![]() ![]() ![]() That isn't likely familiar or useful to the average person, though. The Sonim XP8 also has true radio capability via an optional Xpand module that turns it into a transceiver on the 900MHz ISM band. ![]() The Unihertz Atom XL can communicate with FRS and GMRS radios, as well as with UHF ham radios, though such use is pending US approval by the FCC. In any of these modes, it has 0.5- and 1.5-watt output power levels. Technically, the AtomXL can also communicate with GMRS and FRS radios, which are often carried by neighborhood volunteers, as well as with some ham radios, but it's not FCC approved to do so. It's able to communicate with the FCC Part 90 radios, often known as "business radios," with the use of a small external antenna that ships with the phone. The Unihertz AtomXL is also a "real" radio. ![]() Most of the phones in our roundup have at least one assignable hardware button that can be mapped to several functions such as Push to Talk, using the camera or sending out an emergency beacon alert via an app. That gives you far better walkie-talkie ergonomics than pressing a virtual talk button on the screen. All of the phones can map a button to Zello, the most popular PTT platform. PTToC apps for both consumers, enterprises and first responders have proliferated in recent years with the expansion of 4G LTE that allows them to behave very much like an actual radio, but with far more smarts.Īll of the phones on our list except the Cat S52 have at least one dedicated button that can be set to Push to Talk, and the Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G has three programmable buttons. So many ways to have a walkie-talkie on your phone. Sprint and Verizon offer similar services as plan options. Push to Talk over cellular apps such as Zello allow a phone to work like a walkie-talkie with anyone else running the same app. With fires, power outages, floods and other unusual events becoming more usual, many people are joining local neighborhood response groups or CERT teams, which rely on radio-style communications but not necessarily with actual radios. These caps are tedious in daily use and complicate placing the phone in a desktop charging stand unless you have the Kyocera DuraForce Ultra 5G, which supports Qi wireless charging pad, allowing the port door to stay closed while charging. Note that some of the phones in this roundup have a tethered cap that seals their USB-C jack. The Kyocera DuraSport 5G may emanate from a lesser known brand but has entered the top ranks in terms of being rugged and stylish, with Ultra Wideband 5G capability on Verizon. The Sonim XP8 and Cat S62 Pro achieve a high enough IP rating that they can also resist direct sprays of liquid. Read the tech specs before you buy, but all the phones on our list have some level of IP68 protection. It can denote immersion resistance ranging from 5 feet for 30 minutes for the Samsung XCover Pro, 2 meters for 30 minutes with the Kyocera DuraSport 5G, or 5 feet for 35 minutes with the Cat S62 Pro. That means not all IP68 ratings are the same. agreed between the manufacturer and user," according to the International Electrotechnical Commission, which oversees the standard. The 6 in IP68 means the phone is closed to dust and grit, while the 8 means the phone is protected against water immersion " under conditions. All the phones in our list are rated either 810-G or the newer 810-H.Ī phone's resistance to foreign matter is signified by an IP code, typically IP68. The ruggedness credential for most phones is Military Standard 810-G, which encompasses a lot of specifications but is commonly described as the ability to withstand a 1.5-meter (4.9-foot) drop without damage. All these phones laugh at being dropped on a hard floor, dunked in water or even immersed in liquid cleaner - that last one being a neat trick at a time when we're disinfecting everything. ![]()
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