What good is a rugged device if it isn’t being reviewed in its element? Exactly. So when TELUS approached me about potentially reviewing the military-spec Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE, I thought to myself “I am totally NOT the demographic of this phone; let’s crowd-source it and find someone a bit more suitable”. So I did. I took to Facebook and crowd-sourced for someone to help me out

Within hours I connected with an old high school friend, Mr. Saif Hashmi, who happens to work in construction. We arranged a meeting to discuss how everything would unfold, and touched base here and there; but I really wanted him to be able to focus on being in his element and using the device.

Finally a month passed and I called him up to get some insight from him on how it went, his thoughts, and an overall synopsis of the project. Below, in his words, are Mr. Hashmi’s thoughts on not only switching from BlackBerry to Android, but using a device that is made to handle the bumps and bruises associated with his life in construction.

“Mr Herscu,

Currently I work for Second Generation furnishings Inc. (2ndgen.ca). We provide millwork, primarily for the institutional sector for the last 26 years. Mostly schools, but also retirement homes, hospitals, community centres, government offices and also for police and fire services. Our shop is over 20,000 sq ft with over 40 employees. We deal with several major general contractors as well as various architects and trades. We manufacture high quality cabinetry in our shop then handle the installation on site. We work onsite year round so we ourselves, our tools, and yes also our phones, are challenged with all the extremes that weather can throw at us.

After using the new TELUS Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE for a few weeks, I am more than impressed with the phone. Working in construction, it is hard to find a device that is both functional and durable; scratches, cracked screens and broken cases usually occurs with me on site and in the shop. The Rugby LTE is built to take the abuse of our environment. Dust is a huge issue in construction with the open plug ports of other phones, the dust finds its way into the phone affecting the screen and other components. The Rugby LTE, however, has very tight and secure covers for all the ports, so I had no issues with debris inside the screen or any other parts.

After keeping the phone in my work pant pockets along with keys, screws, drill bits and knives I was expecting the screen to be covered with scratches, but to my amazement, nothing was ever harmed. Also a big bonus for me was using the Samsung headphones on site. The ear buds are perfect for drowning out the sound of heavy machinery, dust collectors, air compressors and all other tools. The phone is capable of receiving blueprints and drawings and is a pleasure to view these documents on the large 4.0-inch screen. I highly recommend this phone for anyone working in an environment that is demanding of durability. Our tools, equipment and gear need to stand the test of time, I believe this phone can also keep up to the hazardous demands of life in construction.

All photos sent were taken using the Rugby (apologies for the blurry shots) from our main job site right now in Penatanguashine and our shop in Concord. In Penatanguashine we are providing all the millwork for the brand new Georgian village retirement community. A fairly large scale project for which we will be involved with for at least another year or so.

Thanks again for giving me the opportunity to test the new Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE, it is ideal for my lifestyle and those in the same work environment as myself.

kind regards,

Saif Hashmi”

From the pictures, you can see that the phone was put through its paces and lived up - and surpassed - expectations. I wanted to extend a thank you to Mr. Hashmi for his time on this experiment and as such (and an early Christmas gift), TELUS and TheCellularGuru.com are allowing him to keep the phone!

If you’re interested in learning more about the Samsung Galaxy Rugby LTE from TELUS click here

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