The Incredible Cat S60 - A Rugged and Innovative Smartphone Built for the Toughest Environments

In 2016, the Cat S60 was released to the market, offering a unique combination of ruggedness, innovative technology, and durability. This one-of-a-kind smartphone was targeted towards individuals who work in extreme environments, such as construction, mining, and search and rescue. Even though it has been discontinued, the Cat S60 continues to be an impressive device that showcases the advancement in mobile technology.

The Cat S60 was announced in February 2016 and released in June of the same year. Despite its short availability in the market, this rugged device left a lasting impression on its users. Let's dive into its standout features and discover what makes this smartphone a true force to be reckoned with.

Design:
The Cat S60 boasts a robust and durable design, with a glass front (protected by Gorilla Glass 4), a plastic back, and an aluminum frame. Its dimensions measure 147.9 x 73.4 x 12.7 mm, making it slightly bulkier than the average smartphone. However, this added bulkiness is necessary to withstand harsh conditions. The device also comes with an IP68 dust and water-resistant rating, meaning it can be submerged in water up to 5 meters for 60 minutes. It also has drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.8m and is MIL-STD-810G compliant, making it a trustworthy companion in challenging environments.

Display:
The Cat S60 features a 4.7-inch a-Si AHVA display, which may seem small compared to other smartphones on the market. However, this compact size makes it easy to handle and operate with one hand. The display has a 16:9 aspect ratio and a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels, giving it a pixel density of 312 ppi. It also comes with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 protection, ensuring durability and protection against scratches and cracks.

Performance:
Running on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) operating system, the Cat S60 is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617 chipset, which is built on a 28 nm architecture. It also has an octa-core processor consisting of 4x1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 and 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53, along with an Adreno 405 GPU. This combination ensures efficient and smooth performance, even when running multiple tasks simultaneously.

In terms of memory, the Cat S60 comes with 32GB of internal storage and 3GB of RAM, which is expandable via a dedicated microSDXC slot. The device also uses eMMC 5.1 technology, providing faster data read and write speeds.

Camera:
The Cat S60 has a single 13 MP main camera, accompanied by a FLIR thermal camera (Lepton module), making it the first smartphone to incorporate a thermal imaging camera. This innovative feature allows users to see heat signatures and heat palettes, making it useful for tasks such as identifying water leaks or finding people in low visibility conditions. The camera also comes with other features, such as a temperature spot meter, dual-LED dual-tone flash, and panorama. It can record videos in 1080p at 30 frames per second, delivering high-quality footage.

For selfies, the Cat S60 has a 5 MP front camera, which is capable of recording videos in 1080p at 30 frames per second.

Battery and Connectivity:
The Cat S60 is powered by a non-removable Li-Ion 3800 mAh battery, which can easily last a full day on a single charge, even with heavy usage. It also supports 18W wired charging and QC2, allowing for quick charging whenever necessary.

In terms of connectivity, the Cat S60 supports GSM/HSPA/LTE technology, with speeds of up to HSPA and LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps. It also comes with features such as Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth 4.1, A2DP, GPS, GLONASS, BDS, NFC, FM radio, and microUSB 2.0 with OTG capabilities.

Additional Features:
The Cat S60 also comes with an array of sensors, including an accelerometer, proximity sensor, and compass, making it a well-equipped device for various tasks.

Pricing and Availability:
Although the Cat S60 has been discontinued, it is still available for purchase from certain retailers. Its original price was around 650 EUR, which may seem expensive, but it's a justified amount for a rugged device with advanced features.

The Verdict:
The Cat S60 is not your average smartphone; it is a durable, rugged, and innovative device that caters to a specific audience. With its thermal imaging camera, robust design, and high-performance capabilities, it stands out in a sea of regular smartphones. Even though it may no longer be in production, the Cat S60 continues to leave a lasting impression on users, proving that it is truly a blast from the past that still holds up in today's market.


Latest Cat S60 Specs and Prices

LAUNCH

  • Announced:  2016, February. Released 2016, June
  • Status:  Discontinued

PLATFORM

  • Operating System:  Android 6.0 (Marshmallow)
  • Chipset:  Qualcomm MSM8952 Snapdragon 617 (28 nm)
  • CPU:  Octa-core (4x1.2 GHz Cortex-A53 & 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53)
  • GPU:  Adreno 405

MEMORY

  • Card slot:  microSDXC (dedicated slot)
  • Internal:  32GB 3GB RAM - eMMC 5.1

DISPLAY

  • Type:  a-Si AHVA
  • Size:  4.7 inches, 60.9 cm2 (~56.1% screen-to-body ratio)
  • Resolution:  720 x 1280 pixels, 16:9 ratio (~312 ppi density)
  • Protection:  Corning Gorilla Glass 4

BODY

  • Dimensions:  147.9 x 73.4 x 12.7 mm (5.82 x 2.89 x 0.5 in)
  • Weight:  223 g (7.87 oz)
  • Build:  Glass front (Gorilla Glass 4), plastic back, aluminum frame
  • SIM:  Single SIM (Nano-SIM) - - South Africa onlyDual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) - IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 5m for 60 min) Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.8m MIL-STD-810G compliant

MAIN CAMERA

  • Single:  13 MP, AF, FLIR thermal camera (Lepton module)
  • Features:  Thermal imaging, heat palettes, temp. spot meter, dual-LED dual-tone flash, panorama
  • Video:  1080p@30fps

SELFIE CAMERA

  • Single:  5 MP
  • Video:  1080p@30fps

BATTERY

  • Type:  Li-Ion 3800 mAh, non-removable
  • Charging:  18W wired, QC2

CELLPHONE NETWORK

  • Technology:  GSM / HSPA / LTE
  • 2G bands:  GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM model only)
  • 3G bands:  HSDPA 850 / 900 / 2100 - - Global - HSDPA 850 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 - - North America
  • 4G bands:  1, 3, 7, 8, 20 - - Global - 2, 4, 5, 7, 12, 17 - - North America
  • Speed:  HSPA, LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps

SOUND

  • Loudspeaker :  Yes
  • 3.5mm jack :  Yes

COMMUNICATIONS

  • WLAN:  Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct
  • Bluetooth:  4.1, A2DP
  • Positioning:  GPS, GLONASS, BDS
  • NFC:  Yes
  • Radio:  FM radio
  • USB:  microUSB 2.0, OTG

FEATURES

  • Sensors:  Accelerometer, proximity, compass

MISCELLANEOUS

  • Colors:  Black
  • Price:  About 650 EUR

Disclaimer: Specifications shown may be different from the actual product. We cannot guarantee that the information provided on this page is 100% correct. This content is provided for information purposes only. All information included herein is subject to change without notice.

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