You Can Hear Me Now?!
A godsend to anyone who’s accidentally water-skied with a phone in his pocket, the Brigade is the first messaging phone sold in the U.S. that’s shock-resistant and waterproof (to one meter, for 30 minutes). At 4.4 inches long and 5.5 ounces, this sideways-clamshell unit is on the large side, and its design is a bit late-nineties, but it was reassuring talking into a phone again, as opposed to a shiny monolith. Unlike earlier G’zOnes, this one has clear, consistent sound. Navigation is a bit clunky, but the keyboard is a nice size, and once you locate the HTML browser you’ll find it workable, if not spectacular, with its 2.9-inch screen. It offers a document viewer, text-to-speech, an audio player, and a 3.2-meg camera that takes decent photos (though if tunes and snapshots are important to you, you’ll want to look elsewhere). The Brigade is all about weathering storms and is rated to handle dust, humidity, sun, and extreme temps. An excellent communication tool likely to survive the life of your contract. $250 with two-year Verizon contract.
Functions: 3.8
Durability: 4.7