According to research conducted by the University of Arizona in the US, the average mobile device can carry ten times more germs than a toilet seat. Exposure to bacteria and viruses could increase even further when a user handles products such as manure on a farm, chemicals in a production plant, is exposed to dust on a construction site or has sustained interaction with other people.

Common methods of cleaning mobile phones include the use of antibacterial wipes or sanitising sprays and paper towels, all of which can scratch a screen or cause damage to the device from liquid seeping into the phone’s sensitive electronics. The water resistance-rating of some devices may also be diminshed if the device has been damaged, bent or scratched.

The new CAT S52 mobile phone from CAT phones can be fully submerged in warm soapy water and can be cleaned repeatedly with soaps, sanitisers, chemicals, bleach and alcohol. The company asserts that the device has been subjected to a number of rigorous tests, including 3 000 wipes with bleach, real-world chemical susceptibility testing, alcohol abrasion testing (100 cycles with 500GF/CM2) and 8.8 pH level exposure for 48 hours.

In addition, scrubbing brushes, cloths, paper towels and disinfecting wipes can be used on the phone without causing damage to its Corning Gorilla glass 6 screen or any other part of the phone. The glass is slightly recessed below a surrounding protective ridge, aimed at preventing the screen from being scratched and offering protection from cracks when dropped on concrete from heights of up to 1.5 m.

The phone is said to combine the latest technology, such as fingerprint scanning and best-in-class camera, with rugged durability. The high-grade aluminium frame is designed to provide maximum protection while maintaining a sleek, classic look.

Key Specifications

• Thin mobile phone with dimensions of 158.1 mm x 76.6 mm x 9.69 mm
• Lightweight, weighing 210 g
• Drop-tested at 1.5 m on steel, 30 times, including onto all sides and corners
• Ingress protection (IP68) - sand, dust and dirt resistant   
• Waterproof up to 1.5 m for 35 minutes
• Mil Spec 810G
• Thermal shock - withstands temperature differences between -30 °C and 65 °C for up to 24 hours
• Resistant to vibration: category 4
• Resistant to humidity and salt mist
• Protective case not required - screen protected by Gorilla Glass 6
• Best-in-class camera: rear-facing dual pixel Sony 12MP sensor, f/1.8, 1.4μm, PDAF, EIS and front-facing 8MP sensor
• Long-life battery supports fast charging – 3 100 mAh, non-removable lithium-ion
• Android smartphone -  Android 9, guaranteed update to Android 10 with in-life security patches every 90 days
• Display - super bright 5.65” HD+ 18:9 IPS display (1 440 x 720).  
• Touch screen can be controlled while wearing gloves or with wet fingers
• Performance and connectivity
  • 4 GB RAM, 64 GB ROM, with separate microSD and SIM slots and expandable with MicroSD card for increased storage
  • Mediatek Helio P35 Octacore 2.3 GHz processor
  • LTE Cat 6, VoWiFi, VoLTE and ViLTE supported
  • Dual band WiFi (2.4 GHz/5 GHz), BT5.0, NFC
  • GPS, AGPS, GLONASS/Galileo
  • Nano SIM
  • Fingerprint sensor
  • Waterproof USB Type C
  • Waterproof 3.5 mm audio jack
• Application user-catalogue 
• Comprehensive warranty

The Cat S52 is available from leading cellular network operators in South Africa.