I’m looking to upgrade from my old flip phone to a new smartphone. The issue is my workplace environment. Phones and other electronic goodies seem to die quickly and the conventional wisdom seems to lay the blame on static electricity. I work in an industrial facility full of plastic tubs full of molded plastic components and manufacturing machines blowing plastic components from one station to the next through long plastic tubes. Static charges can build up quickly and during the drier months of the year, they can be quite potent. Add the fact that I spend my workdays bumping around and under large packaging equipment and I would prefer to buy a phone for workplace use that has a better chance of surviving it.
In general, questions about their business practices aside, I like Apple products. I used to use an 5C iPhone until it was destroyed in an accident that I wouldn’t expect any phone to withstand. I liked it and it served me well so I’m considering getting a 7Plus with Applecare. The obvious downside though is that device is a few years old now and is still >$550. Nice is nice but other considerations aside, it just seems wildly over priced.
Other than enhanced durability, my device needs are pretty meager. A decent sized screen that’s good for texting and the occasional E-book would be nice. I’m certainly not a gamer or power user and couldn’t care less about the latest tech. If I could back it up to my Mac desktop then that would be desirable but not a deal breaker. Using it as a mobile hot spot for my tablet would be highly desirable but I’m going to stop short of calling it mandatory.
Right now, my service is through Verizon mainly because it seems to be well supported in my rural location (zip code: 68949) but I’m open to being punched in the throat nine or ten times to get me to change service providers if you feel strongly about it.
Standard thinking around here seems to be “buy cheap, put it in an Otter Box and consider yourself lucky if it survives a year.” If you have a better idea, I’d like to know it.
There are “ruggedized” and “mil spec” phones available, but they are really just toughened for dust/water/drops/vibrations–I don’t know if anything attempts to have extra protection against static electricity.
Sonim Xp8, Cat S41, or maybe a Galaxy S8 Active if you can find one. I almost bought the S41 FWIW, but ended up with another option to replace my Doogee S60. Stay away from Doogee; utter crap.
Yes, If all you care about is durability get a water resistant phone and put it in OtterBox. Many of today’s phones fit that criteria. I have an LG G7 in a medium grade case that I’ve dropped multiple times, including in the toilet. Works like new.
I’ve actually been considering the question about electronics and their vulnerability to static charges. If we make the assumption that the unverified local lore is correct in that static electricity is actually killing phones at an unusual rate within our facility, how could you design a phone and/or it’s add-on case to protect from such discharges? How would that actually work? What elements of circuit design would make some phones more or less vulnerable to such discharges?
At this point, IMHO, it’s reasonable to attribute tales of premature phone death within the facility to confirmation bias or other fallacious reasoning.
I’m no electrical engineer, but if unavoidable static electricity is a problem, then I’m guessing it would require serious redesigns of phones to combat it, requiring metal shielding for all the electrical components that would greatly increase the weight, thickness, and price of the phone.
There are lots of articles on the topic of static and cell phones if you plug in the right search terms.
I’m thinking you could use some sort of rubber case that completely covers the phone–no exposed screen or ports, no gaps, basicly some sort of sealable pouch or box. Then, when you need to use the phone only remove it after you have deliberately discharged yourself by touching something.
(FWIW, I once worked at a place with equipment where in the winter if I had produced more lighting bolts whenever I touched metal Charles Xavier would have showed up to recruit me. But at the time this was my phone.)
Carry it around in a translucent static shielding bag?
Or if only certain areas of your workplace are sensitive to this, you could consider antistatic mats, shoes, or that bracelet thing that computer builders wear:
Wouldn’t you want to avoid a rubber case though? ISTM that a faraday type metal/conducting case would be better. Or, as noted put your phone in an anti-static bag.