RRP £200Every outdoor instructor or hill goer should carry a mobile phone, if nothing else for emergencies. Recently there have been a number of so called "tough phones" that feature ruggedness, water resistance, etc. Recently the C702i caught my eye, and as I needed a new phone I invested. The promising set of features gave me hope for a good outdoorsmen phone. The phone says it is water resistant and dust proof, it also boasts a GPS reciever and google maps.
The phone itself is simple and easy to use, texting, calling, saving numbers etc are all easy. The phone also has a sony cybershot 3.2meg camera built in which is very good, and very easy to use. The images produced are brilliant for a mobile phone.
Now onto the main features that would interest someone who was into the outdoors. Water resistant? Yes. In fact I would go so far as to say reasonably water PROOF - I dropped mine in the sink while trying to answer a phone call while shaving, and was able to pick it out of the water, answer the call, and replace it on the side with no problems what so ever. Dust proof? Yes, no problems what so ever, dropped this in the sand at Newborough Warren and there has been no issues as a result of this. GPS, yes, and accurate. The readout is in standard WSG84 lat/long, which is no real use as a navigational tool. However in the event of an emergency it would provide an accurate location for MRT or rescuers. I tested the readout in my local park and checked the readout against an OS map of the area, the readout was accurate on 10/10 occasions. Googlemaps however is crap, the location it gives you is very out on every occasion from my experience of it, and this should ever be relied upon!!
Overall this phone is excellent, tough (I have dropped it so many times), water resistant, dust proof, and has a decent GPS unit. All these features are ideal for a small phone that looks and functions like a phone. Ideal for any outdoor instructor looking for a functional phone that is tougher than the rest.
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