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AT&T's Airo A25is won't cause an explosion

Billed as the word's first "intrinsically safe" smartphone, the A25is won't produce a spark.

Kent German Former senior managing editor / features
Kent was a senior managing editor at CNET News. A veteran of CNET since 2003, he reviewed the first iPhone and worked in both the London and San Francisco offices. When not working, he's planning his next vacation, walking his dog or watching planes land at the airport (yes, really).
Kent German
Airo A25is

AT&T raised the stakes in the fight for the world's toughest phone Wednesday when it announced the new A25is from Airo Wireless. Billed as the word's first "intrinsically safe" smartphone, the A25is won't produce a spark so it's built for people working in potentially explosive environments like process and chemical manufacturing, petrochemicals, the military, utilities, pharmaceuticals, and consumer packaged goods manufacturing.

Like the ultra-rugged Sonim XP3 Quest, the candy bar A25is isn't a looker, but it's certified to military specifications for durability. Among other things, Airo promises that it can survive a fall of almost 4 feet at least 26 times and a 30-minute bath in up to 5 feet of water.

Features on the Windows Mobile 6.1 smartphone (they still make those?) include GPS, a virtual QWERTY keybaord, Bluetooth, push-to-talk, and support for business apps like job assignment and inventory tracking. The Airo is on sale through AT&T's business channel, though pricing was not available at the time of this writing.