology moving and changing so fast, there are now many options out there that will enhance productivity and make the construction process easier. These are some of best, ready-to-get-beaten phones available that you might want to consider. 

  • 01
    Brigadier by Kyocera

    Brigadier by Kyocera
    Photo J Rodriguez

    This great phone by Kyocera is waterproof and dust-proof. You can use it while it's raining to take photos of actual conditions on how the site is draining or to evidence ponding water. The company claims the phone can be immersed for up to 30 minutes in up to six feet of water. It's not meant to be used underwater, however, so it should be dried as soon as possible.

    The Brigadier offers the Military Standard 810G protection against dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, blowing rain, and water immersion. Its front speakers are so loud they can be compared to a jackhammer being used just 6 feet away. It has a touchscreen that can you can operate with your gloves on, even when wet.

  • 02
    CAT S50 SMARTPHONE

    Cat S50
    Photo Kickmobiles

    The CAT S50 smartphone is 4G compatible and equipped with an Android operating platform. This excellent rugged ​phone is waterproof and the touchscreen can be used with wet fingers just like the Brigadier. It offers waterproof, dust-proof, and scratch-resistant capabilities, making it ideal for rough work. It's equipped with a pre-loaded app store that offers some great applications for the construction pro.

  • 03
    Sonim XP7

    Sonim XP7
    Photo J Rodriguez

    The Sonim XP7 isn't that well known, but it's a great rugged option. With an LTE/WIF/Android operating system, this phone has a touch screen that can also be used while wearing your gloves. The manufacturer indicates that the unit can withstand drops from as high as 6 feet onto concrete surfaces without any major damage. It's waterproof and has a powerful battery to support many hours of text and calls. It comes with a 3-year warranty. 

  • 04
    Kyocera Torque KC-S701

    Kyocera Torque
    Photo J Rodriguez

    The Kyocera Torque KC-S701 is another rugged phone that offers Military Standard 10G protection against dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, and water immersion. It can withstand dust for at least 6 hours, and it can be dropped from 4 feet and still function. It can withstand almost 10 days in a humid environment and be submerged in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 5 feet.

  • 05
    Sony Xperia Z3 Plus

    Sony Xperia
    Photo J Rodriguez

    The Sony Xperia Z3 Plus offers HD quality images and can be submerged for more than 30 minutes in 3 feet of water. It can also be used with your gloves on and it comes with the Android operating system. It has external memory capabilities through a micro SD card and a 5MP front-facing camera. The Sony rugged phone also comes with an FM radio and additional tools can be used over Wi-Fi. It has 4GLTE and extended battery life.

  • Rugged Phone Options

    This list of great rugged phones provides a few good options available for the construction pro. Check with your carrier for options and additional features that may be offered for these phones.
  • Emma Maersk

    Why the World's Largest Ship Propeller is Made of Bronze

  • Don't make these mistakes!

    How Construction Companies Can Avoid Software Buying Mistakes

  • Construction manager planning and submitting bids online.

    The 10 Best Apps for Builders and Contractors

  • Surveillance Drone

    6 Ways Drones Are Affecting the Construction Industry

  • 5 Construction Accounting and Management Software that will Save You Money

  • Interior of home under construction

    How to Bid for a Remodeling Contract

  • green morgages in california

    What Does It Mean to have a "Green" Home?

  • Building

    The Advantages of Building Information Modeling

  • laser-level.JPG

    Rotary Laser Level and Its Benefits and Applications

  • Looks creepy, doesn't he?

    How to Prevent Theft on Your Construction Site

  • A computer generated image of a house plan.

    The Baiscs of Building Information Modeling (BIM)

  • LEED Logo

    A Step-By-Step Guide to Achieving LEED Certification

  • ERP in the field

    6 Growing Trends in Construction ERP Software

  • Learn About GreenSky Credit, Financing for Builders and Contractors

  • Well planned form start to finish

    Here Is a Review of the PlanGrid Construction and Field Engineer App

  • Construction workers using laptop on construction site

    Construction Management Software and Its Impact on the Job Site

Our Best Money Tips, Delivered
You're in! Thanks for signing up.
There was an error. Please try again.
Facebook Pinterest Twitter Flipboard Linkedin
  • Becoming an Owner
  • Industries
  • Operations
  • About Us
  • Advertise
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Editorial Guidelines
Also from The Balance Team
The Balance
The Balance Careers
The Balance Small Business is part of the Dotdash publishing family.
  • Lifewire
  • ThoughtCo
  • TripSavvy
  • The Spruce
  • and more