JCB Toughphone Marketing Director Jason Kemp finds another inventive way to put the JCB Sitemaster 2 through its paces.

When we launched the original Toughphone in 2007 one of the tests was to put the phone in a cement mixer. Celebrity Toughphone tester Peter Jones (who outside of Dragons’ Den owns the company that makes the JCB Toughphone) put five Toughphones in a cement mixer. We left them in the rotating drum for a couple of minutes with sand and gravel. All survived.

So we thought we’d take that challenge further. We got one bag of quick drying concrete and a Sitemaster 2, mixed the concrete and put the phone in to set (while we went off and strapped a Pro-Smart to a couple of rockets).

A couple of hours later and the concrete had set hard – now here’s the tough bit, can the phone survive being smashed out of concrete with screen intact and still be able to function. Have a look and see for yourself…

We are pleased to announce that we now have stock of JCB’s first ever Android smartphone, the Pro-Smart (below left), along with the JCB Sitemaster 2.

JCB got a taste of the Android action last year when it teamed up with Motorola to release a limited edition of the DEFY+. It has now taken ruggedised Android smartphones to the next level with the Pro-Smart, an IP67 rated device that has a huge casing. JCB has been making ruggedised phone for a while, but the Pro-Smart is the first to boast a smartphone OS, as well as such a strong level of protection.

Being IP67 rated, the Pro-Smart is scratch and dust resistant. It’s also got all the usual smartphone connectivity features, as well as a 2000mAh battery. With a screen size of 3.2”, this battery will keep the handset powered for long days, but still gives enough space to easily navigate the Android OS. We’ll have a review, videos and demo content going up on the Clove blog shortly, so check back later this week if you want to see a hands-on with the device.

The Sitemaster 2 also has an IP67 rating and meets military specifications. It’s more portable than the Pro-Smart thanks to its smaller screen and casing and also comes with an FM radio. Both handsets come with a 2 year warranty as well.