Video:Top 5 List: Walkie-Talkie Phones
with Shane MurphyWalkie-talkie phones are really helpful for some people, but it can be difficult knowing which are the best. Here's a video list of five of the best walkie-talkie phones.See Transcript
Transcript:Top 5 List: Walkie-Talkie Phones
Hi, I'm Shane Murphy, your technology guru for About.com. Today, we'll help you settle on the best walkie-talkie enabled cell phone. Cell phones that can also function as walkie-talkies, otherwise known as push to talk phones, are typically made for harsh working conditions or individuals that have to spend much of their time outdoors. As a result, most of the phones we'll look at are more durable and focus on the basics of crystal clear reception and easy functionality. As models designed around top of the line functionality related to their push to talk capabilities, they all feature advanced options such as talk groups, push to talk availability updates, and the ability to send images and more with the push of a single button.
Walkie-Talkie Phones: Motorola Brute
The Motorola Brute is probably the sturdiest phone on the market, going so far as to live up to military standards for surviving rain and dust, shocks and solar radiation, even extremes in temperature and humidity. It can handle all of the basics of texting and basic media playback, and will give you approximately five and a half hours of talk time with noise cancelation before losing power. The Brute retails for around $100 with a contract.
Walkie-Talkie Phones: Motorola Titanium
The Motorola Titanium is an Android powered smart phone, complete with a powerful 5 megapixel camera, touch screen, a Wi-Fi powered browser, fantastic multi-media playback and more. The beefed up processor and other features do limit the talk time to only three and a half hours of direct connect talking. This still durably designed phone will set you back around $100 with a contract.
Walkie-Talkie Phones: Casio G'zOne
The Casio G'zOne is another extremely durable walkie talkie phone, with the same military certification thanks to its reinforced frame and rugged plastic lining. This phone features a number of unique applications meant for outdoor exploration, such as an astrological calendar, compass, thermometer, and star gazing map, on top of its GPS navigation and Bluetooth support. The G'zOne can talk for 5 hours continuously on one charge and will cost a little over $100 with a contract.
Walkie-Talkie Phones: BlackBerry Curve 8350
If you're used to Research in Motion's products already or want a push to talk phone that is more business-oriented, then you'll be interested in the BlackBerry Curve 8350, retailing for just $50 with a contract. Although less durable, you're getting all of the streamlined messaging capabilities and other features of the BlackBerry OS 6, as well as GPS, Wi-Fi, six hours of talk time, and of course a full qwerty keyboard.
Walkie-Talkie Phones: Samsung Rugby
The Samsung Rugby is a not surprisingly rugged flip phone that goes for $50 or less with a new contract. It provides the basics of GPS navigation, basic email capabilities, Bluetooth accessibility, and around 5 hours of talk time. If you're looking for a stripped down push to talk phone, this one might be for you.
Check out About.com's dedicated cell phone channel for more help with picking your next mobile model. Thanks for watching…to learn more, visit About.com!