Casio G'zOne Commando 4G LTE Will Be Available from Verizon

Earlier this month, some information was leaked about a possible Casio smartphone. In 2011 Casio unveiled the G’zOne Commando smartphone. What made this smartphone unique at the time was the fact that it was ruggedized to military standards. That standard is known as MIL-STD-810G.

MIL-STD-810G, also known as Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests, is a U.S. Military standard that addresses a broad range of environmental conditions. Included are such conditions as low pressure for altitude testing, exposure to high and low temperatures plus temperature shock, rain which includes windblown and freezing rain, humidity, fungus, salt fog for rust testing, sand and dust exposure, explosive atmosphere, leakage, acceleration, shock and transport shock, gunfire vibration and random vibration.

Normally this type of certification is geared towards devices intended to be used by the military, but it is also a way to test the ruggedness of any device. This shows that the original G’zOne Commando smartphone is stronger and more durable than normal consumer mobile devices.

The leak mentioned a possible follow up to this smartphone what would have 4G LTE capabilities. Other than that, no information was available. On June 25, 2013, Verizon announced that the G’zOne Commando 4G LTE smartphone would go on sale on June 27.

This new version has the same MIL-STD-810G certification, so it is just as rugged as the original. It will have global roaming capabilities that enable it to have network access in over 220 countries. It is described as a “combination of toughness and functionality that is essential for an adventurous life in both work and play.”

According to Verizon, some of the G'zOne Commando 4G LTE key features are:

• The display uses durable Corning Gorilla Glass 2
• LIVE G, a cloud service for G'zOne users  
• Share locations and photos with friends using G'zWORLD
• Glove Mode allows use of key features, even when wearing gloves
• NFC, with ISIS Mobile Wallet
• Global Ready GSM (Quad-band) / UMTS (Quad-band)
• Bluetooth low energy technology, v4.0. Profiles supported; Find me, Alert Notification, Phone Alert Status, Proximity, Time Profiles for watch communication
• High-security encryption for corporate e-mail, SD stored data and contacts
• Disable camera function through EAS settings, device password enabled policy
• Dual Front Speaker / Dual MIC Noise Suppression
• FM Radio
• E-mail features include Verizon.net, MS Exchange, Yahoo, AOL and Windows Live Hotmail

The improved G’zGEAR multi-sensor tool links to the LIVE G cloud service, which gives the user the ability to build a database of their worldly experiences. The user can track their activities on a map while being able to include pictures. You can take the pictures with the rear eight-megapixel camera that includes 1080p HD video recording. There is also a 1.3-megapixel front camera.

In keeping with the G’zOne Commando 4G LTE’s ruggedness, the device will include the latest barometric tracking technology, earth compass, sun and moon displays, temperature comparisons, tide views, constellation gazer and virtual trail functions – everything the outdoorsman (or woman) will need. Add the glove feature and you are set to take this smartphone anywhere.

The G’zOne Commando 4G LTE is exclusive to Verizon. It will go on sale on June 27 for a final price of $99.99 after a $50 rebate. It will have a 1.5 GHz dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal storage. Unfortunately, the four inch WVGA display is the same 480 x 800 resolution as on its predecessor.