Casio G'zOne Commander Full Hands On Review

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It’s a tough world out there, and phones can be fragile. Unfortunately, ruining a phone due to water damage or just plain dropping it and “breaking” is too common. That’s where the Casio G’zOne Commando comes in. It’s a ruggedized Android phone that offers protection from the elements and even meets US Department of Defense standards for ruggedness. But, is it a good phone? We’ve spent a while with the phone and we’ll tell you if the phone is tough enough, or all bark and no bite.

The Cammando’s headline feature is the fact that yes, it is ruggedized. It is apart of Casio’s (best known for their digital watches) G’zOne series of ruggedized phones. This is their first smartphone attempt and it meets DoD standards for resistance to water, dust and shock (drops). I didn’t test it for dust, but I did drop it four feet onto concrete and leave it water for a few minutes and it survived unscathed. The battery cover even “locks” to prevent it from popping off during falls. Now, I’ve covered a lot of extreme ruggedized gadgets here at TFTS. Will the Commando survive such extreme tests like leaving it in salt water for 12 hours, or a drop from 50 feet? Probably not. But it’s rugged enough for most folks.

The ruggedness of the device does come at a price, though. The phone is rather bulky. Not necessarily heavy, but it does have bulk and heft to it. If you’re looking for an ultra-thin and light phone, you’re better off looking at the HTC Droid Incredible 2 or iPhone or some other device. The USB and other ports of this device are also covered by little covers with rubber waterproof seals. Obviously, this is how they keep the inside of the device waterproof, but it can be a hassle to constantly open and reseal the little covers. The phone uses a capacitive touchscreen, which responds to electrons, not physical touch. Ironically, if you drop the phone in water and the phone is unlocked and out of sleep mode, apps may open from the electrons in the water! It can be funny to see to see water “using” your cell phone for you.

In a world where phones are going for less and less physical buttons, the Commando has a lot of physical buttons. Ironically, the four Android guide buttons on the front of the device are “soft keys”, but the rest are all physical button. It has volume controls, a dedicated camera shutter button, the old power/sleep button, and an undedicated button that you can assign a single app to open when you press it. Nice feature, something that I used to like about BlackBerry phones.

Unfortunately, all those buttons have a bit of an issue. The phone is bulky and the buttons are hard to feel from the edges of the device. They provide little tactile feedback, and it can be hard to find and press them in. Especially the power button, you usually have to grab the phone and look at where the button is. As you know, with other phones, eventually you get used to the tactile feel the phone, and can usually hit the power button without looking, but the odd placement and feeling of that button on the Casio Commando made it impossible for me to get used to it on the Commando. If I had spent six months or a year with the Commando, would I of gotten used to it? Maybe. But, I’ve gotten used to the placement and feel of other phones and devices in the same amount of time I’ve spent with the Commando. I think you’ll find that the buttons on the Commando are hard to get used to due to their weird placement and tactile feel.

Spec wise, the Commando features a 800MHz processor, 512MB of RAM and a 3.6-inch screen (Which is protected by enforced glass, for extra protection.  I’m not positive if it’s the official Gorilla glass from Corning, but suspect it is.). Tech fans will know that those specs aren’t anything to write home about, and unfortunately, the phone shows it. Performance wise, the Commando is slow and sluggish. From the time you unlock the phone, you’ll notice it’s slow. Sliding between home screens is slow. Apps run slow. Performance wise, this is the worst Android phone I’ve used in years. The touchscreen can also be unresponsive and slow at times. Sometimes it feels like it isn’t picking up my touches.

The screen measures up at 3.6-inches, which is increasingly becoming “small” for smartphones, but is still roughly the same size as the Apple iPhone. That means that most smartphone users out there will probably find the screen ample enough. The screen resolution is fine. When I first encountered the Commando, the colors on the screen looked a bit washed out, but, I think they’re fine when you get used to it.

The Casio Commando is running Android 2.2. That version of Android is increasingly becoming the Windows XP of the Android world. Not the newest thing on the block, but tried and true and generally okay. Casio has their G’zOne custom user interface all over the phone, so if you’re looking for a stock Android device, this isn’t it. The G’zOne UI and its included apps and widgets are okay. They’re focused at an “active lifestyle” demographic, which I will openly admit isn’t me. They include apps for jogging and hiking, as well as various calorie counters and a pedometer for counting your steps.

One neat app will let you virtually run a marathon against various competitors. For example, you can race against the world record of the Boston Marathon. Using GPS, the phone will track you running the 26-odd miles and then compare you’re results to the men’s (or women’s record). They also have various other (less difficult) times and distances you can compare yourself too. As mentioned, I’m not a runner (quite the opposite, only time I run is when it’s Boneless Thursday at Buffalo Wild Wings), but these apps seem cool and full of features for that crowd. Unfortunately, as mentioned, they can be a bit sluggish because of the poor performance of the phone.

The camera on the Commando is very good. Regular TFTS readers will know I say this all the time, but phone cameras are becoming increasingly important as regular folks replace their standalone point-and-shoot cameras with their mobile phone cameras. In that regard, the Commando’s camera is good and probably can replace a regular camera for some. It isn’t as good as say – the iPhone 4’s camera, but it’s got a respectable sensor on it. Check out my sample shots for yourself.

While the low-powered processor on the Commando may make for a sluggish user experience, it does have one notable benefit – battery life. The downclocked 800MHz processor lets the Commando have a great battery life. Officially, Casio promises 8 hours of battery life, which I expect to be pretty accurate. I don’t think you’ll find a problem with the battery life, even with the GPS and WiFi turned on.

The pricing for this device is not good. Officially, Verizon is asking $199 for the phone on contract, with it going for $450 off-contract. Both of those prices are too high. It’s ultimately up for you to decide the value proposition, but the sweet spot for this smartphone is about $50 on contract.

Unfortunately, the weaknesses of the Casio G’zOne Commando are greater than its strengths. The ruggedness, battery life and camera don’t make up for a phone that is sluggish with poor performance. Unless you need a rugged phone for work, stay clear of this phone. You’d be much better off getting another Android phone and getting a waterproof case than using this slow, overpriced Casio device.

Disclaimer: Verizon Wireless provided us with a loaner phone to use during our review period.