Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 takes a big step forward
The Kyocera DuraForce Pro introduced us to the benefits of an action camera on a rugged smartphone. I'm curious to see what they've upgraded with the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2. I'll take a look from top to bottom to see what you can expect if you decide to pull the trigger.
advantage
- upgrade processor
- Higher standard RAM and ROM
- 4K, 135º action camera
- Louder speakers (106 decibels) help you hear in noisy environments
- IP68, MIL 810G and non-incendive Class 1, Division 2, Group AD, T-4 rating
- Compatible with Vibes accessory system
shortcoming
- The main camera still needs help
- Heavy use will struggle with battery life
recommend
The Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 features some significant hardware and storage upgrades over the original DuraForce Pro. Durability, including 4K action cameras, remains a major draw, targeting the same audience.
If you're looking for a phone that's rugged enough to stand up to the job site and outdoor adventures, get one. If you're going to be shooting vacation photos on it, be sure to familiarize yourself with the editing app.
processor and memory
The Kyocera DuraForce Pro2 gets a sizeable horsepower upgrade to its processor. It moves from a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8952 1.5 GHz/1.2 GHz octa-core processor to a Qualcomm Snapdragon SDM630 2.2 GHz/1.8 GHz octa-core processor.
It's a solid mid-range processor with premium names like the Samsung Galaxy S10 running at 2.8 GHz (not to mention $1300+).
The memory has also been upgraded. 32 GB ROM/3 GB RAM moved to 64 GB ROM and 4 GB RAM. Storage is storage, and with today's higher quality cameras, I appreciate the extra 32 gigs.
If you're a heavy internal storage user with photos, videos and apps, you can now expand it with a micro SD card up to 512 GB, up from 256 GB on the Pro.
I use Photoshop Elements a lot on the go and it can be taxing on some processors. On this phone, adjustments are quick and responsive without any lag, so I'm very happy with that.
With as many on-the-fly edits as possible, I find it handy to have extra room for expansion as well. If I'm on a multi-day business trip and don't have time to drop my phone into DropBox, I don't have to worry about deleting my son's aviation camp photos to make room.
operating system
You can upgrade the Gen 2 OS from Marshmallow on the original Pro to Oreo on the Pro 2. With the launch of Pie in August 2018, Oreo is a generation away. As of June 2019, the beta version of Android Q is running, but it has not yet been fully released.
Screen
Same screen size and resolution (5 inches, 443 ppi, 1920 x 1080 pixels). However, the Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 moves to the Dragontrail Pro touchscreen. According to Android Authority, Dragontrail Glass is on par with Gorilla Glass and is a very solid screen.
The three buttons below the screen no longer exist. The Back, Home and Recall buttons are now built into the touchscreen and function the same as before.
camera
The 13 MP main camera and 5 MP front camera seem to be the parts that haven't changed. Both indoor and outdoor photos were on the cool side of the color spectrum, and the ones I took outdoors were a bit washed out.
The onboard photo editor gives you enough control to create decent photos for most people. However, using a dedicated editor like PS Elements or grabbing an app with manual photo controls can help you use this so-so camera and create photos that can hang on your wall.
The photos above show the DuraForce Pro 2 in-camera and an unedited outdoor photo (left), post-editing on a phone using Photoshop Elements (middle), and an unedited photo from an iPhone 7 Plus (right).
The action camera is still a 135º wide viewing angle, but upgraded to full 4K resolution. Especially when shooting outdoors, it can serve as a Go-Pro alternative, but it doesn't have the ultra-smooth image stabilization of the latest models. Obviously, it comes in a bigger package, but you probably have more storage and better battery life.
Call and Speaker Quality
During regular calls, the mic picked up my voice well and I could clearly hear who I was talking to. That was a win, but I do wish I could turn up the volume a little more. It's fine most of the time, it just needs a little help when there's a lot of noise around you.
That's when kicking in a speakerphone can help, though. The speakers now hit an impressive 106 decibels, and 4 microphones help reduce the amount of ambient noise from whoever you're talking to. This is important if you want to make sure your wife hears "I want gravy" and not "I want a baby" when she calls for dinner.
While the speaker volume is definitely adequate, the quality is very average. Best to stick to colloquial at the high end. Music can sound a bit boxy around the mids, and you lose a lot of highs and lows.
strong and sturdy
If you're used to ruggedized phones, the size and weight should come as no surprise. After all, to build it like a tank requires a lot of steel. Their Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 is slightly heavier by 5 grams and 0.02 inches thicker. It also adds 0.07 inches to the width and keeps the same height.
The phone maintains its IP68 and military 810G rating, which means it's virtually impervious to dust, water, and shocks. More practically, I can still shoot angle grinders in action with spark spray, run in the rain, and take underwater photos as I please.
This is also a non-incendive Class 1, Division 2, Group AD, T-4 device. Essentially, this means you can use it in environments where flammable gases, vapors or mists are not normally in explosive concentrations but could be present.
In order to maintain the integrity of the waterproof and dustproof, please make sure to protect all ports. They have O-rings to seal off any potential phone killers.
Battery
Kyocera is sticking with a 3240 mAh non-removable battery. Rated standby time is reduced from 19 days to 14 days, but talk time is increased from 20 hours to 21 hours. Considering the way we use our phones varies, take this with a grain of salt.
Light users (chats, texts, emails, and a few hours of browsing/gaming/social media) can get through the day on a single charge. Moderate to heavy users will need to plan to charge at a certain time of day.
Charging is shifted from micro USB to USB C, giving you a faster charging option for power sources that support it. The phone is also compatible with Qi wireless charging.
Additional features
- Compatible with Vibes accessories (more info coming soon!)
- fingerprint scanner
- Push to talk EPTT service
- Glove and wet finger friendly touchscreen
price
The Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 retails for $450, which is slightly more than the DuraForce Pro. It's still in the mid-range phone pricing structure, with better features and quality than lower-end phones, and with clear trade-offs compared to higher-end models. Unlike most smartphones, Kyocera backs this phone with 2 years of support.
the bottom line
The Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 features some significant hardware and storage upgrades over the original DuraForce Pro. Durability, including 4K action cameras, remains a major draw, targeting the same audience.
If you're looking for a phone that's rugged enough to stand up to the job site and outdoor adventures, get one. If you're going to be shooting vacation photos on it, be sure to familiarize yourself with the editing app.
Kyocera DuraForce Pro 2 Specifications
- Talk time: 21 hours
- Standby time: 14 days
- Battery type: 3240mAh non-removable lithium-ion (Li-ion)
- Charging: USB Type-C and Qi wireless
- Display: 5″ FHD, (1920 x1080 pixels), 443ppi, Dragontrail PRO touchscreen
- OS: Android 8 (Oreo)
- Camera: 13MP camera + 5MP front camera; ultra-wide viewing angle 1080p high-definition sports camera with 135-degree field of view to capture wider angles. Underwater mode, continuous shooting, panorama, scene selection, automatic scene detection, color effects, slow motion, time-lapse shooting. Full capture and playback in real time; 1080p 30fps
- Chipset: SDM630 Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 2.2 GHz x 1.8GHz octa-core CPU
- Radio: 4G LTE: 2, 4, 5, 12, 14, 29, 30, 66 GSM: Quad (2, 3, 5, 8) UMTS: 1, 2, 4, 5
- Memory: 64GB ROM/4GB RAM microSDX memory card slot (maximum support 512GB)
- SIM Type: Nano/4FF
- Dimensions: 150.2 x 73.4 x 13.5 mm (5.91 x 2.89 x .53 inches)
- Weight: 235 g (8.3 oz)
- Media Formats: Audio: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, AMR-NB, AMR-WB, FLAC, MP3, MIDI, Vorbis, PCM (WAVE), Opus, QCELP, EVRC Video: H.263, H.264, H.265 , MPEG-4, VP8, VP9 Graphics: BMP, WBMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, WEBP
- Warranty: 2 years
- Price: ~$450
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