Introduction:
Over the years, Casio has been known for producing rugged Push-to-Talk phones for Verizon Wireless, from the Type-V and Type-S to the Boulder, Rock, Brigade, and Ravine. But this time around Casio brings to the table something different, the G’zOne Commando – a rugged Android smartphone. We understand why Casio has done this, as more people are moving to smartphones, while some still want a device that can withstand a certain amount of abuse, whether it is from a construction site foreman to a guy coaching his kid’s football practice.
Included in the retail package is the Casio G’zOne Commando C771 smartphone, 8GB microSDHC memory card pre-installed, 1460mAh battery, and wall charger with detachable microUSB cable.
Design:
Even though the Casio G’zOne Commando is a candy-bar style smartphone, it has some design aspects carried over from the Casio Ravine, such as the all-black construction with orange accents. On the front is a 3.6” WVGA TFT display, which is a pretty nice size, of course not as big as the 4.3” ones in use with some of today's smartphones. Text and images look sharp, and color is pretty accurate, but unfortunately it is hard to view while in direct sunlight.
Below it are four touch-sensitive buttons for accessing the menu, home, back, and search, as well as stereo speakers that have the microphone in the middle, which seems like an odd placement. Located on the sides are the power/lock key, multi-function button, volume rocker, and camera key. The microUSB port and 3.5mm headphone jack are kept sealed with protective covers on the right side. On the back is the 5MP camera and battery cover, which has to be unlocked to remove, as it has a rubber o-ring to keep water out.
Overall, the Casio G’zOne Commando feels well made, which comes as no surprise, as the device meets MIL–STD–810G certification for being resistant to water (1 meter at 30 minutes), shock (4 foot drop), dust, temperature extremes, solar radiation, humidity (95% for 24 hours), salt fog, and vibration. The screen is also protected by 1mm thick tough glass that is resilient to breakage. Even with all of this, the phone still feels comfortable to hold in the hand, and isn’t too heavy at 5.45 oz.
We water tested the device by filling a sink full with tap water and submerged it for several minutes. With the screen turned on, we noticed that when water came into contact with it there was some interaction, due to it being capacitive touch-sensitive. It was weird seeing the email app or phone dialer launch by the water. Because of this, we’d recommend having the screen turned off before it comes into contact with water. But the phone did remain water-tight. We removed it from the sink after a few minutes, wiped the water off, and were able to use the Commando without a hitch. We opened up the two side ports and the locking battery cover, and there was a few small water drops, but it never passed the rubber seal of the orange o-rings.
0 comments