Cat S60 Review Batman Called Wants His Phone Back

BY GreenBot Staff

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Published 1 Sep 2016

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From the moment you unbox the Cat S60, it’s apparent this phone is unlike anything you’ve seen before. It’s disgustingly thick and oddly shaped and has a funky door on the back. The word Flir embossed next to one of the two cameras. While other smartphone makers are obsessing over shaving off millimeters to shout innovation. The Cat S60 screams Go ahead, try, and break me. Oh, did I mention it can see in the dark? Another way to describe it. The Cat S60 oozes a confident feeling of durability. In the manner that farmers and construction workers across the globe rely upon Caterpillar equipment. The real test, however, is how well a device with Cat’s namesake lives up to its reputation.

It’s Not Going to Garner much Attention

SOS 1 — An SOS button makes it easy to send your exact location to coworkers or loved ones in an emergency.

I hate to harp on the size of the Cat S60, but I don’t have a choice. Measuring 12.95 millimeters thick. You could stack two Moto Z’s on top of each other (5.2 mm each). The Cat S60 would still be thicker. It weighs 225 grams, while the Samsung Galaxy Note 7 weighs 168 grams. In short, the Cat S60 isn’t a very pocket device. If I were to use one as my daily phone, I would opt for a clunky belt holster. Instead of trying to live with it in my front pocket. Where I usually keep my phone.
On the left side of the housing, you’ll find the power button, a programmable key. You can program the key through the settings apps to turn on the flashlight or reveal the notification shade. A gasket-sealed door on the back of the Cat S60 is where you’ll find the SIM microSD card trays. Just beneath those buttons, you’ll find a covered SOS button, a covered micro USB port, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The covers help protect the phone’s ports, helping it achieve its I8 certification for dust and water resistance.
When triggered, the SOS button will send a text message with your current location to your chosen contacts. This is a feature someone such as a park ranger or farmer would surely appreciate if something terrible happened. You’ll find the volume keys on the right side of the phone. On the back of the phone is a spring-loaded door, where the SIM card and microSD card slots are housed.

Free of Bloatware

SOS 2 — If you’re going to go scuba diving with the S60. You’ll first need to flip two switches on the front of the phone to better seal the speakers.

The Cat S60 ships with Android 6.0.1. And is left more or less free of any real customizations or unnecessary pre-installed apps. This unlocked device is free of bloatware outside a few Cat Flir-specific apps. Overall performance isn’t the fastest I’ve tested, but that’s expected, thanks to Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 617 processor. Each Cat S60 comes with 32 GB of storage, 3 GB of memory, and a massive 3,800 mAh battery. I squeezed nearly two days of use out of the S60’s battery, a rare occurrence. The stellar battery life combines processor, battery size, and the smallish 4.7-inch 720p display, not requiring much power.

I Can See in the Dark, Can You?

SOS 5 — A built-in Flir camera uses infrared to help you see hotspots, even in the dark.

Forgoing the Cat S60’s ability to survive under five meters of water or a 1.8-meter drop onto concrete. The headlining feature of the S60 is its Flir camera. For those unfamiliar, this camera captures light in the infrared spectrum. So it can detect the temperatures of objects around you. It’s the same tech police helicopters use to find bad guys at night. The company sells a snap-on camera for Android phones and iPhones that cost a whopping $250. The Cat S60 has it built-in.
A Flir camera app is preinstalled on the S60 and works similarly to the stock camera app. After opening the Flir app, you wait a second for the camera to start. Your surroundings are a fascinating mixture of blue, green, red, orange, and white colors. Each represents a temperature. The display has a chart of the temperature range on the right side.

The FLIR Camera

SOS 3 — With the Flir camera, you can do things like check on how much gas is left in your propane tank.

For someone who sits in front of a computer 10 hours a day with this Cat S60 phone on the desk. Having the Flir camera is more of a novelty. But it ultimately makes sense for jobs like exterminator. Who is trying to look for a rodent in an attic? Or even a plumber is looking for the source of a water leak. That said, I found a practical use for the Batman-like camera during my time with it. I checked the level of my propane tank. It was like having X-ray vision, only not.

SOS 4 — Because who doesn’t want an infrared selfie?

As for the standard cameras, the S60 has a 13-megapixel shooter on the back and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. Either camera takes okay photos, but nothing you’re going to be super impressed with. There’s a good amount of lag after pressing the shutter button. While the camera tries to focus and then take a picture. For a still object in bright outdoor light, it’s not a big deal. But you can imagine the headaches it causes when taking photos of a pet or kids.

Should You Buy It?

SOS 6 — The Cat 60 is at home in the dirt.

Likely, you’re not the person this phone was designed and built for. But odds are, you know, one or two people who fit the Cat mold. Two family members immediately came to mind after I started testing it. They’re both hard on phones, and would use the Flir camera daily. Also couldn’t care less about camera quality or processor speed. At the end of the day, they want a phone that lasts and won’t easily break. And in that regard, the Cat S60 delivers. At a $600 price, there are more affordable phones available. Although, if you were to tack on a waterproof case to most of the $400 phones flooding the market. You’ll come close to the Cat S60’s price tag, and they won’t have a Flir camera to show for it.