AT&T delivers Samsung Rugby Smart next month

Is it just me, or do you feel that consumer electronic devices these days do not really live up to their predecessors’ durability? I mean, back in the days of our grandparents and parents, the fridge lasted for umpteenth years, and will probably still continue to work. Fast forward to today, and you have a fridge that seemingly dies out a couple of days after the warranty on it expires. Having said that, smartphones are not exactly the most durable handset in the world, either – so it is a good thing to be careful with them wherever you are, lest you suffer from a butterfingers moment.

This has led to an explosive growth of third party accessories for the smartphone and tablet markets, but how about incorporating a little bit of ruggedness into a handset? This is exactly what Samsung has done with their latest creation which they call the Samsung Rugby Smart. I guess this is a sequel to the Samsung Rugby which was released in 2010, so let us take a closer look at it in the extended post.


The Samsung Rugby Smart is one tough cookie, where it complies to 810F military specifications that include Dust, Humidity, Rain, Shock and Temperature resistance, allowing you to dunk the Rugby Smart into water (no more than 1 meter in depth) for up to half an hour without causing it to fizzle out, while the entire phone is also able to survive in extreme temperatures without missing a beat. The 3.7″ WVGA Super AMOLED touchscreen display ought to be enough for everyday use and perhaps to even watch the occasional movie, while a 5-megapixel at the back is capable of High Definition movie recording. Want to hold a video call? That is not a problem with a 1.3-megapixel shooter up in front. Connectivity options include Wi-Fi and HSPA+.

The Samsung Rugby Smart will arrive on AT&T this March 4th at $99.99 a pop, after committing to a 2-year agreement, of course. No idea on whether Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich will be offered as an update down the road or not, as it comes with Android 2.3 Gingerbread right out of the box.