AT&T is now launching its new enhanced push-to-talk with a new rugged line of cellular phones. Push-to-talk (PTT) was once synonymous with Nextel, until Nextel was bought by Sprint (News - Alert) Mobile.

PTT-enhanced phones essentially allow users to use their phones in a similar fashion to a walkie-talkie.

The enhanced PTT has been designed to work on the super-fast 4G LTE (News - Alert) network that AT&T uses for many of its premium phones. This will allow PTT-enabled phones to work faster and more efficiently than its predecessors at Nextel who used the CDMA network.

Two of the newly designed cellular phones that will utilize the new, enhanced PTT system are the Samsung Rugby III and Sonim XP 5560 Bolt. For a rugged phone, Samsung (News - Alert) has picked an appropriate name, referencing what many consider to be the toughest sport played on earth: rugby.

The Samsung Rugby III has a flip phone design with a 2.4-inch screen and a 3-megapixel camera.

Though these specifications are not as impressive as many of the new smartphones on the market today, it is more than capable of handling any situation it is put through. This new phone is built according to military specifications and it is waterproof, shock-resistant and dust-proof. 

This will lead many to ask: can the iPhone (News - Alert) meet these specifications? To make this an even better deal, AT&T is offering this phone for free with a two-year contract.

Samsung is also offering a phone from its number-one Galaxy array of phones, the Galaxy Rugby Pro. This is a smartphone with the same specifications as the Rugby III, which uses the Android (News - Alert) operating system. This phone offers e-mail support to allow for better communication in the field. 

To better connect the office worker to the rugged field workers, the enhanced push-to-talk service can be downloaded onto the best-selling smartphone on the United States market, the Galaxy SIII, and to the Galaxy SII, to provide better communications.

Industries that have their people working in extreme conditions may want to choose the Sonim XP5560 Bolt, considered by many as the toughest phone available. It can withstand punishment from being dropped on concrete from more the six feet in the air, or being under water for more than 30 minutes. 

The product will be available for $199 and comes with a three-year warranty.

The new Enhanced PTT also runs on the Blackberry models 9360 and 9900. Many of their PTT phones will be made free of charge with a two-year Enhance Push-to-Talk contract.

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