Yesterday we took a look at some of the materials Verizon’s prepared for the launch of the ruggedized Casio’s G’zOne Commando. We now know that the phone is closer than ever to arriving, with a release planned for one week from today, on April 28. Additional Commando docs which our tipster has passed our way reveal a bit more detail about the Android smartphone’s capabilities, and give us a nice look at some of the included G’zGEAR apps.

As a ruggedized phone, the Commando claims resistance to dust, water, and shock. If you were curious just how much abuse that means the phone can take, it should survive a four-foot drop, so any fall from table-level shouldn’t be fatal. While no smartphone maker may be so bold as to claim its phone is totally waterproof, the Commando’s water-resistance looks pretty impressive on paper, claiming the ability to sit in one meter of water for half an hour without any seeping in and damaging the phone.

G’zGEAR consists of eight outdoorsy tools that could make the Commando the preferred smartphone for anyone into activities like hiking, jogging, or backpacking. Several of the tools can be installed to your home screen as widgets, giving quick access to their data.

Orienteering fans will dig the digital compass, with a clear, easy-to-read indication of which direction you’re heading. You can overlay the compass with a selection of points of interest, showing which way, and how far off they are. You can then pull up a map or website to get more info on the POIs.

The pedometer lets you keep historical records of your walks, showing how your performance fluctuates day-by-day. If you don’t have anywhere particularly interesting to walk to, a virtual trail tool will simulate hikes to famous locations, keeping track of your progress as you go.

The temperature-related tools are a bit less interesting, letting you compare current conditions at your location against those in major cities. We just don’t really see the point of an app that helps you find other cities with similar conditions to where you happen to be at the moment.

Surfers, fishermen, and anyone with a penchant for the open sea will appreciate the tide-tracking tools. The sun and moon cycle tools may be of slightly broader appeal, and a star map tries to do a Google Sky Map imitation, showing you which constellations and heavenly bodies you can hope to see.

A trip recorder saves location and time data on where you’ve been, with integration to social media networks so you can share that info with friends. The Adventure Training tool looks pretty cool, giving you a virtual opponent to run against. You can see how you measure up when compared to sporting greats or some of the fastest animals in nature.

Lastly, you can strap the Commando to your waist and use its sensors to monitor a run. Afterwards, you can analyze measurements such as your balance, stride, and form, as well as evaluate your speed and see how many calories you burned. While some of these tools may be duds, altogether they make for a pretty nice package that fits perfectly with the Commando’s image.

Thanks: anonymous