The front of the Shore is home to a 5-inch, 960-by-540 screen that's covered by a flexible acrylic coating.
I'd recommend carefully wiping off the inside of the phone before swapping out any cards. Some moisture did get under the back cover, but was kept away from the SIM/microSD card slot by an extra plastic rim.
I gave the phone a thorough rinsing under the sink and immersed it in a bowl of water, and it survived the treatment fine. The touch screen is usable when wet, a welcome feature you don't encounter too often. True to its name, the Hydro Shore is rated IP57 waterproof, allowing you to immerse it in up to 3.3 feet of water for 30 minutes. The back cover peels off, giving you access to an integrated SIM card and microSD card slot, the latter of which worked with a 256GB Samsung Evo+ card. There's a power button on the right side, a volume rocker on the left, a 3.5mm audio jack up top, and a micro USB charging port at the bottom. It's easy to use one-handed, especially when compared with the ZTE Zmax 2 (6.1 by 3.0 by 0.4 inches, 6.0 ounces), benefitting from a grippy soft touch back panel and smooth plastic sides. At 5.5 by 2.8 by 0.4 inches (HWD) and 5.0 ounces, it's roughly the same size and weight as the LG Phoenix 2 (5.7 by 2.8 by 0.3 inches, 4.9 ounces). And if you're willing to buy unlocked, the Blu R1 HD ( at Amazon) offers the best combination of price and performance, earning our Editors' Choice.ĭesign, Display, and Features The Hydro Shore ($48.00 at Amazon) is a fairly standard slab of black plastic.
But it's easily outclassed by rivals like the LG Phoenix 2 and the ZTE Zmax 2, which have better displays and more current software (but alas, aren't waterproof). That said, it's the only waterproof phone you'll find in this price range, and that's certainly worth something. It's powered by an outdated processor, runs an increasingly dated version of Android, offers limited internal storage, and has weak camera performance. The Kyocera Hydro Shore ($79.99) is an affordable prepaid AT&T phone that feels stuck in the past. Best Malware Removal and Protection Software.