>>1028025These guys:
>>1028057>>1028127>>1028128are correct. Ruggedized laptops are proof against shocks, temperature extremes, and water.
With a phone, shocks aren't much of a problem because you don't have a hard drive, or even much in the way of moving parts. So no head crashes. Everything else can be handled with a good case. You know the old panasonic toughbooks? The milspec ruggedized computers? There was an ad where a humvee rolled over one and implied that the laptop could survive... but if you looked closely it shattered the screen. So there's a limit on even the rugged gear.
Against temperature extremes, a good case will help a little against a momentary exposure, but really you just have to be careful. Keep your phone under your clothes and near your body in cold weather, and out of the sun and somewhere cool when it's hot.
Finally, there's water. Some phones like the new samsungs are splash-resistant. NEVER put any phone in saltwater, or even freshwater if you can help it. There you're relying on the case.
So really it's all about having a decently rugged but up-to-date phone, and then getting a really good case for it. If you're really going to be in rough circumstances, then get a cheap unlocked no-name phone and a nice case, then swap SIMs so you can use it when you need it, and a decent phone for EDC when you're home.
