9 Black Friday rugged phone deals based on my drop tests

With winter weather about to remind everyone that a phone that can handle an extreme environment could be a necessity, this might be the perfect time of year to purchase a rugged phone.

From the wide selection on offer, I’ve burrowed out nine phones that you can get for less than they typically sell in the Black Friday sales, to make your dollars go that bit further.

Starting with the cheaper end of the market, we have the Doogee Fire 3 and Oukitel G3, simple but effective designs that are being offered at bargain basement prices. These are so cheap it’s worth picking up one of these merely to have an emergency handset.

The mid-tier offerings have a wider range of features, but the Oukitel WP300 and Doogee Fire 6 are both decent designs that look like a better deal with a significant price reduction. But, if you are tempted to spend a little extra, the Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro delivers a unique combination of easy portability and thermal imaging at a modest price.

My final four phones offer more features, but are priced accordingly. The most expensive phone is the Ulefone Armor 29 Pro Thermal, which has a base price of $799.99 and has been reduced by 20%. For that outlay is has a massive 21200mAh battery, thermal imaging and a modern performance SoC.

With even more battery capacity and an inbuilt projector, the 8849 Tank 2 Pro is a huge phone with a 23800mAh battery and dual SIMs that has been reduced to under $400.

Another monster phone is the Doogee S200 Max, a much larger design than the other S200 series devices. It has a 22000mAh battery, 108MP primary camera and night vision. And, the largest 44% reduction over its list price.

And finally, the Ulefone Armour 30 Pro is more practical than the other high-end designs, and you can spread the word about its usefulness thanks to its 118dB Infinite Halo speaker, all for 13% off.