Among the blue collar guys doing things like construction or auto repair, they’re not all that intimidated by the technology anymore, rather, they’re worried about breaking the touchscreens.

For example, my uncle who runs a small construction company has his cell phone on him at all times and when I explained to him the extra things he’d be able to do with a smartphone like view live radar to tell if a rain storm was going to pass in thirty minutes or continue all day, he was interested.  That’s a big deal to him since it’s the difference between sending his crew home early or just taking a short break and getting back to work.

But again, it goes back to how fragile some of these phones are – there are plenty of people who need a phone that can handle getting a little wet and can take a little bit of abuse now and then.

While there aren’t a lot of phones that come built to take this abuse, there are a few rugged Android phones available.

They’re all built to take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’.  All of them meet military specifications – 810g – for resistance against rain, immersion, shock, dust, vibration, humidity, salt fog, solar radiation, altitude, and low and high temperatures.  In other words, you really have to try to break one of these things.

In this article, we’ll look at the best rugged Android phones and I’ll do my best to help you decide which one suits your needs.

I’ve broken it down by carrier to help making your choice easy:

Best Rugged Android Phone for Verizon

Casio G’zOne Commando

Casio G'zOne Commando Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) Average Rating: 35 total customer reviews...

First up is Casio’s entry into the world of ruggedized Android phones, the Casio G’zOne Commando (as you’ll see, most rugged phones have historically and are currently made by Motorola).  While it may not be sporting a dual core processor found in many modern high end smartphones, it does run Android 2.2, sports a 5 megapixel camera, GPS Navigation, and is Mobile Hotspot capable so you can share your 3G data connection with other devices even when you’re out in the field.

It also has a handful of built in features you really don’t find (in addition to meeting mil-spec 810 standards, of course) in many consumer oriented phones.

First off is additional security including SSL data encryption, device password policies, and the ability to remotely wipe data off the phone in the event the phone is ever lost or stolen.

The speakers on the phone are also loud so even if you’re on a jobsite you can still hear.

It even has a built in thermometer.

I would have liked the phone better if it featured a dedicated keyboard like a Blackberry.  Why?  Have you ever tried answering a phone call on a touchscreen while wearing work gloves?  Try it and you’ll see why dedicated hardware buttons are better.

Currently, this is the only rugged phone running Android available on Verizon’s network so if you’re a Verizon customer and want to remain one and need a phone built to be durable, this is what you’re getting.

Best Rugged Android Phone for Sprint

Motorola Titanium – Editor’s Choice

Sprint was the first to release a rugged Android phone, the Motorola i1, in 2010 which isn’t surprising since they still have a lot of business customers who need phones like these around from their acquisition of Nextel.

However, the best rugged phone they have is the Motorola Titanium.  It has the same profile as a Blackberry which means it has a dedicated hardware keyboard so you can operate the phone without needing to use the touchscreen which can definitely come in handy at times especially if your hands are wet or if you’re wearing gloves.

It is running Android 2.1, which isn’t a bad version of Android, just out or date by two versions which is disappointing.

It features a 5 megapixel digital camera, a 3.1 inch touschscreen, and works on Sprint’s iDEN network (the Nextel Direct Connect Walkie Talkie feature also known as Push To Talk).

Best Rugged Android Phone for AT&T

Pantech Crossover

Pantech Crossover Android Phone (AT&T) Average Rating: 5 total customer reviews...

AT&T was the last major carrier to get a ruggedized Android phone though their phone is quite economical and is best described as a rugged Motorola Droid.

It features a 600 Mhz processor (just like the original Droid) and a slide out keyboard.

While it’s feature set is a bit underwhelming,  at least it’s economically priced, costing just $70 with a two year contract.

Best Rugged Android Phone for T-Mobile

Motorola Defy

Motorola Defy Android Phone (T-Mobile) Average Rating: 28 total customer reviews...

Like the other phones featured on this list, the Motorola Defy for T-Mobile isn’t going to win any beauty contests nor is it raw processing power or internal storage going to wow you.  However, that’s not what it’s built for.

The Motorola Defy runs Android 2.1 and does everything you’d expect an Android phone to do.  It also uses Swype for text input which is one of my favorite virtual keyboard apps for Android, though again I’ll say I would have liked this phone to have a dedicated hardware keyboard for reasons I won’t rehash again for fear of sounding like a broken record.

It also has a 5 megapixel digital camera and the built in FM tuner is certainly a nice touch that you won’t find on any of the other rugged phones in this list.   The 3.7” touchscreen is also the largest of the ruggedized phones.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fqz6LzyFqus

The 3D Screen

There’s a lot we like about this phone but since the focus on this phone is the 3D screen, let’s talk about this first.

As far as size goes, it’s the same size as the original EVO and many other new Android phones – 4.3″

The screen has a high resolution – 960 x 540 – which takes it close to the resolution of the iPhone 4.

Just like with the Nintendo 3DS, the EVO 3D doesn’t require glasses for it’s 3D screen though the viewing angle for 3D is quite small.

Even if you don’t care much about having a 3D screen, I’ll tell you the display is still gorgeous as a 2D screen, one of the nicest out there right now even if it isn’t Super AMOLED.

3D Video

One of the big things I think that is really holding back 3D from gaining a foothold is the dearth of content available.   Sprint is currently working with Blockbuster, Youtube, and game developers to hopefully have 3D movies, videos, and games available at the launch.

Of course, you don’t have to wait for 3D videos to come out with this phone – you can make them yourself with the dual 5 megapixel cameras on the back.  You can record 3D video in up to 720p HD resolution.

If you’d rather not record your video in 3D, then you can record in full 1080p in 2D with the rear video camera.

Also, you get a 1.3MP front facing video camera for video conferencing via Qik.

Under The Hood

If you peek under the hood of this thing, you’ll find plenty of power to keep everything snappy and responsive.

It’s packing a dual core 1.2 GHZ Snapdragon processor and a full 1GB of RAM.

As far as storage goes, it’s not bad but it’s not great either.  You get 4GB of internal memory (which helps the phone perform faster) and an included 8GB microSD card.  You can expand the microSD card to 32GB so more capacity is a simple trip to the store away.

It’s also running the latest version of Google Android – 2.3 Gingerbread.

Battery Life – One of the biggest disappointments with the original EVO was how miserable the battery life was.  I remember one of my friends telling me that he always made sure that when he left to go to work in the morning, he had a spare battery with him because the battery life on it was so bad, it simply wouldn’t last a full day.

The EVO 3D has a bigger battery – a 1730 mAh battery compared to the 1500 mAh battery which should hopefully help the EVO 3D have battery performance on par with other high end smartphones.

Other Specs

4G WiMax

HDMI Connectivity

Size: 5″ x 2.6″ x .47″ (127 x 66 x 12 mm)

Weight: 6 ounces (170 grams)

Price: Unknown

Release Date: Summer 2011

Conclusion

I have to admit that I was a little disappointed to see the kickstand found on the original EVO is gone and while NFC is still and up and coming technology, it’d have been nice to see that added into this phone, but otherwise I don’t have many complaints.

Even if the 3D thing doesn’t really take off, the HTC EVO 3D is a fine phone and a worthwhile upgrade if you’re on the Sprint Network.  And seeing as how Sprint’s unlimited plans are actually unlimited and their wireless plans are a little less expensive than Verizon and AT&T, you may actually want to switch if you live in an area with good Sprint coverage.

What do you think – like it? love it? hate it?

Let me hear from you in the comments below.

Well, that’s changing today as Google and Sprint announced the Nexus S 4G.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=zomH5m5NikY

Not much has changed with the Nexus S phone itself.  You’re still getting the stock Android experience and you can expect to always be first in line for the latest updates to the Android operating system (right now it’s running Google Android 2.3 Gingerbread – the Nexus phones are the only ones that have the latest and greatest Android OS at the moment).

Internally, about the only change is that instead of GSM technology, it’s using CDMA technology and of course the WiMax (4g) antenna being added.

The New Google Nexus S 4G For Sprint

Price: $199.99 with 2 Year Contract

The release date hasn’t been announced but it shouldn’t be more than a month or two for it to be released.

America’s only 4G smartphones and available exclusively on Sprint.

I think it’s only natural to compare the two, so that’s exactly what we did.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8y-nOP4bM0

Operating System

Both phones are powered by Android – the EVO 4G has recently been updated to Android 2.2 (with HTC Sense UI) while the Epic 4g still has Android 2.1 (with Touchwiz UI) but the update is expected in the next couple months.

Edge: EVO

Processor

Both phones have 1GHZ processors, though the EVO sports a Qualcomm Snapdragon and the Epic features a Cortex A8 Hummingbird.  In performance tests, the Hummingbird is faster.

Edge: Epic

Display

Both phones have the same resolution of 480 x 800 but the EVO has a 4.3″ screen while the Epic has a 4″ screen.  The biggest difference is that the EVO uses a TFT LCD display while the Epic uses one of Samsung’s new Super AMOLED displays.

Edge: Epic

Storage

The Epic is the clear winner here with 16GB of space (expandable to 32GB) while the EVO has a mere 8GB.

Edge: Epic

Battery Life

To be honest, the battery on both is a bit of a weak point.  Both feature 1500 mAh batteries and both get similar life from the batteries.

Edge: Draw

Cameras

Both phones have cameras with flash and front facing cameras for video chat via Qik.  The EVO bests the Epic hear with it’s 8MP dual LED rear facing camera and 1.3MP front facing camera compared to the 5MP single LED flash and VGA camera on the Epic

Edge: EVO

Price

EVO – $200 w/ 2yr contract
Epic  - $250 w/ 2yr contract

Edge: EVO

Other

The EVO has a kickstand for when you’re watching videos and don’t want to hold the phone and HDMI out and can function as a wireless hotspot for 8 devices.

On the other hand the Epic works as a wireless hotspot for up to 5 devices and has a handy dandy slide out qwerty keyboard though with its built in Swype keyboard on the touchscreen you probably won’t use it very often.

Overall

Both are great phones so you really can’t go wrong with either one, though we’ll give the edge as the best smartphone to get to the Samsung Epic 4G over the EVO since it’s newer, slightly faster, and has a better screen.   We’ll overlook the fact that it’s running Android 2.1 since the update should be coming soon.

Winner: Samsung Epic 4G by a hair

This video should clear it all up for you:

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yDmwItEdfI0

Here is the quick version if you’re curious:

• Epic 4G – Sprint
• Fascinate – Verizon
• Captivate – AT&T
• Vibrant – T-Mobile

All have 4″ Super AMOLED Screens, 1 GHZ Cortex A8 Hummingbird Processors, 512 MB of RAM,  5MP Cameras, and run Android (2.1) with Samsung’s Touchwiz interface on top of Android.

The Epic 4G has the most features by far.  It is the only one with a dedicated slide-out qwerty keyboard, front facing camera for video chat (via qik), and 4G capabilities.

The Fascinate and Epic 4G both can serve as wireless hotspots for up to 5 devices.

The Captivate and Vibrant don’t have flash on their cameras while the Fascinate and Epic 4G both feature single LED flash.

Updated 01/04/12

With so many different Android phones on the market now, picking the best of them can be a bit of a challenge.

I’m throwing this little guide together to help you determine the best Android phone and I’ll even separate it by carrier so if you would like to remain with your current cell phone provider, I’ll give you the best Android powered phone they’ve got.

In general, Verizon seems to have really positioned itself as the leader for high end Android powered smartphones with its “Droid” line.  With the recent addition of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus to Verizon’s already formidable lineup, there’s no doubt that Verizon currently offers the best Android phones.

Also, all the phones on this list are popular, which means they’re more likely to get upgraded to the latest and greatest version of Android.

Best Android Phone For Verizon

Winner:  Samsung Galaxy Nexus

Runner Up: Droid Razr

This was an incredibly difficult choice for us as each phone has certain little advantages over the other.  We eventually decided that running stock Android, an unlocked bootloader, and the slightly bigger screen were enough to win us over and select the Samsung Galaxy Nexus over the Motorola Droid Razr.  Keep in mind I’d still recommend both of them in a heartbeat over anything else on the market right now.

Here’s the comparison video I did if you want a detailed comparison of our two top Verizon Android phones.

In the past Google has released its flagship Nexus line of phones with T-Mobile, leaving a lot of us out in the cold.  Google finally worked out a deal with Verizon (or Samsung did, not sure) to bring us Google Nexus goodness on a cell phone carrier that covers just about everyone in the U.S.

With it’s giant, high resolution screen (it rivals the iPhone 4S in pixel density despite being nearly twice as big in area), NFC chip, 4G connectivity, and super fast dual core processor, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is our top Android phone.  And one nice benefit is that you know you’ll be first in line for future Android operating system updates.

The Droid Razr was the runner-up in a tightly contested battle.  It still sports a lightning fast dual core processor, 4G LTE connectivity, and super thin, sexy, industrial design.  It also has Smart Actions, an app similar to Tasker, but much more user friendly.

Samsung Galaxy Nexus 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless) Average Rating: 107 total customer reviews...

Motorola DROID RAZR 4G Android Phone, Black 32GB (Verizon Wireless) Average Rating: 156 total customer reviews...

Best Android Phone For Sprint

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch

Runner Up: HTC EVO 3D

You want to know what I still love about Sprint.  They’ve got this underdog mentality and as a result, don’t do as many evil things as their two bigger brothers (Verizon & AT&T).

If you want to get the most out of your Android phone, their truly unlimited data plans are hard to beat.   And the Sprint TV lineup allows you to watch TV on your phone which is a feature that nobody else offers but I don’t hear many people talk about – it’s very cool.

The downside is their coverage map is a lot smaller, and their 4G coverage still leaves a lot to be desired despite having a head start over Verizon and AT&T.

They do have some excellent phones, however.  We tabbed the Samsung Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch as our top pick, which despite being a mouthful to say, is a fantastic phone sporting a big bright 4.52″ screen and a zippy 1.2 GHz dual core processor.

And for those of you who like installing custom ROMs like CyanogenMod, Epic 4G Touch has an unlocked bootloader.

Samsung Galaxy S II Epic Touch 4G Android Phone (Sprint) Average Rating: 97 total customer reviews...

HTC EVO 3D 4G Android Phone (Sprint) Average Rating: 77 total customer reviews...

Best Android Phone For AT&T

Winner: Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket

Runner Up:  HTC Vivid

One of the nice benefits of AT&T is that while their current 4G LTE coverage area is puny, their LTE phones still support HSPA+ which means you’ll get faster surfing than standard 3G in none LTE areas.

Simply stated, if you’re an AT&T customer in a 3G area and you sit next to a Verizon customer in a 3G coverage area, you’ll get faster speeds (most of the time) thanks to AT&T’s HSPA+ technology.

The Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket took our top spot for best Android phone for AT&T.  It runs on AT&T’s screaming fast 4G LTE network and sports a beefy dual core 1.5 GHz processor and a full GB of RAM.  It has specs worth drooling over.  And just to show they didn’t forget the little things, it also has a 6-axis gyroscope and even has a Wireless N antenna.  The only thing I could ask for is an NFC chip and an FM tuner.

While the HTC Vivid didn’t earn our top spot, it’s still an excellent choice and is one of the only phones that currently has an LED backlit screen and also runs on the 4G LTE network.  With only 256MB of RAM and no gyroscope, we weren’t able to bill it as our top AT&T Android phone, but it’s still a nice choice and it comes in white for those of you who love white smartphones.

Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket 4G Android Phone (AT&T) Average Rating: 62 total customer reviews...

HTC Vivid 4G Android Phone, White (AT&T) Average Rating: 3 total customer reviews...

Best Android Phone For T-Mobile

Winner: HTC Amaze 4G

Runner Up: Samsung Galaxy S II

T-Mobile may have felt a little left out recently as all the Android phones getting all the attention were for companies like Verizon and AT&T.

Fear not, my T-Mobile loving friends.  T-Mobile still loves you and their HTC Amaze 4G can easily go toe to toe with the best any other carrier has to offer.   It has one of the fastest processors on the market with a 1.5 GHz dual core processor and a full gig of RAM.  It also has a nice qHD screen with a 960×540 resolution, giving it a very respectable 256 ppi (pixels per inch density).

HTC Amaze 4G Android Phone, White (T-Mobile) Average Rating: 3 total customer reviews...

Best Android Phone For U.S. Cellular

Winner:  Motorola Electrify

Runner Up:  HTC Hero S

U.S. Cellular is a popular regional carrier and while they may not have the same lineup of high end phones, they still have  Android powered phones that are quite respectable.

We tabbed the Motorola Electrify as our top choice.  It has a 4.3″ screen and a dual core 1 GHz processor.   Sure, it’s not as high end as phones like Galaxy Nexus or Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket, but U.S. Cellular tries to make up for not having quite top of the line equipment by having fantastic customer service and reasonably priced cell phone plans… plus your upgrade window is shorter with U.S. Cellular so you can get a new phone more often.

This is one of the few high powered smartphones that also feature a slide-out qwerty keyboard.  The only other phones worth buying in this category are the soon to be discontinued Motorola Droid and the Droid’s successor, the Motorola Droid 2.

It also sports a 1GHZ processor so it’ll have plenty of power and speed for all your gaming and multi-tasking.   (The processor is a Samsung Cortex A8 Hummingbird, for those who like to know such things)

Dual Cameras – a 5MP camera for taking pictures (with LED Flash) and 720p HD video and a front facing VGA camera for video conferencing via Qik.

4″ Super AMOLED Screen (these are pretty, but Samsung has been having trouble producing enough of them for demand and is producing them exclusively for their own phones at the moment)

512 MB RAM

4G Connectivity

16GB storage with the ability to upgrade to 32GB via microSD

All in all this is another excellent choice for those looking for a Android phone and it gives you another option if you’d like a 4G phone.

Samsung Epic 4g

It’s still a great phone with plenty of power and these days you can get it at a big discount especially if you purchase or upgrade online.

Here’s the official production description along with purchasing information and real user reviews for the product.  For the best price, click the “more information” button as I’m not actually allowed to display the price on the blog (sorry).

• Modesto, California
• Stockton, California
• Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Jacksonville, Florida
• Wilmington, Delaware

This brings the total to 48 markets with 4G coverage – more expected to be coming online soon.

The only current phone able to take advantage of these 4G speeds is still the HTC EVO 4g, but a second phone, the Samsung Epic 4G, will be released in August giving Sprint a total of two phones with 4G capabilities.

Here’s the full list of cities with 4G coverage from Sprint:

• Atlanta, Georgia
• Milledgeville, Georgia
• Honolulu, Hawaii
• Maui, Hawaii
• Boise, Idaho
• Chicago, Illinois
• Baltimore, Maryland
• Charlotte, North Carolina
• Greensborough, North Carolina
• Raleigh, North Carolina
• Las Vegas, Nevada
• Portland, Oregon
• Salem, Oregon
• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
• Lancaster, Pennsylvania
• Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
• Reading, Pennsylvania
• York, Pennsylvania
• Abilene, Texas
• Amarillo, Texas
• Austin, Texas
• Corpus Christi, Texas
• Dallas, Texas
• Fort Worth, Texas
• Houston, Texas
• Kileen, Texas
• Lubbock, Texas
• Midland, Texas
• Odessa, Texas
• San Antonio, Texas
• Temple, Texas
• Waco, Texas
• Wichita Falls, Texas
• Bellingham, Washington
• Kitsap, Washington
• Seattle, Washington
• Snohomish, Washington
• Tacoma, Washington
• Modesto, California
• Stockton, California
• Grand Rapids, Michigan
• Wilmington, Delaware
• Jacksonville, Florida

The following cities are expected to get 4G coverage by the end of 2010:

• Cincinnati, Ohio
• Cleveland, Ohio
• Los Angeles, California
• Miami, Florida
• Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
• Salt Lake City, Utah
• St. Louis, Missouri

While most of the features and specs are rather pedestrian at this point (for example, it sadly only has Android 1.5), the major selling point here is that it features Nextel Direct Connect (push to talk) and it meets Military 810F Standards for ruggedness.  That means it’s built to take some abuse so if your job requires you to be out in the field all day on construction sites or the like, this thing is built to take it.

It’s also the first Android powered smartphone to support iDEN.

The price – $149.99 with 2yr contract or $399 if you’d rather not sign a contract.

Specs:

• Android 1.5
• 600 MHz Processor  (Freescale ARM11)
• 3.5 hrs talk time / 96 hrs standby  (1400mAh battery)
• 230MB internal memory for user storage (for apps, contacts, etc)
• 3.1″ Screen – 480 x 320 Resolution (TFT Display)
• Ruggedized – Mil-Spec 810F for dust, shock, vibration, blowing rain
• 2GB microSD storage (included) – support for up to 32GB
• 5MP Camera with LED flash
• Push To Talk (iDEN)
• 4.63 oz (131 grams)
• 4.65″ x 2.28″ x .5″ (118 x 58 x 12.8 mm)

Motorola i1 - Ruggedized Android Phone - iDEN