The Biggest Issues Owners Have With Rugged Phones

Mikkaphoto/Getty ImagesThere are plenty of reasons why you might want to go with a rugged phone instead of just picking up a normal device like a Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra or the iPhone 18 Pro. Before you make the leap, there are a couple of issues that you should be aware of. Some of which owners have been dealing with for years, despite the advances that companies might have made since the first rugged phones were properly introduced in the mid to late 2000s.

While rugged devices did exist before 2005, they were mostly more ruggedized versions of walkie-talkies and terminals designed specifically for simple communication. The first feature devices, like smartphones, didn't arrive until the latter half of the 2000s, when the iPhone was just starting to make waves. A part of what makes rugged phones enticing to users is the fact that they're supposedly built to last and even take a beating. This means durability should be improved over traditional smartphones. While durability is usually praised, it comes at a cost.

Performance and even the other hardware within the device often lag behind, with much of the focus being put on the exterior durability of the device instead. One user on Reddit complained that their Oukitel WP35 lagged excessively, noting that resetting the device "only solves the problem for 2-3 days." This, of course, isn't the case for everyone, but it is something to keep in mind, as many of these devices prioritize their thickness and battery capacity over higher-end specs when compared to standard flagship smartphones.

Read more: 5 Ways To Maintain Your Samsung Phone's Battery Health For 7 Years Of Updates

The first big difference that you'll notice between rugged phones and smartphones, and perhaps one of the biggest issues surrounding rugged phones, is just how thick and heavy they are. Since they're designed to be durable and last longer, they need to be able to survive drops and have room for large batteries. The trick to making this possible is often to make them thicker. One of the best rugged phones of 2026, the Oukitel WP210, is almost twice as thick as the S26 Ultra at 13.7 mm. While the Ultra's thickness is sure to increase with a case on it, many cases won't add that much extra thickness to Samsung's flagship device.

Another thing to keep in mind is that these rugged phones are heavier. For example, the WP210 weighs roughly 311 grams. Compare that to Samsung's S26 Ultra, which weighs only around 214 grams, and you're looking at a much heavier device sitting in your pocket all day. Even older flagship devices like the S24 Ultra weighed less, with that one coming in at 232 grams. Even the iPhone Duo, Apple's new folding phone, is thinner and weighs less, measuring 11.3mm when folded compared to the WP210's 13.7 mm thickness.

Some of these handhelds also bill themselves as "military-grade," but it's important to remember that military-grade on smartphones and cases doesn't mean what you think it does. Considering that there are "rugged" phone cases out there, going with a rugged phone just because it is supposedly more durable might not always be a win. Especially if you don't feel like carrying around such a thick and heavy device all the time

Designing rugged phones to be durable means that the focus is on durability instead of other features. The Oukitel WP66, for example, has been praised for its extreme durability. However, even reviews from outlets such as TechRadar note that the phone's performance is a bit weaker because it's using outdated technology in the chipset. One reviewer even posted on the official Oukitel website, noting that their WP210 completely froze up during setup and they were unable to get it to start working at all before they ended up returning it.

Another issue that we've seen users complain about when it comes to rugged phones is software support. One user on Reddit stated that they "started noticing a constant use of 6GB of ram on a model that has 12GB." Others have complained that despite having 16GB of RAM, some devices like the Unihertz Tank 3 Pro runs slower when multitasking compared to phones like the Galaxy S24, which only has 12GB of RAM. When users complain that they haven't received security patches in several months, it isn't a good sign, either.

One Ulefone user on Reddit shared that the 27 Pro had received "zero software support" despite it being six months since release. Because of these issues, those who work in a rugged environment may want to forego rugged phones entirely. Many avoid rugged devices in favor of higher-end flagships, and just work around the lack of durability by adding a rugged phone case to their device or even tossing their device in a Ziploc bag while at work. While rugged cases do add some extra bulk, they also avoid the big issues surrounding rugged phones themselves.