Caterpillar CAT S75 review – Outdoor smartphone with satellite communication and underwater camera

The Cat S75, which is to be had at an MSRP of 599 Euros, is probably the most dependable Cat smartphone ever, consistent with the producer. The out of doors telephone’s casing is qualified consistent with IP68 in addition to IP69K requirements and in addition withstands excessive temperatures, humidity, and vibrations.

The Cat S75 has a 6.6-inch, 120 Hz IPS exhibit and a triple digicam setup with underwater mode. The rugged telephone is powered by means of a MediaTek Dimensity 930, which has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash garage. The particular function of the newest Cat offspring is the Bullitt Satellite tv for pc Attach serve as, which allows verbal exchange with geostationary satellites.

The focal point of the Cat S75, which is drop-proof as much as 1.8 meters, is on excessive steadiness and resistance, however the display-to-surface ratio suffers at simplest 76.7%. The rugged smartphone from Caterpillar is qualified consistent with IP-68/69K and the MIL-STD-810H – you’ll be able to learn concerning the army usual and its drawbacks right here.

The workmanship of the Cat S75 is on a just right degree, however the out of doors telephone does now not in point of fact really feel high quality. On the other hand, consistent with the producer, the plastic casing will also be wiped clean with scrub brushes and disinfecting wipes and in addition incorporates antimicrobial silver ions. The IP69K certification even protects the Cat S75 from scorching water all through high-pressure cleansing from a brief distance.

The out of doors telephone’s options come with Miracast, a standing LED, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. Peripheral gadgets will also be attached by way of the USB-C port the use of an OTG adapter. The USB interface makes use of the gradual 2.0 usual for knowledge switch.

The Cat S75 is simplest to be had in a model with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of inside UFS garage. Those that want extra garage can hotel to enlargement by way of microSD playing cards.

The built-in microSD slot helps the present SDHC and SDXC requirements, however the reminiscence can simplest be higher by means of 128 GB. The out of doors telephone’s efficiency within the Move Platform Disk Check is slightly convincing together with our reference card Angelbird AV PRO V60. On the other hand, the Cat S75 is gradual with a replica pace of lower than 20 MB/s.

The Cat smartphone is distributed with Google’s working machine Android 12. The producer advertises 5 years of replace make stronger for its rugged telephone, however simplest two primary Android updates are deliberate. Accordingly, the availability will finish with the following Android technology 14.

Safety updates are to be had for 3 years, however simplest crucial safety gaps will likely be mounted for every other two years. On the time of the check, the Cat S75 had old-fashioned safety patches from February 2023.

The rugged telephone from Caterpillar allows satellite tv for pc verbal exchange (NTN) by way of Bullitt Satellite tv for pc Messenger along with the mandatory 4G and 5G make stronger of a top rate telephone. This satellite tv for pc carrier, however with out textual content messaging, can be utilized totally free for 365 days after buying the Cat smartphone. After that, a subscription must be taken out, which prices as much as 60 Euros per thirty days.

As an alternative of depending on a proprietary satellite tv for pc community, as with an Apple iPhone 14 Professional, the Cat S75 communicates by way of typical 3GPP NTN alerts due to a MediaTek chip, so satellites from other suppliers can be utilized relying on which satellite tv for pc allows the most efficient connection high quality. Thus, customers must at all times have the ability to ship and obtain textual content messages and make emergency calls, even if no cellular community is to be had.

The out of doors telephone simplest provides Wi-Fi 5 inside the house Wi-Fi community, which is simplest enough for reasonable switch charges of lower than 400 Mbps together with our reference router Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000.

The Cat S75 makes use of the satellite tv for pc networks GPS, BeiDou, Galileo, and Glonass in dual-band in addition to SBAS for positioning. The telephone provides just right accuracy outdoor. We additionally take a look at the site accuracy on a motorbike excursion and evaluate the consequences with Garmin’s Venu 2 smartwatch. The Cat S75’s path may be very just about that of the reference software.

The decision high quality with the Cat S75 by way of the cellular community, together with VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, is just right and the integrated microphone transmits voices loudly and obviously. Video calls by way of the put in front-facing digicam additionally labored with out issues within the check. The out of doors telephone helps twin SIM, however one card slot is occupied when the use of the satellite tv for pc carrier.

The rear-facing major digicam has an open aperture of f/1.8. The 50 MP symbol sensor provides cast picture high quality, no less than in vivid mild prerequisites. On the other hand, each the sharpness and the picture main points don’t seem to be in point of fact convincing bearing in mind the cost fluctuate. The rear-facing digicam unit additionally simplest cuts a slightly just right determine in low-light prerequisites. The blurriness will increase visibly with much less mild – the similar applies to the low-resolution ultra-wide-angle lens in sunlight.

On the other hand, the spotlight of the Cat S75 is that the dual-camera unit is water resistant and may also face up to water strain at a intensity of as much as 5 meters with out injury, consistent with the producer. The out of doors telephone additionally has the right underwater mode on board.

Our Cat S75 comes with neither a charger nor a automotive adapter within the scope of supply. Moreover, there’s no protecting movie at the exhibit ex-works. The field simplest incorporates a USB cable and knowledge subject material.

The producer grants a 24-month guaranty on its smartphone which is legitimate international the place the CAT carrier is to be had. A buyer and lend a hand carrier in case of emergency (Disaster Reaction Heart) could also be to be had one year a in over 200 languages by way of the Bullitt Satellite tv for pc Messenger.

The Cat S75 provides two programmable keys that can be utilized for push-to-talk and emergency calls. The out of doors telephone has a capacitive touchscreen with convincing gliding houses. There could also be not anything to whinge about with regards to precision, so our inputs with the palms are as it should be carried out.

The fingerprint sensor built-in at the again unlocks the rugged telephone reliably. The duration till the exhibit activates from standby mode could also be brief sufficient. The FaceUnlock serve as by way of the front-facing digicam (2D) could also be introduced and acknowledges the consumer slightly temporarily in just right lighting fixtures prerequisites.

The Cat S75 is supplied with a 6.58-inch IPS exhibit that has an extraordinary decision of two,408 x 1080 pixels. The accomplished pixel density is moderately above the 400 ppi mark. The Cat smartphone does now not use pulse width modulation (PWM) for brightness keep watch over.

The rugged smartphone can simplest persuade to a restricted extent with regards to luminance. We measured a most of 580 cd/m² on a natural white background – a just right price in view of the contest, however nonetheless slightly low for a telephone designed for out of doors use. Even affordable mid-range telephones with AMOLED monitors, similar to a Redmi Be aware 12, shine a lot brighter. Within the extra sensible APL18 size with darkish spaces, it’s nearly equivalent at 602 cd/m².

The IPS panel of the Cat S75 achieves a cast black worth of 0.47 cd/m² in our exhibit measurements. The distinction ratio of over 1000:1 continues to be enough.

The exhibit research is carried out with the assistance of a photospectrometer and the Calman tool. The deviations within the colour (5.0) and grayscale (4.4) replica are to be rated as excessive and variations to the reference colours are obviously visual.

The out of doors telephone leaves a cast impact outdoor, however exhibit content material is rarely visual in direct daylight. The colours of the IPS panel are strong at flat viewing angles, however the exhibit seems slightly light.

We take a look at the Cat S75’s graphics efficiency the use of the GameBench app and 3 Android video games from the Play Retailer. Our first check sport, PUBG Cell, can simplest be performed at medium main points (HD) – a UHD atmosphere isn’t selectable. The shooter is rendered at 30 fps, and 40 fps is imaginable within the lowest element settings.

Much less difficult video games, like Useless Cause 2, run just about the local body price at 120 fps. On the other hand, the sector shooter Armajet unearths greater fluctuations and serious body price drops beneath 30 fps.

The case of the Cat S75 slightly warms up in our Steadiness Check situation – we simplest measure 37.2 °C on the again within the top. The strain assessments of 3DMark don’t seem to be supported by means of the MediaTek SoC so we can’t supply them for the out of doors telephone.

The rugged telephone from Caterpillar depends on two audio system with a cast quantity of over 85 dB. Our measurements display a quite linear frequency reaction for the Cat S75’s mids and highs. On the other hand, lows don’t seem to be provide within the sound image. A stressed out or wi-fi headphone resolution by way of USB-C port and Bluetooth 5.1 could also be to be had.

The Cat S75’s battery holds 5,000 mAh and will optionally be charged by way of USB-C or wirelessly – each with as much as 15 watts. The ability intake is modest for the out of doors telephone.

In our WLAN check with an adjusted exhibit brightness of 150 cd/m2, the Cat S75 lasted about 15 hours, which must get even heavy customers in the course of the day with out issues all through out of doors use.

The Cat S75 is a sturdy smartphone that sticks out from the contest with its satellite tv for pc verbal exchange make stronger. The chance to make use of a satellite tv for pc carrier by way of the put in MediaTek chip the use of the open 3GPP-NTN usual is priced at slightly below 600 Euros (~$600), however the paid per month subscription is needed for the entire fluctuate of options.

On the other hand, the ones within the out of doors telephone from Caterpillar must bear in mind that this option and the excessive degree of sturdiness will have to experience a excessive non-public precedence as a result of in lots of spaces the Cat S75 operates at the technical degree of an inexpensive mid-range mobile phone (the exhibit and the optics are even worse).

For many who transfer clear of civilization, a Cat S75 is an engaging piece of era in spite of its {hardware} shortcomings.

In case you are in search of a strong mobile phone for the development website or a commute to the desert however don’t seem to be inquisitive about satellite tv for pc make stronger, you’re going to discover a just right resolution with the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Professional or Gigaset GX6 – sturdy choices with a moderately extra trendy design and exchangeable battery.

The Cat S75 is to be had at a value of 599 Euros, amongst others at Cyberport or Amazon. Consumers get of loose get admission to to the satellite tv for pc function for as much as 30 messages per thirty days.