For any small business with sales reps, staff or employees on the road, working outside of the office or those working in production, manufacturing, construction or fabrication, having the ability to stay in touch is essential.
Standard types of smartphones have limited use in these types of work environments. They are not built to stand up to drops, humid and wet working conditions, being used on the job site and even being exposed to dust in the air. On the other hand, military grade smartphones have been designed just for these conditions, so they offer a very good option.
The Protection Level
All military grade smartphones are thicker and more rugged than a traditional smartphone. They tend to have rubberized and plastic cases, which are water, shock and dust proof.
The case itself will also protect the phone when submerged in water to a specific depth for a set period of time. This will vary based on the phone as well as the manufacturer’s specifications.
Display and Control Options
While there are a few models that have a full touchscreen with Gorilla glass, most models offer more a Blackberry look. They have a smaller screen, about half the size of the phone, and then a push button keypad below.
This makes dialing easy, and of course, there is the option for speed dial or scrolling to find numbers. In low light conditions or in direct sunlight these phones are much easier to use.
Additionally, with the push button controls rather than the touchscreen they are operable even if the screen is wet or there is any type of grease or dirt on the phone, something that is not possible with a touchscreen.
Convenience and Features
The exact features offered on any military grade smartphones will vary based on the model and the manufacturer. Some come equipped with FM radios. MP3 players, flashlight functions, built-in power banks, up to 32G of memory and a camera. All the functions and features with regards to incoming and outgoing calls offered on a standard smartphone will be available on this more rugged option.
As with any smartphone the internet is right at the user’s fingertips, and there is significant additional storage for documents, files or multimedia applications on an additional micro-SD card slot. Also, these phones can be set to lock after use and be password protected, an important consideration for a business phone.
