It’s fast, powerful and can just about take all the abuse you throw at it without compromising on functionality. That’s the Samsung Rugby from AT&T for you. I suppose the naming convention has something to do with the toughness of the clamshell handset as it complies with military grade specifications, and has the honor of being the first rugged phone that supports AT&T’s breakthrough Video Share calling and to run on the largest Push to Talk network in the country. Thanks to AT&T’s 3G network, Video Share calling is now made available in 320 major metropolitan areas across the US, with the figure touching nearly 350 before the year is over.

I suppose with certification that lives up to military standard MIL-STD-810F, the Samsung Rugby is more than able to withstand dust, shock, vibration, rain, humidity, solar radiation, altitude and temperature extremes no matter where you go, so butterfingers like me will be able to carry this phone around without worrying that dropping it will result in a disaster. Another reason why it was built to be so rugged is, most people in the architecture, engineering and construction lines hanker after the ability to share live video through Video Share as it makes their daily work and communication much easier. In addition, you won’t have to worry so much about finding your way around in a new area since the Rugby comes with GPS navigation, where AT&T Navigator will lead you to various points of interest in an instant.

Other features include Push-to-Talk functionality, a 1.3 megapixel camera, a microSD memory card slot and Bluetooth connectivity. You can pick up the Samsung Rugby from selected AT&T retail locations for $129.99 after agreeing to a two-year contract and after a $50 mail-in rebate.

Press Release