The new Aspera Mobile R10 smartphone is both rugged and affordable

Rugged and affordable are not usually two words that appear together to describe a smartphone but Aspera Mobile’s R10 certainly fits the bill.

Priced at $299 the Aspera Mobile R10 has an IP68 rating which means its built to handle water and dust.

And with its rugged formulated rubberised outer body design and larger corners to absorb impact, it can also handle a drop as well.

“At Aspera we launched our first rugged smartphone in 2014, and we have released many more since then, garnering a solid reputation for robust design and excellent protection against drops, knocks, water and dust ingress,” says Aspera Mobile MD Allan Robertson.

The R10 is undoubtedly the best, toughest and most rugged smartphone we have ever released, and it is just $299.”

The device has a 6.5-inch HD+ display, is running Android 13 and is powered by a 2Ghz Octa-core MediaTek processor with 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.

Also onboard is a huge 5,100mAh battery which can easily get you through a full day and well into the next.

The smartphone can also fit two 4G SIM cards so users can have a work number and private number on the same device rather than carrying around two phones.

On the camera side, the R10 has a 13-megapixel rear camera and a front-facing 8-megapixel camera.

The front camera is also used to scan your face and unlock the phone through face recognition.

“We’ve had great success with our previous rugged smartphones and with the R10 we wanted to release something even more unique in the market but still make it excellent value,” Robertson continued.

“We’ve achieved that as with the R10’s specs it is ideal for tradies and workers in transport, farming, mining and agriculture where a mobile device is essential, but it is going to have a tough life.

“The R10 isn’t just for tradies though, as it is specifically designed to protect against and withstand pressures from the dailies including weather, environment and most common daily drops, knocks and bumps.

“Think of it this way, if you have a lifestyle where you need a rugged phone that can withstand water, dust and knocks or you simply have a habit of dropping your phone the R10 will suit you perfectly as it’s smart, solid and rugged. You can rest assured it will make a great companion in your working life.”

The Aspera Mobile R10 is available now for $299 from Big W, Retravision, Better Electrical, Mobileciti, selected IGAs and selected BP service stations.