When Kyocera offered us their “ruggedized” smartphone for testing, they wanted us to find out how well it would work in ADV environments. Given that the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 is meant to take it all and call back for more, we were happy to give it a test.

我started to think about the environments that the phone would be used in. I also thought about the things that might be useful when out and riding.

测试计划

最终，我为Duraforce Pro 2提出了六个不科学但现实世界中的使用测试。

1. 手套测试– Would a rider be able to make inputs on the display with a gloved hand?
2. Waterproof test – Could the phone withstand riding in the rain or immersion in water?
3. Speaker volume test – Is the phone’s speaker loud enough to be heard with a closed full-face helmet and the visor down or when moving on the trail?
4. Screen brightness test – Since the phone would largely be used outdoors, how well can you see the screen in bright sunlight?
5. Drop test – Since phones mounted to bikes or carried by riders sometimes fall off or are dropped, could the phone withstand a drop from a motorcycle? (Ask me: I know first hand since I totaled my last phone when it fell off at speed on a dirt road.)
6. Feature review – Are there any other features found on the DuraForce Pro 2 that would be useful, or at least fun to use?

With those test parameters in mind, I set out to see how well the phone works.

手套测试

京都says that the phone will accept inputs from a gloved hand. However, they hadn’t tested the phone with motorcycle gloves. Frankly, I was a bit doubtful that the phone would be able to sense the touch of a thickly gloved hand.

For the test, I donned a well-known maker’s dual-chamber gloves and used the thickest chamber. This would put the most material between the phone and my finger. Using the tip of my finger, I tried to enter the text messaging screen. Nothing happened. I tried again, and still the phone did not sense the input.

But when I used the pad of my finger instead of my fingertip, the phone was able to sense my inputs, and the text messaging center came up. Next, I tried to compose and send a text, and the phone sensed all my inputs. So the key to using the phone with your gloves is to use the pad of your fingers, not the tip of your finger.

Fidgety

Using the pad of your finger can make data input a bit “fidgety,” but I think it’s worth it not to have to stop and remove your gloves before you can use your phone. I’m not suggesting that you send texts or other similar activities while you are riding. But it is nice to be able to stop and use your camera when you come across a beautiful scene or send a text, without removing your gloves – especially when your hands are cold (freezing) or hot (sweaty) and aren’t happy to come out of or go into your gloves.

Can you leave your gloves on?

说完一切后，我在此测试中给京都一个“ C+”。必要的触摸有点烦躁，但肯定是可行的。不必脱下手套是很棒的。

Waterproof test

To test the phone’s “waterproofness,” I intended to perform two trials. First, I would ride all day in the rain with the phone out in the open in an X-cradle. But the rain gods weren’t listening in Florida, so there’s no all-day rain test.

但是，由于Kyocera说您实际上可以参加Duraforce Pro 2游泳并在水下拍摄照片和视频，因此可能会在水槽中浸入手机，同时将摄像机放置在水槽中，这是一个很好的测试。是的，它在水槽中浸入大约18英寸的水中持续半小时。

Starting the test

我turned on the water, let it rise to about 10 inches deep, and dropped the phone in. I let the water continue running with the phone in the sink to try to simulate some movement or underwater current. When the water in the sink was about 18 inches deep, I turned it off and walked away.

A little more than 20 minutes later, I came back and could see that the phone and the video camera were still working. I left it submerged for another 10 minutes, and there was no change. The phone was still working.

我turned on the water again to shake things up for another minute or so and let the phone sit. When I returned more than 10 minutes later, the phone was still recording and showed no signs of malfunctioning.

在测试结束时，我将电话从水中取出并干燥。我测试了手机的扬声器。播放音乐时，声音和被淹没之前一样好。

我s the phone waterproof?

我can say with certainty that the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 is waterproof to the extent of this testing. And frankly, I have no doubt that it will do fine in the wet conditions that riders experience. The Kyocera gets an “A” grade on this test.

Speaker volume test

京都说，Duraforce Pro 2配备了额外的扬声器，因此可以在工作现场听到它们，并且可以与他们的推动交谈（PTT）功能一起使用。

From my perspective, what is most important is the phone’s ability to put out enough sound so that it can easily be heard through a full-face helmet with the visor closed. As I said earlier, this is not a scientific test but one based on real-world scenarios. So off I went on the bike to see how well I could hear the phone with the volume turned up to maximum.

What Kyocera has done is position the speakers on the face of the phone. That puts the sound right in your face, not out the bottom of the phone. Having the sound projected directly towards you seems to be a good idea.

And not surprisingly, the sound could be easily heard and understood. In fact, I could hear instructions from Google Maps at speeds up to about 35 mph. Once stopped, if you are a modular, open face, or dirt bike helmet user, I would suggest that you could even hold a conversation with a caller using the phone’s push to talk feature. You won’t have to remove your helmet.

Sound quality

As for sound quality, that’s quite a subjective topic. And I don’t usually use my phone to listen to music without earbuds. But comparing the DuraForce Pro 2’s sound quality (using music as the determining factor), I would say that my Samsung S10+ has a slightly better sound quality but is not as loud. I imagine that’s what Kyocera might have had in mind. A bit of sacrifice to speaker sound quality for the ability to hear the phone in loud environments.

Sound test results

At the test’s conclusion, I was happy with the DuraForce Pro 2’s sound. It might have a bit less sound quality, but the volume and the fact that the speakers are mounted on the front of the phone make it worth an “A-” on this test.

Screen brightness test

Since the phone is supposed to be used extensively outdoors, it makes sense to test how well the screen can be seen both indoors and outdoors in bright sunlight. So I set both phones to their respective adaptive brightness modes and let them decide how to set their brightness levels.

For the first test, I kept the phones indoors and put them on the counter. With both phones set to adaptive brightness, the Kyocera is much brighter and easier to see than the Samsung S10+. That’s a good thing. I also have to wonder whether the Kyocera phone was using more battery to get the screen as bright as it was. But sticking to visibility, the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 wins hands down.

比较

Next, I took both the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 and my personal Samsung S10+ outside in the bright sunshine, placed both phones flat in the bed of my truck, and left them in ambient light mode. As you might guess, both phones automatically set their brightness modes to 100%. Not surprisingly, both displays were less visible in the bright Florida sunshine.

我n bright sun, the Samsung S10+ beats the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2. Both can be seen and read, but I have to say that the Samsung S10+ has an edge on brightness and readability.

也就是说，三星S10+具有一个屏幕保护器，该保护器应提供额外的损害保护，减少眩光并消除反射率。但是，Kyocera显示器在显示屏上没有任何其他保护/帮助。坦率地说，在看到下一个测试之后，您会明白为什么可能不需要屏幕保护器。

我can see you

最终，结果表明，京都手机在室内更明显，而三星S10+则具有户外边缘。结果，我给Kyocera duraforce Pro 2手机一个“ B”等级，以使其在阳光下的屏幕可见度。

Phone drop test

我was really, really looking forward to this test. Kyocera says that the DuraForce Pro 2 meets or exceeds MIL-STD 810G. Having previously been in the defense industry for many years, I am acquainted with this MIL standard. It covers many, many areas, not just shock. It covers a broad spectrum of tests, ranging from temperature, humidity, sand and dust, to rain, vibration, and shock. Because of all these parameters, MIL-STD 810G can be very difficult to pass.

然而,对于平民的世界,声称为基础810G compliance does not require a manufacturer to send the tested item to an outside source. You are depending on the vendor to have either sent the item out for testing or at least completed the whole of the standard’s testing.

我知道京都将此电话出售给警察部门和联邦机构，因此他们最好能够支持他们的主张。无论如何，我计划的测试应该解决此问题。

最终，我想模拟越野车手遇到的环境。为此，我认为前往一条土路并将手机从大约五英尺丢到路面上几次，看看会发生什么，这是很好的。但是我对它的想法越多，我就越想在移动时将手机从自行车上丢掉。我很确定，尤其是鉴于我以前的三星S10从我移动的自行车掉下来时，手机无法生存。

So I called Kyocera and asked them if they would mind if I dropped the phone off the bike at speed. To their credit, they said that the phone wasn’t designed for that but that I should go right ahead and try. Well, OK, then. It’s off to find some dirt.

拍摄的结果

Not too far from my home here in Florida, there are a series of roads that would fit the bill well. The roads are hard-packed dirt with loose sand on top thrown in for fun. Once there, I would toss the phone from the bike at speed.

My original plan was to drop the phone at 30 mph a few times and call it a day. But that seemed repetitive and wouldn’t simulate the different speeds we travel at off-road. To make it interesting, I decided to toss the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 phone from the bike at 20, 30, and 35 mph.

我asked Kim to film the events, and she agreed. We found an isolated dirt road and began the testing. This video shows the results. I may have dropped the phone at speeds faster than planned.

视频结果

现在您知道我不仅掉了下来，而且在20、30、40和50英里 /小时的时间里从自行车上扔了电话。电话毫发无损。情况和玻璃显示器均未遭受任何损坏。所有手机控件仍然有效，外壳没有被刮擦，并且显示玻璃仍然是完美的。从我的角度来看，这是出色的表现。

值得注意的是，我被摧毁的三星S10具有“高质量的影响保护案件”以及屏幕保护罩盾牌，并且仍然被摧毁。Kyocera Duraforce Pro 2没有其他保护案例，也没有屏幕保护膜。如果您决定没有一个或两个，那也可以节省几美元。

So using the experience from my personal Samsung S10’s death, I give the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 an “A+” grade for its impact durability.

Sports overlay

我’m sure you noticed the phone’s sports overlay while the camera was recording the drops. The sports overlay provides several bits of information that can be useful and fun.

When turned on (it can be easily turned on or off), it shows speed, maximum speed, elapsed time, altitude, G-force, maximum G-force, distance covered, day, date, and time. It also features a “route map” on a grid showing where the phone has traveled.

在测试期间拥有此功能并有机会查看所有信息真是太好了。在此测试的情况下，很高兴获得有关手机在滴剂中经历的信息的信息。如果您没有注意到，当手机撞到污垢时，手机花费了多达6.4 GS。有趣的是，它在最慢的下降下经历了6.3 GS。

尽管体育覆盖层提供了很多信息，但并非没有任何故障。正如您在上面的屏幕截图中看到的那样，高度表表示我骑在-41英尺处。那是因为高度计要求您手动施加气压。我这样做了，但是不幸的是，高度计仍然刻板。我居住的地方约为20英尺MSL，因此手机应该在该数字周围显示高度。

另外，在显示屏的右下角，您可以看到一个“网格”和一个黄色的点标记您的进度。在这种情况下，您会看到我在路的一段直线上。这是一个很酷的功能，但不幸的是，数据无法导出。bummer。我希望京都可以在未来的电话中使数据可导出。

Everything else works as promised, and overall, I really like the overlay feature.

Phone Specs

Since this is supposed to be a practical test and review, I won’t get into the phone’s technical aspects. But below are the specs on Kyocera’s website:

Usability

Probably the most important part of this test is how easy and well the phone performs in day-to-day use. For me, overall, the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 is equal to or better than my Samsung S10+. With the exception of screen brightness in bright sunlight, the Kyocera performs very well.

Battery life and charging times are good. It takes a tad over two hours to charge from 0 to 100%. In daily use, I never had to worry about running out of power by the day’s end.

That said, GPS use is a battery hog. If not connected to a power source, you should get six to eight hours of Google Maps use before needing a charge. Obviously, if you are running apps in the background, the battery’s charge will be depleted more quickly. Overall, the Kyocera ran a little longer (minutes) than my Samsung S10+ in side-by-side comparison.

Conclusion

所以我觉得电话吗?这很简单。我like the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2. Frankly, I’m a little sad that I have to send the phone back. It performs admirably, can hold a charge throughout the day’s use, and can take a beating – and it comes with a two-year warranty. That’s a pretty good combination, in my opinion.

Pricing for the phone varies considerably. Full retail is $449.99. But there are many, many deals out there where you can get the phone for considerably less. If you are willing to sign up for a contract, some service providers may give you the phone for “free.”

Considering that some phones are well over $1,000, (ahem . . . Samsung S10+) the DuraForce Pro 2 seems like a bargain. In fact, once my current personal phone dials its last number, I may just be in the market for a new Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2.

我f you want to get other viewpoints on the DuraForce Pro 2, click on over to the Forum for an excellent thread on this phone.

更新：A representative from Kyocera has reached out to let me know that the DuraForce Pro 2 is tested for its MIL-STD 810G compliance by an independent 3rd party laboratory that has experience with MIL-STD requirements.