UKH

I am looking at buying one of these so called waterproof phones for my daughter, given that her last 3 have succumbed to the wet stuff. The phone needs to be waterproof in the sense that it will survive the odd dunking.

It's hard to find out much online except about the latest models whereas I'm more than happy to buy a 2015/2016 model for less money. Looking at sub £200 from ebay or similar.

Android not Apple.

There are plenty about but my limited reading around tells me that some may start off waterproof but rely on things like rubber bungs in sockets and so on that don't stand the test of time.

So does anybody have experience of a decent one which has lasted well. Looking maybe at one of the Sonys.

I'll thank you all now in advance knowing that UKC always provides..

In reply to Siward:

I've been using a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact for a couple of years and have not had any problems with it. It's got a decent screen, good battery life and a reasonable amount of internal storage. I've dropped it into puddles and on to the ground without any ill effects. You do have to put a rubber plug into the charging port to keep the water out, but this has stayed in place and still works well. Best of all, it is actually comfortable to use as a phone and doesn't require pockets the size of carrier bags.

In reply to Siward:
MOTOROLA Moto G

In reply to wbo:

My wife has a Sony z3 compact and I've got a Moto g.

The Moto g seems to be lasting longer and was a fair bit cheaper when I bought it. I really like it and will probs get one again.

In reply to Siward:

I've got the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact, which comes with waterproof charging port. I've never dunked it completely but it gets chucked in my rucksack lid pocket with all the other stuff in there - and used for making calls, texting, and Viewranger GPS mapping in whatever the weather throws at me. It's a great phone, stylish as well as robust, and great functionality.

In reply to Siward:

I've also had a Sony Xperia Z3 Compact for a couple of years, can't fault it.
Never actually submerged it, but it often gets soaked either in my pocket or in the lid of my sack.

In reply to Siward:

Check out the Nomu S10, S20 and S30. Available via Amazon. I have the S30. High-specced and tough as old boots so far. It does have rubber bungs for the headphone and charger socket but pretty much all waterproof phones so.

A regular phone with an appropriate case is an option you shouldn't rule out.

In reply to Siward:

Ortlieb A5.

In reply to Siward:

I bought the Sony Xperia Compact second hand off ebay, for about £110. I wasn't impressed. You have to manually 'plug' the charging port with a waterproof cover, every time you use it, which I found annoying. I took it on a fell run in a storm, it was loose in my bumbag and got wet inside as the back panel had slightly lifted off - it's just stuck on with some type of adhiesive. It never worked after that.

Now I have the Motorola G, which I bought new for £160. It will supposedly withstand being submerged in upto 1m of water for a short period of time, which is better than the Sony and gives me some comfort when taking risky shots, such as on sea cliffs! Overall it's been an impressive phone and great for taking on climbing trips - it does everything I need it to, but it isn't so expensive that I can't replace it should I end up breaking it. I would recommend getting the higher storage option, if you can find it.

In reply to Siward:

I've had a Sony Z5 compact and really got on with it, it took everything that I encountered climbing throughout summer and winter in a trouser pocket.

I used a funky keyboard called messagease that I found worked better with my fat fingers, it takes a lot of getting used to but I found I could type much more effectively one handed.

One negative is that I did once drop one in the Thames and tried ringing it only to be met with voicemail which was a bit disappointing, but given that I do nightly backups only lost a few hours worth of data.

I have since upgraded to a one plus 3 which i love with the dual sim slot but do miss the ability to just put it in my pocket whilst I'm outdoors. Anyway I have a Z5 compact now not doing much if you are interested? Would be good to see it get some more use.

In reply to Jack_Marshall:

Well thanks all. I've gone for a z3 compact in the end.

I'll post back in 2 years and let you know how it went...

In reply to Siward:

Not sure if it works, but what about this?

http://www.nanostate.co.uk/flash-flood-to-waterproof-smartphones-and-tablet...