Choosing the Best Rugged Phone: 6 Essential Questions to Ask

Working in rough industries, such as manufacturing, public safety, or logistics, makes it difficult to keep up with coworkers who are scattered across different areas of the business. While technology helps bridge this gap, most devices are often not equipped to survive harsh environments.

Many businesses have begun to realise that their devices are simply not capable of handling tough environments, resulting in lowered productivity while on-the-go or in the field. A survey conducted among construction workers found that 40% of workers¹ reported that less than half of the mobile devices they use are built to withstand the tough terrains they work in on a daily basis.

But, in a market flooded with options, how can you be sure that you are picking the right solutions? The answer is simple; by choosing ruggedised devices that are durable, reliable, and seamlessly integrated with existing solutions. These six questions will guide you towards choosing the best ruggedised devices that align perfectly with your business’ needs.

Before looking at the various ruggedised devices available in the market, you must first assess the environment your workforce spends the most time in. For instance, construction workers work in rocky and sandy environments, while first responders respond to situations in all sorts of weather conditions and environments.

Thus, the first layer of assessment of a ruggedised device should be understanding the environmental conditions in which the device will be used. This streamlines your search for the optimal device by assessing its capability to stand the test of time as ruggedised devices are assessed and certified based on their durability.

One popular certification given based on device durability is the Ingress Protection (IP) code ratings. This is an indication of how well a device is protected against water and dust. Devices that have this certification significantly boost operational efficiency and reduce downtime.

Another certification to take note of is the military standard (MIL-STD). This is a standardised form of testing done by the US Military to accurately assess device limitations. Ruggedised devices that are military certified undergo vigorous testing, such as drop tests and environmental testing. These certifications can help guide your business decisions that benefit your employees, your business and ensure business continuity.

In order to achieve optimal operational efficiency, businesses need to reduce downtime and overcome physical challenges, such as breakage of devices when out in the field. It becomes even more critical to have both certifications to ensure business continuity. Ruggedised devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy Tab Active5, ensure resilience against drops in any environment, while maintaining the safety of your workforce.

Meeting the compliance requirements of MIL-STD 810H², both the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy Tab Active5 are purpose-built devices that are equipped with Corning® Gorilla® Glass, IP68³ rating for dust and water resistance, and Glove Mode⁴ to ensure work continuity for gloved workers.

The second layer of assessment should be measuring the overall device cost. Businesses often overlook expenses such as maintenance, repairs, and the potential downtime costs associated with mobility solutions. In order to ensure work continuity, businesses must look beyond the initial cost of the device and start accounting for the utilisation of these devices in the day-to-day operations.

To project accurate investments in an enterprise mobility solution, businesses can utilise a calculation method known as total cost of ownership (TCO). This calculation measures the TCO over the device’s entire lifecycle accounting for purchase price, maintenance costs, and repair costs. This gives businesses a true reflection of their investment in an enterprise mobility solution, taking into account potential breakdowns, operational downtime, and turnaround time to get devices back online.

Research conducted by Tech Research Asia revealed that 56% of companies⁵ experience 30%⁶ greater damage to consumer mobile devices compared to ruggedised devices, resulting in a substantial productivity loss of 4.4 days per affected employee.

Businesses that choose a mobility solution that doesn't meet their needs or lacks proper support from technology partners risk significant long-term losses. Collaborating with technology partners that offer comprehensive and customisable mobility solutions, such as Samsung’s Enterprise Mobility Solutions and Samsung Care+ for Businesses, empowers businesses to mitigate such disruptions effectively. With the right support, businesses can minimise downtime to ensure uninterrupted productivity along with the flexibility of monitoring and overseeing fleets in real-time.

The third layer of assessment involves testing how compatible the device is with your business’s existing systems, software, and apps. Given the dependency most businesses have on technology and apps, it is pivotal to choose a rugged device that supports the software and systems you need to maximise your business’s potential and productivity.

The ideal rugged device runs on an open-source operating system. An open-source operating system is a software platform whose source code is freely accessible, customisable, and distributable by users, fostering collaborative development and transparency within its community.

Devices using open-source operating systems, like Android, offer customisation to meet specific business needs. They benefit from faster and more reliable security updates and patches, thanks to a global network of IT experts dedicated to improving security.

Rugged devices with open-source operating systems, such as the Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy Tab Active5, are highly compatible with a wide range of hardware and software solutions, providing flexibility for seamless integration with existing systems.

In addition to their optimization and security features, ruggedised devices offer enhanced versatility. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5 integrates with Samsung DeX, enabling a PC-like experience without the need for a laptop. Workers can harness the power of their tablet as the Galaxy Tab Active5 handles quick content sharing, simultaneous displays, and seamless work continuity between mobile and PC through Link to Windows. This ensures businesses can maintain an uninterrupted workflow across various settings.

The fourth layer of assessment is evaluating the device’s battery life. Businesses require resilient devices capable of sustained operation without frequent recharging interruptions. Businesses must look at factors such as recharge times and power optimisation capabilities to ensure the device’s battery performance aligns with operational requirements.

For instance, professionals in retail and healthcare frequently work long hours and are constantly on the move. Therefore, they require a robust handheld device that boasts a long battery life to facilitate their daily tasks. Ruggedised devices, such as the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy Tab Active5, with fast charging functionalities and battery replacement options, stand out as optimal solutions. This ensures seamless continuity of operations, allowing for uninterrupted workflow even when devices are being charged.

For businesses reliant on vehicular operations, particularly in sectors like logistics and public safety, the necessity for devices capable of in-vehicle charging without compromising battery longevity is of utmost importance. Therefore, opting for a ruggedised device, like the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active5, equipped with a No Battery Mode⁸ feature, presents as an ideal solution.

This feature allows the device to operate seamlessly without a battery while connected to a power source, facilitating convenient mounting within vehicles. By eliminating the battery component, businesses mitigate risks associated with exposure to extreme temperatures, thereby enhancing battery durability without compromising operational efficiency.

Even within challenging industries, a significant portion of operations takes place online. Thus, the fifth layer of assessment when choosing a ruggedised device is the device’s level of protection and security features.

Device security is now more important than ever before. Businesses need devices with stronger security to prevent data breaches, protecting both the company and its workforce. It is important to look for ruggedised devices that offer comprehensive security measures—like the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 and Galaxy Tab Active5—such as biometric authentication, encrypted storage, and remote management capabilities.

Businesses should future-proof investments by selecting devices fortified with recurrent security updates. By choosing a technology partner, like Samsung, that offers consistent and timely security updates, businesses can reshift their focus back to their core priorities without worrying about cyber threats.

For example, Samsung’s ruggedised devices are equipped with Samsung Knox, a defence-grade security system that protects your device from the moment it's unboxed. With a security system like this, businesses can take comfort in the fact that their devices have layered security to ensure hardware and software protection, safeguarding private and confidential data.

When considering the purchase of a ruggedised device, it's crucial to evaluate how it can streamline your tasks and improve day-to-day operations. Hence, the final layer of assessment is the convergence of devices. This refers to the integration of multiple functions into a single ruggedised device.

For example, workers in manufacturing traditionally carried multiple devices like a walkie-talkie, a barcode scanner, and a smartphone. However, using multiple devices can compromise safety by causing distractions and reducing focus, which increases the risk of accidents.

Hence, it is pivotal that businesses invest in ruggedised devices that are designed to simplify work by converging multiple devices into one device. Take, for example, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7, which can transform into a barcode scanner via Knox Capture and a walkie-talkie through the Push-to-Talk feature. By employing a multipurpose rugged device, businesses can enhance operational efficiency while maintaining both work quality and safety standards.

This facilitates seamless communication and data capture in various work environments, from warehouses to field service operations, ultimately enhancing productivity and job satisfaction. Investing in a ruggedised device that prioritises user-friendly features and task optimisation means that businesses can empower their workforce to work more efficiently and effectively, contributing to overall operational success and employee satisfaction.

By answering these six questions, you can navigate the rugged device market with clarity. This ensures that you are making well-informed decisions that not only meet your business’s immediate needs but also contribute to long-term operational success.

Choosing Samsung’s line of ruggedised devices means choosing protection, versatility, and optimisation. Having one device that is capable of doing the work of multiple devices helps to save time and increase operational efficiency. So whether you are using the device in the field or on-the-go, you can rest assured that Samsung’s line of ruggedised devices can withstand it all.