Review | The CAT S50 outdoor smartphone

WhatsApp, Strava, Instagram & Co. – most of us wouldn’t hit the trails without our trusted smartphone. But it comes as no surprise that the majority of expensive toys are not particularly sturdy, and robust cases can do little to solve the issue. The US company Caterpillar have ingeniously come up with a new approach though – they’ve namely designed not just a solid case, but an entire smartphone with optimized durability and a host of outdoor-specific features. We’ve spent the past few months exhaustively testing the top model, the Cat S50, to see how it copes as a mountain biker’s companion.

Thrown into a pot of boiling water, driven over by a VW T5 transporter – there are tons of videos flooding the internet that testify to the robustness of the CAT S50. Certified to the MIL SPEC standard, the manufacturers are outspokenly proud of their screen and its ability to satisfy the US’s military standards. What’s more, even in the pouring rain, this smartphone is reputedly easier to use than its competitors. Naturally, these are all characteristics that render the CAT S50 the ideal smartphone for any outdoor freaks out there.

First impressions

With a 4.7″ screen and thick protective casing, this is far from the smallest smartphone. With exterior measurements of 145 x 78 x 13 mm, it’s a tight squeeze to get your hand around it. If you’re not blessed with giant paws, then you might struggle. Regular sized hands don’t quite have the length or dexterity to use the phone and keep your thumb over the top corner of the screen. When it comes to the weight as well, the CAT S50 comes in at 185g, which is significantly higher than its similar-sized peers that tend to weight between 120-145g.
The buttons for the power and volume are handily located halfway up the side and therefore within reach. Various openings have been efficiently covered up to protect the phone from water and dirt. We were particularly taken with the extra button dedicated to using the camera – if you’re a fan of trail snaps, then you’ll love this feature.

Technology & equipment

The menu has been cleverly and concisely formatted, giving no rise to complaints. CAT have also created a marginally different Android version (4.4.2 KitKat) without any unnecessary complications and frills.
Equally as pleasing is how easy it is to expand the capabilities of the CAT S50 via the Android PlayStore. Thanks to both this and the reliable GPS location information, nothing stands in the way of your hunt for KOMs on Strava.
When riding in blazing sunshine, the screen remains easy to decipher and the 1,280 x 720 pixel resolution is satisfyingly sharp. The colours do appear a little paler than usual though.
When the light conditions are decent, the built-in camera takes solid photos, yet it stuggles to maintain the quality when the conditions are darker, producing blurry images with significant colour noise.
However, the sound quality and the emitted volume from the speaker are pleasingly high, as is the powerful battery. With regular usage of internet data, the phone comfortably succeeds to last for two regular days of full use. The rapid Snapdragon 400 processor guarantees quick navigation through the menu, and the camera opens without a moment’s hesitation. Even graphic-hungry apps and features (such as 3D games) work with a high quality without any need for buffering.

How it really works

Living up to Caterpillar’s claims, the CAT S50 is significantly easier to use while wearing gloves or when stood in the rain when compared to other smartphones, thanks to its ‘wet-finger tracking’. Once you’ve got used to the luxury of not having to constantly pull your gloves on and off, then this is a feature you’ll certainly miss if you go back to a more regular phone.
But even more importantly is that fact this outdoor smartphone is astoundingly robust. Even after several metre-high crashes and rather ungracious tarmac landings, it barely shows any sign of wear and tear. And even after a watery fall, it just had to be wiped dry. If it falls and lands on one of its protected sides or on its back, then you can rest assured that it won’t be damaged. However, even CAT haven’t been able to fully eliminate the major weak point of any smartphone: after it landed screen-first onto a particularly sharp rock, the glass did break. There’s very little that the shock-absorbing protective case and the extra-hard Gorilla glass can do against direct contact with a rock. The touchscreen function did, however, remain fully functional.

Costing around 430 €, this smartphone impressed us by more than living up to the promise of water, dirt and shock resistance, but also by its long battery life, clever and well-considered outdoor features and its robust casing. The performance of the camera doesn’t quite match the rest of the otherwise outstanding hardware. If you can handle the size of the S50, then you’ll be equipped with a reliable and steadfast trail mate that’s far better armed to survive the daily grind of a mountain biker than a regular smartphone. Although if you try hard enough, you could probably break the CAT S50 too.

For more information and to see the other models, visit: catphones.com

Words & Photos: Daniel Schlicke

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