Military-grade rugged Kyocera DuraForce PRO 2 arrives at AT&T

Kyocera's DuraForce PRO 2 is not a new phone and AT&T is not the first carrier that sells it in the United States. Verizon has already added the rugged smartphone to its offering back in November, but AT&T is doing it a little bit differently.

First off, the DuraForce PRO 2 is an unusual smartphone in the fact that it features IP68 waterproof and dustproof certification and Military Standard 810G for protection against shock, vibration, temperature extremes, blowing rain, low pressure, solar radiation, salt fog, humidity, immersion, temperature shock, and icing or freezing rain. On top of that, the phone's display is protected by Dragontrail PRO, a scratch and crack-resistant glass.

However, Kyocera and AT&T announced that the phone is also FirstNet Ready, which means it's been tested and certified to work on FirstNet, the nationwide public safety broadband communications platform. This makes the Kyocera DuraForce PRO 2 perfect for first responders and those critical to their emergency response.

DuraForce PRO 2 includes HD Voice and Wi-Fi calling support, as well as dual front speakers and four noise-canceling mics that feature Qualcomm's Fluence PRO technology. The latter makes Enhanced Push-To-Talk (EPTT) calls, speakerphone use, music, and calls crystal clear regardless of background noise.

The ultra-rugged smartphone includes enhanced security features like a biometric fingerprint sensor. It's not an in-display or rear-mounted fingerprint sensor, as Kyocera put it under the power button.

Unlike previous Kyocera ultra-rugged smartphones that don't focus on hardware, the DuraForce 2 PRO comes with double the amount of memory: 4GB RAM and 64GB internal memory. Also, the back side features a dual-camera setup.

As far as the pricing goes, Kyocera DuraForce PRO 2 is now available for purchase for just $15 per month on AT&T Next pricing (for 30 months), $170 with a two-year agreement or $445 outright. Of course, the phone comes with a two-year standard warranty.