Sonim XP1300 CORE rugged handset announced

True to form, Sonim has announced their XP1300 CORE rugged phone to the masses, although it will only hit the market later next month. This is not meant for any average Joe to use, since it will cater particularly for those who work in extremely harsh environments and need a reliable communications tool. This is touted to be the first IP-68 rated GSM handset in the world that can be fully submersed in 2 meters of water, featuring a 2-inch high-resolution, scratch-resistant screen (made out of Gorilla Glass, of course), a noise-cancelling microphone, compliance with US MIL-810G certification for salt, fog, humidity, transport shock, and thermal shock. Just in case you’re stuck in a mine somewhere and waiting for your rescuers, it is a good thing the XP1300 CORE does video and MP3 playback as well. Expect to fork out $399 for the XP1300 CORE when it is available next month. Since the product page isn’t up yet, what you see above would be Sonim’s collection of tough phones. [Press Release]