Kyocera Brigadier
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“Despite ho-hum specs and a rather disappointing camera, I'm still enamored by the Kyocera Brigadier. It's a rare worry-free piece of kit, and that alone can be quite liberating for something as essential as a smartphone. The Brigadier is a beast in the best way possible, nearly impervious to anything you can throw its way and far more durable than the ruggedized Samsung Galaxy S5 Active (an AT&T exclusive). And aside from the aforementioned Galaxy, most rugged devices, like the Casio G'zOne Commando, have even more modest specs than the Brigadier. Kyocera pulled off quite a coup by introducing the first mainstream sapphire-clad display, and it pays off here.”
“Not surprisingly, Kyocera excels at what it does best – making ruggedized phones that are meant to withstand all that life has to throw at us. With the Kyocera Brigadier, they’ve made the proper enhancements to make its offering suitable for the hardened user. Indeed, it’s one solid phone that’s nearly indestructible, enhanced further with the addition of Sapphire Shield glass to protect its display. Still, at the end of the day, it’s still a phone that largely targets one specific demographic, due to its rugged look.Flaunting a price of $49.99 with a 2-year contract through Big Red, it’s a great offering if you’re in the market for a ruggedized smartphone. In contrast, though, its $399.99 outright cost is rather steep. Looking solely at the ruggedized smartphone space, it’s no doubt a cut above the rest, but it doesn’t have the commanding authority to topple some of the generals in the smartphone universe.”
“It’s neither the slimmest nor the sexiest device out there, but the Kyocera Brigadier offers lots of extra value for its relatively moderate bulk. It’s not that much larger or heavier than a slightly older phone like the Motorola Droid MAXX, which offers similar battery capacity isn’t nearly as durable. Although it’s more expensive than comparable mid-range devices, it gives you the comfort of knowing that you’ll never have to pay for any future damages. All in all, even if you’re not out in the muck every day or working around smartphone-crunching objects, a phone like the Brigadier will keep your stuff safe and sound for years to come.”
“Like most heavily ruggedized phones, the Brigadier is a hyper-specific smartphone that caters to a small subset of users. Nonetheless, the mid-range phone performs well, has a battery that will easily last you all day, and is very affordable. Plus, you'll get a Sapphire Shield display and Qi-Wireless charging, which are pretty sweet features to have in a mid-range smartphone.Given that there aren't many rugged smartphones out there, if you're on Verizon Wireless and need a phone that can take a beating, the Brigadier most definitely gets the job done.”
Watch before you decide
In Depth
The Kyocera Brigadier takes the term rugged seriously. Like other devices in this category, the Brigadier is IP68 certified, which means it is dust proof and can waterproof for up to 30 minutes in up to 6 feet of water. It ups the ante, however, as it also meets the US Department of Defense Military Standard 810G to protect against shock, vibration, temperature and weather extremes and solar radiation. Phone Scoop describes the Brigadier as, “One tough mother of a phone…that kicks butt and takes names…” As a rugged phone, the Brigadier is not dainty by any means. It measures 5.37 x 2.69 x 0.52 inches and weighs a hefty 187 grams. While on the thicker side, experts point out that the variety of textures and materials making up the chassis create a very nice phone to grip, even with wet hands.
If that doesn’t impress you then perhaps the sapphire coating on the display will. Kyocera touts the Sapphire Shield screen as virtually scratchproof and reviewers fully back this claim after failed attempts to scratch the display with rocks. Behind the sapphire is a less than awe-inspiring 4.5-inch, 720p LCD display. Although experts weren’t wowed by the screen quality, they didn’t find any issues with it. They note that it is relatively sharp thanks to the 326ppi pixel density, offers good viewing angles and decent bright light legibility. What really won critics over was its Glove and Wet Touchscreen Operation feature. As the name suggests, users can operate the phone even if they are wearing gloves (up to 3mm thick) or the screen or their hands are wet.
Although the phone’s 1.4 GHz quad-core processor and 2GB of RAM can’t compete with iPhone 5S, it performed well enough for reviewers that they could have perform day-to-day tasks without any lag issues though there was stuttering during graphically intensive games. In order to keep all the components damage and weather proof, there are no removable parts including the battery. Still, critics found the 3,100mAh battery perfectly adequate as it lasted a full day of moderate use. The Brigadier also comes with 16GB of internal storage and a microSD expansion slot. The 8MP rear camera failed to impress critics due to its grainy low-light images and inaccurate colors. Gotta Be Mobile notes, “…the cameras are not the best you’ll find on a smartphone, but they may be the best you’ll get on a rugged smartphone.”
Despite a less than stellar rear-camera and average hardware, reviewers still approve of the Kyocera Brigadier. PC Mag gave it the Editor’s Choice award for rugged smartphones due to its “impregnable durability, high-quality display and solid midrange performance for the price…”
What people actually want to know
When was the Kyocera Brigadier released?
The Kyocera Brigadier was released on July 31, 2014.
How long does the battery last on the Kyocera Brigadier?
The Kyocera Brigadier has a 3,100 mAh battery.
Does the Kyocera Brigadier support wireless charging?
Yes, the Kyocera Brigadier supports wireless charging.
Does the Kyocera Brigadier have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Kyocera Brigadier has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Kyocera Brigadier have NFC?
Yes, the Kyocera Brigadier has NFC. You can use Google Wallet, Apple Pay, and tap-to-pair with Bluetooth accessories.
Where can I get support for the Kyocera Brigadier?
Visit Kyocera's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Kyocera Brigadier manual?
You can view and download the Kyocera Brigadier manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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This is my spare phone and I had the same problem. I just did a hard reset - holding the Power Button, Down Button and Home button all at the same time. Seems like it took forever, but it did shut down. However, once I restarted it I have the same problem - once it reboots, all I get is the red screen with the Verizon logo. So I just did another hard reset to turn it off. I think I held those 3 buttons down at least 10 seconds before it turned off.