Anyone here have the Commando 4G smartphone from Verizon? I have one on order. I’m not a technology geek so I don’t need the fastest thing out there. Since I’m very hard on my phones and tend to break them, so I figure this one will stand a slightly better chance of surviving… there are a lot of reviews (actual videos) of the phone surviving being submerged for up to 30 minutes.
The phone claims to give you local barometric readings, which I could find handy when out fishing. Anyone else have one and find this useful?
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
I got one, I love it. There are bigger screens out there, but this one is a whole lot tougher. I had the old version and really liked it, but this one is way faster and does even more.
Good. Do you find the barometer to be any help when fishing? Theoretically if you see the barometer suddenly go haywire you could guess a storm was coming. Around here it’s probably not so big of a deal since the land is so flat, there are no tall hills with trees to obscure your view typically. When fishing inshore I can usually see a storm coming a LONG time before it gets to me unless it builds over the top of me.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
I know Tmibile has the Sony Xperia, waterproof up to 1 meter and 30 minutes. It’s also made of a really durable screen, my dads about to get one and it was recomended to him because he’s hard on phones. Not sure if they’d have it, but worth a shot. The iPhone and life proof is always an option
I’m not a fan of TMobile. I considered going to them briefly since my contract is up with Verizon, but I went to their site and could not wade myself through the bull-@#$^@$^ sensationalism and idiot pricing schemes.
I couldn’t easily find out how much the phones were. They would say “$0 up front” which means they just add it to your main bill like a “rent to own” scam. I browsed their main page, got frustrated, and then remembered how awful their network tends to be, and went back to the Verizon page.
I’ve been with Verizon for well over a decade, and haven’t ever (ever) had a network or troubleshooting problem except for ONE bunk phone, but I am becoming more and more impatient with their pricing and sales policies. They charge a $30 upgrade fee, even on new phones.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
Have had the 3g version for a couple of years. It’s basically bulletproof.
I wouldn’t mind upgrading since the newer phone has a good bit more internal storage. My phone is filled with a bunch of google stuff that takes up almost 30% of it’s space. As with most smart phones my battery could be better also. I get about 6 hours between charges which is horrible I feel like. Carry a battery charger with me everywhere.
Fritz, do you carry one of the battery packs or an actual plug-in charger? There are some great 10,000mAh battery packs on Amazon for around $30 that should give you several DAYS worth of heavy use without having to use an electric outlet or DC plug.
On the new version of the Commando, it runs on ICS (Android 4.0.X), and you can actually disable most of those bloatware apps they put on it. It’s not all that easy to find, but you can find videos on youtube on how to disable them. I don’t think you can do that with your older Commando model.
Once mine shows up, you’re welcome to have a look at it. I’ve heard some say that the new one doesn’t seem as solid as your older one, but it could just be an effect of using lighter materials.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
I have both, and the newer one is far better and lighter and has less ports on the sides, plus it has the inductive charging feature which is cool. I gave the old one to my wife so she could have a smart phone. There is still nothing wrong with it after almost 3 years. I had to buy a new battery for it just before I got the new one. I found one on Amazon for $7.55 with free shipping. Cant beat that!
i have the iphone 5 with the otterbox armor which is EVERYTHING proof. kid on youtube sold me on the case. while recording on the phone he throws it out of a 2 story window on to pavement then drives over the phone with both tires on a suv. The case has saved my butt a few times already!
I had the old 3G Commando. It was tough as nails, took a beating and never failed from physical treatment. The memory sucked, the camera sucked, it was difficult to navigate and use, locked up and when the battery goes, it goes.
Switched to the I5 and Lifeproof and am much happier with my telephono.
Mark
Pioneer 222 Sportfish Yamaha F300
Yeah, but do you consider a dog to be a filthy animal? I wouldn’t go so far as to call a dog filthy but they’re definitely dirty. But, a dog’s got personality. Personality goes a long way.
“Life’s tough…It’s even tougher if you’re stupid” John Wayne
i had a lifeproof as well. but a few months and a couple of drops later it wouldnt have lasted a rainstorm in my pocket. my money is on the armor hands down!
I looked into Lifeproof and Armor and saw a lot of negative reports on ability of others to hear you clearly (since there is a waterproof covering over the mic). I steered away and stayed with the defender case and just try to be careful about not dropping phone in water or leaving in a place where it can get doused.
A great weather radar app for any is MyRadar (Pro version is only a few bucks and eliminates ads). Great for monitoring path of storms and is within 10 minutes. I use for boating and when coaching youth sports in the spring/summer. Also eWeather HD gives good barometric readings and forecasts.
Phone arrived today. Solid built phone, you don’t feel afraid you’ll break it by staring at it too hard like some of these new critters from Samsung (which was what I almost got instead).
Phone’s processor is fast although it has a TON of bloatware apps. Fortunately with the Android 4, you can disable them. I disabled probably 15 apps right from the start. Will probably disable 8-10 more in the coming weeks after I try them out.
Hoping the screen is bright out in full sunlight. It’s plenty bright inside but I fear it might be a bit lacking when out in full sunlight compared to some other phones I’ve seen.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
Mine has been dropped, rain drenched, soaked by salt spray, and under water in the bottom of my boat and still works fine. The thing is just as tough as they claim it is. Timex has to be one of their major stock holders.
I disabled all the apps I didn’t use and don’t have any problem with the battery lasting through the day; unless I go out of the range of the towers. It eats the battery when it searches for a signal (near shore/offshore) unless it’s turned off but that’s to be expected. If rugged is what you were looking I don’t think you’ll be disappointed… it’s been a good fit for me.
Phone arrived today. Solid built phone, you don’t feel afraid you’ll break it by staring at it too hard like some of these new critters from Samsung (which was what I almost got instead).
Phone’s processor is fast although it has a TON of bloatware apps. Fortunately with the Android 4, you can disable them. I disabled probably 15 apps right from the start. Will probably disable 8-10 more in the coming weeks after I try them out.
Hoping the screen is bright out in full sunlight. It’s plenty bright inside but I fear it might be a bit lacking when out in full sunlight compared to some other phones I’ve seen.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
I also had one of the older versions, does everything I need it to. I have a detachable lanyard rigged to it that I loop around my T-top leg and it goes on the boat with me in a cup holder - been soaked in salt spray, dropped on the ramp, banged against the console for hours, etc and still works great.
Screen is a little dim in the sun, don’t know if the new ones are better.
all the screens are dim in the sun. there is no way to make a screen that bright and have the battery last all day. I don’t sell a lot of that phone but the ones i have sold do really well and don’t come back with issues.