Tesco launches 'indestructible' phone

Tough new Land Rover S1 Sonin phone for clumsy callers
Tough new Land Rover S1 Sonin phone for clumsy callers

How tough do you want your mobile phone to be? Tesco is now selling the Land Rover S1 Sonin, which it describes as 'indestructible'.

Will the MoD sneak in and nick all the ruggedised handsets to protect squaddies in Afghanistan? Probably not.

Lance Batchelor, Chief Executive Officer of Tesco Mobile, goes on to admit that the S1 is only "virtually indestructible", and then adds "It's the first phone in the world to be as tough as a Land Rover."

As reliable as the least reliable car

According to Which? magazine's reliability surveys, Land Rovers are regularly rated as the most error-prone new vehicles.

However, the S1 Sonin is the only IP67 military-rated GSM mobile phone, making it resistant to humidity, dust, shock, salt and heat. It's also water resistant up to 1 metre for 30 minutes and can survive falls from 2 metres onto concrete.

Other features include a 2MP camera, insanely loud (110dB) speakers, A-GPS, 1500 hour stand-by time and an FM radio.

You'll be pleased to hear Tesco is offering an 'unconditional three-year' warranty on the handset, which is available now unlocked for £250, or from £25 a month on contract.

Mark Harris is Senior Research Director at Gartner.

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