Kyocera DuraForce is another tougher-than-nails handset

The DuraForce breaks the mold a bit when it comes to rugged smartphones. It's not quite as chunky nor heavy as the ultra-rugged Sonim XP7, but it's more robust than Kyocera's own Hydro line, which are semi-rugged. meizu mx4 pro review For a hardened handset, it's quite approachable in terms of size and design.

Kyocera managed to craft a brutish beaut in the DuraForce. It's a slab-style device with rounded top and bottom edges, modest design elements, and solid construction. I like the use of silver and red accents mixed in with the matte black frame. Where many rugged handsets are blunt and unappealing, the DuraForce is more refined and less off-putting. It's just conservative enough that you could get away with toting it around for a night on the town and not betray its working-man aesthetic.

Thanks to the 4.5-inch screen, Kyocera was able to keep the overall footprint down to a manageable size. It's close in dimensions (length x width) to the Apple iPhone 6, though it's thicker than both in order to accommodate the rugged frame. I had no trouble gripping and holding it. It's not too heavy, either, making it comfortable to use for long periods of time.