Kyocera DuraForce Pro
Phone Scoop Review
Jan 11, 2017 by Eric M. Zeman
Kyocera's DuraForce Pro is a capable, rugged Android smartphone for outdoor types who demand a lot from their hardware. No rugged phone is without compromises, but the DuraForce Pro has fewer detractors than most. Here is Phonescoop's in-depth report. read review ›
User Reviews
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Buggy Touchscreen, Slow processor
Carrier: Sprint
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While I feel like tech wise I'm taking a step back with this phone, I also feel like I don't have much of a choice. I need a phone that is dust, drop, and water resistant, and I won't buy another Samsung phone, I've had too many issues with them overheating and shorting out.
The performance on this phone is comparable an HTC One m8 or galaxy s5 (2.5 year old flagships). So if you only do basic things it'll be fine, if not a bit stuttery from time to time.
The major issue I have is that the touch screen sucks. It's great that you can use it when wet, but when I'm typing, I have to apply a very specific amount of pressure or I get nonsense when I'm swiping, or I get multiple presses when I'm tapping. Not always, but usually. Also while scrolling it tends to select things without my consent.
One more annoying thing is that I was happy it had wireless charging because I don't want to fiddle with ports (it's a pain in the dark), but this phone uses powermat instead of Qi which makes it a lot less useful. There are literally only a handful of accessories available while Qi has probably a thousand. Annoying.
The good: the camera is decent, wide angle is awesome, it's truly waterproof (I have used it underwater), I take it hiking or in the snow and don't worry when I pull it out even if it's raining or snowing, and the screen is pretty good. The software is pretty good, too.
The battery life isn't great, it's okay.
Also promotional materials claimed this phone would support action mounts but there is no evidence of there being one now or in the future. An email to Kyocera went unanswered.
Bottom line is that the keyboard is unacceptable. I'm hoping it's a fluke and i will exchange it. If it is better on the next one I'll update my review. Otherwise the phone is good but test the keyboard for a couple of days to see if it works for you.
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I loved the original duraforce and the brigadier....
Carrier: Verizon
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While I have nothing but praise for the first two models, being a dairy farmer I continued to buy this rugged phones. The DuraForce Pro on the other hand is falling apart less than six months after I purchased it. I've called my carrier, I've called Kyocera and neither is helping me very much. Kyocera tells me to pay 42 dollars to send it back so they can figure out if if was their fault or mine. Who believes for a minute it is theirs? Lol, whatever, it is what it is. But, the piece at the charging port that has the seal on it, has separated from the tab that it was originally attached to. Now when I open the tab, the piece with the gasket on goes flying. Also, the faceplate that covers the speaker you hold to your ear came off one day when I was removing it from my pocket. Strange, they shoot for rugged and got it right the first and second times. Shouldn't we struggle to improve the third even more?
