Hidden at Casio’s booth at CES was a prototype of a smartphone even more rugged than its G’zOne line that has been caught only two weeks later. The phone seen by MyNavi would borrow the G-Shock name from Casio’s watches and, with a thick outer frame, could take up to a 10-foot drop without breaking versus the more common three feet. It could also stay immersed in water up to 33 feet deep and take a ton of pressure, although it’s not clear if this would be metric or imperial.
Much less is known about the inside, although it would use at least Android 2.3. Casio’s outdoor-friendly customizations from the G’zOne Commando appear to have come over intact and would provide a home screen compass.
At the show, Casio couldn’t say whether or not the G-Shock phone would become a shipping product. Its design and positive reaction from those who saw it suggests it will be made real. Verizon is one of the biggest customers of Casio’s smartphones and would be the most probable candidate for the G-Shock outside of Japan.
