No. 3: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung’s Galaxy S4 Active makes rugged look good. The S4 active packs a quick 1.9 gigahertz, quad-core processor, but is a little behind on Android releases, running version 4.2 though an update is rumored to be coming soon to bring it to 4.3. Another nice touch? The Active’s touchscreen can be used with gloves which should definitely come in handy on a jobsite or in the cold.

But the real news here is this phone’s durability. The Active’s fully-sealed design keeps it safe from dust and operating smoothly when submerged in 3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. In fact, Samsung encourages you to use the phone in the water. The phone’s 8 megapixel camera features an “Aqua Mode” for underwater picture taking. Plus, you probably won’t have to worry about the S4 Active dying on you halfway through your work day. It features a big 2,600mAh battery.

The S4 Active represents the first truly thin and light rugged smartphone on the market. But it still lacks a bit of character, which our No. 2 phone does not…

<< No. 4                                          No. 2 >>