REVIEW – By now, everyone who has been following my smartphone reviews knows that while I remain a daily user of the Apple ecosystem, I have developed a fondness for some of the better-made Android smartphones. Some time ago, I reviewed a smartphone made by Caterpillar. Now I get to do the same with the CAT S62 Pro thermal imaging smartphone which promises more. Let’s see!!
What is it?
The CAT S62 Pro is a thermal imaging smartphone which features a 5.7″ FHD+ (18:9) display, memory to 6GB RAM / 128GB ROM, and added a fingerprint sensor, and also high-quality thermal images that promise good image quality and clarity. It runs on Android 10.
What’s in the box
1 x CAT S62 Pro Thermal Imaging phone
1 x AC Adapter
1 x USB-C Charging Cable
1 x User Manual
1 x Warranty Booklet
1 x Sim Card Tool
Design and features
Features
- GSM / 4G LTE Compatible
- FLIR Lipton 3.5 Thermal Imaging Camera
- Rear 12MP & Front 8MP Cameras
- 2.0 GHz Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core CPU
- 128GB Storage Capacity + 6GB of RAM
- 5.7″ 2160 x 1080 TFT LCD Display
- IP68, IP69 & MIL-SPEC 810H Ruggedness
- Corning Gorilla Glass 6
- Android 10 Operating System
Specifications
Operating System: Android 10
Memory: 6 GB
Chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon660
CPU: 2 GHz Octa-Core
Storage: 128 GB
Display Size: 5.7″
Native Resolution: 2160 x 1080
Refresh Rate 60: Hz (at FHD+ Resolution)
Aspect Ratio: 18:9
Pixel Density: 424 ppi
Panel Type: TFT LCD
Screen Coating: Gorilla Glass 6
Ports: 1 x USB Type-C (USB 2.0)
Speaker: Yes
Media/Memory Card Slot Single Slot: microSD/microSDHC/microSDXC [256 GB Maximum]
SIM Card Slots: 1 x Nano SIM
Communications: GSM 2G GSM, GPRS, EDGE: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz; GSM 3G/3.5G UMTS, HSPA+: 850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz; 4G LTE LTE: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 17, 25, 26, 41, 66, 71 Bands
Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac); Dual-Band (2.4 & 5 GHz)
Bluetooth: Bluetooth 5.0
NFC: Yes
GPS: Yes
Camera Rear: 12 MP Sensor (1.4 µm Pixels) with an f/1.8 Lens
Camera Front: 8 MP Sensor
Biometric Authentication: Fingerprint
Sensors: Ambient Light Sensor, Compass, Fingerprint, Gyroscope, Proximity
Water Resistance Submersible: IP Rating IP69K
Keyboard: Virtual
Battery: Internal Lithium-Ion (4000.0 mAh)
Fast Charging Technology: Qualcomm Quick Charge 4.0
Wireless Charging: None
Dimensions: (W x H x D) 3.0 x 6.2 x 0.5″ / 7.6 x 15.7 x 1.3 cm
Weight: 8.74 oz / 248 g
Warranty Length: Limited 2-Year Warranty
The following photos show all of the sides of this smartphone and include an illustrated diagram that labels the parts:
Performance
As far as Smartphones go, the initial setup of this phone is no different than any other smartphone. As with other phones, I charged it fully, powered it on, and then followed through with the “normal” setup process.
The basic functions all work well. The screen resolution is good, and the audio for all functions is good. The following are some specifics:
1: It does allow for WiFi calling
2: The keyboard has very good and consistent feedback. This is something that I really like about CAT phones.
3: The programmable button has specific functions that can be assigned for short and long presses (See manual)
Note: I was not able to test the phone with dual sims, but it does have that capability.
Phone calls are clear and the audio quality otherwise is good.
4: The fingerprint sensor works great and is consistent for successful access.
5: Thermal Imaging works very well. One of the tests that I performed was to place the phone in front of a family member and walk backward away from them which checking the imaging capability. At about 30 feet away, I was still picking up some of their body heat.
The following is a video showing me testing the Thermal Imaging feature on some equipment in my studio:
Photos:
The following are photos taken from the front and rear cameras.
Front camera:
Rear camera:
To view the manual, click here.
What I like
- The rugged build quality
- The display
- The virtual keyboard tactile feedback
- The Fingerprint Sensor
- The overall speed and responsiveness
- It’s a thermal imaging smartphone
What I’d change
- Like the previous model, I would like a better front-facing camera so video conferencing looks better
Final thoughts
When I reviewed the Caterpillar CAT S42 thermal imaging phone I really liked it for its build quality, simple design, and dual-sim capability. I am also a fan of this CAT S62 pro thermal imaging smartphone. This phone is built for strength and durability and offers specifications that make it an all-around good phone. IMHO, what makes this phone stand out is its usability that is enhanced by the really nice Thermal Imaging feature. I think that it can be a backup/secondary EDC device for law enforcement, firefighters, construction workers, rescuers, etc whose jobs could involve searching for trapped people, animals, or in certain scenarios “buried” equipment. I give this phone an overall well done and two thumbs up!!.
Price: $649.00
Where to buy: Amazon, CAT Phones website, B&H Photo
Source: The sample for this review was provided by Caterpillar.
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Lepton, not Lipton
I have used this phone for a year, it takes a battering in my daily tasks and is still working fine. A brick hit my pocket where the phone was, right on the screen, just a little dent, didn’t crack in a million places, still perfectly useable, I have dropped it many times, it’s heavily marked up but still great, and thermal is useful too.
Ich habe das Mobil Phone CAT S 62 Pro seit 1 Jahr in gebauch. Kurzes Statement: Für normale Menschen, die aus Hobby eine Wärmebildkamera im Handy wünschen, kann ich nur empfehlen, sich eine extra Wärmebildkamera zu kaufen. Das Handy an sich ist im Jahr 2022 / 2023 nicht mehr konkurrenzfähig. Besonders die Leistung der Kamera ist richtig schlecht. Bin ich von meinem Huawai Pro 30 verwöhnt gewesen, so enttäuschend bin ich nun von Aufnahmen, wenn es etwas dunkel ist. Farben sind auch eher etwas zu blass. Zweitens ist die Akkulaufzeit eher schlecht. Es gibt Tage, ich kann nicht sagen warum, da hält der Akku nur einen Tag. Obwohl alle Apps ausgeschaltet sind und nichts im Hintergrund läuft.
Robust? Ich habe das nicht getrestet. Vielleicht geht es kaputt. Aber vor kurzem hat es einen “spritzer” Diesel abbekommen und nun sind die Dichtungen aufgequollen und der Sim Deckel schließt nicht mehr. Dadurch fällt meine Bewertung von 3 Sternen auf 0 Sterne.
The English translation to Ben’s message is: I have been using the mobile phone CAT S62 Pro for 1 year. Brief statement: For regular people who want a thermal imaging camera on their phone as a hobby, I can only recommend buying a separate thermal imaging camera. The phone itself is not competitive anymore in 2022/2023. Especially the camera performance is really poor. Coming from my Huawei Pro 30, I am now disappointed with the quality of the photos, especially in low light conditions. The colors are also rather pale. Secondly, the battery life is rather poor. There are days when, for no apparent reason, the battery only lasts for one day, even with all apps closed and nothing running in the background.
As for its durability, I haven’t tested it extensively. Maybe it will break. However, recently it got splashed with diesel and now the seals have swollen, and the SIM card cover no longer closes. As a result, my rating goes from 3 stars to 0 stars.