The Cat phone is subjected to a rigorous drop test
A mobile phone designed for rugged outdoor use is now available in a thin, sleek design.
The Cat S52 from Cat Phones promises military-grade toughness with a pocket-friendly design that is said to be thinner than a mainstream smartphone housed in a protective case.
The phone measures 9.69 mm in thickness and weighs 210 g. It is strengthened by a high-grade aluminium frame with a non-slip rubberised thermoplastic polyurethane backplate.
The front face of the product is covered by scratch and crack-resistant Corning Gorilla glass 6, slightly recessed below a surrounding protective ridge, with metallic keys and waterproof connectors completing the design.
The phone is subjected to a drop test 30 times onto steel from a height of 1.5 m, including drops on every side and corner. It is designed to be dirt- and dust-proof and can be fully submerged in water, with an ingress protection rating of IP68.
It is also MIL SPEC 810G rated, which means that the product has undergone a number of military-grade robustness tests, including thermal shocks, high and low temperature extremes, vibration tests, tumble tests and salt mist conditions.
The main camera boasts fast and accurate focusing owing to its dual pixel Sony sensor, and its f/1.8 aperture and 1.4 µm pixel size aims to deliver improved low-light performance. This, combined with advanced multi-frame image processing software, is said to provide a class-leading camera for a rugged phone.
The Cat S52 phone has a recommended retail price of R10 999 and is available from leading cellular network operators and online stores in South Africa.