Good phone: 1) with permanent internet/Skype 2) rugged, ideal for travel/hiking/outdoors

[AirbusA370]

I have no smartphones (except for a phone given by my company, a Samsung Galaxy 3), but an old 3 Skypephone which is no longer supported nor on sale.

What was great about that is that it had Skype incorporated and was permanently online (not wifi, not sure what exactly, but I could even access gmail) even at zero credit with pay as you go. Not sure if such options exist anymore, but that was ideal.

In any case, I would like to upgrade to latest technology, have heard that Androids are good at incorporating a huge amount of apps, so something on that end would be great.

A pretty important factor though is that I will be using it a lot while traveling and outdoors, so I am a bit concerned by the fragile appearance of smartphones.

Last but not least, smaller would be better.

I know it will be hard to find something with all the features I request, but the most important feature is that I have permanent and reliable connection to Skype. And reliable messaging to/from other countries.

Thanks

 

[ipwn3r456]

First of all, it's not just the phone that it includes permanently online option, it just depends on the app. You can go ahead and get an android smartphone, download the skype app, and make it online all the time. I am pretty sure it have that option. I don't use skype as much, so I don't know about pay as you go, you might want to ask skype about that.

If you want the latest technology, phones are getting bigger. They aren't getting smaller anymore. It really depends on your definition of "small" and "big", but generally, something like your Galaxy S3's company phone is pretty big, as I own one as well.

I understand you are worrying about smartphones are fragile. You are right, they are. If you want protection for your phone, you have to buy a protective case, such as the Otterbox Defender, Griffin Survivor, etc(lot more out there to choose). But generally if you buy a protective case, it becomes more bulky. If you want the slimness of the phone, then you don't have the protection. See, you got to lose something in order to get something.

And lastly, reliable connection. This isn't depending on the phone itself. It's mostly on the mobile carrier itself if they have good coverage. I assume that if you live in US (ignore if you live in another country), in my opinion Verizon has the best coverage out there, second by AT&T. But both are expensive. If you want something cheaper, T-Mobile, but coverage isn't that great.

One more question. Do you have a budget? That can help us to find some smartphones for you.

 

[inzone]

I have the Samsung Galaxy S4 and that phone has a good battery life and will accommodate all the google apps. It has an impressive rear facing camer and decent front facing camera. There are also the Droid phones , and yes for coverage Verizon would be best. Some phones now come with Gorilla Glass and by adding a Silicone wrap to the phone it would prevent major damage if dropped.