Caterpillar is entering the tough smartphone market with the launch of the Cat B15, a 4-inch Android handset designed to withstand the toughest of lifestyle pursuits.
Encased in an aluminium and rubber body, the Cat B15 is waterproof and dust resistant and can survive temperatures down to -20 degrees and a drop from 1.8m onto hard concrete surfaces. That’s about head height for the average man.
“The Cat B15 is one of the most exciting launches in the rugged mobile device sector, a handset that will withstand seriously tough conditions, whilst remaining distinctively designed,” said Dave Floyd, Director of Technology at Bullitt Mobile Ltd who built the Cat B15 under license from Caterpillar.
“Bucking the trend for mobile phones that look great, but fail to stand up to the rigours of an active lifestyle, the Cat B15 brings the heritage, credibility of the Cat brand, combined with the latest mobile technology, delivering a reliable, durable device.”
Cat B15 Features
The Cat B15 isn’t a high-spec handset. It is designed to survive situations where other phones would smash or perish. The Cat B15 features a 4-inch WVGA 480 x 800p LCD screen with 4-point capacitive multitouch and Gorilla glass for increased toughness, held within a body finished in anodised aluminium and rubber suitable for outdoor life.
Like the Sony Xperia Z, the Cat B15 is a waterproof handset boasting an IP67 rating, meaning the handset can survive depths up to 1m for up to half an hour. The Caterpillar smartphone also includes wet finger tracking on its 4-inch screen for when the user is white-water rafting, partaking in various watersports, or merely encountering some of the traditional British weather.
A MediaTek MT6577 Dual 1GHz Cortex A9 processor runs the show with 512MB of RAM and 4GB of internal storage expandable to 32GB by microSD card. Whilst the 5-megapixel camera in the rear won’t be breaking any records, it can still film 720p HD videos. There’s a VGA front-facing camera too.
Running Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, the 170g rugged Cat B15 offers talk times of up to 9 hours, with standby times running up to 9.5 days for longer excursions.
Cat B15 Release Date and Price
Caterpillar has set the Cat B15 release date for March this year, with a suggested retail price of £299. The rugged Android handset will be available from major smart device retailers.
How do you think the Cat B15 stands up against other rugged smartphones on the market? Do you think the Cat B15 would make a good addition to your outdoor gear? Let us know via the Trusted Reviews Facebook and Twitter pages or use the comment boxes below.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
