Aspera R25t: Plans | Pricing | Specs

From its thick rubber case to its reinforced body and its waterproof design, the Aspera R25t is one tough mobile phone.

As mobile phones have become steadily more advanced over the years, so too have they grown more fragile. Bigger screens become easier to crack, bulkier handsets become easier to drop and the abundance of delicate technology contained within their shells becomes even more susceptible to water, dirt and other environmental hazards.

For anyone who spends a lot of time in and around particularly hazardous environments, this can be a serious problem. You don't want to bring a $1,000 iPhone to the beach only to leave with a sand-encrusted paperweight that's going to cost hundreds of dollars to repair.

This is the kind of disaster Aspera hopes to avoid with phones like the R25t. Designed to survive all manner of rough-and-tumble situations including drops, spills and submersion in water, the Aspera R25t is a simple yet sturdy device well suited for tradespeople, manual labourers or anyone looking for a phone they won't need to cradle like a defenceless newborn.

Design

• Water and dust resistance for use in hazardous environments.
• Reinforced frame offers extra protection from falls and impacts.

• Read more on the Aspera R25t's design

  

  The rugged quality of the Aspera R25t is apparent from the very first glance. Adopting the trademark yellow-and-black colour scheme of the construction industry, the R25t is encased in a thick rubber shell designed to protect the phone in the event of a fall or sudden impact. That rubber body also makes the R25t easier to grip than typical glossy smartphones, a handy trait if your travels take you high above the ground where a single slip would spell doom for even the sturdiest phone.

  Each corner of the Aspera R25t is reinforced for additional protection, greatly increasing its survival chances should it happen to take a tumble. The body also boasts an environmental protection rating of IP68, which certifies it as both dust-tight and capable of submersion in up to 1m of water for at least 30 minutes without suffering permanent damage. If you'd like to know more about IP ratings and the kind of protection they offer, have a read of our guide to waterproof phones.

  Beyond its ruggedised features, the Aspera R25t is a relatively simple phone that offers basic functionality without all the bells and whistles packed into the latest smartphones. Rather than a full-face touch screen, it sports a traditional non-touch 2.4-inch display with a physical keypad for navigating the phone's proprietary operating system. Said operating system also keeps things simple, offering tools like a phone book, an FM radio, music and video playback and a basic web browser for use with the built-in 3G network support. It's worth noting that 3G is the only way to connect the R25t to the Internet, since it doesn't include Wi-Fi compatibility.

  On the hardware side, the Aspera R25t includes a 3.5mm audio jack for connecting traditional headphones as well as Bluetooth 2.1 support for wireless headphones. If you plan on using the R25t as a multimedia device, it's important to keep in mind that it only comes with 512MB of internal storage out of the box. A microSD card slot lets you expand this, but only up to a maximum of 16GB.

Camera

• A 2MP sensor provides enough clarity for basic photography.
• No auto-focus, zoom or other features to speak of.

• Read more on the Aspera R25t's camera

  

  In keeping with its utilitarian design, the Aspera R25t features only a single 2MP camera at its rear. This is a marked step down from the cameras on typical modern smartphones which tend to rate upwards of 10MP. Nevertheless, a 2MP camera can be perfectly suitable for basic photography, whether that be taking a quick happy snap for your photo album or recording an important piece of information for later use. And speaking of recording, the camera on the Aspera R25t also supports video capture, though Aspera does not detail what framerate or quality the video is captured at.

Performance

• Sufficiently powerful to handle the basic tasks it's capable of.

• Read more on the Aspera R25t's performance

  Blazingly fast performance is not what the Aspera R25t was built for. Reliability is its primary focus and as such it doesn't pack the latest and greatest mobile hardware. In practice, though, this doesn't matter all that much, since the R25t only has to perform basic tasks like making and receiving calls, playing audio and displaying its streamlined operating system. Such tasks require only minimal processing power, which should ensure the R25t delivers a quick and responsive experience regardless of its humble hardware.

Battery

• Up to 8 hours of talk time and 400 hours on standby, according to Aspera.

• Read more on the Aspera R25t's battery

  A long-lasting battery is critical in a phone designed for survival in the great outdoors. Aspera recognises this, equipping the R25t with a 1,300mAh battery it claims offers up to 8 hours of talk time and a hefty 400 hours on standby. Under average use, Aspera predicts most people will get around two days out of a single charge. This isn't too shabby, especially considering that most modern smartphones tend to top out after a single day of moderate use.

Pricing and availability

Aspera R25t

Rugged and reliable

With its reinforced frame, water-resistant body and hardy battery, the Aspera R25t is built to survive Australia's harshest conditions.

Buy Now

• The Aspera R25t retails for $129 and can be purchased from retailers like Target, Amazon and Big W.