Casio G'zOne Boulder for Verizon does ruggedness in style

Casio G Check out this here rugged successor to the Casio G’zOne Type-S. Verizon is preparing to offer their “outdoors-y” subscribers a revamped take on the rugged Casio G’zOne handset.

What you see here is the re-designed, and shockingly pleasing, Casio G’zOne Boulder. The Black version is definitely a mean-looking handset, but we have to give it up to the Orange-colored variant. Talk about a handset that does ruggedness in style.

And, cosmetic updates aren’t the only changes in store for Verizon subscribers looking for the military-spec shock, dust, and water resistance. The Casio G’zOne Boulder offers a 1.3 megapixel camera (up from VGA resolution on the G’zOne Type-S), push-to-talk on the EVDO Rev. A network, and a slimmer profile.

If spelunking and canyoneering were our cup of tea, we’d be all over the Casio G’zOne Boulder in Orange. That is, once it launches in the not-too-distant future.

[Via: Engadget Mobile]

About The Author

Will Park

Will hails from The City of Angels - Los Angeles, California. He spends his time playing with his numerous gadgets and looking forward to seeing what future holds for mobile technology. An avid promoter of a fully "digital" life, he promotes the widespread adoption of truly mobile, paper-less living. He dreams of the day when he can go completely digital. No more snail mail, paper receipts, bound books, notepads/spiral notebooks, credit cards, hard currency. He's a digital warrior - fighting for the converged life. He is an idealist and a realist - he has a perfect view of what the world should be but knows that the world is not perfect. Can we ever hope to see Will's dream become reality? We'll see...

Travis

Funny that they mentioned canyoneering in the review. I’m a canyoneering instructor based out of Los Angeles that has been using the previous model of this phone since it came out a couple years ago. It’s definitely as waterproof as it claims as I’ve done a couple full on swims underwater with the phone in my pocket and not only had it still work afterwards, but even snapped some photos underwater. I don’t work for verizon in any respect, but this really is an awesome phone for outdoor enthusiasts, if not a wee bit bulky. Hopefully this new model will slim down the overall package as claimed. Sweetness!
Will Park

The first thing that came to mind when I thought “rugged” was mountain climbing, rock climbing, canyoneering, and spelunking – all sports that’s I’ve great admiration for, but have limited experience with.

Where do you teach canyoneering? I’m in Los Angeles and I’ve been looking to expand beyond rappelling and rock climbing (both of which I’m fairly new to).

The new model will be almost 1/4 inch slimmer, which is great. Glad to see that the handset is as “rugged” as Casio claims!
Artic232

I have the G’z One and love it. I’m a law enforcement officer, and let me tell you, this phone has had some serious abuse and has had no problems whatsoever. It has been dropped an infinite amount of times, hit the mud, underwater, salt, you name it. I was disappointed to hear that they were falling out of stock at most verizon stores, and maybe the boulder is why…
Ryan

We use the new G-Zone for a towing company. It is very rugged but has a major drawback compared to the old push to talk phones. You cant here them! The speaker is very quiet and is not adjustable. I hope they get this resolved quickly.
Viggen

There’s no place to attach a lanyard?

When is this sucker coming out?
JJ

When does this phone release? anyone heard a date yet? Im jonzin for this puppy.
Dale Loveless

I own the original GZOne the rugged one with the bumper, I have no intentions of trading in or getting a new GzOne..the 2nd generation Gzone was a poor plastic imitation of the original. But I would love to see the new one and see just how rugged it is!
impatient

Seriously, does ANYONE know when this phone is coming out??? Noone, including Verizon stores, seems to know.
guy1234

The verizon manager said it will be out July 28th and they will get the first shipment in on the 25th
JJ

Hey thanks for the info guy1234,i see theres a motorola adventure out with milspecs for shock,dust and vibration but it isnt water proof and submersible.
impatient

Yes, thank you! I saw that phone too and almost bought it, but I am trying so hard to hold out for the boulder! The verizon salesman told me that they are released online a couple days before they arrive in the store. Keep my fingers crossed for the 28th.
MacLeod

My husband and I both have the GzOne Type-S. It is one tough phone! As a matter of fact, it has been the only one we have not been able to destroy. We are outdoors practically 24/7 in all types of environments and weather and we highly recommend the phone. I was able to see a “dummy” model of the new one today. What a difference in size/weight! We are due for upgrades the first of August so we plan on getting 5 new ones. I was not as impressed with the Motorola version, but it’s all in what you prefer. We will stick with the GzOne.
john

i have been trying to get one of the first ones and was not able to find one any where my contract is out and i need to upgrade my phone beffore i get a new contract
one person i talked to said the new one will be out on the 22nd well itsw the 22nd and no new one but now people r saying the 25th or the 28th and im going to be searching for it on those days
MacLeod

You can still go on eBay and purchase the first two versions if you prefer (new & used). I do not think you can go wrong with any of them. The only problem with the first one (Type-V) is that it does not have Bluetooth. The new Boulder has a micro SD slot which is an improvement.
uncboy

I just talked to a sales rep at verizon hq. She stated the phone would release on 4 Aug 08. Which the phone is a push to talk and has the bluetooth stereo feature. She said, the only other thing besides the two options above are just the exterior redesign of the phone.
I want it

I really hope its coming out in navy. This is going to be one bad mama jama.
Brian Ransom

Just talked to a Verizon store in a small town in PA and the Boulder will be available for shipment on August 4th. I was hoping the June 25th date shown on the phone was it but not so lucky. The store said even though the Motorola Adventure v750 is rolling out now that many people, like myself, are waiting for the Boulder. He said they will not have any in the stores (other that POSSIBLY a demo phone) but they can order them for immediate shipment.
kayak

have the original. teach kayaking, had it underwater many times… works great…

question: will there be a place for the lanyard… as someone outside a LOT with this phone, it would be a serious faux pas if not included–
v

i too have the type-v and my kids played in our pool with it using the vidoe cam. when i shoed the flix to my local verizon store manager, he went around the store showing all his employees. he was enthralled ot say the least. the best video was when the kids dropped it in the deep end (12′) with the video cam running and swam down to retrieve it. the flix showed the view of the surface of the water as it sank and then it showed my ikd swimming down to get it. trully amazing. the only draw back was the poor battery life when i first got it. but after running the batt down and recharging several cycles the battery life seems to go on forever. by the way, water did penetrate the charging port and ear jack port and under the battery but i just blew really hard and no problems not even signs of rust or deterioration.
cindy

I have been trying to get the gz-s for over a month. Now I see a new version is coming out. I’m a little disappointed that they are changing the camera to a 1.3 mega pixel. My brother has the original gzone and the camera was excellent. The photos were as good as his digital camera. My phone now is a 1.3 and has horrible pictures. I wonder why they decided to downgrade on the camera? I also wonder how much this newer version is going to be. I’m ready for an upgrade, the old one would have cost me 99.00, I have a feeling this one is going to sky rocket in price.
Brian Ransom

You can still get both the original Type-V and the last version Type-S on Ebay. The Type-S will cost you $200 plus though. I have seen it go a little less but not much. You can even find them brand new from time to time. I am hoping the Boulder pricing is kept reasonable. I am waiting for it.
impatient

IT IS ONLINE – VERIZON WIRELESS! $129.99 – I just ordered it!
jd

IT IS RESDY TO ORDER ONLINE TODAY AND IT WILL BE IN STORES 8/5/2008.
Raidium

Well it is about freakin time this thing came out! I was wondering if the thing was fake! Wooo! About time.
Brian Ransom

I just ordered mine too! Upgrade price in $34.95, very reasonable.
Jarn

I got mine too!!! Will be here tomorrow!!!
Bob Sampson

I just received mine in the mail. What the deal with the battery life? I did not even get 16 hours out of it. Anyone else notice this?
Abernathy

Hey…I got mine yesterday..i have been waiting months for it. I like the phone itself but have an issue with the clarity and volume hearing during a call. Does anyone else have the same problem? Just curious if it is standalone problem with my phone or if that is how the model sounds?
Bob Sampson

Low Volume is a problem….
Bunk13

I should be getting mine today. Can’t wait to see it. I ordered mine online through verizon and was only $14.99 for a 1 year contract renewel! That’s awesome!!!
JJ

I’ve had mine for about 4 days now,its pretty nice.Very light and durable,i dropped it a few times already and my old Nokia 6256i would have lost its battery cover and battery.Its also held up well in my back pack while mountain biking on some 90+ degree days,so i am definitely happy:) with it.
Dale Newsom

I got mine yesterday. The only problem (not really an issue for me) is the clarity and volume. My cheap moto phone I had for 2 years was a ton better than this. I hope this issue is due to the water proofing and not an extremely cheap speaker. I still will not get rid of this phone; it’s what I need.
Dale Loveless

Ok…I went and seen the new “GZone”…I’m not impressed…it’s not much of an improvement over the S type…and it will never be like the original! I don’t know why they just dont build the original again. Maybe the original was TOO rugged and durable. After all if your phone is rugged like the original GZOne no one will have to replace their phone, and sales will diminish. And also the new one is not made of Titanium like the original. or whatever it’s made of. But I amsure that someone that has never owned the original, will scarf up the new one!

By the way…has anyone seen the new Cobra 29 LTD Bluetooth CB Radio for truckers? Thats right folks, we can now talk thru our CB’s via the bluetooth link!
And we get to key the mic, like on regular CB. Yes the CB is still alive and well in the trucking business.
Tim

clarity and volume hearing is VERY bad if you push the volume up so you can hear in a work type enviorment the sound is so distorted you can not understand what the people you are talking to is saying. I dont care how waterpoof you buy a phone to be able to talk to ppl and if you can not do that efectivly its no better then a fancy expencive clock to tell you the time and date
Mark Brunner

Worse Battery life I have ever had!
My wife and I got the boulder last week free online from Verizon with a two year contract. We went to verizon yesterday her battery did not last 18 hours and mine was a little over 24 hours this with out much use. We both were given new phones seems that these are jsut as bad. The clarity and volume from the phone is also very Poor!
sherry

this phone is crap i just took it back toda u can’t hear out of it esp if they other person has a boulder. the battery life sucks
sherry

o and i dropped it and the front little part came off..i now have the new adventure phone and i love it
Abernathy

Returned mine earlier in the week. I couldnt deal with it!! The call quality sux with it.. hard of hearing and holding a conversation without having the person on the other end to repeat themselves. I also had problems with my bluetooth connection in my jeep. I could make outgoing calls without disruption but when an incoming call came in it kept on connecting and disconnecting making it unable to hold a conversation without turning it off. The day I returned it, the rep told me I was the second person that day returning a boulder. I am truly disappointed after waiting so long to get it. I picked up the Env2 and am very happy with it so far. I hope that all that read this contemplate getting a Boulder unless they do something miraculous to cure the problems…
Edwin

clarity and volume hearing is VERY bad the phone sucks, sound is so distorted you can not understand what the people you are talking to is saying.
Bob Sampson

There is a software / firmware issue. Have someone from another cell phone carrier send you a picture in a text message. The picture is so small cant be viewed. I had someone from AT&T send me and a friend (also verison but with an LG phone). He got a big picture and I got a tiny one that cant be seen.
T. Cutler

Just purchased one yesterday and am very disappointed. The sound quality is horrible!!!I called and talked to different people from various locations with same horrible muffled sound. Boxed it back up and will be returning tomorrow. What a joke this phone is. Did’nt anyone listen to this thing before they marketed it??
D Fitz

I got mine the first day it was out. I took it back three times in 12 days and got replacements. Each one had lousy speaker clarity and people said that I sounded like I was talking in a tunnel. The phone has alot of cool features but if it doesn’t work well as a phone, what good is it! Bummer! I traded up to a Dare and had it for a few weeks and I like all of the features on it, so far.
jrod

I got this phone last weekend and have been disappointed in the performance of the ear speaker… sounds very muddy and un clear… I really want to like this phone but am afraind i will end up taking it back before th 30 days is up…
Bunk13

I have had this phone for 30 days now and the speaker quality is so bad I can’t take it anymore. I just returned it and am going with the glyde instead.
JonL

I got the boulder a week ago and it seems to have software issues. When I check previous calls(missed/dialed/etc.), the phone freezes up and I have to take out the battery and turn it on again. This also happens a lot when I make calls. The call goes through, but I can’t use the buttons, including the “end” button to hang up…so the battery has to come off again. Anyone else have these problems? Is there another “rugged” phone from verizon I could get?
Bunk13

JohL if you still want a rugged phone you can go with the motorola adventure. I hear it is pretty good just not waterproof like the boulder. I like the ruggedness of the boulder but the flaws have outweighed the good things. The speaker is TERRIBLE, The phone just randomly resets itself, sometimes when I answer a call the speaker phone is on and won’t turn off. Just alot of issues to work out. Make sure Everyone tells technical support about the problems with the phone. Verizon says there are none.
JonL

thanks bunk. I actually returned the phone this morning. The salesman said he had never seen this problem before, but judging by what I’ve read here, he was probably lying. But, I said my prayers, kissed the ground, and got another boulder. We’ll see how this one works out. thanks for the advice on the motorola, I’ll grab that one if this craps out.
Matt

Hi everybody I’m new to the site but I wanted to see what everybody else had to say about the boulder I must admit I’m having the same problems with mine kept resetting itself for no reason so before my 30 days were up i took it back and gave me a new one so maybe something was wrong with the first batch but as far as the speaker goes it does suck I originally switched from nextel to Verizon and was also waiting for this phone to come out and I bought 3 2 boulders and one adventure I originally had a Motorola I 580 now that was a phone great speaker great everything btw the battery is horrible on this phone and no ext battery avialble to my knowledge unless somebody has found one I haven’t yet though I found that if you turned the volume down its not as bad, most of the time I’m wearing my blue tooth Jawbone BTW is the best out there and works great but as soon as i take it off i get poor speaker reception.Other than that I love the features of the phone but I thought Casio would have done a better job with the phone not that impressed.
Bob Sampson

Ok. Since my last review on Aug 29th, there has been 2 software upgrades. The latest version V9230M07 seems to have resolved the muffled ear speaker. The Volume on the PTT could still be louder but overall I am happy with the phone now that the muffled ear speaker has been resolved.
Matt

Hey Bob how exactly do you go about getting the software updates for the phone?
Bob Sampson

It should be automatic. But Try menue, settings & tools, phone info, software update.

The current software version which appears to have fixed the sound quality is V9230M07.

Good luck.
Larry

Activated mine this morning and installed the software update. Speaker clarity is horrendous. This phone goes back to-night. My problem is I can’t have a camera phone due to work restrictions, and this was, I thought, a good compromise.

Don’t know what I’ll try next.
Travis

my boulder is coming in tomorrow, not too shure if im looking forward to it now.. i am coming from a lgvx8000, that phone, is a soldier.. it went through water plenty of times, but i went overbored leavin it in a glass of water over night.. figured i would like this boulder.. my boulder thats coming is supposed to be upgraded already, but we’ll see..
DanniB

My fiance & I both got these phones about 3 weeks ago. Talk about disappointing! I would NOT suggest them to anybody! His battery is dead in 3-4 hours & he does not use it that much! We are constantly putting them on the charger! He keeps getting the black screen of death! (Phone freezes & he has to take the battery out to reset) PTT feature suxs! That is the main reason we got these phones! Speaker suxs! Whole experience with this phone suxs!!!!!
Travis

you didnt charge it before you used it, im on my phone all day long and i usually have a bar or two when i get home….. tell verizon about the speaker, and they’ll send an update to your phone and it’ll be fixed
Dave

The battery IMO is short. My old LG would last a couple of days one a charge. This G’zone is running low after one day.

My peeve is that there are 12 Stupid pictures in the phones memory. I can get rid of the pictures because of copy rights. Its just annoying.
chris

this PHone is garbage!!!!!
It shuts off when manipulating my contacts! It just shuts down and reboots. The battery lasts about a day.
The ear piece is distorted. I’m always asking people to repeat themselves when talking because of the distortion.
Enjoy your experience.
Larry

From what I’ve seen from following comments about this phone, I’m glad I didn’t try another one. Sound quality might be better with bluetooth, but I don’t need anything else jammed in my ear.

Does anyone know of a good alternative for this ? I really need a new phone, but I can’t have a camera.
Any help appreciated.
SportyBarbie

Phone is near perfect except for incoming sound quality. If you can’t hear who you are talking to, what good is it?

Had to return mine after a month of trying. It was consistently bad not matter where I went. Couldn’t understand a word of my home answering machine through it nor the verizon voice mail. Did not try the OTA’s as they were not available when I had the phone. Verizon knew nothing about them so if you want info on this phone, keep googling!

Compass: I actually use one regularly – this was a great idea but in the sun, you can’t see it to use it. Have to find a very shaded area or you are out of luck.

Casio almost has it perfect ~ a few refinements and one in pink are in order. Go Casio Go! You can do it! Hopefully in time for the holidays.
Dirk Blyston

TERRIBLE SOUND QUALITY!! Really, really bad. Forget this phone if your in construction like me. With a phone that supposed to be so tough made for adventure and hard work its got the worst sound quality of any phone that I’ve ever had by a long shot. If you want hear anybody on this phone you better go into a sound proof room. The reception isnt as good as my last phone either. Oh yeah and the phone radomly shuts itself down & you have to pull the battery to get it on again. Wonderful if your counting on using the alarm, you wake up 2 hrs later than you wanted to only to find your brand new rugged phone has decided to shut itself off. I WOULD NOT RECOMMEND THIS PHONE.
john k

Have the boulder 3 days and have to charge it every day, The g zone was the best, I only charged it every 3rd day ,even after the battery being 9months old.I have already replaced the battery and no help.After 1 week old, This phone is going back.
Isaac

Phone shuts off all the time. When talking, when texting, when sitting. I am on my second phone going on my third, as well as other co-workers who are having the problem.
Phone is possessed and needs an exorcism or a round garbage can to toss it into.
John

yea i was sorta excited to get this fone but it now sounds horrible. W/e ill see.
John

Sound quality can be updated and changed and same with the battery. Just go to best buy and buy something better but the actual fone is good in itself.
Casey

Im thinking about getting this phone but do you think it would last if i surfed with meaning it would be submerged in a couple inches of water for at least an hour
Mikey

I just picked up my new G’z one Boulder in Orange on Friday. The VZW store at our mall sold me the old one with no front speaker. I can’t even hear the music player, it’s all distored and PTT is terrible. I also have the same issue, in just 2 days, my Boulder rebooted about 6 times, and one time it froze up and I had to take out the battery and put it back in to restart the phone??? This phone is loaded with features, please, please CASIO… Don’t give up! You have a great phone here, and to make it excellent work on some more new software updates. The latest update does NOT correct the rebooting or freezing up issue. My Boulder was never taken outdoors, or dropped. Verizon said they have other reports of this?? THEY ARE DISHONEST. But I will stick it out.
FJ

This is my second phone of this model. This first one got dropped on concrete many times and survived with no problem. The clarity of sound has not always been the greatest because it is a waterproof device. I have also accidentally dropped it into a steaming cup of coffee with lots of sugar and at this time I needed to make any calls early in the day; after all the sugar invaded the speaker the only way I could hear was on speakerphone through the back speaker. It would not work off speakerphone. I could not hear anything. But after washing it thoroughly with a spray bottle of Windex it worked fine. It cleaned out the sugar. Now I’m on my second phone; and I’m having trouble charging it because I think it’s from the one I had that was damaged that got crushed; the battery from that got installed into my new phone from the get go and I think my phone is locked into a decharge mode instead of a charge mode. As for the phone itself I think it is a good one I use the compass all the time as I am a marine contractor.
JJ

I received my Boulder the day before Christmas and I absolutely love it. After ordering online I began researching the G’z One Boulder and found an overwhelming number of complaints stating bad audio, short battery life and poor speaker quality. My research also revealed a brand new released version of the Boulder that addressed all these concerns plus comes with new an improved software updates. I contacted my online provider to make sure that was the version I was receiving. When I got the new version Boulder I was pleasantly please with its appearance and weight. The new version comes with an external front mounted speaker, two batteries (one standard and one extended life) and handset cradle. The activation and contact transer was a breeze using Verizons Backup Assistant. The audio/sound, speakerphone quality was great (phone volume at medium). The extended battery last several days but is hardly an issue because the convenient desktop handset cradle easily keeps the phone charged not to mention it provides a great phone rest for listening to your favorite music right from your phone. The phone features are great including the really cool push to talk feature.
The Military specs are what hooked me on this phone in the first place. I’m a firefighter and a very outdoors kinda of guy so this phone is perfect for my lifestyle. I looks tough, feels tough and is tough. I even used it to listen to tunes while taking a shower the other day and it performed great during and afterwards.
If I had to say anything bad about this phone it would be that keys are little small including the PTT key and the camera has a relatively slow capture on it. But overall I love this phone. So ignore any review you read for this phone posted prior to Dec 17, 2008 and go out and get this phone. Make sure when ordering you are getting the latest version though.
Bob Sampson

I have the old version (no front speaker). It looks nice but poor sound. I have a chance to upgrade to the newest version ( with front speaker ). The new version looks strange the the speaker protruding out of the phone. I curious what everyone else thinks. Is the sound problem serious to justify the change?
Mariejo

I am so sick and tired of customer service reps lying to me. !!! After reading all these complaints above I am so happy to read that I am no the only one having problems with this phone. I just recieved a replacement phone and now the same thing is happening to this one. The phone just shut down and is in a constant turn on mode. It powers up as if it is going to work then shuts down and powers up again …..over and over and over again but never actually turns on . I am so sick of companies like Verizon whose policy is to return the same crappy phone instead of giving you the option to try a different model even if it means paying a difference.
G’z One Boulder Hater

This phone has by far the worst “modern day” software, and zero support, as fas as worth a damn. G’z One Boulder should be revamped… completely, other than the casing. Rugged??? We’ll see, but I have snapped rivetted cases, i305 nextels, and this is my “next, best hope” for sanity in the digital age of crap. Note to Casio: negotiate better terms as far as engineering specs… Note to Verizon: Customers are #1, no customers, no money… Make this product completely accessible, kill the bugs, acknowledge that this was a failure, and move on with the improved firm/hard/soft ware updates FREE. This phone is going to be a huge dissapointment to many customers, who, like the good people above, and more sure to follow my comment, may call off verizon all together due to negligent rhetoric and deniability of a piece of undeniable aboninable retro-”freeze” technology. PTT avail/reli/ability may improve once Alltel is assimilated into your “true” network, but there is still much to do…
cacas

APESTAS A CACA Y VALES VERGA PUTO
tony

I cant get my Gzone boulder to recongnize my jawbone.
Chet

There is a place to attach a lanyard in the upper left side facing the closed front of the phone. I used an extremely small spring ring much like a keychain type and hooked a spiral cord bought at walmart for a couple dollars.You will never lose this most reliable phone.
Chet

I agree with JJ. The boulder is not a blackberry but it is the most durable phone made, and it has a way better camera than the previous model and the flashlight surpasses anything on the market. I have put it in the dishwasher and dropped it in the pool way too many times but still works fine.