Rugged Phones You Can Buy Online

Keeping your lines open during emergencies is vital. In case you need to evacuate, you’ll be able to call or message the authorities for rescue. Rugged phones in times of disasters are a good investment. These mobile phones usually come with waterproof, dustproof, and weatherproof protection to keep it working rain or shine. Some may even have large battery capacities, a strong flashlight, and other features essential for survival. We’ve gathered some affordable, rugged phones that you can buy online, ranging from PHP 1,500 to PHP 14,000.

Author’s note: We included smartphones with good reviews and currently on-hand. All of the phones listed ships to the Philippines. 

Cherry Mobile R2

Probably the most affordable rugged smartphone available locally, the Cherry Mobile R2 boasts a bold look. It has a dustproof and waterproof body, 2.4 colored LCD, expandable memory up to 32GB via microSD slot, flashlight, and FM radio. It also has keypads for texting and a rear camera.

PHP 1,299- PHP 1,699
Available in Lazada, Cherry Shop

Cherry Mobile Rover 2

A sequel to the company’s rugged Rover in 2014, the Rover 2 touts entry-level hardware. It is equipped with a 4.0-inch WVGA display, 1GB RAM, 8GB storage, and 2,800mAh battery. Running under the previous Android Nougat, it has dust and water-resistance and 5MP rear and 2MP fixed focus front cameras.

PHP 2,499- PHP 2,999
Available in Lazada, Cherry Shop

Ulefone Armor X6

Sporting a rugged design, this entry-level smartphone has an IP68 rating that makes it resistant to water, dust, and accidental drops. In terms of hardware, the Ulefone Armor X6 has a 5.0-inch HD display. It is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6580, 2GB RAM, 16GB memory, and Android 9.0. Among its other features include a 5MP front and 8MP rear single cameras, a microSD slot for expanding storage up to 128GB, dual sim support, face unlock, and a 4,000mAh battery that’s rechargeable via micro-USB port.

PHP 3,799
Available in Lazada 13

OUKITEL WP5

Oukitel’s own rugged smartphone is equipped with an IP68-rated outer shell for waterproof and dust-resistance. It has a 5.5-inch HD+ display (1440 x 720) with Corning Gorilla Glass protection, built-in four bright LED flashlight, and a quad-core MediaTek MT6761 processor built in a 12nm architecture. Inside, it has 4GB RAM, 32GB storage, and an 8,000mAh battery that can last up to 26 days on standby mode. At the back lies a fingerprint scanner and triple rear cameras composed of a 13MP main and two 2MP secondary sensors. It also supports facial unlock, gets an Android 10 update, and has GPS and GLONASS as navigation systems.

PHP 5,950 – PHP 5,999 
Available in Lazada, Shopee

Doogee S40

Google is one of the smartphone brands that earned its reputation for good rugged smartphones. Its entry-level model, the S40, offers a lot under the hood in terms of durability. It is a military-grade, IP68 device with dual rear cameras and can withstand up to 100 bar of water pressure. Onboard, it has a 5.5-inch FWVGA display with a Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection, quad-core MediaTek T6739 chipset, up to 3GB RAM, up to 32GB storage, and a 4,650mAh battery. It also has dual SIM standby, NFC, 4G connectivity, MicroSD slot up to 32GB, and a micro-USB port. For biometrics, it has face unlock and a rear fingerprint scanner.

PHP 5,360 (3GB + 32GB)
Available in Shopee

Ulefone Armor X3

Just like its more affordable sibling, the Armor X3 has 2GB RAM and an IP68 rating. It has an aluminum alloy body with polycarbonate, a slightly larger 5.5-inch HD+ display, larger 32GB storage, and an additional IP69K rating for high pressure and temperature, quad-core MediaTek MT6580 processor, dual rear cameras, face unlock, and a 5,000mAh battery. Running on Android 9 with a new UI, the waterproof smartphone supports only 3G and is rechargeable via a micro-USB port.

PHP 4,699 
Available in Lazada

Oukitel WP6

Boasting an octa-core MediaTek Helio P60, the Oukitel WP6 has 4GB RAM and a large 128GB storage.  It has a 6.3-inch FHD+ display with Corning Gorilla Glass for keeping the device protected from unwanted scratches and drops,  a metal body, an IP68 rating, and a big 10,000mAh battery with 18W fast charging and supports reverse charging. It has a side fingerprint scanner, face unlock, and 4G connectivity. The WP6 features a triple rear camera module consisting of a 16MP + 5MP + 2MP sensors.

PHP 9,801- PHP 10,990 (4GB + 128GB) | Lazada, Shopee
PHP 13,001 (6GB + 128GB) | Shopee

And that’s it for our list of rugged phones you can use in times of emergencies. Do you have another device in mind that’s not on this list? We’d love to hear them down the comments section.