MULEGEEK TECHNOLOGIESMULEGEEK TECHNOLOGIES
  • 4G
  • 5G
  • Broadcast
  • Education
  • Mobile
  • streaming
  • Software
Facebook Twitter Instagram
Facebook Twitter Instagram
MULEGEEK TECHNOLOGIESMULEGEEK TECHNOLOGIES
  • 4G

    With 5.7% CAGR, Enterprise WLAN Market Size Worth USD 9.59

    January 30, 2023

    Redmi Note 11 price drops with a 28% discount; Check out deal

    January 30, 2023

    The 2023 Chevy Equinox Needs to Fix 1 Significant Issue

    January 29, 2023

    GL.iNet Beryl AX OpenWrt router review – WiFi 6 performance, repeater, NAS, and 4G hotspot modes

    January 29, 2023

    Unlock The Benefits Of Xfinity Mobile Al – abtamag

    January 29, 2023
  • 5G

    Mafab Communications targets infrastructure sharing to push 5G service

    January 30, 2023

    Review – OPPO A78 5G

    January 30, 2023

    Nokia X30 5G review: Going green

    January 29, 2023

    Samsung Galaxy A14 5G vs. Galaxy A13 5G: Worth the upgrade?

    January 29, 2023

    Only 20% of Taiwan using 5G mobile internet | Taiwan News

    January 29, 2023
  • Broadcast

    Lte And 5G Broadcast Market Analysis by Growth Facts and Revenue Figures over 2023 – 2032

    January 30, 2023

    Who is broadcasting Super Bowl 2023? A guide to the TV channel, announcers & more on Super Bowl 57 rights

    January 30, 2023

    How to listen to AFC Championship vs. Bengals

    January 29, 2023

    Journalists back Kan against budget cuts, say public broadcasting not up for debate

    January 29, 2023

    Who is broadcasting Super Bowl 2023? A guide to the TV channel, announcers & more on Super Bowl 57 rights

    January 29, 2023
  • Education

    How technology will transform global education in 2023

    January 27, 2023

    MassBay Community College Offering Free Computer & Technology Education and Training to Unemployed and Underemployed Workers

    January 27, 2023

    Need to focus on reshaping technology education, says CM Naveen Patnaik

    January 26, 2023

    Tech ed students make cornhole sets for Winter Regatta – WJFW-TV

    January 26, 2023

    Ontario updating curriculum for computer, technological education

    January 24, 2023
  • Mobile

    Orange Belgium and Telenet sign two commercial wholesale agreements providing access to each other’s Hybrid Fiber Coaxial and Fiber to the Home networks

    January 30, 2023

    China Mobile Communications Co., China Mobile Financial Technology, Beijing Red Date Technology Company, IBM

    January 29, 2023

    Getting ready for your 2023 tax filing

    January 29, 2023

    Copper Wire’s Long Goodbye – UC Today

    January 29, 2023

    Security, democracy wane in Africa

    January 29, 2023
  • streaming

    Video streaming subscriptions fall by two million in 2022 – BBC

    January 30, 2023

    The big changes coming to streaming services

    January 30, 2023

    NFL playoffs streaming guide: How to watch the Cincinnati Bengals – Kansas City Chiefs game

    January 29, 2023

    FuboTV Turned 8 Years Old In January

    January 29, 2023

    Brighton vs Liverpool:Live stream, TV channel, kick-off time & where to watch

    January 29, 2023
  • Software

    Updates To ezPaycheck Software Enables Trucking Companies Start Payroll, Mid-Year Easily

    January 30, 2023

    Major government tech contractors use monopolistic vendor-lock to drive revenue: study

    January 30, 2023

    Calibrite launches brand new monitor calibration software suite

    January 29, 2023

    Save $93 on This Mini AI Robotics Arm and Software

    January 29, 2023

    Turkish firm to develop ‘critical’ NATO intelligence software

    January 29, 2023
MULEGEEK TECHNOLOGIESMULEGEEK TECHNOLOGIES
Home»5G»Kyocera’s DuraSport 5G makes me miss the Galaxy S8 Active
5G

Kyocera’s DuraSport 5G makes me miss the Galaxy S8 Active

By mulegeek-January 25, 2022No Comments6 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

Years ago, when Samsung discontinued its line of rugged flagship phones, I felt like the world had lost a great opportunity. By then, the trend toward glass sandwiches had started, and it felt like every phone you carried had to have a case lest it slide off the table or shatter when dropped (or both). The Samsung Galaxy S8 Active was the last of the rugged flagships that made it possible to own a great smartphone that still looked good and didn’t necessarily need a case.

Since then, the rugged smartphone space has overcompensated by putting protection at a premium while seemingly going cheap on the internals. You can buy a phone like the Kyocera DuraSport 5G that can drive a nail into plywood, but can you play Call of Duty on it? That’s the main question I attempted to answer during my time with the device, along with the issue of looks.

Fashionably rugged

The Kyocera Durasport 5G is a slim, and nice-looking (if a bit plain) smartphone that is extremely understated. It can withstand drops into muddy water and survive the follow-up rinse, but it just looks like a standard smartphone. It’s one that would fit just as well into a tool belt as it would the inside pocket of a suit. You don’t need to put a case on it because it’s not slippery and the phone is designed to withstand any abuse that would typically necessitate a case. It lets you carry your naked phone with pride.

Adam Doud / Digital Trends

Once you get inside the phone, though, the comparisons to the Galaxy S8 Active stop. The Active series of phones carried flagship specifications; basically, they were Samsung’s current flagship in a more rugged body. The Kyocera Durasport 5G decidedly is not that. Inside, you’ll get a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 processor, 4GB of RAM, and just 64GB of storage. For reference, Call of Duty mobile alone takes up 13GB.

That said, These days it’s hard to find a phone that isn’t “good” by all measurable standards. The DuraSport 5G is no exception. This is a serviceable smartphone in many ways, even managing a session of the aforementioned Call of Duty mobile before I had to uninstall it to make room for photos.

Camera foibles

Speaking of photos, the camera set on the Galaxy S8 Active was top of the line at the time. The cameras on the Kyocera DuraSport are, to put it delicately, not top of the line. The phone comes with a 48-megapixel main sensor and 16MP wide sensor, which is a pretty typical setup for a midrange phone. While shots are fine during the day, there’s very little stabilization going on for video. At night, I would call the camera a dumpster fire, but at least with a dumpster fire, you’d be able to see things in the frame.

The most irksome part about the camera, though, is the software. The camera app is buggy and has a tendency to freeze and/or crash. That’s not awesome when you’re trying to capture little Billy sledding down a hill. It’s also rather frustrating that this phone can handle a demanding game like Asphalt 9, but can’t snap a photo without major hiccups. For most basic tasks, the phone performs just fine, but the camera causes the phone to freak out in a way that can hopefully be fixed with a software update.

Fun surprises

Aside from these issues, the Kyocera DuraSport 5G does pack some nice surprises. First among them is mmWave 5G. Verizon’s ultrafast 5G network comes on this phone, which is great, if you can find it. I did not have the chance to venture to downtown Chicago to test Verizon’s network for myself, but it’s a nice future-proof addition that could easily have been left off. Downtown Chicago is a place where a number of people looking for a rugged phone may work, in construction or public service as police officers, firefighters, EMTs, or anyone else NBC makes a TV series about. So the addition of mmWave is great, especially for a phone that costs less than $600.

Like many rugged phones, the DuraSport has a programmable key that can launch any number of actions or apps. I settled quickly on my usual long press for the flashlight and double press for Google Assistant pattern I usually go with. Seriously, every phone should have a programmable key.

The Kyocera Durasport 5G feels at home in a toolbelt.
Adam Doud / Digital Trends

You also get wireless charging, which, again, is a nice surprise for a rugged phone. Usually, the “hard candy shell” is too thick to accommodate wireless charging, or manufacturers just leave it out for cost reasons. Wireless charging is a feature that was also available on the Galaxy S8 Active, which brings me back around to the point of the main point of this article.

Bring back rugged flagships

While the addition of mmWave and wireless charging are nice surprises, the DuraSport is still nowhere near being a flagship in any other respect. Yes, this is a phone a construction worker can carry on their toolbelt, but when they get home, they’ll pick up an iPhone, or Samsung phone, or some other phone that can do more than just everyday tasks and, most importantly, take photos without crashing.

While manufacturers probably assume that “people who buy flagship phones” and “people who buy rugged phones” are different classes of people, I live in the intersection of that particular Venn diagram. Once upon a time, the Galaxy S8 Active was one of my favorite phones. Here was a phone that could take amazing photos, play any game I wanted, and I didn’t have to worry about it if I fell in a river while geocaching (something that happened far too often).

Flagship phones today typically have an IP68 rating, which is great. They also tend to have the latest edition of Corning Gorilla glass on at least one side, which is also great. But in terms of durability, neither of those hold a candle to the confidence or capabilities the Galaxy S8 Active provided with its uncompromising processor and camera performance. We need manufacturers to remember that premium phones and rugged phones don’t have to be separate categories.

Editors’ Recommendations











Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
mulegeek-
  • Website

Related Posts

Mafab Communications targets infrastructure sharing to push 5G service

January 30, 2023

Review – OPPO A78 5G

January 30, 2023

Nokia X30 5G review: Going green

January 29, 2023

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Categories
  • 4G
  • 5G
  • Broadcast
  • Education
  • Mobile
  • Software
  • streaming

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

Updates To ezPaycheck Software Enables Trucking Companies Start Payroll, Mid-Year Easily

January 30, 2023

With 5.7% CAGR, Enterprise WLAN Market Size Worth USD 9.59

January 30, 2023

Mafab Communications targets infrastructure sharing to push 5G service

January 30, 2023

Lte And 5G Broadcast Market Analysis by Growth Facts and Revenue Figures over 2023 – 2032

January 30, 2023
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
  • About Us
  • Cookies policy
  • Terms of services
  • Contact us
  • DIsclaimer
© 2023Designed by mulegeek.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
Cookie SettingsAccept All
Manage consent

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
CookieDurationDescription
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytics
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
Others
Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
SAVE & ACCEPT