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Verizon G'zOne Boulder reviewed, dunked

We dunk the Casio G'zOne Boulder phone for Verizon Wireless in some water, throw it on the floor, and just generally abuse it. All for the sake of one fun review.

Nicole Lee Former Editor
Nicole Lee is a senior associate editor for CNET, covering cell phones, Bluetooth headsets, and all things mobile. She's also a fan of comic books, video games, and of course, shiny gadgets.
Nicole Lee
2 min read
The G'zOne Boulder is water-resistant
The G'zOne Boulder is water-resistant. Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks

Few times do I get a chance to dunk a cell phone in water, throw it around on the floor, and generally torture it like a 10-year-old brat. Indeed, a part of me delighted when I received the G'zOne Boulder in the mail, knowing that I would get paid to kick around a cell phone as much as I wanted.

As you might have guessed, the Verizon G'zOne Boulder is one tough handset, military-certified to resist water, dust, shock, vibration, and other environmental elements. However, unlike other rugged cell phones, the Boulder has a sporty racecar look that is not at all unappealing. I like the round external display, which is reminiscent of a stopwatch, and adds interest to its design. Also, unlike most phones that place durability at the forefront, the Boulder comes with a lot of features. It includes a 1.3-megapixel camera, EV-DO Rev. A, push-to-talk support, access to Verizon's V Cast Video and V Cast Music with Rhapsody, a music player, and more. It even has a few cool outdoorsy features such as an electronic compass and a flash LED that can be used as a flashlight.

Unfortunately, I ran into a few audio quality problems when testing the phone. There was quite a bit of static and echo, and a lot of my callers reported some crackling during calls. Of course, this may vary depending on the phone in your area, but this is what I discovered on the phone I received.

For the full shakedown of the Boulder, check out our review, plus take a look at the slide show.