When you hear the name CAT, you usually associate it with heavy machinery used in construction. But the company now has a smartphone in the form of the CAT B15 that’s designed for those who work in not only construction, but any extreme environment. Rogers clearly wants to appeal to that demographic as they’re the exclusive carrier of the CAT B15 in Canada.
Now the CAT B15 clearly looks tough:
Key portions where the phone could take a hit or water could get in are covered by rubber. In this case, you’re looking at the flap that covers the headphone jack in the center of the phone as well as the on/off switch on the left. The latter is hard to press by the way and that’s not a bad thing as it avoids accidental activation of the phone in your pocket.
Other areas have the exposed metal frame that gives the phone extra rigidity.
The back is rubberized as well. I’ll note that the back is hard to remove. But that’s likely deliberate for reasons that will become clear in a second.
The screen is made of Gorilla Glass to make it tough and it can be used while your fingers are wet as well.
All of this conspires to make the CAT B15 waterproof to the IP67 standard. That means that you can keep it submerged in depths of 1m for 30 minutes. It’s dust proof and has been been drop tested on concrete from 1.80m. Not only that, it has a an operating temperature range of -20 degrees C to + 55 degrees C. That means it will survive abuse that will kill your average smartphone. Even with all of that ruggedness, it doesn’t feel too big or too heavy and won’t slip out of your hands. And needless to say, it feels very solid.
What does it have under the hood? Here’s a quick look:
- 1GHz dual-core processor
- 512MB of RAM
- 4GB of internal memory
- microSD card slot for memory expansion (up to 32GB)
- 4″ screen
- 5MP Camera
- Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
- GSM/EDGE/HSPA+/HSPA
- 802.11 B/G/N WiFi
- Bluetooth
Let’s start with the screen. The size of the screen, which is 4″ and has a 800 x 480 resolution is not going to blow you away if you’ve seen a Samsung Galaxy S4 as it isn’t as sharp as the screen on that phone. But the target audience isn’t going to care unless they view pictures and videos on that screen. The screen is bright, but I do recommend turning off the automatic brightness function as it seems to make the screen dimmer than I think you’d like. I’m guessing that it’s done to save battery life which is good. But it can get a bit annoying depending on the lighting conditions.
In terms of data speeds, since it’s a GSM/EDGE/HSPA+/HSPA phone, I was only able to get an average 4 Mbps downstream and 1 Mbps upstream. Not speedy, but neither of these is a bad thing as the target market for this phone likely doesn’t have speed at the top of their list. But the phone is speedy in another area. The CAT B15 comes with a unmodified, unskinned version of Android (4.1 Jelly Bean). The advantage of this is that it is quick as you navigate through the homescreens or jump into apps. Aside from the usual roster of Google apps – Chrome, YouTube, Maps and Calendar – CAT has included a few of its own. They’re little more than internet links to CAT equipment dealers. If you’re in the construction industry they could prove useful. Rogers has tossed in a few of their apps such as Rogers 1 Number, Rogers Anyplace TV and an app that allows you to access your Rogers account from your phone. It’s a basic but solid software offering.
Now when it comes to the camera, it’s a 5MP shooter that does 1080P HD video. To test that, I went to my usual location which is Pearson Airport in Toronto to shoot some planes landing. First let’s start with the still pictures. Click the picture to see it in full resolution:
The picture is pretty good. It’s sharp and clear and the colors are reproduced well. It’s hard to believe that it’s “only” 5MP. I should also mention that you can take pictures in quick succession. That’s going to be handy for those who need to take action shots. Now how about the video? Well, it’s not as good. Make sure to set the video to 1080P and full screen to see it at full size:
The video quality is passable, but clearly it isn’t the strong point of this phone. It’s best suited for occasional use in my opinion.
Now, how about battery life? You’ll get just over a day of usage out of it without a problem. You’ll be able to get more battery if you keep the screen brightness down or set it to automatic. In any case, it’s going to be there for you if you work very long days.
What’s my verdict? This is a phone that’s aimed at a very specific demographic who care less about raw speed and flashy features and more about usability and durability. Namely construction workers or those who want a phone for extreme environments. It’s $99 on a two year plan from Rogers or $299 outright. If you want your phone rugged, waterproof and tough, the CAT B15 is the phone for you.