If you are sick and tired of this glass sandwich design, throw away culture we are fostering when it comes to our smartphones, then perhaps it is time to turn your attention to a company that has been making premium rugged phones that won’t break the bank or its screen when dropped. The Kyocera Duraforce Pro 2, is a virtually unstoppable Android phone that is all about durability.

Kyocera began the production of its first cellphone back in 1991 and have established themselves on one very simple principle – create mobile phones that help people feel comfortable with new technology, and use it to connect, perform, and outsmart the challenges in life. Over the past two decades, they have been an industry leader in mobile communication technology and more recently, have turned their attention towards designing smartphones that are known for their durability, dependability and long-term value and the Duraforce Pro 2 is no exception.

The Duraforce Pro 2 features all the modern hardware conveniences of today’s modern smartphones all wrapped up neatly in a 5-inch durable polycarbonate package. Like many more expensive offerings on the market, the phone is IP68 certified but also features Military Standard 810G protection against dust, drop, shock, vibration, high altitude, humidity, icing and freezing rain, temperature extremes and more. The phone has a crisp FHD Sapphire display (Yes, Sapphire!) that is incredibly scratch resistant, a reliable fingerprint scanner for added security and is powered by a 3240mAh Lithium Ion battery with wireless charging. You also get powerful dual front facing speakers (106dB) plus 4 noise canceling microphones for superior audio, an impressive camera that can capture 4k video and just in case, a brilliant a two-year standard manufacturer’s warranty for added protection and assurance.

All this stunning hardware is powered by the Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 630 Octa-core processor with 4GB RAM, 64GB of expandable storage and running the show is the Android Oreo operating system, which may not be the newest but is still a powerhouse. You also get some powerful connectivity options with support for global LTE, Bluetooth 5.0, enterprise grade Wi-Fi and even a headphone jack (you read that right).

So, with such an impressive spec. sheet why aren’t more people buying this phone? The simple answer to that question is the market that Kyocera is targeting. This phone is not designed for pre-pubescent kids snap chatting their lives away but rather for those that rely on their phone to get the job done and as such the Duraforce Pro 2 features some welcome additions for the business workforce. This includes Band 14 capability for the Advanced EPTT service, a unique feature that allows First Responders to have a smartphone for emergency situations and communicate between units. There is also, our favorite, an Outdoor Report app – a preloaded app that gives you quick access to conditions all in one location for an informed work day or family outing; Weather Forecast, Tide Index, Solunar, Fish Finder, Sun/Moon Position, Compass with Tilt Meter, Altimeter and Barometer. Lastly, and you may never hear us mention this in another smartphone review anytime soon, the phone is also certified for use in classified hazardous work environments where concentrations of flammable gases, vapors, or mists are not normally present in an explosive concentration (but may exist) …this thing is virtually the Terminator of smartphones.

So, what was it like to use? If I weren’t brainwashed by the Apple ecosystem, this would be the phone I use as my daily driver. I constantly have phone anxiety, a fear that I will drop my $1400 iPhone and break it, it causes many sleepless nights and I just don’t want that anymore. I want a phone that lives with me not me live for it. The Duraforce is a robust, rugged and yet perfectly balanced for everyday use.

Having said that, we were not fans of some of the bloatware preloaded on the device, the fingerprint scanner was a little funky to use sometimes and the camera is just suitable but not going to win any quality awards, however, if you are willing to put all these aside, you truly have a great choice in the Duraforce Pro 2.

Get yours at https://www.kyoceramobile.com/duraforce-pro-2/