WARNING: Beware of Cowboys selling “cheap” rugged phones
Some big rugged phones sites and TradeMe sellers are trying to flog-off phones that don’t work in rural areas, and which may not work anywhere once Vodafone and Spark switch off the 3G cellsites next year – and they’re lying to their customers about it, still promising “compatible with all NZ 3G/4G networks”.
To help you avoid being stung, we’ve compiled a database of all rugged phones and whether they are really compatible. Read more at the links
The Outdoor Phone Store: as featured on Newstalk ZB
How to use this site
Outdoor Phone Store is based in NZ and Australia and ships to the UK, USA, Canada and the Pacific region by DHL. Simply click on the Flag icon in the black menu bar to view in your own currency. Choose the “ordering from outside NZ?” menu to see the best models for your region. If a model is not listed on your region page it may not work in your country. The phones are below, followed by more useful info for buyers.
FINAL COUNTDOWN SALE: FREE $149 Q-OPS21 Smartwatch with any Ulefone Armor
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SEEN THEM CHEAPER? They may have been sourced from poor quality factories…
read ‘The Truth About Chinese Rugged Phones’
“OUR MISSION: To provide YOU with the outdoor phone that’s best for your needs, sourced from the highest quality factories, with NZ’s best warranty options and technical service backup. We don’t buy ‘cheap’ versions of these models, we pay a premium to get reliable units. They might cost a little more, but they’ll last. When you purchase a sustainable rugged phone from the Outdoor Phone Store, you are helping the environment, your peace of mind and your wallet”.
OUR NEW PARTNERSHIPS WITH AGM & CONQUEST:
Effective April 2022, Outdoor Phone Store has become the official authorised distributor and service agent for AGM Mobile in NZ, Australia and the Pacific. This gives consumers and businesses access to authentic AGM products with factory-backed servicing.
Effective July 2022, Outdoor Phone Store has become the official authorised distributor and service agent for Conquest Mobile in NZ, Australia and the Pacific. The Conquest range includes ATEX-certified explosion-proof phones for use in hazardous environments.
SUSTAINABLE PHONES (repairable)
SCREWED SHUT OR GLUED SHUT?: There are two kinds of rugged phones on the market today: screwed shut or glued shut. The screwed shut phones can be disassembled and parts replaced as they wear out. Some of our customers are still using phones purchased from us in 2017. Screwed shut units are referred to as “Sustainable Phones” because they last longer and create less e-waste than glued shut models. We carry parts for our Sustainable Phones collection in Auckland. Glued shut models have to be broken apart to get at the electronics, which always ruins the water and dustproofing and often smashes the screen – which substantially raises the cost of repair. They are basically disposable phones that have to be thrown away at the first sign of trouble. Because of this, they are known as “Unsustainable Phones” – they have an enormous waste footprint. The usual lifespan for a glued shut phone is 6-18 months. We only sell Unsustainable Phones at trade prices with no consumer warranty (See Trade Phones collection further down this page)
ECO-EFFECTIVE: Look for the Eco-Effective tick to quickly identify models that are repairable, last longer and have a lower e-waste footprint.
VoWiFi and VoLTE – What does this mean? These are the new HD-calling options being rolled out nationwide. Voice Over WiFi (VoWiFi or ‘WiFi Calling’) is a fantastic option for rural users, currently only available on 2Degrees and soon on Vodafone and Spark although connectivity may be restricted. It means that if you live or work in premises with bad or non-existent mobile coverage, your phone will automatically receive and make high definition phone calls over your wifi network, without having to dial any special codes. Voice Over LTE (VoLTE) is NZ’s new 4G-calling system, giving you better quality phone calls wherever the service is available. You may need to ask your telco to activate VoLTE on your phone number. As of 2021, if you are offered a phone that does NOT display the VoLTE symbol – don’t buy it, as it may not have been set up for NZ, may be an obsolete model, and may not be fully functional on NZ networks: you could be wasting your money.
See bigger selection and accessories (including protective cases and toughened glass for Samsung, iPhone and Huawei) further down:
NEW FROM AGM! G1S Thermal & H5 NOW IN STOCK – EXCLUS
IVE!
NEW FROM Blackview! The BL8800 & BL8800 Pro 5G now in stock – EXCLUSIVE!
NEW FROM CONQUEST: S20 & S21 NOW IN STOCK – EXCLUSIVE!
TRADIE PHONES – Disposable phones that we don’t sell at retail:
UNSUSTAINABLE PHONES (non-repairable)
Looking for the cheapest Blackview, Ulefone or Doogee models you saw for between $200 and $899 elsewhere? We don’t carry them as ordinary stock items in NZ because they can’t be repaired in NZ or Australia – they are glued shut and the phone has to be broken apart to carry out diagnosis of even the smallest faults. When those phones are broken into they lose their water and dustproofing.
The cheaper models have an unacceptably high failure rate due to their lower quality electronics (which is why they are cheap and why our competitors recently tried slashing the warranty to only six months!). Many of them also have limited mobile bands meaning they won’t work properly when you travel overseas. Some don’t even have any 4G, In comparison with the models above, they are junk. Even some of the most expensive models are glued shut nowadays – but you take a big risk paying more than $499 for a phone that can’t be fixed. If you’re desperate for one, however, despite the warning, see below – they are only available to trade customers at trade prices…we cannot supply on ordinary terms as the fact they are glued shut makes it impossible to sell them to the public AND still comply with the Consumer Guarantees Act requirements as to serviceability and parts.
But I’ve seen retailers offering a 12 or even 24 month warranty on hermetically sealed phones? Read their small print.. It’s meaningless, and a bit like offering a plot of land on the moon. The slightest sign of a scratch on your phone will be used to void the warranty they are offering. Believe it or not many phone faults are caused by users, not warranty defects – the most obvious example is breaking your screen. Even assuming your phone lasts 12 months, if it needed a new part at 12 months and five days it becomes your problem, and because it can’t be opened it can’t be fixed. That’s the reality. If you drop the Ulefone on a rock a week after purchase that’s it – you’ll have to throw it away. So if you are tempted to fork out hard-earned doleros for a factory-sealed Blackview, Ulefone or Doogee remember – they’re glued together, and most NZ repair centres won’t even touch them.
The only way we can offer a genuine 12 month warranty is by factoring in the genuine cost of repair or replacement…so if you are buying one of these tradie phones at full price from us you can rest assured that your claim is far more likely to be processed than from a cheap seller.
Not just phones!
In addition to our phones above, we also have other great ideas like the impressive DoPods bluetooth headphones at half the price of AirPods but with longer battery life and water resistance for all-weather use. We know how hard it is to find reliable high quality earphones (there’s plenty of crud on offer for less than $99 elsewhere), but we have literally chosen the best – your loved ones will really thank you if they find these in the Christmas stocking.
Likewise, there’s 2020’s sudden must-have accessory for everyone working from home – the Logitech webcam to make your Zoom appearance better looking and more professional.
Another great gift is the new Flyco razor with two year warranty…it cuts better than any shaver our team have used.
Accessories
Do you need a wallet case, screen protector, wireless charger or wireless headphones?
Yes, we ship internationally
If you’re in North America, the UK, Australia or the Pacific Islands you can purchase tax free on this site. To see the price, just choose the ‘I am an International buyer’ option before you add to cart. All models come with parts support and some have our screen breakage warranty. Buying from us makes sense if you need reliable service from an English-speaking helpdesk.
Our Phones
WE GET IT…MULTIPLE CHOICE CAN BE OVERWHELMING. GIVE US A CALL ON 0800 747 007 OR LEAVE A MESSAGE (BELOW RIGHT) AND WE WILL TAKE AWAY ALL THE HASSLE
The Outdoor Phone Store is New Zealand’s biggest retailer of rugged outdoor phones. You can save hundreds off the price of comparable models from the big telco’s. If we don’t offer a model you’ve seen elsewhere, it’s because we don’t think it’s good or reliable enough. Examples of brands we’ve dropped include Doogee and VK. The phones above are the best options in their category, and that’s the expertise we bring you. We offer an exclusive hand-picked collection of phones that perform, not five pages of shiny underpowered models that don’t. Click on one of the images to see full specs, photo gallery, torture test videos and customer reviews of these rugged outdoor phones. Or pick an option from the Outdoor Phone Store dropdown menu
Our Promise
Fastest Delivery: Fastest delivery in NZ. Other suppliers offer free shipping in “usually” two weeks; we ship by express courier in days. Fastest Tech Support: The Outdoor Phone Store is the only rugged phone retailer that can service your phone quickly in NZ, not slowly in China. We are the only NZ retailer with parts held locally. Best NZ Warranty: A full 12 months NZ warranty, not 12 months “manufacturer’s” warranty or a cut-and-run six months or 7-day warranty. Parts: we keep parts in Auckland so you can get priority service. NZ-owned: We’re a 100% Kiwi business, and GST-registered. Aftersales Support: You’ll get exclusive updates on tips and tricks for using your new phones. NZ’s #1 rugged phone retailer: as ranked by Amazon’s global web traffic analyzer, Alexa. No other rugged phone retailer in NZ comes close. There’s a very good reason for that.
Your Feedback
Ian. I am so impressed with your phone, I have been telling people to get on your website and buy one. – Alan J
Best phone I have ever had! Good service.
Good warranty! – Grant T
Thank you very much for your great service and for selling such fantastic phones, I love it already. – Liz P
Best decision I’ve made for a long time! Great technical support, help is only a phone call away, I’ve taken photos underwater, dropped it and it has dealt with all the abuse this hunter, kayak fishing tradie painter can throw at it….and the new Blackview looks even better. Do not hesitate to deal with the genuine agents in NZ , Outdoor Phone Store. – Ant Neill, Facebook
Join the switch to NZ’s best outdoor phones!
What our customers are saying…
Alan B, Sept. 25 2019
I just recently bought a BV9700 Pro from you and it’s fantastic. Thank you.
Bree Tee, Nov. 3 2019
Most grateful shout out to this company – they helped my daughter with a problem on her phone that has been ongoing for months & even after realising we had called the wrong company for support (bought from a similar named company originally) there was no hesitation in walking us through the steps we needed to take even though it was complicated & took 10 minutes. Incredibly patient and helpful – thank you!
Dan F, Sept. 4 2019
Thanks for the consignment of Blackview BV9500s. The phones are working like a charm…brilliant
A wee story supporting the claims of these phone. About a month ago now, I was on Mt Taranaki checking Bells Falls. I climbed up to the base of the falls to get a photo to indicate the current flow rate over the falls. After taking the photo on my phone I placed the phone on a rock about 1.5 meters above the river and took my proper camera out of my back.
While I was setting this camera on the tripod, another person came up to talk to me, they knocked the phone off the rock and into the river. The phone was washed down stream along the rocky river bed for about 5 meters before coming to rest in a rock pool. I walked down stream to the pool and recovered the phone, gave it a wipe down and apart from a couple of dings on the protective face cover, no problems it is still working like a dream. Well done Blackview.
Hi there,
I am a new content block, go ahead, edit me and make me cool…
I mostly see queries here that have apparently come from either ‘newish’, or prospective customers – nothing wrong with that! But having owned an AGM that I purchased from Ian at the start of May last year, I just felt compelled to comment on how stoked I am with it. Yes the product is awesome, but I really have found the back-up to be spot on too. While the phone hasn’t missed a beat, I’ve had a couple of minor network issues I didn’t fully understand and Ian personally talked me through them – very patiently and with easy, successful outcomes. Ian very obviously knows what he’s about and looks after his customers. I will have absolutely no worries about buying from him in the future, or recommending him to others. Excellent value for money!