casio commando smartphone

[KE5MUJ]

I have read reviews online, just curious if any of yall have/had one and what your likes/dislikes were.

I am willing to make a few sacrifices in technology if the phone is tough. Uses are work mainly (emails, web browsing) and personal use. I currently have shooter on my stood that I will use for shooting. What yall think?

 

[PSYOPS]

Re: casio commando smartphone

Pretty decent reviews on the Verizon website.

Rugged, durable, and water resistant. Looks to be a good option for a phone.

My contract is up for renewal and I'm ready to pick a new phone...I'm gonna give this one a good look.

 

[RobertB]

Re: casio commando smartphone

Got the droid razr maxx instead and happy i did. Battery life is awesome and its a tough waterish resistant phone especially in the tough case i got. And it feels much better than the commando. But thats me. Good luck

 

[Knife]

Re: casio commando smartphone

I have had one for about a year now and I really like it. It is a rugged phone. It might not be as fast as some of the others but it can take a beating and is water proof. I have shooter on mine also and it works fine. My uncle and friend both have one and they also like them.

 

[Fate0n3]

Re: casio commando smartphone

It is a good phone but with the specs it is hard to choose it over some of the new ones. I am hoping Casio takes another look at this design and comes out with another one with hopefully a little larger screen and a dual core. Would def be a buyer I am sure for a lot of us. I have read those phones can take quite the abuse and they like it.

 

[Swift]

Re: casio commando smartphone

Mine has been bang on reliable. I had the older flip model back in college and we punished it pretty good until a drunken night and brick bar took it to pasture. We froze it in water overnight, threw it around the yard, buried it in snow, it stayed in my pocket in 100* weather during concrete pours and while I don't have the same testing on my Commando, I have no doubts it would take all of it.

The battery is good if you keep the brightness down, the G'z Gear app suite is a really nice feature only found on the Casios. I use the Shooter ballistic app to cross reference with my FDAC and I don't have to fuss with plastic bags if the weather gets sour, it just sits on the ground with me lapping up the rain and after the stage I towel it dry and continue.

On the downside, I was coming from a 4G device with a dual core processor so this phone feels sluggish in comparison but it's manageable, the screen isn't as pretty as a retina display, the keyboard is a nightmare for us mongoloids with big thumbs and while it's Android 2.2, the UI is a bit more watered down to keep processing times up.

All in all, I bought it to serve a purpose and it has performed. A couple small nitpicks aren't dealbreakers and in my opinion, mobile tech is so fluid that your phone is outdated the day it's released so don't get too caught up in speed and storage or you'll lose your mind. There will always be something better.

 

[KE5MUJ]

Re: casio commando smartphone

That's the kinda response I was looking for Jew....

 

[Eric B.]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

Not to hijack the thread but to add more info on "Marine-proof" gear.

The Olympus TG 1 camera is, by all reviews, the best point-and-shoot rugged camera on the market. Its F2 lens takes great low light shots and it can accept add-on lenses yet it is waterproof to 40 ft. (But not the add-on lenses.)

I've had mine for a month and so far I'm <span style="font-style: italic">still</span> learning its capabilities. I got mine to handle backpacking and backcountry skiing. Works great on jet skis too.

 

[Swift]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: litehiker</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Not to hijack the thread but to add more info on "Marine-proof" gear.

The Olympus TG 1 camera is, by all reviews, the best point-and-shoot rugged camera on the market. Its F2 lens takes great low light shots and it can accept add-on lenses yet it is waterproof to 40 ft. (But not the add-on lenses.)

I've had mine for a month and so far I'm <span style="font-style: italic">still</span> learning its capabilities. I got mine to handle backpacking and backcountry skiing. Works great on jet skis too. </div></div>

How are the prices on the lenses? Nikon has a similar design but the lenses cost as much as a DSLR lens.

 

[ddavis]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I can second the review on Casio rugged phones. I've had several. I've skipped them off the concrete into swimming pools, thrown them against brick walls, taken underwater pictures, etc. The only problem I had was with my last one. It would randomly drop calls. I may have jacked up the antennae at some point, who knows. I ended up replacing it with an iPhone, which is *almost* as rugged and just as waterproof when inside a Lifeproof case.

 

[HellsCanyonArmory]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I have had my Casio G'zone for almost a year and while it performs the duty of being tough, my old first gen Droid Incredible was lightspeeds faster, easier to navigate/text/browse, way better pictures/video...etc

The G'zone performs fine as a phone, and excels and being tough, but as a "smart phone" it really is lacking in my opinion. I definitely won't be getting another one as I like my phone to serve multi-purposes.

Mike

 

[ddavis]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I can also agree with this! If you need a super rugged phone that is going to work when you need it, the G'Zone is great. It is really only good at being a phone though. After owning an iPhone, I could not go back to anything that doesn't have similar capabilities.

 

[SurgeonPredator]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

You might take a look at the Motorola Defy, too. It has IP67 standard (not certified, though) and mine works like a charm, is fast and with some knowledge can be upgraded to the current Android version 4.1.1 "JellyBean".

Running Shooter on the phone and it has 800Mhz, but can run stable and quite some time on 1Ghz (with custom Android versions).

But even on Android 2.2 "Froyo" you won't be disappointed. It's no hipster iPhone or dual-core brick. It's small, light, sturdy and never failed me in snow, heat or rugh weather.

 

[noz455sd]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

The guts of the phone are very out dated but is very tough.

 

[sr15match]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I have one but it sets now. I used it for a year or so and it's alright. Durable yes, fast no but then again you're not buying it to compete with the latest stuff out there. It's now my back up to an iPhone 4S. The Driod system is alright, not super and the touch screen isn't as nice or friendly as some others out there. But then again it's a "tough" phone so there will be little things that aren't quite as nice.

I belive really it's the only true tough smart phone on the market still but I can't guarantee that. Look around. But for me giving up the Casio and going to the iPhone 4S in an Otter Box Defender was a good choice. It's not water proof or maybe as shock resistant but I'm more comfy with the Apple and its performance over the Casio.

Just my opinion and experience.

 

[ddavis]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I've taken underwater videos with my iPhone in a Lifeproof case. They kick ass.

 

[pawater]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

Couple of my buddies have Casio's, quite a few problems with them.

 

[KE5MUJ]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

Looks like I'm gonna hold off and go iPhone with the lifeproof. I assume going from droid to iPhone that my apps won't transfer?

 

[NorthernBorn]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I've had one since they came out. I'm on my third one (thanks to software issues caused my firmware updates that for some reason or another caused it to freak out) and I'm still very happy with it. It's not nearly as fast as other phones but it browses the net and does what I need it to do just fine.

For the durability part... I literally wash my phone at least once a week with soap and water. I keep it in my pocket when swimming in the pool or at the lake and it has taken some pretty fantastic falls with absolutely zero issues stemming from it.

I'm so used to not worrying about my phone getting wet or taking damage that if I was to switch to something else it would more than likely be destroyed in a week.

I'll be picking up the Casio G Shock when it comes out. Supposed to be even stronger and have the speed and capabilities of the new smartphones.

 

[predatornut]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

I'm posting from mine right know. I don't notice any performance difference between this and my Incredible. The screen takes some getting used to cause it is a lot less sensitive than any other touch screen I have used. Ive only had it about a month and haven't been brave enough to test how tough it is, but I am impressed with the battery life. I'm not disappointed at all, but i do think a iPhone or similar in a tough case would be fine for most people.

 

[Eric B.]

Re: casio commando smartphone(Olympus TG1 camera)

My nephew is in the "ruggedized" military field electronics busines. The new PDA used in the "21st Century Warrior" pilot program is Droid software based. It accepts Bluetooth downloads for some info.

Slightly off-topic:
All my hunting/backpacking electronic gear is waterproof i.e. Garmin Colorado GPS, Olympus TG-1 digital camera, Steripen water sterilizer (natch), Fusion 1600 10X 42 bino/LRF & Pentax DCF, SP 8 X 42 binos, and Suunto Vector watch.
I've drowned too many items in the past either duck hunting, wilderness canoeing in Quebec and Ontario and backpacking not to have waterproof gear.