The iPhone 8 has a lot of bells and whistles, true, but not everybody needs them. Its all-glass design makes it prone to scratches, dents, and other unsightly battle scars. For folks who prefer a simpler, durable handset, there’s the Kyocera DuraXV LTE, a ruggedized flip phone that’s built to withstand the elements.
The DuraXV LTE is the third addition to the DuraXV family and the direct successor to the DuraXV Plus. This device supports Verizon’s 4G LTE and 2G CDMA networks, plus enterprise extras like Push to Talk Plus and corporate email accounts. That is in addition to HD Voice, which delivers crisper-than-average phone calls; Wi-Fi Calling, which supports over-the-internet phone calling; and mobile tethering, which shares the DuraXV LTE’s internet connection with other devices.
In terms of aesthetics, the Dura VX LTE has a thick clamshell design that would look right at home in a belt holster. An outward-facing LCD screen shows the time and date, cell signal strength, and battery level, and a single 5-megapixel auto-focus camera with an LED flash handles photo-taking duties. The DuraXV LTE’s hardened plastic body is Military Standard 810G for a long list of elements and conditions, including dust, shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, salt, fog, and humidity, and it’s rated IP68 for water immersion up to 6.5 feet for half an hour.
The Dura VX LTE’s tech specs aren’t anything to write home about, as you might imagine. Inside the phone’s flip-up plastic shell is a 2.6-inch QVGA (320 x 240 pixels) powered by a low-range Qualcomm system-on-chip and 256MB of RAM. There is 512MB in onboard flash storage for your favorite apps and music, but if that is not big enough for your music collection, the DuraXV comes with a swappable 4GB microSD card and a card reader that supports up to 32GB.
You won’t be playing Candy Crush or Angry Birds on the DuraXV LTE’s tiny screen and underpowered processor. And at $11 per month or $264 full retail, it’s not exactly a steal — the excellent $280 Moto G5 Plus packs a 5.5-inch HD screen and zippy processor, and the $280 Moto E4 Plus has a long-lasting battery that lasts well over two days on a charge. But if you’re set on a flip phone and can’t be bothered a new smartphone’s ins and outs, the DuraXV LTE might be worth a look.
