Over the last decade, smartphones have increasingly become a ubiquitous part of everyday life. But, while these high-tech gadgets afford us a wide array of luxuries and modern conveniences, the vast majority of smartphones tend to be on the more delicate side and typically don’t fare particularly well against water, dust, debris, and impacts. And with this in mind, a host of tech manufacturers have opted to introduce more rugged, hardwearing smartphone offerings engineered to suit the needs of those who demand a more enduring device that still offers the high-tech amenities and features we’ve come to expect from today’s smartphones.

With their unique requirements and ample number of personnel — and often deep pockets – military forces have become the primary demographic for these ruggedized pieces of tech and as such the industry has experienced a rise in military-spec smartphones. And while most of these units were designed with military use in mind, civilians can still benefit from the wealth of features mil-spec phones have to offer. Not all mil-spec phones are created equal, however, and with a growing number of offerings hitting the market on a near-monthly-basis, figuring out which model is right for you can feel a little overwhelming. So, to help you hone in on the rig, we’ve put together this guide to the best military-spec and rugged smartphones.

Though these mil-specced phones are most conducive to military life, these devices are nonetheless highly-conducive to a myriad of different activities and lifestyles. From construction workers and contractors to hikers and adventurers to motorcycle tourers and skiers, the rugged construction of these phones along with their ability to withstand extreme conditions and temperatures makes them stellar options for non-military use.

In addition to providing most, if not all of the standard smartphone amenities, mil-spec offerings also come with their own special features that separate them from your average iPhone and the like. Below are some of the most important areas to consider when buying a rugged mil-spec smartphone. 

Ultra-Rugged Construction: One of the main elements distinguishing mil-spec phones from regular smartphones is their ultra-rugged construction. Right out of the box (sans case), these phones typically are comprised of metal bodies fortified via built-in rubberized guards and top-shelf screen protectors.

Unique Features: Military tasks often require unique tools, technology, and equipment, so mil-spec phone purveyors have bestowed many of these devices with advanced features that you won’t find on an iPhone or Android such as built-in thermal heat cameras, laser range finders, SOS beacons, and more.

Encrypted Software: Sensitive military intel falling into the wrong hands can endanger lives, so the lion’s share of mil-spec phones offer military-grade encryption built right into the software of the phone itself. This feature not only adds an extra level of security (to put it mildly) but also affords its user peace of mind knowing that their data won’t be compromised.

Ultra-Reliable Signal Service: If you’re on active duty and need to call in air support or a HeloEvac, the last thing you want is for your phone not to have any bars. Knowing being cut off from communication isn’t an option for armed forces personnel, many mil-spec smartphones offer incredible service signal and/or satellite phone connection, as well as top-shelf antennas and whatnot.

Bolstered Battery: When you’re stateside, gaining access to an outlet for charging is a breeze. When you’re on missions overseas in remote locations in developing regions, you don’t always have the luxury of juicing up your phone each night. With this in mind, many companies have opted to outfit their phones with batteries that can last days (if not weeks) without ever needing a recharge.

Everything Proof: Mil-spec phones have to be able to survive a large number of conditions and situations. From the desert to the tundra, these phones need to be able to take a beating without skipping a beat and therefore feature the highest ratings for things like dust, dirt, and waterproofness. Furthermore, many of these phones can withstand extreme otherworldly temperatures from either end of the spectrum. Some can even withstand things like solar radiation.

In regards to networks and connectivity, rugged mil-spec smartphones aren’t all that different from their non-mil-spec counterparts. Not unlike the latest iPhone, mil-spec smartphones can typically be purchased to work with any one of the major carriers — such as T-Mobile and Verizon. More importantly, most of these rugged smartphones can be bought as unlocked devices, allowing their user to utilize whatever network(s) they want. 

The Best Rugged Mil-Spec Smartphones

Blackview BL8800 Pro

Best Value Pick: Offering Mil-Spec durability and a host of advanced features in a surprisingly affordable — and seriously rugged —  package, the Blackview BL8800 Pro boasts IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H ratings, plus features a glove-friendly 6.58” FHD display, a 50-MP main camera, a front-facing 16MP Tetrapixel camera, and a FLIR Lepton 2.5 thermal imaging camera. Produced in a trio of color options, the BL8800 Pro also comes loaded with a state-of-the-art MediaTek Dimensity 700 5G chip, a special underwater mode, and the Android 11-based Doke-OS 3.0 operating system. Offering up to 720 hours of life (in standby mode), the battery on the Pro-spec BL8800 consists of a 8,380-mAh cell that’s not only equipped with 33-watt fast-charging abilities, but it can also serve as a mobile power bank thanks to the addition of a supplementary external USB-C port. 

DOOGEE V Max

Best Battery Life Pick: Though only a small step up in price from the above model, the DOOGEE V Max offers a major improvement in terms of components with an AI-assisted triple camera area — consisting of a main 108-MP camera supplemented via 20-MP and 16-MP units — plus a 20-MP Sony IMX350 night vision camera and a front-facing 32-MP camera also courtesy of Sony. Sporting the normal certifications and ratings for a military smartphone (IP68, IP69K, MIL-STD-810H), the V Max features a Dimensity 1080 Octa Core 2.6GHz 6nm processor and GPU running Android 12 OS. Fortified beneath Corning Gorilla Glass, the V Max also has a 6.58″ FHD+ Waterdrop display, as well as side fingerprint recognition, 12GB of ram, Dual Stereo Sound by Hi-Res Dimensity, and a massive 22,000-mAh battery with 33W-watt fast-charging speeds. This laundry list of cutting-edge features ultimately results in a device that’s just as state-of-the-art as your average Apple or Samsung smartphone while being markedly more durable. 

Ulefone Power Armor 19T

Best Thermal Imaging Pick: Just from its outside appearance, it’s abundantly clear that the Ulefone Power Armor 19T is an incredibly tough device, with a hardware-secured main housing, bumpers all around, and machined alloy side plates — items that collectively make the smartphone dust-proof, waterproof, and highly resistant to impacts and drops with IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H ratings. Even the smartphone’s buttons, flashlight, speaker, and camera array are all fully waterproof. Powered by Samsung’s ISOCELL HM2 unit and capable of recording 2K video and 60x photo magnification, this smartphone’s camera array includes a 108-MP main camera, a 16-MP front-facing camera equipped with a Sony IMX481 CMOS sensor, and a state-of-the-art FLIR Lepton 2.5 thermal imaging camera. Equipped with a 6.58” FHD+ display with an impressive 120-HZ refresh rate set beneath fifth-gen Corning Gorilla Glass, this smartphone also packs an Arm Mali G57-class GPU, up to 17GB of RAM helped along by 5GB of virtual RAM space, and compatibility with a selection of available aftermarket endoscopes. This 9,600-mAh cell not only offers lightning-fast 66-watt charging speeds and the ability to receive a more than 50% charge in half an hour, but it can also serve as a wireless power bank for juicing up earbuds, smartwatches, and other smaller devices while on-the-go and/or off-the-grid. 

Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro

Best 5G Pick: Alongside Apple, Samsung unequivocally produces some of the finest smartphones on the planet, so it probably won’t come as a surprise to hear that the company also produces some of the most capable rugged mil-spec smartphones on the planet. Samsung’s latest release in this segment is the new Galaxy XCover6 Pro. Utilizing a 6.6” glove-friendly FHD+ TFT LCD Infinity-V display, this 5G and Wi-Fi 6E smartphone features the standard MIL-STD 810H and IP68 ratings, as well as Knox security and encryption, and a biometric fingerprint scanner. Running Android 12, the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro offers a state-of-the-art user experience and speeds thanks to a Snapdragon 778G chipset and an Octa GPU. Weighing in at under 8.5oz, the phone also comes loaded with a 50-MP main camera paired with 25-MP and 8-MP rear-facing units, plus a single 13-MP selfie cam. And, while it only offers 15-watt speeds, this smartphone’s 4,050-mAh battery is removable and can be swapped for a fresh unit while in the field. This smartphone also sports a more regular-looking appearance that doesn’t instantly announce itself as a mil-spec smartphone, making it even more conducive to EDC use. 

CAT S62 Pro

Best Ultra-Rugged Pick: We’ve long been impressed with CAT’s rugged smartphones, though for the third generation of the brand’s Cat S60 series, the company has managed to raise the bar on several levels, resulting in its most advanced and capable mil-spec phone to date. Utilizing the best integrated thermal imaging camera currently available in a smartphone — the FLIR Lepton 3.5 — the CAT S62 Pro is constructed around a high-grade aluminum body with scratch-resistant Corning Gorilla Glass 6 and a wrap-around rubberized TPU bumper system — amenities that earn the smartphone IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H ratings. This new model also now gains dual SIM slots, expandable memory (via microSD), a glove-compatible 5.7″ FHD+ display, a biometric fingerprint scanner, and a programmable key that’s most commonly used for walkie-talkie-style PTT. Other highlights rounding out this rugged mil-spec smartphone include 6GB of RAM, 128GB of ROM, a faster chipset, Android 11 OS, and a bigger optimized 4,000-mAh battery that typically affords two full days of life under normal use. Last but not least, the CAT S62 Pro also boasts the top-notch level of build quality and craftsmanship that the brand has become famous for. 

Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3

Best Premium Pick: The Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3 is an immensely capable mil-spec smartphone that crams a host of impressive state-of-the-art tech and functionality into an incredibly rugged housing. Equipped with IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H ratings as well as HazLoc certification, the third-gen DuraForce PRO phone features an X-frame-reinforced structure with non-slip texture and corner bumpers surrounding a heavily scratch and shatter-resistant 5.38” OLED capacitive touchscreen display. On the tech side, this device boasts the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 Gen 1 mobile platform, a FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptographic module, enterprise-grade Wi-Fi, dual SIMs with 5G Nationwide and 5G Ultra Wideband support, and Android 13 OS. On top of featuring 100dB+ front-facing stereo speakers with AI-enhanced noise cancellation, the smartphone also comes standard with a 64-MP main camera, a 16-MP ultra-wide unit, and a 2-MP Macro lens — all backed by a dual LED flash setup. Powering the device is a removable 4,270-mAh Lithium polymer battery that can quickly be swapped out in the field. Capable of operating in extreme temperatures ranging from -4°F to 140°F, this smartphone also comes backed by a standard two-year warranty. Though it does come at a more premium price, there’s no arguing that the Kyocera DuraForce PRO 3 is an objectively premium product that, in our opinion, is well worth the MSRP. 

The Best Laptop Sleeves For Protecting Your MacBook

Interested in checking out some other options for fortifying your tech for use in the field? Then be sure to head over to our guide to the best laptop sleeves for a handpicked list of stellar options for protecting your MacBook.