Luxury cars once came with bulky, built-in factory cell phones that couldn’t be removed. Then automakers tried hawking portable branded phones, until everyone owned a smartphone. Now, Land Rover is trying a branded smartphone that asks, “Does anyone want to go on a hike"”
Land Rover’s Explore is an Android smartphone designed to be as rugged as the legendary British SUVs. It’s an ordinary-looking device with some silver accents and Land Rover logos, almost like a larger version of the company’s key fob. At an expected $800, it’s no $17,000 Vertu wrapped in Bentley leather. (And it will not be sold in the United States.) But it’s supposed to be resistant to water, dust, mud, shocks, low batteries, and poor GPS reception.
The company promises a 4000 milliamp-hour battery (that’s about 25-percent more capacity than an iPhone X) with an optional snap-on 3600-mAh battery. The entire phone is IP68-rated, an electronics standard that dictates it can survive a 1.5-meter (4.9-foot) dip in water for 30 minutes. The 5.0-inch display is coated with Gorilla Glass and able to withstand a nearly six-foot drop without shattering. A host of accessories, including a carabiner hook, external GPS antenna, and bike mount, are available.

Vertu?s $17,100 Bentley-Branded Smartphone Is the Accessory Nobody Needs
A Smartphone Drives This Range Rover Via Remote Control
Paying for Gas" Jaguar Land Rover and Shell Of Course Have an App ...