The Cat S31 is a resilient smartphone suited for harsh and rugged environments. The new edition to the Cat smartphone family succeeds the Cat S30 and is fit for a range of industries, including construction, agriculture and vehicle repair. And to those who enjoy regular recreational activities like hiking, fishing and biking this smartphone is for you too.
According to a study conducted by Cat on roughly 22 000 Cat phone users, more than three-quarters (76%) indicated that a long battery life was essential and 98% considered it a highly valued key feature. Further, the survey showed that 76% have damaged their previous mobile phones and experienced the endless frustration that goes with a damaged phone. Unsurprisingly, 94% of Cat phone owners value the drop proof feature, while 71% said that a scratch resistant screen is also essential.
“The Cat S31 represents the foundation of the Cat smartphone portfolio with upgrades and improvements to every feature we know are important to our customers. It maintains the leading rugged credentials our customers require while benefitting from improvements in the battery and screen performance and a better camera, memory and processor which together ensures it’s built to survive,” said Peter Stephens, CEO of Bullitt Group, global mobile licensee for Caterpillar.
Upon unboxing the new CAT S31, I found the smartphone with its charger and USB cables…not much else. The first impression of the phone does look and feel very rugged compared to other smartphones on the market.
Here are 11 things you need to know about the Cat S31 Smartphone:
1. The S31 has a Snapdragon 210 Processor with 2GB Ram.
2. The display is quite average at 4.7 inch at 720p resolution, Storage 16gb expendable up to 64GB with a microSD card. 4.7″ HD display protected by a scratch-resistant Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3 screen.
3. Camera is very entry level with a 8MP in the back and 2MP front camera.
4. The OS is Android nougat.
5. The S31 is suitable for almost all environments.
6. It is dustproof and waterproof at 1.20 meters water depth up to 35 minutes and fall-proof from heights of up to 1.80 meters which we have tested and passed.
7. A large battery for 4,000mAh can last up to 2 days with general day-to-day use.
8. The case has many ripples and grips which makes it impossible for the phone to slip out of your hand.
9. The phone feels very stable in the hands with no flaws in its build quality, each port has a rubber cover and mechanical buttons which are easily accessible and protected from the elements on a job site.
10. It easily handles email, web browsing, photography and useful apps aimed for the construction site.
11. CAT has added an App store if its own consigning application designed for construction and other hands-on jobs.
Overall this is great, tough phone for work which doesn’t require hard end performance.
[Kiran Hiralall is a Senior Support Specialist at Independent Newspapers.]
