Manufacturer: Samsung
Product Name: Samsung Rugby SGH-a837
Review Date: 09/25/08
Author:
Samsung Rugby Review
I think everyone reading this has a cellphone, and everyone is careful with them as they are a piece of technology that is expensive and yet fragile. Most of us are in contracts with our carriers, and if something happens to our phone before our contract is up, hopefully we’ve got insurance, but if not we’ve got to pay full price for a replacement phone, which is not something most of use want to do. There are few and far between phones that are rugged and made to withstand any amount of abuse, and really you have to wonder why as we as a people are not that careful with our things really, I’ve read countless stories of people destroying their cellphones just by dropping them, let alone water, dust or anything like that getting in them.
Samsung has come along and come out with a phone that is designed and made truly for not only the weekend warrior, but even a real warrior could appreciate. The Samsung SHG-A837 Rugby was announced last week, and it’s a military spec certified phone that truly is rugged and tough, it should be able to withstand most anything thrown at it, literally! So I’ve replaced my trusty AT&T Tilt with the Rugby for a week and I’ve found that it’s great basic phone, but lacks in some areas like pictures and videos, then again picture taking and videos are not the main feature of this phone, the military certification is….
So, for many of our reviews now we’re going to be featuring a video of the product unboxing and more about the product, so check out the video below and then continue on with the rest of the review:
Here’s the basic specs, you can read the extended specs and learn more about the Rugby at the Samsung web site HERE :
Specifications:
Samsung Rugby SGH-a837
Retail Price $279.99
2-yr Contract Price $179.99
tech gets tough
With the new SAMSUNG Rugby, technology finally gets tough. This heavy-duty work phone makes it easy to get the job done right – with Push-to-Talk technology, a large external speaker, 3G high-speed data access, Multiple Messaging and more. It’s all protected by a rugged design that’s highly durable and damage resistant. When the going gets tough, the Samsung Rugby keeps you connected and protected.
Available in black, deep burgundy and construction yellow color options, this rugged clamshell phone is certified to military standard MIL-STD-810F to withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and temperature extremes, and it features a rubberized and metal casing that is easy to grip.
(Certified to meet military standard MIL-STD-810F to withstand dust,shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and
temperature extremes.)
“Samsung has developed a sturdy phone that can stand up to the roughest of environments,” said Bill Ogle, Chief Marketing Officer, Samsung Telecommunications America. “It is a no-nonsense device with easy-to-use features and a simple, one-touch button to keep you in touch with your contacts.”
push-to-talk
You don’t have time for dialing, ringing and waiting. With just a push of a button you can connect instantly with other contacts in your network. In other words, it helps you get the job done.
at&t navigator
The SAMSUNG Rugby makes it easy to get where you’re going. With AT&T Navigator at the helm, you’ll have GPS-enabled turn-by-turn directions, maps, traffic updates and more. You’ll never be lost again.
Carrier: AT&T
Band: Quad Band (GSM 850+900+1800+1900 MHz)
Size:
Weight 4.66 ounces
Dimension (HXWXD) 3.95 x 2.05 x .90 in
Display:
Internal
Technology 262K TFT
Size 2.0″
External
Technology 65K Color Internal Display
Battery
Talk time 5.0 hours
Standby 250 hours
Camera Camera Resolution
External Memory:
SIM Card Memory
microSD
Camera Resolution 1.3 Megapixel
Digital / Optical Zoom 4x Digital Zoom
Auto Focus
Brightness Adjustment
Selfshot / Multishot / Timershot
Video Streaming
MP3 Music Player
Poly Ringtones 64 Polyphonic Ringtones
MP3 Ringtone
JAVA Download
Embedded Wallpaper
Voice memo & Voice mail
Predictive Text Input T9
Email
Push to talk
Instant Messaging
Bluetooth
AGPS/Assisted GPS
Phone book entries 1000 phone book entries
Calendar
Worldtime
Alarm
Currency converter
Calculator
Stop watch
Count down timer
Speakerphone
Using the phone is actually very easy, the buttons are nice and large, and easy to see. Navigating is fairly easy, once you figure out how to avoid the AT&T Junk that’s installed on there. Going from a Windows Mobile device with touch screen did take a bit to get accustomed to but after a few days I figured it out. It would be nice if the AT&T stuff was put on another menu somewhere deeper in the options as it’s fairly easy to accidentally connect to one of their services by accident.
Call clarity is very good, but it has a slight muffled sound to it, and BlueTooth works great as well, I had no problems with my Jabra BT530 headset and the Rugby. The speakerphone doesn’t sound the greatest but it works, you’re not going to be listening to music or anything though it so for voice conversations it’s fine.
As for service, I’ve never had a problem with AT&T service, in fact that’s why I’ve been with them for several years now, they’re my third cellphone provider and the first where I can get calls in my home, so I’m sticking with them.
I didn’t play with the ATT Navigator features as it’s not something I’m going to pay for, I’ve got a GPS enabled cellphone as is, and I was adding it to my contract just to test it out. If you need it though, it’s nice to have it, even though it’s not real GPS, it’s an assisted GPS that uses cell towers to triangulate your position and guide you on your way. From what I’ve heard about it’s not bad, but of course it doesn’t beat a real GPS system, but in a pinch it’ll do I’m sure.
It would be nice to be able to re-map buttons if need be, I didn’t find anything in there to do that, like the GPS or Push to Talk buttons, if I don’t want to use them I should be able to re-assign them to something else.
It’s a very well made phone really, I’m truly impressed by the build quality of the Rugby.
Here’s some sample pictures I took with the Rugby, you can see they’re not that great, and close up shots really don’t work:
and here’s a video I took with the Rugby, bad…very bad:
Image Gallery:
Conclusion:
So the Rugby isn’t the greatest phone for taking pictures or videos, but that’s not really the point of this phone is it? It’s made to be a tough phone for those with an active lifestyle and/or a job that requires you to get down and dirty. This it seems it will handle very well, though since this was a loaner phone I really couldn’t put it to the test, had I been given this phone to review and keep I would have been bouncing it off the walls, letting my kids have at it, and really giving it a good testing.
All in all though just handling the phone, it feels rugged and tough, it is certified to military specs, so that should mean something and make people a bit more comfortable when taking their phone with them everywhere, no matter where their travels take them.
Personally I have two phones, an ATT Tilt and an LG C3100 Flip Phone, when I know I’m going to be getting dirty, wet, and possibly in a place that could damage my phone I’ll swap the sim card out to use the ‘cheapie’ phone. Now if the Rugby was my main phone then I wouldn’t have to worry about anything happening to it as it is made to take rugged conditions.
The interface works after you get accustomed to it, my current phone (ATT Tilt) is Windows Mobile touch screen based, so switching over to the Rugby really took a lot of getting used to for me, not only for the lack of touch screen but of course the entire interface. If I take one of my spare phones, an LG C3100 Flip Phone I find the interface is very similar, so if you’re going from a non-WinMo phone to the Rugby you should be fine.
After a week with the Rugby I did get accustomed to using it’s interface, even though some aspects of it are a bit questionable, of course we’ve got the standard AT&T bloatware and advertisements built in to get you to buy their other services that seem to be right in your face at times, this I could have did without, if I want those services I would sign up for them, and I think every other person agrees on that point.
Pros:
-Tough and Rugged, well made
-Large easy to use keypad
-Calls are clear
Cons:
-Bad picture and video quality
-AT&T Bloatware junk installed
-Navigation could be better
Grades:
Overall: 
Design: 
Performance: 
Tags: a837, AT&T, cellphone, rugby, samsung, sgh-a837
30/09 - 2008 at 1:48
Great Review Kristofer!
4/10 - 2008 at 13:23
Thanks so much for this review! I am thinking of buying this phone & you made it so much easier to come to a decision on which phone I wanted to buy. Great job, thanks!
8/10 - 2008 at 21:19
Thanks for the review. I’m considering the Rugby. I’m a land surveyor working every day in the forest lands of Texas. Sure wish someone would review this phone who has actually tested it while they were working or playing in rugged conditions. Reviews while looking at it on the kitchen table may be helpful to some extent, but I would like to read a review after use in a real rugged world.
8/10 - 2008 at 22:00
Hi Ken,
That’s one of the problems with reviewing cellphones, 99% of them must be returned to the company and if I had damaged the phone in any way I would have been financially responsible for it… so I do what I can with what I’m given..
9/10 - 2008 at 21:49
Here’s some rugged testing…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cv9fgLnYXuc
13/10 - 2008 at 6:04
good..
15/10 - 2008 at 14:00
Nice video, I am probably going to wait till march and see if ATT picks up the Sonim xp3. If you want a truly tough phone check it out. It has been over in Europe in the xp1 now they are brining it here as the xp3. It can take a 3 story fal, drop in the deep end of a pool and still work after it gets run over by a car.
But that is some time away, maybe I will get both.
16/10 - 2008 at 19:23
Thank you everyone for the reviews. Clearly like most of you I was on the fence a bit when doing my research on this phone. I work in some terrible environments and was worried that AT&T’s idea of rugged and mine were way off.
The demo from Brozio and especially the video from the fair sealed the deal. Anyone still unsure about the quality of this phone for extreme use…. check the you tube video listed by Michelle. Case closed.
Thank you for making my choice so easy!
28/10 - 2008 at 15:05
i break a lot of phone from carelessness. i bought the yellow/black samsung rugby and less than 5 minutes after powering it on, i slammed it on the concrete much harder than if i dropped it from 20 ft. the phone does not even have a scratch anywhere on the casing and there has been absolutely no functional problems since.
29/10 - 2008 at 2:02
I just bought this phone on this past saturday 10-25-08 and have had it for four days so far, and i must say i can’t be happier with it. ive had motorola’s, sony ericson’s, and one older model nokia brick. this being my first samsung really gave me a great first impression in the store with its features and abilities from what seemed to be a tough yet simple phone. i work in a construction based environment, and actually dropped it into a wheel barrow full of quikrete (cement) and wiped it off and never had a problem. the speaker is loud enough i can hear it with all the ruckus around me goes on, and the 3G service is great! i would definitely suggest the Rugby to anyone who gets down and dirty at work, for fun w/e, you won’t be disappointed!
29/10 - 2008 at 17:47
Are there any other “rugged phones” for AT&T? I’ve had several phones (the first nokia that you could change the faceplates, nokia 3210, 3220, sony ericcson z310?, and currently, an LG.) and none of them have lasted over 6 months. I don’t really have an active lifestyle or anything like that, its mostly just dropping the phone, or the occational smashing the phone on my steering wheel because I lost signal in the middle of a very important call. But no concerns with dust, dirt, or water. I would really like a full keyboard, because I’m text-heavy, and hardly ever actually use the phone part of it. And I don’t know anybody that uses the PPT, so I don’t have a use for that.
31/10 - 2008 at 2:16
I just bought my phone today and loved it!! It was kinda hard to get use to considering I went from a Blackjack so texting was a pain for me but I work in a metal fab shop and I am around alot of grinding dust so all my other phones would collect metal shavings in the speaker not the Rugby! Should last me along time.
31/10 - 2008 at 20:10
I’m not the kind of person who writes a review on everything I buy, in fact this is my first. I do however read a lot of what everyone else has to say. I will have to give the rugby FIVE STARS. I have 3 of them on a family plan with AT&T. The cost of plans are basically the same for all the carries, but AT&T does have rollover minutes which may give a little better advantage. I’m a little hard hearing and just want to have a phone which can provide the following: LOUD RINGTONES; CLEAR EASY TO READ NUMBERS; GOOD SIGNAL ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. This phone does that for me. The Rugby has all I need plus a lot more things that my wife and daughter wanted. My daughter is away at school and wanted a phone with text messaging, camera, blue tooth and other features my wife and I dont care much about. My wife especially wanted a RUGGED phone, because it lives in the bottom of her purse or on the floor or table or just about anywhere, usually wherever she last used it. Her last phone had the antenna chewed off by the dog and had been droped many times and sent back for repair twice. This one looks like it will hold up a lot better and has no external antenna. We got the three phones from Amazon.com for only a PENNEY each plus about $7.00 for shipping. We have had them for three weeks now and very happy with them. Daughter uses all features and had only one complaint (wishes it had a flash on camera).
9/11 - 2008 at 22:10
I needed a dependable phone. IT’S MY ONLY PHONE. hate cheap ass crap, so when I saw this I LOVED it. Been in the Military 20 years, so yes the MIL-Spec does mean a little to me… IT’S A PHONE… I COULD CARE LESS ABOUT VIDEO QUALITY. I HAVE AN AWESOME CAMERA. VIDEO… WHATEVER IT’S A PHONE. Email, web…. blah blah blah IT’S A PHONE… AND IT WORKS GREAT!!!! I am frustrated trying to buy a phone. I want to make calls. Not surf the web or snap pics. In fact where I work, cameras are prohibited. I’m nearly 40 years old, male and have a career. They need to make phones for us… Not the 15 year old girl phones with text and crap. This is the closest thing I have found to a Blue tooth capable no frills phone… THANK YOU
No just make one with a battery twice the size and I’ll be happy.
13/11 - 2008 at 13:04
Have a problem receiving a multimedia messages from my wife’s iphone. The message comes through but there is not a picture. Service not to bad in the area that I live. I am a welder and this phone is not to bad.
29/11 - 2008 at 0:05
Thank you SO much for this review - i put a lot of faith in real world experience and this is a good, gritty inspection of the product. I really liked the phone when i saw it at the ATT store, figured i’d get it - I’m not looking for much in a phone: to me, at the end of the day, it’s a phone. But i really valued reviews so i was glad for this one. Thanks - you’re bookmarked, Man.
10/12 - 2008 at 16:25
Does anybody know how well this syncs with Outlook as far as calendar or contacts are concerned?
What type of cable do I need? I am seriously considering this phone, but hate to buy phones that require proprietary cables and software.
Thanks,
Chad
12/12 - 2008 at 0:43
Had this phone for about two weeks and it BROKE. I had it in my front pocket, bumped into a table and it completely SHATTERED the front display! AT&T wouldn’t take it back and Samsung wants to charge me $70.00 to fix it! Completely ridicules. This phone is no where as “rugged” as claimed.
Wait for a ruggedized phone from a different manufacturer.
24/12 - 2008 at 6:00
To Mark:
I have to call you a liar…first of all I am an AT&T wireless employee of 3 1/2 years, not to mention a customer for close to 10 years. If you break a phone AT&T will not fix it. Your only options are (1)make an insurance claims in which the deductibles are either $50 or $125(most data devices and higher end phones) depending on the device,(2)upgrade with a 2 year agreement if eligible,(3)purchase a device at the no commitment cost (does not require you to renew your contract. If the phone has no physical or liquid damage (determined by the liquid indicator in the battery area) and was purchased within one year,you may have your device exchanged for a new or refurbished device. AGAIN I AM AN AT&T EMPLOYEE, A MANAGER TO BE EXACT, and there is no option to have your phone fixed for $70.00. Aside from that, I purchased the phone for my father who is a construction worker. I is very hard on phones and can go through 3 to 4 per year even with phones I thought were “rugged.” He has had the phone since September and it has only small scratches on it from dropping it. SO PLEASE COME WITH A BETTER STORY OR DO A LITTLE MORE RESEARCH BEFORE YOU COMMENT. EVERYDAY PEOPLE USE THESE REVIEWS AND I THINK ITS UNFAIR TO THEM TO POST UNTRUE AND INACCURATE INFORMATION.
24/12 - 2008 at 6:03
Very reliable device according to my personal experience with it and my customers giving me feedback. Only negative is the camera if it is important to you. I have had Samsung devices in the past and have found them to be the most reliable.
29/12 - 2008 at 1:58
I bought a Samsung Rugby Phone a few months ago, and I love it. It has been the best phone I have ever owned. I however am starting to have a problem with it. I most use it during the day and charge it up over night. For some reason, The battery does not seem to charge fully anymore and if leave it on the charger over night, when I disconnect and use the phone, it will show only 1 bar and soon go dead. What is the problem? Am I over charging the phone, and if so how can the phone me charged so its ready for daily calls and useage???
Any people having the same problem please let me know.. Thanks
Jon
1/01 - 2009 at 17:35
Erin, Get a clue or at least READ and COMPREHEND what you are reading. Mark never claimed AT&T was going to fix his phone. He wrote that it was SAMSUNG that was going to charge him the $70.