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Don't Let the 'Fear of Fragile Phones' Keep You from Enjoying Smarter Communications

TMCnet Feature

October 09, 2014

Don't Let the 'Fear of Fragile Phones' Keep You from Enjoying Smarter Communications

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By Stefania Viscusi
Assignment Desk Editor

The market for mobile devices has surged today to heights no one probably thought was possible, even just 15 years ago. Across the globe, people are choosing to go mobile and picking smartphones more and more, so they can enjoy the benefits of better efficiency and stay connected.


And, there are no signs of this slowing. The latest research from GSMA (News - Alert) Intelligence notes that the total number of mobile connections has now surpassed the human population. And as 3G and 4G mobile networks continue to be introduced across the globe, people are continuing to get connected.

Even as an earlier adopter of the smartphone craze myself, I still also suffer from something I have heard echoed by many just getting on board now (think Baby Boomers) and that is the fear of getting such a pricey phone, that’s so easy to lose, scratch, dent, drown – etc.

Yes, there are extra insurances (at a price of course) to cover some of those scenarios and a number of protective cases that can be bought afterwards to protect devices - and we aren’t even going to go there with Bendgate, but most people just want to know their phone, the phone itself, will be safe from the moment they take it out of the box.

That’s been a major selling point, even to older members of my family who are finally making the switch to smartphones.  One survey done by  comScore (News - Alert) recently even uncovered that 73 percent of consumers said  drop protection or scratch-proof/shatter-proof screens were the most desirable durability feature with 62 percent saying waterproofing should even be a standard feature on their next phones.

This fear is being called “Fragiphoniphobia” by Kyocera (News - Alert), which also introduced a solution to the problem that I had a chance to test out first hand.

The company’s Hydro Life phone introduced a few months back, is a waterproof 4G Android (News - Alert) that the company claims is  also drop-proof, shock-proof to Military Standard 810G. It’s also IP57 certified, to protect it from dust and full immersion in water up to a meter deep for up to 30 minutes. 

The phone was easy to use since I was familiar with Android already, and my test calls we’re clear – but I had to test the waterproofing out for myself. It was scary thinking about putting a new, fully functioning phone into a glass of water and just letting it sit there. I’ve had a few bad experiences in my distant past with much older, dumb phones, which voided warranties simply for bringing it along to the beach with me or leaving it on the bathroom counter while I took a shower – never mind purposely dunking it into a glass of water.

While you can see from the photo I didn’t have anything deeper to put the phone into, even just letting my other phone sit in this much water would have never been possible.

The phone didn’t miss a beat; I even had text messages coming through and was able to press buttons on the screen by dipping my hand in. Pretty promising to think that this is the direction once so fragile devices might be heading and it’s pleasing to see a company like Kyocera step up to offer it earlier than some others in the space.

 “The Hydro Life is a perfect option for someone who leads an active lifestyle, wants access to the latest technology and apps, but needs a smartphone that can withstand the elements,” said Jason Young, senior vice president of marketing at T-Mobile (News - Alert).

 Hydro Life is available for T-Mobile & MetroPCS customers for $124.99 with qualifying service.  The phone also includes a 4.5-inch impact-resistant IPS qHD touchscreen as well as reinforced housing and a non-slip finish – so you don’t have to fear the device sliding easily out of your grip (happens to me all the time).




Edited by Maurice Nagle


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