Bullitt Group recently unveiled its latest rugged smartphone offering, the CAT S48c, and Sprint will sell the handset on its website and its brick-and-mortar stores starting November 9th. Like other smartphones from the Caterpillar brand, the CAT S48c is designed to work in extreme environments. The device comes with the MIL-SPEC 810G certification, which means that the smartphone can withstand extreme environments like extreme temperatures, repeated drops on cement from a height of six feet, dust exposure, and vibration. The handset also features IP68 water and dust resistance certification, and the device has been tested to survive being submerged under four feet of water (1.2 meters) for up to 35 minutes. The handset sports a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1080p, and it is protected from scratches and drops by a sheet of Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The device maker further claims that the people may use the touchscreen even if they are wearing gloves or their hands are wet.
The CAT S48c features a dedicated key on the side of the smartphone, and users may program the button to work with Sprint’s Direct Connect Plus feature. The Direct Connect Plus is the carrier’s push-to-talk communication offering that allows for faster interaction between employees through push-to-talk calls. This service could also be used to communicate with large groups of up to 500 staff members through the broadcast call functionality.
The CAT S48c features the Snapdragon 630 chipset from Qualcomm. The chipset contains an octa-core ARM Cortex A53 64-bit CPU running at a maximum clock speed of 2.2GHz and the Adreno 508 GPU. The handset includes 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal flash storage, which could be expanded using a microSD card with capacities of up to 128GB. The rear camera of the smartphone comes with a 13-megapixel sensor, while the front-facing camera has a 5-megapixel imaging module. The device contains a 4,000mAh battery, which could offer up to 30 hours of talk time over the 3G network. However, this handset lacks a fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication, and it includes physical navigation buttons located below the device’s display. The CAT S48c ships with Android 8.1 Oreo pre-installed, although the manufacturer promises that it will update the device to Android 9 Pie in the near future. Interested consumers may obtain a unit of the CAT S48c for 18 monthly payments of $20 through the Sprint Flex Lease, while the suggested retail price of the smartphone is set at $480.
Background: The CAT S48c is the successor to the CAT S41 unveiled late last year. First reports of the existence of the device emerged in September, and a premature listing of the device in the Android Enterprise Catalog revealed more details about the handset. It is interesting to note that the newer device sports a smaller battery compared to its predecessor, the CAT S41, which contains a 5,000mAh battery. Furthermore, the front-facing camera of the CAT S48c has a lower resolution sensor compared to its predecessor.
Impact: The launch of the CAT S48c adds to the list of rugged smartphones that interested consumers can choose. Furthermore, carrier availability and purchasing options should make it easier for consumers to purchase the device, and its support for push-to-talk communication, an important feature for the enterprise, may make it a viable handset option for construction, agriculture, transportation, and other similar businesses.
