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Rugged Kyocera DuraForce arrives at carriers, fit for battle

Braving the elements with a rugged handset that's resistant to water and dust is the prime purpose of Kyocera's latest handset for AT&T and US Cellular.

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The rugged Kyocera DuraForce meets all sorts of military standards. Kyocera

Kyocera is hanging tough.

Shop for Kyocera DuraForce

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Long after its name has faded from the mainstream, the phone-maker is carving out a niche creating rugged Android smartphones with waterproof and shock-proof capabilities, plus more besides.

The DuraForce that's going on sale with AT&T November 7 (online and for business customers) and November 21 (in retail stores), is the start of a new chapter. It's also selling with US Cellular on November 26.

This is Kyocera's first phone for AT&T. Previously using CDMA technology, this opening up to GSM technology -- first with T-Mobile and now with AT&T -- means that Kyocera is one stage closer to distributing its tougher phones in other GSM markets outside of the US.

Tough stuff

Like any good rough 'n tumble phone, the DuraForce is meets certain specifications. In this case, it's IP68 certified for dust and water exposure (6 feet for up to 30 minutes). It also meets Military Standard 801G for all sorts of fun guarantees against elements like temperature and environmental extremes (including solar radiation and salt fog!). It also includes push-to-talk functionality, like a walkie-talkie, that works over Wi-Fi and LTE.

If you're starting to think that the DuraForce may be too much phone for you, you have a point. While Kyocera will gladly sell it to individuals looking for a little more peace-of-mind without buying an extra case, the real customers are businesses and government agencies looking for a phone to pass out to the fleet.

Hardware specs

The phone has a 4.5-inch, 720p HD display and runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat. There's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera and a 8-megapixel shooter on the back. A 1.4GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor meets 16GB of internal storage and 2GB RAM (you can also expand up to 32GB more). A 3,100mAh battery promises up to 17 hours talk time and 21 days of standby time.

Pricing

If you aren't buying the DuraForce through a business contract, it'll cost $50 with a two-year agreement and $0 down with $19.95 per month for 20 months with AT&T Next 12. Alternatively, AT&T Next 18 pricing is $0 down with $16.63 per month, or you could buy it outright for $390 without a contract.

US Cellular's pricing is $100 on contract, $400 outright, or through 20 monthly installments of $20 each and $0 down.

Corrected November 4, 2014 at 11:55am PT: Article originally stated that the DuraForce was Kyocera's first GSM phone. Updated November 25, 2014 at 8:50am PT with US Cellular pricing.