Kyocera DuraForce Pro on Verizon vs Moto Z Force?

[jleebiker]

I used to have a Kyocera ruggedized phone. Loved the crap outta it. Have been running a Moto Turbo for a while now. Getting close to time to replace it.
Anyone know anyone or have experience with the the Kyocera DFPro and can compare it to the Z Force? I like the idea of the Z Force Shatterscreen, but the Kyocera's sapphire screen is pretty compelling. I also get that it can be damaged from side impacts.
Anyone know how the battery life compares against the two?
Lastly, I'm curious about software updates. Moto is notoriously slow, but Kyocera is almost as bad. Anyone know if the refresh cycles will improve?
Thanks in advance.

 

[questionfear]

FWIW, Moto has been pretty good about pushing out security updates. I would also assume that Moto will have a more active developer community/community support than the Kyocera.

 

[PortablePete]

My nephew just got the duraforce pro and I liked its physical buttons. Neat phone that he likes a lot. I like the options of the Moto better. But the duraforce is a neat phone.

 

[cbironman24]

I think the days of bad updates from Moto are over. I have been pleasantly surprised on all the updated for my Z Force.
As for the DuraForce, it looks like a good phone, if I were in the market now it would be on my list. BUT I love Moto display and would find it hard to move to another device.

 

[Ry]

I think the days of bad updates from Moto are over. I have been pleasantly surprised on all the updated for my Z Force.
As for the DuraForce, it looks like a good phone, if I were in the market now it would be on my list. BUT I love Moto display and would find it hard to move to another device.

Wait til the next gen Z line comes with out. These updates may slow down.

 

[YAYTech]

The Verizon Z phones are on Android 7.0 and I believe the latest (maybe next from latest) security update. They're doing VERY well at keeping them updated so far. (Though I won't hold my breath that they'll keep that up after the next Z's come out, as Ry said.) I'm very happy with my Z Force.

 

[anon(1733)]

I had the Moto Z and now the Kyocera Duraforce pro. Both are excellent devices but serve different needs.

The Moto Z was fantastic for me. The camera was pretty good. It was super fast. Build was nice. I believe that Moto will provide updates pretty quick also.

The Kyocera is my current favorite device though however. It is built like a tank and that is what I think I enjoy the most. I do use a case. The sapphire screen is nice to have. Wireless charging built in and SD card slot. I also really like the physical buttons. For me having physical buttons and a dedicated camera button is awesome. I also like being able to use gloves with my phone since I have to use gloves for work.

However the Moto Z is faster than the Kyocera and the camera is also better. I have not had lag on my Kyocera but I did notice the Moto is faster. And being able to use the mods are nice also.

In the end you just have to decide what you are looking for in a device. Both are good choices.

 

[ShawneeDJ]

I've been researching for a new tough outdoor phone myself and coming across this thread I started comparing the Duraforce pro and the Z force and this is is what I've found so far. Overall the Z force is the better phone spec wise but I can not find that it is IP certified or MIL-STD-810 certified which is important to me because if I drop the phone in a mud puddle or stream, I want it to continue working. I've read some reviews that the Duraforce screen will work while wet which some screens won't and it is suppose to be able to be submerged for up to 30 minutes in 3' of water and it even has the ability to take pictures underwater. The Z force doesn't have a earphone jack so you have to get an adapter to use headphones of other accessories that plug into the jack. I really like the idea of the Moto mods, especially the projector, it would be nice to be able to hang up a sheet and watch a movie while camping but again I worry about how tough or durable this setup would be, what happens if I drop the phone on a rock. For the price of the mod, I could buy a separate mini projector that I'd keep protected until use. The drawback for me on both phones is a removable battery. I have a Casio commando (which is discontinued, too bad) that I really like but it's outdated, slow, and the screen is small but it could take a beating and with it I always carried a spare battery so if I were away for a few days or something like getting lost or an accident happened I had phone power( I know I could carry a power pack of some kind but a spare battery was more convenient for me). There are other tough phones out there with all the stuff I want but unfortunately I'm kind of stuck with Verizon because of a family plan and where I go the coverage sucks for other carriers.
One other thing that has kept me from buying a new phone yet is the ability to root the phone. I haven't done enough research on rooting the Moto Z force yet but with the Duraforce pro since it is fairly new and not a real mainstream phone I can't find any thing on a reliable way to root the phone. Can't really comment much about updates but Moto being a more popular phone brand would probably get them faster.
So in short the Z is a better spec phone but the Duraforce pro is a tougher phone so it depends on which you want.

 

[Ry]

Moto Z Force Droid hasn't been advertised with any official water or dust resistance ratings.

If you need actual rugged, go Kyocera.

 

[lady of the lake]

My farmer husband recently replaced his Kyocera Brigadier with the Verizon Kyocera DuraForce Pro and is really happy with it. I set it up for him (I have a Samsung Galaxy S7edge) and I am really impressed with the DuraForce Pro (especially since it's almost half the price I paid for mine last year).

For him the dust and water resistance is huge as is the ability to use gloves. The big battery and the economy battery setting ensures that when out in the mountains snowmobiling we don't run out of battery. The wide angle camera is a great feature too. The phone is really impressive.

He had the Brigadier for over 2.5 years and without a case a screen protector the Sapphire Glass never got scratched or cracked and the phone survived being carried around and falling out of his shirt pocket more times than I can remember. Hopefully the DuraForce Pro is as durable!!

 

[garak0410]

FWIW, Moto has been pretty good about pushing out security updates. I would also assume that Moto will have a more active developer community/community support than the Kyocera.

Agreed...not only did we get Android 7.0 pretty quickly, but also regular security updates...I've been impressed.

 

[jesta192]

... The drawback for me on both phones is a removable battery. I have a Casio commando (which is discontinued, too bad) that I really like but it's outdated, slow, and the screen is small but it could take a beating and with it I always carried a spare battery so if I were away for a few days or something like getting lost or an accident happened I had phone power( I know I could carry a power pack of some kind but a spare battery was more convenient for me)...

To me this is a non-issue since you can use the battery mods exactly like a removable battery would work. Plus you can swap them without rebooting!