Rugged Cat S62 Pro handset hits the U.S. with price cut, thermal camera and large battery

Cat is known for the heavy duty equipment it sells to construction companies such as backhoe loaders, articulated trucks, asphalt pavers, compactors, excavators, hydraulic mining shovels and more. If there is dirt that needs to be dug up, moved, and collected, Cat provides the equipment needed to get the job done. Cat also offers a line of rugged Android handsets.

The latest such model is the Cat S62 Pro; all Cat branded handsets are manufactured by the U.K.'s Bullitt Group. Originally unveiled last July, the device features a thermal camera that delivers four times the thermal resolution used on 2018's S61 model. A new mode will allow a user to overlay a thermal image with a regular 12MP photograph snapped from the phone's rear camera. A user can also be notified via an alarm when a certain temperature level has been photographed with the thermal camera.

The Cat S62 Pro sports a 5.7-inch 1080+ display and the Snapdragon 660 chipset can be found under the hood with 6GB of memory and 128GB of storage. There is a rear-facing 12MP camera and a 4000mAh battery keeps the lights on. As a rugged device, the Cat S62 Pro is rated IP68 and IP69; the former means that the handset can be submerged to a depth of 1.5 meters (4.9 feet) for up to 30 minutes. The latter means that the device can survive high-pressure water spray. Cat says that the S62 Pro has been tested against even more difficult water conditions but has a warranty that covers getting submerged to the depths of the official IP ratings.

The handset can also survive drops of as much of six feet onto a steel surface. Besides protection from Gorilla Glass 6, a factory-fitted screen protector is included for additional protection from butterfingers. The handset also meets the MIL-STD-810 military standard which includes vibration and thermal shock resistance. While the phone comes with Android 10 pre-installed, an update to Android 11 will eventually be released. Originally given an MRSP of $749, the Cat S62 Pro has been reduced in price to $699 in the states.

While not available via any U.S. carriers, the Cat S62 Pro is offered unlocked from third party retailers like Home Depot and Amazon will be available this month from Home Depot, Amazon, and unlocked directly from Cat.