Rugged mobile phone manufacturer TUFF Phones has begun 2019 with the dual launch of its new TUFF T500 handset and a Multi-Network SIM solution, which the company says delivers the connectivity of three major networks via one SIM card to improve network coverage for itinerant workers. The announcement comes alongside news of deals with several well-known builders’ merchants that will see TUFF Phones being merchandised on the counters of over 500 stores across the UK.
Commenting on the latest developments, CEO Kevin Aspinall Nessling, said: “Connectivity for transient construction workers is often an issue as they can frequently find themselves in dead spots without a signal or in situations where a network operator might provide decent signal strength in one area but a relatively weak or non-existent signal in another (and vice versa with an alternative network operator). Our Multi-Network SIM provides a solution to this by bringing connectivity via the strongest signal from three major networks: Three, O2 and Vodafone.”
The T500, the first of TUFF’s third generation of 4G-enabled handsets to be launched, runs on the recent Android 8.1 operating system with a 1.5 GHz Quad-Core processor and boasts technical functionality such as face recognition unlock and fingerprint security. A Sony 13MP CMOS camera sensor offers crisp and detailed photos, and a massive 5000 mAh battery means the device will last for days without a charge (up to 580+ hours standby time). The phone is housed in a military grade, fibreglass-reinforced, rubberised body with a 5.7-inch Gorilla Glass screen and is IP69 certified waterproof and dustproof. The T500 comes with a two-year warranty and unlimited free screen replacements in the unlikely event of breakage for the lifetime of the warranty.
Aspinall Nessling went on to say: “The pairing of the Multi-Network SIM with our third generation of devices offers a step change in rugged mobile technology and connectivity. For the same cost as a single network contract, construction workers can now enjoy better network coverage within a smartphone that will withstand the harshest of environments but while delivering the kind of capability which up until now could only be found in mainstream smartphones on the high street. Builders’ merchant stores offer the ideal environment within which to market this combination directly to small and medium-sized construction businesses for which connectivity is absolutely vital.”
The company says that two of its TUFF Phone models paired with the Multi-Network SIM solution will be available in several leading merchants from the end of January 2019, direct from the TUFF Phones website www.tuffphones.co.uk and in all 55 Get Connected retail stores across Wales and the South West.