Not content with driving a Range Rover Sport PHEV down one of the world’s most dangerous roads, Land Rover has sought to conquer the smartphone market by developing one of the industry’s most rugged devices out there.
Land Rover says that its Land Rover Explore smartphone is inspired by its Land Rover Discovery off-road vehicle. Built in tandem with the Bullitt Group, the Land Rover Explore is the toughest phone in the world, designed to work in “extreme conditions” with a 4,000mAh battery which apparently lasts for two full days with the screen on.
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If that’s not enough battery for you, you can boost it with a Moto Z-style magnetic “Adventure Pack” that adds 3,600mAh battery and enhances GPS accuracy with an extra antenna. Fancy even more battery, there’s an optional Battery Pack that slaps on another 4,370mAh onto the phone.
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You also won’t have to worry about dropping it while you’re out exploring as it has IP68 water and dust resistivity, a 1.8m drop-proof casing and factory-fitted screen protector. It’s water resistance covers it for saltwater as well as freshwater, meaning you can pretty much take it anywhere when you’re out exploring. Its 5in Full HD touchscreen can also be controlled with wet fingers or gloves and has been optimised for outdoor use.
Adding to its outdoorsy credentials, the Land Rover Explore contains a slew of extras to help make it essential while on the go. You’ll find a customisable outdoor dashboard that delivers an SOS light, sensor data, and can pull in information related to your outdoor pursuits such as wind, tide, compass and weather information. You’ll also get access to premium off-road, topographical maps from ViewRanger.
[gallery:6]At £599 its hardware is not quite as high-end as the Samsung Galaxy S9, but you’re paying for the Explore’s ruggedity instead of its specs. Underneath the 5in Full HD screen, you’ll find a 2.6GHz Mediatek Helio X27 processor, 4GB of RAM and 65GB of storage that can be expanded via microSD. It also has an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and a 16-megapixel rear snapper.
Aesthetically, it looks a bit like a Garmin orienteering device or a satellite phone but, obviously, this isn’t a phone designed for city dwellers. Instead, it’s made for those who live and work in the countryside or love outdoor activities like climbing or orienteering. If you’re the sort who head out into the countryside, partake in extreme outdoor sports or just love to travel, the Land Rover Explore is probably a safer bet than some flashy new flagship device that’ll crack open at the first sign of trouble.[gallery:10]
The Land Rover Explore will arrive on 26 April but will be officially revealed at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona on 26 February.
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