Last week, we asked our readers to tell us which waterproof gadget they'd prefer investing in for the monsoons. Looking at the amount of downpour in the month of June alone, it comes as little surprise that most of you (67%) opted for water-safe smartphones. Coming in not-so-close second place is cameras (14%), followed by laptops (10%), and tablets (9%). Probably nature's fury in the recent past (Mumbai, Delhi, and worst of all Uttarakhand) has made most people vary of treks and monsoon vacations. But one can't avoid getting to work even in this weather; often, the boss' fury is greater than that of nature's. And man's new best friend, the smartphone, cannot be left behind at home either, or hidden under layers of plastic, thus rendering it momentarily useless. So here's a list of waterproof handsets currently available in the market that will let you take that important call on the road, even when the heavens have opened up.

A couple of years ago, Motorola (with its DEFY range) introduced us to the world of waterproof smartphones. Before that, the one water resistant feature phone that I remember is the Samsung Marine. Today, Sony is the only major brand that's selling water and dust proof smartphones in India. These handsets include the Xperia go, ZR, and its flagship, the Xperia Z.

Xperia go
Announced last year with yet another waterproof handset, the Xperia acro S, the Android-based Xperia go with a 3.5" screen did see light of day. The handset runs Gingerbread (Android 2.3) out of the box, but is upgradable to Jelly Bean, and features a scratch-proof screen. It sports 1 GHz dual-core CPU, 512 MB of RAM, a 5 mp camera with LED flash, 1305 mAh battery, 8 GB internal storage, and 32 GB microSD card support. The Xperia go is an IP67-compliant phone (6 refers to dust protection and 7 refers to the ability to withstand water immersion (max. 1 metre)). The Xperia go is priced at Rs 11,870 on online stores. Check out its complete review here.

 Xperia ZR
If you want something with a large screen size, which is still operational by one hand, then the 4.6-incher Xperia ZR is a better option. Recently launched in India for around Rs 30,000; this Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean) handset packs in a 13 MP main camera, 1.5 GHz quad-core processor, and 2 GB of RAM. The screen sports a shatter proof sheet of scratch-resistant glass. The handset is Dust-proof and water-resistant (IP55 / IP58), and is available in Black, White, and Pink variants. IP55 refers to protection against low pressure jets of water, and IP58 means that it can be submerged under 1.5 metres of freshwater for up to 30 minutes and still work fine. So this one you can use in your shower… or maybe not!

Xperia Z
For those who believe in purchasing only flagship phones of a particular brand, check out the Xperia Z. However, this 5" phone will set you back by around Rs 37,400. Running Android 4.1 (Jelly Bean), the phone packs in a 1.5 GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 320 GPU, 2 GB RAM, a 13 MP rear snapper, and 2 MP front camera. Like the ZL, this one is also IP55 and IP57 compliant, making it dust and water resistant.

Motorola DEFY+
While we presumed Motorola is done and dusted with its DEFY range in India, its nifty handset, the DEFY+ is still up for sale on Saholic.com. Selling for Rs 13,750; this 3.7" phone is protected by Gorilla Glass, and sports a water and dust resistant body. It features 5MP camera, 1 GHz processor, 512 MB RAM, 2 GB internal storage, microSD card slot that supports up to 32 GB and runs Android 2.3 Gingerbread with no updates expected. While it remains one of the most compact smartphones around, its specs are quite dated and the asking price a bit too high.

Lenovo A660
Rounding up our listing is Lenovo's A660. Available via eBay for as low as Rs 11,300, this Android 4.0 (ICS) handset comes with a 4" screen protected by a scratch resistant Gorilla Glass Display. It sports a 1 GHz dual-core processor, 512 MB RAM, 4 GB internal storage, 32 GB microSD card support, 5 MP rear and 0.3 MP front camera, 1500 mAh battery, and is P67 certified - dust and water proof.

There you go. Pick any of these handsets and focus on protecting yourself from the rain rather than worrying about your phone.

Tags : Mobile Phones, Android, Sony, Motorola, Lenovo, Xperia, DEFY