Are Mobile Phones Tough Enough for a Construction Site?

Have you accidentally dropped your mobile phone into a cement mixer?

Did your £200 phone go kaput after it was drenched in water?

Do you still continue to blame your buttery fingers for dropping your prized gadget from scaffolding?

If you are in the construction industry you may have been a victim of such incidents. Or have seen it happen to one of your colleagues? As smartphone makers come up with the sleekest and trendiest of phones with great features and functionalities, people in the construction industry still don’t fancy buying them. They are wary about accidental falls, drenching, and scratches. So, they often stick to basic feature phones to reduce their losses in the event of accidents.

So does that mean that as a construction worker you can’t enjoy the best smartphone features? Simply because you aren’t willing to risk your money?

Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. With millions of people engaged in this profession, along with the introduction of mobile construction software apps to deliver builders accounting software and the like, the smartphone industry has reacted with an exclusive range of phones specifically for construction workers and their contractor’s software.  

These phones often go by the name of ‘tough phones’. They are rugged and can withstand falls and exposure to water. It is estimated that by the end of 2016, of the 1.5 billion smartphones that would have been sold worldwide, 18 million of these would belong to the tough phone category. The bulk of these sales will have come from the construction industry.

Niche Market – Niche Players

Leading global smartphone manufacturers have come up with rugged phones in a bid to cash in on this niche market segment. However, multiple tests, such as keeping the phone under water and throwing it into a cement mixer, suggest that these phones aren’t as reliable in such demanding conditions as they claim to be. And, most of these phones carry a premium price tag often limiting their audience.

As far as mobile phones for the construction industry are concerned, smaller players, who are exclusively catering to this tough phone niche market segment, are leading the way.  Take a look at manufacturers like:

CAT

A well-known brand in the manufacture of construction and mining equipment, and an array of associated services. They state that progress never stops and neither do they. Clearly not as they have expanded into the mobile market.

RugGear

RugGear advise you to “Work tough, play smart”. And you can without worrying about your mobile with their range of rugged devices. From simple text and call phones, to full on smart phones, their products won’t let you down.

DeWALT

A manufacturer of power tools and site equipment, amongst other things, that has diversified into the mobile phone market. They certainly know what they are talking about when it comes to needing equipment that can withstand the rigours of a construction environment.

Many of these manufacturers are established players in the construction industry for companies such as Form Construction. Which is also working to their advantage.

Phone Features for Construction Workers

So what makes a tough phone?

Or in other words, what are the features that construction workers and commercial building contractors such as Form Construction would look for in a phone?

Scratch Resistant

Scratch resistance is one of the most important features that you would find in phones for construction workers. Development in glass technology such as Gorilla glass makes this possible.

Water Proof

By waterproof, we don’t mean a phone getting wet in the rain, but one that still functions after it has been submerged in water for a few minutes. Tough phones work even when under water!

Long Battery Life

This is something construction workers and residential building contractors look for when working for long shifts. And, most tough phones excel in this feature. So you can avoid investing in or having to carry around a power bank.

To sum it up, while no phone is invincible and completely immune to damages, phones for construction sites are a good investment and will enable you to enjoy features of a top-end smartphone, and at the same time withstand the wear and tear that your phones are subject to.

Do you work on a construction site and need access to your construction software app on your mobile phone? Have you considered purchasing a tough phone? Tell us what features you would be looking for in the comments.

1 Comment on "Are Mobile Phones Tough Enough for a Construction Site?"

  1. before, what is the point of the ratings how they currently are? I thought ratings on a video were an indication to let people know what videos were good and what were bad so they know what to watch. If you can only see what the rating is after you yourself have rated it, why not just remove the ratings alrgeothet, because it serves no purpose that way. What youtube should do is everywhere the video thumbnail is shown, the rating of the video should also be displayed. I want to know if the video I'm about to watch is worth watching.

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