Frames Hardcase
Frames Hardcase
War of the hardcases: JCB TOUGH PHONE vs. Samsung Solid by Mark Bonnett
The start of 2008 marks the appearance of not one, but two rugged phones. Designed for hard use, and for hard living, they can take on all comers, take on the world, even. But how do they fair against each other? Let’s find out as the JCB TOUGH PHONE goes to war with the Samsung Solid.
On paper, the 2 phones seem to stack up fairly similarly. In fact, on specs alone, the Samsung Solid seems to win hands down. It has an IP rating of IP54, meaning it is VERY resistant to splashes and dust. The JCB TOUGH PHONE, by comparison, has a rating of IP53, so it’s as resistant to dust, but not quite as resistant to splashes. It also beats the JCB in terms of media features, as it actually HAS a camera. Granted, it’s only 0.3 megapixels, but it also has a flash that doubles as a torch, which is another tick in the Solid’s box.
However… and it’s a BIG however… the JCB TOUGH PHONE lives up to its name really, REALLY well. It’s much, much more rigid and indestructible than any other phone on the market, due to the fact that I’m reasonably certain it has a steel frame. Which is going to make it stronger than any amount of rubber casing. And that’s the key difference between them. The JCB TOUGH PHONE is built to be strong, to be a tool, not to be flashy or stylish. The Samsung Solid, on the other hand, is built more to combine toughness with some modicum of features. And therein lies the difference, and why these phones aren’t really competitiors, when you get right down to it.
Look at it this way: if you’re a builder, and you want a phone that can take anything you throw at it and shrug it off without a scratch, and if you want a phone that has a frankly fabulous ringtone of a digger starting up, you want the JCB TOUGH PHONE. If, however, you’re, say, a rambler, and you want a phone that you can use without fear of damage, but that has a torch for if you get lost, and a camera for any interesting sights you see, then you want the Samsung Solid.
