You may not hear flip phone-era standby Kyocera’s name much in a smartphone-centric world, but the company does make smartphones, one of which is the ruggedized Duraforce PRO 3. Not only does it have a removable battery, but, as the term ruggedized suggests, it also features the same IP68 dust and water resistance rating as the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro and various popular flagship handsets. If the $899.99 phone has an obvious surface weakness, it’s that it’s exclusive and locked to Verizon, but there’s a flipside to that coin — that means that it’s available directly from Verizon, payment plans and all.
Unlike its Samsung counterpart, the Duraforce PRO 3 includes 27W fast charging, which can charge its 4,270 mAh battery in about three hours. Some reviewers weren’t crazy about its camera, but in general most have reported a positive impression about the phone. The handset is also backed by a two-year warranty from Kyocera. As for Android updates, Kyocera does not appear to have an official policy, but based on past history, a single major Android update and quarterly security patches should be expected.
If you’re looking for a phone with a removable battery that you can pay off across 36 monthly Verizon billing statements, the Kyocera Duraforce PRO 3 is a decent choice.
