The Nokia 800 Tough is begging you to try and break it

Nokia phones have a reputation for being solidly built, but you know it's getting serious when "tough" literally gets put in a device name. The Nokia 800 Tough feature phone is the first truly rugged device from HMD, and it will be available locally from October 10 for $199.

So how rugged is rugged? The Nokia 8800 Tough is rated IP68 for water-resistance, has a Military Standard 810G rating for humidity, temperature and low pressure, and can survive 1.8m drops onto concrete. In an initial hands-on, we found the Nokia 800 Tough was more than capable of surviving more than a couple of falls onto a hard floor.

One other unique feature is a carabiner loop on the bottom of the phone.

In terms of software, the Nokia 800 Tough runs KaiOS. KaiOS is a little smarter than what you'd expect from a feature phone, and even has apps like Google Maps, WhatsApp, Facebook, YouTube, and Google Assistant. If you're not a fan of texting on a T9 keyboard, you're actually able to use Google Assistant to dictate text messages. 

HMD is pitching the Nokia 800 Tough toward hikers, mountain climbers, and tradies.

You'll find the Nokia 800 Tough online at JB Hi-Fi or in-store and online at Harvey Norman from October 10 for $189.

The Nokia 800 Tough is HMD's second local feature phone release for the year, following the Nokia 2720 Flip last week. 

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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