About time... Verizon G'zOne

It looks like nearly 15 years after the mainstreaming of the cellular telephone, we've finally got one that does the only thing I've ever wanted one to do: survive. I've personally destroyed my mobile phones in many different ways. Of the nine or ten of these things I've owned since 1993, most were replaced due to destruction rather than obsoletion. Some were commonplace mishaps, like a simple drop on the pavement, or death by downpour. The most unusual was a freak accident, in which I got into my car and the phone slipped out of my pocket as I sat down. I pulled the car door shut at exactly the moment it was falling across the bottom of the door frame and crushed it like a cockroach.

Verizon has made available the Casio G'zOne and by all accounts, it can take a beating. Now, at $419 (retail) you can probably buy a half-dozen throwaway phones for the same money, but considering the frustration and downtime involved in getting a new phone, it might be worthwhile - especially for those like myself who are, er, hard on their phones. And I am sure that the Verizon associate will, without a hint of irony, try to sell you the accidental damage insurance on top...

This site has photos of stress-testing the gadget (thanks slashdot), and indeed it survives a rigorous battery of challenges that test Verizon's claims about the ruggedness of the phone.

Anyway, I'm a believer. I'm using a razr v3c now, and hate most things about it. It's already died once (and was replaced under warranty), but despite being a flimsy piece of crap, it's actually survived quite a few drops. So at this point the only excuse I have to drop $400 would be gadget envy... we'll see how long I hold out.