How powerful and compatible is the rugged phone I want to buy?

Rugged tech is more expensive than regular tech (waterproofing, shock absorbency and all that). However, the flagship chipsets and cameras being installed in top of the range $2000+ iPhone and Galaxies are also hugely expensive. A rugged phone to equal one of those would be substantially north of $2500. That’s why there aren’t any.

So when choosing a rugged phone you are making a compromise between your need for durability and your desire for bright shiny features and blazing gaming performance or photography options. The more expensive and powerful your rugged phone is, the closer it gets to the big brand flagships. The cheaper the phone, the less likely it is to handle much more than basic phone calls and text messaging.

The ‘Cowboy’ retailers: false claims about VoLTE

Now a new problem has come up: will the phone you are buying TODAY still work next year?

That’s when the big telcos will start to switch off the old 3G networks that have carried most phone calls for the past 15 years.

You may have seen the word “VoLTE” or “HD calling”: basically all voice calls will soon only be carried over 4G frequencies – Bands 1, 3 and 7 in the cities and Band 28 for everywhere outside the main centres.

Basically, if your new phone you picked up cheap doesn’t have 4G B28, it already won’t work in most of NZ where 4G-only cell towers are now operating, and it DEFINITELY won’t work when the 3G network is fully turned off in 2024.

Unfortunately, there’s one big discount rugged phone website that is deliberately making false claims that its phones are “compatible with all 3G/4G networks in NZ”, when actually they are not. Many of their phones – particularly the ones under $500 – have Asian frequency bands and lack the 4G B28 used in NZ and Australia.

They used to publish the frequency bands in their specs, but at the time of publishing this they hide that information so buyers can’t see whether the phone has Band 28. Instead, they promise the phones “support” 3G/4G, but that organising VoLTE calls is up to you and your telco:

NEWSFLASH: your phone MUST have fully operational VoLTE on Band 28 now – otherwise if you crash your car you may be unable to get service to call an ambulance. If a phone retailer can’t GUARANTEE – at their expense – that the phone they’re selling you WILL get nationwide VoLTE calling – don’t buy it. From next year, phones that can’t get VoLTE or are not configured with NZ VoLTE settings by the retailer will no longer work in NZ.

And frankly, if a reseller is prepared to mislead you over something as basic as whether the phone will actually work outside the city, why would you take a risk with your hard earned cash based on any of their other “assurances”?

So to help buyers make informed choices, we have compiled a list of rugged phones currently available and their AnTuTu score, which measures processor and graphics speed and power. Please remember that more expensive phones will usually have extra features, reflected in the price.

KEY CAUTIONS: phones without VoLTE won’t work outside the city limits. Phones “glued shut” can’t be repaired so their warranties are worthless and traders will rely on the small print to reject any warranty claim. Be extremely wary of buying expensive glued shut phones or you could lose serious money!

For baseline reference, because some of you will be upgrading from older phones, we’ve got a bold list at the start of older phones for comparison:

NAME	ANTUTU	PRICE	REASONS WE DON’T SELL?
AGM A8	25,000	N/A	obsolete
Blackview BV8000	81,000	N/A	obsolete
Blackview BV9700	137,000	N/A	obsolete
Galaxy S7	112,000	N/A	obsolete
Galaxy S10 5G	334,000	N/A	obsolete
Galaxy S22	842,000	$1999
AGM H3	102,000	$499	we sell it
AGM H5	109,000	$649	we sell it
AGM H5 Pro	220,000	$799	we sell it
AGM Glory SE	338,000	$799	we sell it
AGM Glory G1	338,000	$999	we sell it
AGM Glory Pro	338,000	$1549	we sell it
AGM G1S	338,000	$1349	we sell it
Blackview BV4900	61,000	$289	glued shut, slow, no rural coverage, no B28 VoLTE
Blackview BV5900	48,000	$290	glued shut, slow, no rural coverage, no B28 VoLTE
Blackview BV5100	94,000	$350	glued shut, obsolete, no B28 VoLTE
Blackview BV5200	88,000	$299	glued shut, no rural coverage, no B28 VoLTE
Blackview BV5200 Pro	112,000	$399	glued shut, no rural coverage, no B28 VoLTE
Blackview BV6300 Pro	137,000	$400	glued shut, obsolete
Blackview BV6600	77,000	$360	glued shut, slow, ltd rural coverage, no B28VoLTE
Blackview BV6600 Pro	88,000	$600	glued shut, slow
Blackview BV7100	237,000	$700	glued shut, no rural coverage, no B28 VoLTE
Blackview BV7200		$600	no rural coverage, no VoLTE, won’t work NZ, AU
Blackview BV8800	333,000	$699	we sell it
Blackview BL5000	290,000	$650	glued shut
Blackview BL6000	316,000	$899	obsolete, glued shut
Blackview BL8800	340,000	$899	we sell it
Blackview BL8800 Pro	340,000	$999	we sell it
Cat S62	97,000	$1299	low bang for buck
Conquest F2	102,000	$699	we sell it
Conquest S20	316,000	$1299	we sell it
Conquest S21	340,000	$1049	we sell it
Doogee S51	102,000	$350	glued shut
Doogee S58 Pro	102,000	$330	very ltd rural coverage, no VoLTE
Doogee S59 Pro	102,000	$380	glued shut
Doogee S61	109,000	$330	glued shut
Doogee S61 Pro	109,000	$399	glued shut
Doogee S86	128,000	$400	glued shut, obsolete
Doogee S86 Pro	128,000	$440	glued shut
Doogee S88 Plus	137,000	$525	glued shut
Doogee S89	215,000	$699	glued shut
Doogee S97 Pro	305,000	$570	glued shut
Doogee S98	340,000	$640	glued shut
Doogee S98 Pro	340,000	$849	glued shut
Doogee V10	340,000	$655	glued shut
Doogee V20	340,000	$850	glued shut
Hotwav Cyber 7	340,000	$600	glued shut, minor brand
Hotwav Cyber 8	128,000	$300	glued shut, minor brand
Hotwav WP10 Pro	102,000	$370	glued shut, minor brand
Oukitel WP9	128,000	$300	glued shut
Oukitel WP10	316,000	$700	obsolete
Oukitel WP12 Pro	89,000	$280	slow, glued shut, ltd rural coverage, no VoLTE
Oukitel WP13	340,000	$500	glued shut
Oukitel WP15	340,000	$680	glued shut, weighs half a kg
Oukitel WP15S	102,000	$380	glued shut, weighs half a kg
Oukitel WP16	128,000	$500	glued shut
Oukitel WP17	333,000	$550	glued shut
Oukitel WP18	88,000	$280	slow, glued shut, ltd rural coverage, no VoLTE
Oukitel WP19	333,000	$730	glued shut, weighs over half a kg
Oukitel WP20 Pro	92,000	$300	glued shut, slow
Samsung XCover 5	117,000	$500
Samsung XCover Pro	180,000	$900
Ulefone Armor X6 Pro	34,000	$255	slow, glued shut, ltd rural coverage, no VoLTE
Ulefone Armor X7	50,000	$240	slow, glued shut, ltd rural coverage, no VoLTE
Ulefone Armor X8	91,000	$320	glued shut, slow
Ulefone Armor X8i	91,000	$290	glued shut, slow
Ulefone Armor X9 Pro	94,000	$339	glued shut, slow
Ulefone Armor X10 Pro	102,000	$359	glued shut
Ulefone Armor X11 Pro	91,000	$399	glued shut, slow
Ulefone Armor 7	215,000	$600	glued shut, obsolete
Ulefone Armor 8	128,000	$350	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 8 Pro	128,000	$400	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 9	215,000	$999	obsolete
Ulefone Armor 10	316,000	$999	we sell it
Ulefone Armor 11	316,000	$880	glued shut, made of glass
Ulefone Armor 11T	316,000	$1050	glued shut, made of glass
Ulefone Armor 12	340,000	$650	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 13	333,000	$799	we sell it (but it weighs half a kg)
Ulefone Armor 14	112,000	$430	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 14 Pro	215,000	$500	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 15	109,000	$530	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 16 Pro	91,000	$499	glued shut, slow
Ulefone Armor 17 Pro	360,000	$999	glued shut
Ulefone Armor 18	490,000	$1099	we sell it
Ulefone Armor 18T	490,000	$1399	we sell it
Umidigi Bison GT	305,000	$580	glued shut
Umidigi Bison GT2 Pro 4G	475,000	$899	poor reviews
Umidigi Bison GT2 Pro 5G	475,000	$999	poor reviews
Umidigi Bison Pro	205,000	$400	glued shut
Umidigi Bison 2 Pro	205,000	$600	glued shut
Umidigi Bison X10G	123,000	$300	glued shut
Umidigi Bison X10 Pro	128,000	$350	glued shut
Unihertz Tank	313,000	$899	we sell it