CAT
Bullitt Shuts Down
Bullitt — the UK company behind CAT-branded phones, recent Motorola Defy phones, and its own satellite message service — has apparently ceased operations. The company recently tried to reorganize around the new satellite connectivity business, but that effort appears to have failed. The company has disclosed its pending insolvency in recent press statements and court filings. Now, multiple employees have posted on LinkedIn that a "critical planned restructuring" has failed and the company closed its doors and laid off all employees on January 26th. Between this development and Qualcomm giving up on Snapdragon Satellite, the last few months have called into question the future of phone-based solutions for satellite connectivity. Apple remains committed to this approach for its SOS service, and MediaTek continues to promote its standards-based NTN solution. However, the most momentum over the past year has been around satellite-based solutions that work with existing phones. Both AT&T and T-Mobile appear to be nearing the launch of such services, having recently announced successful tests.
Bullitt Announces First Phones with Satellite Messaging
Bullitt has announced the first Android phones that will include two-way satellite messaging capability. The Motorola defy 2 and CAT S75 are both designed to connect to Bullitt's new Satellite Connect platform. The platform enables two-way messaging via satellite, for both emergency and non-emergency use. The two phone models appear to be essentially the same phone, sporting nearly identical specs and features. Those include sub-6 5G, a 5,000 mAh battery, 15W wireless charging, 6.58-inch FHD+ display with 120 Hz refresh protected by Gorilla Glass Victus, 50 megapixel main camera, 8 megapixel wide camera, and underwater photo capture. Both phones are powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 930 chipset, paired with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB of storage (expandable with memory cards). The phones are rated IP68 and IP69K for water and dirt. They're also military rated for vibration, humidity, salt mist, and thermal shock. The phones come with Android 12 and a promise of three years of quarterly software updates (including two full OS upgrades), and two additional years of "emergency" security updates. The CAT S75 is launching initially in Europe, while the Motorola defy 2 is coming to "selected operators" in North America before the middle of the year. The defy 2 is priced at $599, which includes one year of SOS Assist via satellite. For additional satellite service, "plans start from as little as $4.99/ month". Bullitt also announced the "motorola defy satellite link", a small Bluetooth device that can add the same satellite connectivity to any iOS or Android phone.
Bullitt to Launch Phone with 2-Way Satellite Messaging
Early next year, Bullitt will launch a phone in the US with 2-way messaging directly to satellites. Bullitt currently sells phones under the CAT brand, as well as a select Motorola-branded models. The new phone will be the first to use the MediaTek's new NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) 5G satellite NB-IoT chip. The 3GPP NTN standard is designed to let phones connect directly to one of several satellite constellations. This phone will connect to a Geostationary Orbit (GEO) constellation. It will also use a MediaTek Dimensity 930 5G chipset. The satellite messaging service will be free for the first year. Further details about the phone, brand, and specific satellite network will be available closer to the device's release in the first quarter of next year.
Hands On with the CAT S22 Flip
CAT has a new rugged phone for T-Mobile. It's a rugged flip phone, but that's not the most interesting thing about it. What's wild is that this is a flip phone that runs full Android. Well, Android Go, but it has the Play Store and can run third-party Android apps. This possible because the main display inside is a touch-screen. It's an interesting prospect, potentially improving productivity for certain kinds of field workers. We checked it out in person. Read on for our first impressions.
CAT Puts Android With Play Store in a Compact Flip Design
T-Mobile has started selling the CAT S22 Flip, a unique phone that blurs the line between smartphone and flip phone. The S22 Flip has the size and design of a typical rugged flip phone, but its 2.8-inch main display is a touch screen that provides access to the full Android interface, including third-party Android apps. Several other basic phones on the market leverage the open-source version of Android (AOSP) but rework the interface to operate without a touch screen, which makes them incompatible with the third-party apps available in the Play Store. By including a touch screen, the S22 Flip is able to keep the Play Store and access to most Android apps. As a smartphone, the specs are basic, including Android 11 Go Edition, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 215 processor, and 2 GB of RAM. Other specs include a 2,000 mAh battery, VGA screen resolution (480 x 640 pixels), 5 megapixel main camera, 2 megapixel selfie camera, a memory card slot, and an outer display. Like all CAT phones, it has a rugged design, rated IP68, water-proof, washable, drop-proof, and Non-Incendive Class I Division 2 Group A-D T4. It has "extra loud speakers", large buttons, and a programmable PTT button on the side. It comes with a 2-year warranty. T-Mobile is selling the phone now for $234.
T-Mobile Picks Up Rugged CAT S62
In a major win for Bullitt Group, T-Mobile will offer the CAT S62 rugged Android phone this summer. T-Mobile hasn't had any truly rugged smartphones in its lineup since it discontinued the Samsung Galaxy S8 Active in mid-2019. The only other CAT-branded phone to be picked by a major US carrier was the S48c, launched by Sprint late 2018 and offered Verizon business customers in early 2019. The CAT S62's rugged credentials include exceeding US military standards for high and low temperature, thermal shocks, salt mist, vibration and tumble. It's designed to survive 6-foot drops onto steel at any angle. It also meets requirements for potentially hazardous environments, certified to Non-Incendive, Class I, Division 2, Group A-D, T4. Its display is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 and responds to both wet and gloved fingers. It's rated IP68 to be fully submersible and washable. The 4,000 mAh battery can be charged via USB-C and Quick Charge 4, Qi wireless charging, or POGO pins on the back. Key features include a 48 megapixel camera, NFC, rear fingerprint reader, and a customizable shortcut button on the side. It's powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor accompanied by 4 GB RAM and 128 GB storage, which can be expanded with a memory card. The 5.7-inch display sports full-HD resolution. It will ship with Android 10 and upgraded to Android 11 in the fall. It comes with Android Enterprise support and Bullitt promises security updates for 2 years. The CAT S62 retails for $498 and will be exclusively available at T-Mobile "this summer".
Cat Adds Antimicrobial Material to its S42 Smartphone
Bullitt Group, the maker of Cat-branded phones, today announced the Cat S42 H+, a new version of its S42 rugged Android phone with antimicrobial protection built into its body. All exterior components have been blended with an antimicrobial silver ion additive called Biomaster during the manufacturing process, to help fight bacteria. Biomaster is proven to inhibit bacteria cells from replicating by over 80% within 15 minutes and 99.9% within 24 hours. Bullitt claims this enhancement makes the S42 H+ "the first fully and permanently anti-bacterial phone." The S42 H+ is also waterproof, washable, and tested to withstand soap, bleach wipes, alcohol, and hand sanitizer. The S42 H+ otherwise has the same specs and features as the original S42. The Cat S42 H+ will be available in the US next month for $299. Biomaster is a made by Addmaster, a subsidiary of Polygiene.
CAT S62 Pro Features Advanced Thermal Imaging
Bullitt Group today announced the CAT S62 Pro, the latest in its line of ruggedized phones for field professionals. The company is releasing the US version today, which has excellent support for T-Mobile and Verizon 4G networks, and will also work on AT&T. The S62 Pro is the third CAT-branded phone to feature a FLIR thermal imager, and sports the most advanced thermal sensor in a phone to date with full-HD+ resolution, a high-end spec for this type of sensor. It's also the first CAT+FLIR phone with a sleeker design instead of the odd hump hat extended from the top of the S60 and S61. The camera software includes FLIR's newest algorithms for combining thermal and visible imaging in real time, with several options and adjustable intensity. The software also includes new "analytic and reporting features typically found in higher end, dedicated thermal imaging products", including the ability to generate PDF reports of thermal conditions. The phone is also rated IP68 & IP69 for water and dust, as well as MIL-SPEC for thermal shock, high & low temps, vibration, humidity, and salt mist. It's fully washable with soap. The screen is protected with Gorilla Glass 6 and works with gloves and wet fingers. The phone is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage (which is expandable). Other specs include a 5.7-inch FHD+ LCD display, 12 megapixel main camera, 4,000 mAh battery, and Quick Charge 4. Other features include 4K video capture, Android 10, NFC, fingerprint reader, and LED notification light. Bullitt promises an update to Android 11 and three years of security updates. The CAT S62 Pro is available today starting today for $699 unlocked.
CAT S42 is Fully Washable
CAT today launched the S42, its latest "mid-range" rugged phone, for sale unlocked in the US. Like most CAT phones, it's rugged and waterproof (IP68), but also fully washable with soap and water. It's rated for 6-foot drops onto steel, and also meets US military spec for thermal shock, vibration, humidity, and salt mist. It has a large 4,200 mAh battery and NFC. Its 5.5-inch HD screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5 and works with both gloves and wet fingers. Other specs include a MediaTek Helio A20 chip, 3 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, memory card slot, LTE Cat. 6, dual-band Wi-Fi, and VoLTE. It ships with Android 10 plus a commitment to an Android 11 update. It also has a programmable side button, headset jack, and micro-USB connector. It has good support for AT&T's 4G network including band 14, and good support for T-Mobile's 4G network including bands 25, 26, 41, 66, and 71. It's available now for $329, from catphones.com and multiple online retailers.
CAT's Latest Rugged Phone is Slightly Cheaper (Hands On)
CAT's latest rugged phone for the US market is the S32. It's a bit more affordable than past models at $349. It's rated IP68 for water and dust. It can withstand being submerged under 1.5 meters of water for up to 35 minutes. It also has a military rating for drop and shock. It has a 5.5-inch HD display covered in DragonTrail Pro glass that works with gloves and wet fingers. It has a 4,200 mAh battery. It's powered by a MediaTek Helio A20 processor with 3 GB RAM, 32 GB storage, and Android 10. Features include NFC, 13 megapixel main camera, memory card slot, 3.5mm audio jack, and a user-assignable shortcut key on the side. The US variant will have full support for Verizon and T-Mobile 4G LTE bands, and decent support for AT&T, including band 14 for FirstNet.
CAT S48c Rugged Phone Coming to Verizon
The ultra-rugged CAT S48c will soon be available to Verizon business customers, the two brands announced this morning. The S48c has been available with Sprint since early November. The Verizon version will have 64GB os internal storage and a two-year warranty (including screen breakage), but is otherwise the same as the Sprint version. The phone is well-rated for being waterproof and rugged, as well as extreme temperature ranges and safe for areas with flammable materials. Its screen is protected by extra-thick Gorilla Glass 5 in front, and a special metal plate behind it. The screen works through gloves and with wet hands, and the camera has an underwater mode. It's powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor paired with 4 GB of RAM. It also has a 4,000 mAh battery, NFC, USB-C, and a 13-megapixel camera. The CAT S48c will be available through Verizon business channels by the end of January.
Sprint Adds the Rugged Cat S48c to Its Lineup
Sprint and Cat Phones today announced the S48c, a fully ruggedized, mil-spec 810G phone that withstands drops, shock, moisture, dust, altitude, and temperature extremes. It is rated IP68 for protection against water and dust. The phone includes a programmable PTT button and is compatible with Sprint's Direct Connect service. Cat says the phone is intrinsically safe, a first for the company, which means the S48c can be used in hazardous environments with flammable vapors. The S48c has a 5-inch full HD display with Gorilla Glass 5, wet finger tracking, and glove mode. It is powered by a 2.2 GHz octa-core Snapdragon 630 processor with 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. A slot for microSD cards supports up to 128 GB of expandable storage. The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor with LED flash, while the selfie camera has a 5-megapixel sensor. The phone can take pictures when under water. The battery measures in at 4,000mAh and provides up to two days of battery life. The phone ships with Android 8 Oreo and a commitment from Cat to update to Android 9 Pie. The S48c costs $480 and will go on sale online and in Sprint stores November 9. Monthly payments for the phone are $20.
Hands On with the Cat Phone S61
Cat Phones has a new rugged flagship at Mobile World Congress this year and it takes the Flir heat-capture camera to a new level of productivity. This phone is tough as nails and still lets people measure temperature, air quality, and distance/area with a laser. Here are our thoughts on this rugged powerhouse.
Cat's Rugged S61 Improves Thermal Camera
Cat Phones today unveiled the S61, an update to the S60. The S61 is a fully rugged Android smartphone that is waterproof, dirtproof, and able to handle temperature extremes, drops, vibration, and salt water. The S61 provides a major upgrade to the FLIR Lepton thermal imaging camera, which now offers higher resolution imagery (up to full HD) and a wider range of readable temperatures (-20C to 400C). Owners can even livestream thermal video to Facebook if they wish. A new indoor air quality sensor alerts people to high levels of indoor air pollutants, such as paints or solvents, and will sound an alarm of levels become dangerous. The S61 packs a laser-assisted distance/area measuring tool that has a range of 32 feet. The S61 includes a 5.2-inch full HD display with Gorilla Glass 5, glove sensitivity, and wet-finger tracking. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 630 processor with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of storage. A standard 16-megapixel camera adorns the back and an 8-megapixel shooter is on front. Other specs include USB-C, 3.5mm headphone jack, FM radio, Bluetooth 5.0, and a 4,500mAh battery with Quick Charge 4.0. Cat says the S61 will go on sale during the second quarter. Pricing in the U.S. is expected to be in excess of $1,000.
Hands On with the CAT S41 and S31
Cat's latest rugged smartphones are the S41 and the S31. These two handsets are tough hombres that can handle plenty of punishment thanks to their mil-spec 810G and IP68 ratings. With stock Android Nougat on board and advanced features such as wet-finger tracking and underwater photography, there's plenty to like about these chunky work phones. Here are our initial impressions.
Latest Cat Phones Pack Humongous Batteries
Cat Phones today announced the S41 and S31 smartphones, updates to models from last year. Cat handsets are actually manufactured by Bullitt Group, which licenses the Cat brand. Like most Cat Phones, the S41 and S31 are fully ruggedized mil-spec 810G handsets and more or less impervious to damage from drops, shock, moisture, dust, altitude temperature extremes, and similar dangers. Each is rated IP68 for protection against water and dust. The phones include programmable PTT buttons and run Android 7 Nougat. Each handset has varying degrees of support for U.S. LTE bands, but for the most part they are compatible with AT&T and T-Mobile.
- Cat S41: The S41 is the more well-spec'd of the two handsets. It has as 5-inch full HD display with Gorilla Glass 5 and wet finger tracking. The S41 is powered by a 2.3 GHz octa-core MediaTek processor with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor with LED flash and PDAF, while the selfie camera has an 8-megapixel sensor. Both cameras can operate when the phone is under water. The battery measures in at 5,000mAh and provides up to 44 days of standby time or 38 hours of talk time. The phone can be used to power up other devices. The S41 costs about $475 and will go on sale in Europe beginning August 31.
- S31: This handset is slightly smaller than the S41 thanks to its 4.7-inch screen at 720p resolution with Gorilla Glass 3 and wet finger tracking. It relies on a quad-core 1.3 GHz Snapdragon processor from Qualcomm with 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of storage. The main camera has an 8-megapixel sensor while the front camera has a 2-megapixel sensor. The S31 has a 4,000mAh battery. It goes on sale later this year for about $355.
Hands On with CAT's Thermal Imaging Phone
CAT recently announced the S60, a rugged phone with one very unique feature: a true thermal imaging "camera" built right in. CAT has a short but respectable history releasing very rugged phones that might appeal to construction and other field workers. But there are a few specific sub-sets of this category that would find thermal imaging very useful, and this phone is for them. It's also an extremely waterproof phone, down to 5 meters of depth, which is very deep for a phone. Read on to find out more about the S60 and how it actually works.
Cat S60 Boasts a Thermal Camera
Cat Phones today announced the S60 smartphone, a fully rugged handset that is the first to include a thermal camera. The thermal camera allows the S60 to see and take pictures of heat signatures at a range of 50 to 100 feet. Cat says the camera can be used to view heat loss around windows/doors, see over-heating electrical appliance, and see in the dark. The S60 is also more waterproof than most other rugged handsets. It can sit in five meters of water for up to an hour. The S60 has a 4.7-inch HD screen with Gorilla Glass 4, wet finger tracking, and glove support. The phone has a large 3800mAh battery and is powered by an octa-core Snapdragon 617 processor with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. The Cat S60 has a 13-megapixel main camera and 5-megapixel front camera, and an extra loud speaker. The phone runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Cat expects to ship the S60 later this year for $599.
Bullitt's Cat S50c Certified for Verizon, On Sale Today
Bullitt today announced the Cat S50c, a new rugged smartphone that's compatible with Verizon's network in the U.S. The S50c has been certified by Verizon for its LTE 4G network, but is being sold online. The S50c has earned a mil-spec 810g rating for protection against drops and abuse, and an IP67 rating for protection against liquid and dust. It can sit in 3.3 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. The 4.7-inch HD Gorilla Glass display supports wet finger and glove tracking, so it can be used in the rain or snow. The phone has a 1.2 GHz quad-core processor with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. It supports memory cards up to 64 GB. Cat says the 2,630mAh battery provides a full day of use. It can support PTT services if enabled through Verizon. The phone is being sold by Cat, Amazon.com, Home Depot, Ingram Micro, and authorized Verizon resellers. The Cat S50c costs $399.99.
