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I am sure most of us saw or owned a phone before the smartphone era when the devices were thicker and a lot less compact, suitable mainly for calling and rarely for occasional basic gaming, but tough enough to handle a few drops to the ground.
Then came the touchscreen phones (which were still tough enough) and later the smartphones took over the world, now with larger screens, smaller width, higher specs and, as expected, a higher price tag. This made choosing the best rugged phone a lot harder, since the smartphones came with a major disadvantage: if before, dropping your phone wasn’t the cause of great stress, smartphones are not as drop resistant as their predecessors.
UPDATE: The AGM G2 Guardian has been added to the best rugged smartphones list.
TOUGHEST SMARTPHONES FOR INDUSTRIAL AND CONSTRUCTION WORKERS
TOUGHEST SMARTPHONES FOR PEOPLE THAT PRACTICE OUTDOOR SPORTS
Some screens won’t survive from falls even below 3 feet and there are stories on the web that some phones screens shattered simply by being carried inside the pocket (some previous models from Apple). So, for the people that don’t want to treat their cell phones like jewelry and don’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a device that can shatter at any time, I have compiled a list of the best rugged smartphones that, although not indestructible (no phone can ever claim that), are as close as one can get to the perfect drop proof, shockproof and waterproof smartphone.
But, before that, you need to understand that the rugged smartphones are not really a homogeneous group and that, in reality, they are divided in a manner to be suitable for two main audiences: the ones that work in an industrial environment or in constructions and need a fully rugged, durable and no-compromises phone (where the internal specs are not a high priority) and the ones that need a mid-to-high-end smartphone which will survive the occasional fall (even face first) and that can handle splashes or even full submerges underwater (usually, active people who regularly practice different types of outdoor sports).
1. CAT S62 PRO
The Cat S62 Pro continues the legacy left by the S61 and the S60, both very popular rugged smartphones, suitable for construction workers, being able to withstand even the harshest environments, while maintaining the elegant look of modern smartphones. One of the main selling points of the series was the thermal imaging camera and, while, the CAT S61 wasn’t a radical change from its predecessor, the CAT S62 Pro has made some significant improvements in this department.
Indeed, the thermal camera has a far better sensor (FLIR Lepton 3.5 instead of the Lepton 2.5 of its predecessor), there are four more thermal pixels (therefore a sharper image) and there is now a new MyFLIR PRO app with additional features. But, while it has gained on one end, it has lost on another since the manufacturer decided to remove the indoor air quality sensor, as well as the laser-assisted distance measurement. The internal hardware has also been improved (although nothing too radical) and there is now a better camera – this is important considering that unlike the Panasonic Thoughpad series which focuses exclusively towards the industrial aspect, the CAT smartphones have always also catered to the consumer market.
The Cat S62 Pro doesn’t look as refined as some flagship smartphones, but it still went quite far away from that rugged look (that some Chinese brands are still sporting, such as Blackview), so expect a full glass front, a metallic frame and a plastic rear panel. The case has maintained those rounded corners from the previous models (minus the top CAT logo) and it’s also fairly larger than its predecessor, measuring 6.24 x 3.02 x 0.47 inches – what’s interesting is that it’s also lighter, weighing 8.75 ounces.
The back of the phone is covered by a rubber finish which, similarly to its predecessor can’t be removed to give you access to the battery and, to access the microSD and SIM card slots, you need to remove the tray located on the left side of the device. The buttons from the edges are big, firm and easy to press (there is also Programmable key that, when pressed, can be configured to send your location to a list of predefined contacts and, on the bottom, there’s a USB port, while on the top, there’s the audio jack, both protected by small covers).
The Cat S62 Pro is built to be able to withstand a lot of punishment. The manufacturer says that the device is drop proof, so it can endure drops from 6 feet onto concrete thanks to its reinforced die cast frame (it was dropped on every side and corner) and the smartphone is also MIL Spec 810H rated, which means that the CAT S62 Pro was tested against drops, vibration, wind, rain, sand, salt mist, extreme temperature (between -13 and 131 degrees F), high altitude, as well as humidity and it survived. Also, on the front, the edge slightly protrudes creating a bit of a lip around the display, so, along with the Corning Gorilla Glass 6 protection, it should ensure that the screen won’t shatter if dropped face-first.
The Cat S62 Pro is also IP68 and IP69 rated, which suggests that it could be submerged under water down to 10 feet for 60 minutes, but the tests show that the device will only survive for 35 minutes and only down to 5 feet. One thing that’s missing is the physical buttons, which, from my point of view are still very much a necessity in a harsh environment, since you won’t always be able to use the screen. Yes, there is a Glove mode, but nothing beats the good ol’ physical buttons.
Besides the fact that it is a tough smartphone, the appeal of the S62 Pro remains the built-in thermal imaging camera and, considering that the rugged phone has an improved sensor, the thermal camera will capture better images. To be more specific, the Lepton 3.5 sensor has four times the thermal pixels than its predecessor (160x120p) and the output is at 1440 x 1080 pixels. Additionally, the camera can now detect heat sources from up to 10 feet away and the temperature range is between -4 and 752 degrees F (the same as its predecessor). The multiple modes (filters) are still there and they can measure the temperature of multiple spots, retroactively pinpoint a temperature in the image and they can even ‘see’ in environments where there is lots of smoke.
We already talked a bit about the front of the phone, but you need to know that the S62 Pro features a 5.7-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display, with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, a pixel density of 424ppi and 18:9 aspect ratio (it finally jumped on the wide screen bandwagon). The resolution is more than enough for a screen of this size and the viewing angles are solid. Also, the black levels aren’t really that deep (no way close to the AMOLEDs), but the images are equally sharp as on its predecessor (and that’s a good thing since it was already a decent display).
On the inside, the S62 Pro comes equipped with an octa-core Qualcomm SDM660 Snapdragon 660 chipset (quad-core 2.2GHz Kyro 260 Gold CPU and quad-core 1.8GHz Kyro 260 Silver) which is an improvement over the Snapdragon 630 chip of the CAT S61, but still not the most inspired decision since this chip is not that energy efficient and doesn’t really provide that much power over its predecessor (at least a SD712 would have been better). There are also 6 GB of RAM (two more GB from the previous generation), an Adreno 512 GPU (instead of the Adreno 508 of the S61) and 128GB of storage memory (don’t forget that you can also add up to 256GB using the microSD slot). The S62 Pro runs on Android 10 and there is a planned upgrade to the Android 11 (a firmware upgrade on a rugged smartphone? that’s new). The software is almost stock version that will definitely appease most users as it doesn’t annoy with additional useless apps (that sometimes are uninstallable).
On the rear side of the phone, there’s a 16-megapixel camera with dual-LED dual-tone flash and the FLIR thermal camera (which we already talked about). On the front, you can find the same 12-megapixel secondary camera. The problem with the main camera is that even if it shoots decent photos most of the time, it just isn’t on par with other similarly priced phone cameras: it shoots noisy photos if the room isn’t bright enough and in low-light or during the night, the performance doesn’t get any better (something which, unfortunately, has become to be expected from a rugged phone).
Furthermore, the Cat S62 Pro is equipped with a non-removable 4,000mAh battery (no wireless charging available) and this is another unfortunate decision that the manufacturer has made since the CAT S61 has a 4,500mAh battery. Taking into consideration that the SoC on the S62 PRO is not that power efficient, expect about one day and a half with some light and medium use; to get from 0 to 100 % using the provided charger, it will take about 2 hours.
Verdict: The S62 Pro is equipped a lot better than most other smartphones in this list, it has lots of features and it also looks a lot better than some industrial-focused handsets (still not near the flagships, but still modern enough for a rugged phone). In terms of ruggedness, the S62 Pro excels in every aspect, it is waterproof, dustproof and can handle lots of drops and, additionally, you also get the awesome thermal imaging camera (which hgas now gotten even better). This means that it takes the first place in our list.
2. Sonim XP10 Rugged Smartphone
Sonim seems to have gotten more serious about its rugged smartphones line and it recently made available a successor to the Sonim XP8 (which replaced the widely popular Sonim XP7). And it seems that the rugged exterior remains one of the device’s forte, but has Sonim also improved some of its core elements to make it more suitable for 2023? The rugged smartphone is guilty of putting everything in the tough department, while focusing a lot less on the screen and the inner components.
And it seems that despite what the price tag may suggest, the Sonim XP10 is not on par with the premium flagship smartphone on the market. Then again, the Sonim XP10 is not aiming to charm the general public, but it focuses towards a very specific niche audience which includes construction workers, electricians, the people that work at chemical plants and especially it is aimed at those that are the first responders while working in hazardous and emergency-type conditions.
This is enhanced by the FirstNet certifications, including Rapid Response, MCPTT QoS and Ready for Public Safety. The main idea behind the FirstNest suite of feature is to give the first responders access to a congestion-free broadband LTE network, ensuring that more lives can be saved). Furthermore, Sonim has also kept the Push-To-Talk function (the AT&T proprietary EPTT), which can prove to be a reliable tool in case of emergency or when the user needs a walkie-talkie-type of service (such as while hiking).
I couldn’t really see the Sonim XP7 or even the XP8 as elegant phones, but the point was for them to be designed in a manner to ensure that the device will be waterproof, it will survive falling on all kind of surfaces and that it can be used in dangerous environments. The Sonim XP10 follows the same footsteps, but there are some notable design-wise changes. The top protrusion for the antenna has gotten even smaller, now being a mere bump and the smartphone is also a bit thinner than the XP8, measuring 6.3 x 3.0 x 0.64 inches. And yes, it is a much larger phone overall.
Should a rugged smartphone be that large? Sonim and AGM say yes, while CAT says no. In any case, there are other elements that sets this rugged smartphone further apart from the regular Android handsets.
The ‘analogue’ front-facing buttons of the previous gen are gone, now being replaced by in-screen keys, but there is a SecureAudio connector (for any external speakers) on the side and a PTT button and the Emergency key (when pressed, it automatically sends the GPS location and the user should immediately be contacted by the emergency center).
Some other features that were the norm for a long time and are now turning to be something quite exotic are the removable battery and the microSD card, but Sonim is also guilty of removing the 3.5mm headphone jack (it was missing on the XP8 as well). The last curious addition is the two loud speakers that sit below the display with the fingerprint reader in between them.
Covering most of the front side, there’s the 5.5-inches IPS display with a resolution of 2,160 x 1080 pixels and 439ppi pixel density. The refresh rate remains 60Hz and, to get an idea about what to expect from a rugged smartphone in 2023, know that both the AGM G2 Guardian and the CAT S75 have 120Hz panels.
And don’t get me wrong, the Sonim XP10 is not a cheap smartphone by any means. Obviously, the display will do fine for normal media consumption, but, as expected, the colors don’t pop out as much as on an AMOLED display. Covering the screen and protecting the entire front side (expect for the buttons), there’s the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus which will do a good job protecting against scratches and, considering that the display may be vulnerable if the users drops the phone face-first, Sonim decided to surround the screen with a raised, protective lip.
The two aforementioned 100 dB+ speakers are very loud and surprisingly clear – the mics use Goodix Noise and Echo cancellation for a better call quality. I need to mention that you can still operate the rugged smartphone even if you have wet fingers or gloves.
The Sonim XP8 was able to withstand a lot of abuse and the XP10 didn’t lower the bar. The handset is IP68 and IPX9K rated, which means that it’s as close to being truly waterproof as possible; it can also survive corrosive chemicals and oils, extreme pressure and can withstand a lot of falls before taking actual damage (it’s MIL-STD-810H rated). So, similarly to its predecessors, the phone is not completely indestructible but it is one tough piece of work (probably one of the most durable smartphone available right next to the Panasonic rugged handsets).
Inside the case, the Sonim XP10 is equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon SM4350 Pro SoC (six-core Cortex-A55 clocked at 1.9GHz and dual-core Cortex-A76 clocked at 2.2GHz), 6GB of RAM, an Adreno 619 GPU and 128 GB of storage memory (you can add up to 1TB using the microSD card slot). As you can see, Sonim has made significant progress in the hardware performance department as well (the XP8 had 4GB of RAM, and a Snapdragon 630 chip), so the phone will feel more responsive, it will allow some light gaming and the multitasking will be handled better.
It’s still an entry-level chip which will raise some eyebrows considering the price tag of the rugged smartphone. The Sonim XP10 comes with Android 12 and it seems that the manufacturer has promised to upgrade the phone to Android 13 in the near future. Know that the rugged smartphones usually are stuck with the Android version with which they were released.
Moving on to the cameras, we can see that the Sonim XP10 sports a 50-megapixel main rear camera (can’t wait for the 1K+-megapixel cameras on the future phones) and an 8-megapixel wide-angle lens cameras. On the front, there is another 8-megapixel camera suitable for selfies. Just like almost all other rugged smartphones, the rear camera performs decent at best in good light but under-performs in low-light, but, let’s be honest, you won’t use the Sonim XP10 as your main shooter anyway.
Now let’s have a look at the battery. The XP8 had a quite impressive 4800mAh battery that could deliver up to 48 hours of normal usage and the Sonim XP10 aims to top that with its equally impressive 5000 mAh removable battery which, similarly to its predecessor, it will take about two full days of medium to high use until you’ll need to recharge the battery. One last appealing ‘feature’ is the three year warranty. Just like the XP7 and the XP8, the Sonim XP10 will be replaced if it breaks, without questions asked.
Verdict: The Sonim XP10 does feel like it is indestructible and, even if it made significant improvements in both looks and performance, it still isn’t entirely suitable for the wider audience (and I’m not sure that it tries to). That being said, the Sonim XP10 is definitely one of the most rugged smartphones available in 2023 and its mid-range performance will be enough for most of its users, while it will also be a great addition to not only workers in tough environments, but for people that practice outdoor sports as well.
3. AGM G2 Guardian Rugged Smartphone
Read the full review of AGM G2 Guardian
The AGM G2 Guardian is one of the most ambitious rugged smartphones that the manufacturer has developed so far, surpassing the previous flagship Glory Pro 5G not by making some hardware improvements, but by adding a thermal monocular for long-range detection. And yes, AGM G2 Guardian is the first rugged smartphone to go this route. Of course, it does have some very niche applications, being suitable mostly for outdoor use (such as when camping or hunting).
Design-wise, the AGM G2 Guardian is not a device that you’re going to mistake for a mainstream flagship smartphone, despite carrying a hefty price tag. It’s not that we don’t get a fairly clean look, with only the display being surrounded by a surprisingly thin bezel, for a rugged smartphone. But the solid rubber frame that goes around the smartphone is fairly intrusive, having a slight bump at the four corners to ensure that the smartphone will survive if dropped at that angle (as it usually happens).
If you turn the AGM G2 Guardian on the other side, you’re going to see that the complicated look of the Glory Pro has been ported here as well, although with some slight changes. We still get a large circular area where the manufacturer positioned the cameras and in the middle, there is a protrusion to embed the large speaker. It’s the same speaker as on the Glory Pro which can go up to 110dB, but, in my tests it didn’t offer a very clear sound (as I would have liked). Still, it is undoubtedly a very loud speaker, if only it would have been positioned a bit differently (like on the front..).
Above the speaker, the rugged smartphones has a small guide which reaches the top-placed powerful flashlight (you can also use the flash from the camera as a secondary light source). The fingerprint reader has been moved to the side and it’s far more accurate than on the Glory Pro, while its place from the rear has been taken by the thermal monocular camera. There’s wireless charging coil is still present and it’s a kind of rarity with rugged smartphones, albeit a bit awkward to place it on a wireless charger.
On the frame of the AGM G2 Guardian, there is a programmable button that can have the Push-to-Talk function for simulating walkie-talkie communication or for sending an SOS alert. There’s also the usual volume rocker, the Power button and the not so usual now 3.5mm jack along with an USB-C charging port (the last two being covered). There is also a microSD card slot that supports up to 512GB. In terms of ruggedness, the AGM G2 Guardian does seem to check most boxes. There is the IP68 and IP69K rating which means that besides the complete protection from dust, the smartphone is also pretty much waterproof. And yes, you can put it underwater down to 20 feet for 30 minutes.
Additionally, there’s the MIL-STD-810H certification and the tests that were revealed by AGM are the protection against drops from 5 feet, high temperature spray-downs and the ability to remain operational when the temperature goes as low as -14 degrees F to 140 degrees F. The Arctic Battery from is unfortunately gone which I admit, had limited applications, but was a very cool feature.
Besides these protective features, there is also the lip that surrounds the display and, while it works, I would have liked it to be higher in order to be even more effective. And I don’t know why there is no Gorilla Glass protection on a rugged smartphone that costs quite a bit of money. That’s redeemed by the use of monocular lens. There are three cameras on the back of the rugged smartphone, one is the 108-megapixel main shooter which works well along with the 2-megapixel macro camera. Then there’s the night vision camera that uses 2 infrared LEDs and the last is the monocular thermal camera which works very differently to what we’ve seen on the CAT S62 Pro and on .
It doesn’t do that great on close-by areas, but it performs incredibly well on distant subjects. I have done a very detailed analysis on how the camera performs on the full review, but know that I could see silhouettes as far as 400 feet and some moving dots at about 650 feet. So it does work as intended – it’s also quite fast and doesn’t lag. That’s mostly due to the internal hardware.
Don’t expect it to be flagship-level, because it is actually built as a veritable mid-range. There’s an octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon QCM6490 SoC (clocked at 2.7GHz), an Adreno 643 GPU, 8GB/12GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage. I ran some benchmarks in the full review and the performance is somewhere in the mid-range realm, but I have also ran some actual games which showed a different story. Besides some occasional dropped frames, everything was smooth and stable, even the more demanding titles.
The display is 1080p (2408 x 1080 pixels to be exact) and it’s a large 6.58-inch LTPS TFT panel which gets quite bright, so it’s going to be fine outdoors, in the sun. Also know that the display has a refresh rate of 120Hz. The AGM G2 Guardian rugged smartphone is equipped with a 7000mAh non-removable battery which delivered about 3 days on normal use with the brightness set to 60%, which is a fairly good performance.
The rugged smartphone does come with Android 12 which is very stock-like and, unfortunately, the users will be stuck with this version for the entire time since AGM does not upgrade their rugged smartphones to a newer Android version. Also, be aware that the warranty is limited to 1 year and you should always check the type of support you will receive in your area.
Verdict: The AGM G2 Guardian is definitely a better smartphone than its predecessors in terms of ruggedness and overall performance. Sure enough, it is a mid-range smartphone on the inside, but the exterior is what will make the difference when you’re working in an industrial environment. AGM has added as many elements that it could in order to persuade users away from other brands, which includes the monocular thermal camera, the loud speaker, the black and white night vision, the wireless charging and the powerful flash light. If it wasn’t for the software and hardware support, this would have been the perfect rugged smartphone, but it’s still fairly attractive in its current form as well.
4. AGM Glory Pro 5G Rugged Smartphone
Read the full review of AGM Glory Pro
AGM has been building rugged smartphones for a bit over half a decade and what stood out the most for these devices was the attempt to retain a design that’s as close as possible to the regular smartphones. Things changed over the last couple of years and now CAT, Samsung and Kyocera are building decently looking smartphones, while also keeping that necessary ruggedness intact. In a strange turn of events, AGM completely deviated from its initial philosophy and the latest AGM Glory Pro is not a device that you’re going to mistake for a mainstream flagship smartphone, despite carrying a hefty price tag. There are no annoying logos on the front (as Blackview did a few generations ago), so we do get a fairly clean look, with only the display that’s surrounded by a surprisingly thin bezel, for a rugged smartphone.
The solid rubber frame that goes around the smartphone is also not that intrusive, having only a slight deviation at the corners to ensure that the smartphone will survive if dropped at that angle (as it usually happens). If you turn the AGM Glory Pro on the other side, it’s a completely different story, because we get a large circular area where the manufacturer positioned the cameras (which kind of looks like the design of the Leica phone) and in the middle, there is a protrusion to embed a large speaker. And this has been one of the main selling points because it can reach up to 110dB which is very loud, but, in my tests it didn’t offer a clear sound (as I would have liked). Still, it is undoubtedly a very loud speaker, if only it would have been positioned a bit differently (like on the front..). From the speaker, there is a piece of plastic that goes to the top of the rugged smartphone and it ends with two powerful lights.
Additionally, on the rear panel, there are various protective areas, as well as a fingerprint reader that is very inaccurate if you move the finger at a slight angle and then there’s wireless charging. I think this is an important element that AGM has added because I have rarely seen it on other rugged smartphone and it works quite well, reaching up to 15W (as seen on my test with the Vebach 30W wireless charger).
On the frame of the AGM Glory Pro (which apparently is made of 10% weaved-in fiberglass), there is a multi-function red button that does not support SOS functions, but it does have the Push-to-Talk option built-in for simulating walkie-talkie communication.
There’s also the usual volume rocker, the Power button and the not so usual now 3.5mm jack along with an USB-C charging port (the last two being covered). There is also a microSD card slot that supports up to 512GB. In terms of ruggedness, the AGM Glory Pro does check most boxes. There is the IP68 and IP69K rating which means that besides the complete protection from dust, the smartphone is also pretty much waterproof. And yes, you can put it underwater down to 5 feet for 30 minutes. Additionally, there’s the MIL-STD-810H certification and the tests that were revealed by AGM are the protection against drops on concrete, high temperature spray-downs and the ability to remain operational when the temperature goes as low as -4 degrees F to 60 degrees F. There is more because thanks to what AGM calls the Arctic Battery, the rugged phone can keep going at -40 degrees F for an hour.
I didn’t have the means to test it at that temperature, but I did put the smartphone in the freezer at -10 degrees F and the battery went from 94% to 90% over the span of ten hours. Besides these protective features, there is also the lip that surrounds the display and, while it works, I would have liked it to be higher in order to be even more effective. And I don’t know why there is no Gorilla Glass protection on a rugged smartphone that costs quite a bit of money. That’s redeemed by the use of a thermal camera. Indeed, there are four cameras on the back of the rugged smartphone, one is the 48-megapixel main shooter which works well along with the 2-megapixel macro camera.
Then there’s the 20-megapixel night vision camera that uses 2 infrared LEDs and the last is the thermal camera which works similarly to what we’ve seen on the CAT S62 Pro. Despite having a better resolution, it’s not that great with the image processing, but still, it shows the temperature, it can see probably more than 20 feet ahead, so it does work as intended. It’s also quite fast and doesn’t lag as much as I have seen on other smartphones. That’s mostly due to the internal hardware.
Don’t expect it to be flagship-level, because it is actually built as a veritable mid-range. There’s a Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G SoC, an Adreno 619 GPU, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of flash storage. I ran some benchmarks in the full review and the performance is somewhere in the lower-end mid-range realm, but I have also ran some actual games which showed a different story. Besides some occasional dropped frames, everything was smooth and stable, even the more demanding titles. The display is 1080p (2340 x 1080 pixels to be exact) and it’s a large 6.53-inch LTPS TFT panel which gets quite bright, reaching up to 860 nits. So it’s going to be fine outdoors, in the sun. The AGM Glory Pro is equipped with a 6,200mAh non-removable battery which delivered almost 18 hours of SOT with the brightness set to 50%, so it’s going to easily go past two days on medium use.
The rugged smartphone does come with Android 11 which is very stock-like and, unfortunately, the users will be stuck with this version for the entire time since AGM does not upgrade their rugged smartphones to a newer Android version. Also, be aware that the warranty is limited to 1 year and you should always check the type of support you will receive in your area.
Verdict: The AGM Glory Pro 5G is definitely a better smartphone than its predecessors in terms of ruggedness and overall performance. Sure enough, it is a mid-range smartphone on the inside, but the exterior is what will make the difference when you’re working in an industrial environment. AGM has added as many elements that it could in order to persuade users away from other brands, so we also get a thermal camera, the loud speaker, the black and white night vision, the wireless charging and the powerful dual-LED flash light. If it wasn’t for the software and hardware support, this would have been the perfect rugged smartphone, but it’s still fairly attractive in its current form as well.
5. CAT S48C Rugged Smartphone
Although not really a new device anymore, the CAT S48C is the latest addition to the series of rugged smartphones from Bullitt (with the license from CATerpillar to use their name) and it’s also the first device from the manufacturer to become available in the US stores due to the partnership with Verizon and Sprint. This is not the only mid-range rugged smartphone that the manufacturer has made available, since the CAT S41 remains very relevant even in 2023 and truth be told, besides some slight improvements hardware-wise, the S48C and the S41 aren’t such different devices. Both the aforementioned smartphones seem to favor a ‘return to basics’ approach, where you get a good enough display and a decent software experience, as well as a tough exterior, so, when put next to the flagship CAT S61, there is no thermal imaging or an air quality monitoring, but every other rugged element is definitely there.
From the design point of view, the CAT S48C does not bring anything revolutionary to the table, the smartphone retaining a similar look to the other CAT handsets, featuring a thick rubberized case (retaining the same octagonal shape), covered by a black finish and with narrow longitudinal canals on the rear and the lateral sides which will offer a better grip. Unlike many other rugged smartphones directed towards constructions or industrial workers, the front and the rear of the smartphone are surprisingly clean, lacking those unnecessary screws or additional metal plates that won’t add much in terms of protection, but the sides are a lot more busy due to some white plastic strips and the buttons. The front side of the CAT S48C maintains a minimalist tone until it gets interrupted by the three physical buttons, Back, Home and Recent Apps which are very useful in an oily environments.
Furthermore, on the top side, just like the CAT S41, the CAT S48C has a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microphone, while on the left side, there’s a Power button and a gold Programmable key (can be configured to launch the camera, the torch or for enabling the Push-to-Talk function). On the right side, you can find two buttons dedicated to the Volume control (when pressed along with the power key simultaneously, it will take a screenshot and, when the camera app is on, press either volume up or down to take a photo), as well as two thick covers for the SIM tray and the SD card – on the bottom, there’s a single loudspeaker and the USB port covered by a protective layer of plastic (the manufacturer finally decided to implement the better type-C standard). As can be expected from a rugged smartphones, the CAT S48C is IP68 certified, which means that it is dust-proof and you can submerge the rugged smart phone underwater down to 5 feet for about 30 minutes (the protective covers are there for a reason, so make sure to seal them tight after you access the slots to ensure that the device will remain resistant to water and dust).
But that’s not all, because, similarly to the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-E1, the CAT S48C carries the Military Standard 810G (MIL-STD-810G), which ensures that the smartphones will survive drops onto concrete from up to 6 feet, even if the phone will fall face-first, due to the protruded outer lip all around the front side that should ensure that the screen survives unscathed – I would still be very careful not to hit the screen on sharp objects since in that case, it will shatter. The rugged smartphone can also handle thermal shocks and salt mist spray, as well as vibration and pressure (which does make it a reliable companion in an industrial environment). There are some additional features which add both to the ruggedness and to the comfortability factor: the case has a really good grip and it doesn’t feel like it will slip out of your hand at any time (it measures 5.9 x 3.0 x 0.5 inches, so it’s pretty much identical to the CAT S41 – it also weighs 9.1 ounces).
The CAT S48C has implemented the wet finger/glove-on technology, which, along with the physical buttons, ensures that the phone is operable no matter the conditions. The CAT S41 was lacking the fingerprint sensor and it seems like the CAT S48C is also deprived of this now banal feature (and the CAT S48C is not a cheap device by any means). Besides the size, the display is another element that is shared with the CAT S41, so, we’re dealing with a 5 inch TFT display with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, the pixel density is (approximately) 441 ppi, it has a 16:9 aspect ratio and the screen is protected by the Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which should provide a reliable protection against scratches (but nothing more). The display is quite colorful, with balanced black and white levels, but, while it is very bright, it is also very reflective (so, in certain conditions, it may be hard to see what’s going on on the screen).
Inside the case, the CAT S48C is very different from the S41, being equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 630 (quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 2.2GHz and quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 CPU clocked at 1.8GHz), an Adreno 508 GPU, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage memory (which is the only available option, but you do get the possibility to add up to 256GB using the microSD card slot). The Snapdragon 630 is a decent mid-range chip which means that the phone will handle multitasking well (the 4GB of RAM will have a say into this matter), the apps do open immediately and the multimedia experience is satisfactory, but it will perform as a mid-ranger when it comes to gaming (which means that you should have no problem playing most of the available mobile games). Furthermore, the CAT S48C interface is built on top of the Android 8.1 (Oreo) and it is upgradeable to the version 9.0 – unfortunately, not that many manufacturers bother keeping their rugged smartphones up to date. The software experience should have been pretty similar to other CAT phones, but it’s not: while the CAT S41 has a clean interface, with little to no bloatware, the CAT S48C is filled with carrier-specific apps and no, you can’t uninstall them, these applications can only be disabled.
The rear camera is the same as on the CAT S41, so it’s a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, phase detection autofocus and HDR mode, but on the front, the camera has suffered a downgrade to a 5-megapixel sensor, but it’s still plenty suitable for selfies (both of these cameras can shoot photos underwater). The rear camera does a better job than last year’s S60 camera, so the photos are more colorful and will do a decent job in good lighting, but in low light conditions, the photos will have a high amount of noise and blur. So, the cameras are still the Achilles heel for any CAT phone and their performance is not really on par with what other devices from the same price range can offer. Another area where the CAT S48C is inferior to the S41 is the battery which, instead of the expected 5000 mAh, it’s just a 4000mAh battery (non-removable Li-Ion) that has become a new standard with the flagship, non-rugged smartphones on the market. Still, the S48C can last up to 14 hours of continuous video streaming; as expected, there is no Qi wireless charging support.
Verdict: Once again, Caterpillar has managed to create a reliable rugged smartphone, suitable for both an industrial environment and for active people that don’t want to worry whether their smartphone will survive their outdoors adventures. By stripping away the thermal camera, the manufacturer wanted to widen up the audience for both the CAT S41 and the CAT S31 and the great battery life and the improved ruggedness will likely appeal to the large majority of people, but I feel that the uniqueness factor has been lost and, similarly to the ‘normal’ smartphones, it is of paramount importance to stand out from the crowd in any way possible.
6. Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 Rugged Smartphone
The Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 is part of the latest fully-rugged handheld series from Panasonic and I know that when thinking about the toughest phones, most people will point to the Samsung Active series (or some other Chinese brands), but Toughbook devices are simply on another level in terms of ruggedness. I found it a bit amusing when Panasonic was referring to its 5-inch handsets as tablets that can make phone calls (which is not really wrong) and the Toughbook FZ-T1 is now a handheld and the Wi-Fi/4G version has all the functions of a normal smartphone. The way it is built and the additional features it has, clearly sets it apart even from the rest of the rugged smartphones and the closest device that I could find is the Cat S61 (due to its thermal imaging camera).
I held myself back for a while to include this product for more than a couple of reasons: it is unfortunately not suitable for the usual consumer and it’s specifically built for industry workers (mostly due to the integrated barcode scanner). That’s right, the Toughpad FZ-T1 features a thick case (which measures 3.0 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches including the barcode reader section – significantly slimmer than the N1 model), a fairly rounded back panel to keep the device comfortably in your hand and the black matte finish does help with the grip (so you don’t drop it). On the front of the device, just above the display, there’s a small battery indicator (when it’s red, the battery level is 10% or less), the ambient light/proximity sensors and the microphone.
Underneath the display, there is a mono speaker (can go up to 95dB) and a microphone – yes, the three physical buttons (Back, Start and Search) are now gone and replaced by the on-screen alternative. I think that all rugged smartphones should keep the physical buttons and not migrate towards a display-only approach, but I’m willing to give Panasonic a pass due to the glove mode (allows you to use the phone with thick gloves) and rain mode (makes sure that there are no misoperations if the display gets we – (the process involves limiting the touchscreen multi-touch usability from 10 fingers to just one finger).
The sides of the Toughbook FZ-T1 are a combination between the gray plastic that stretches towards the front bezels and a black rubberized material (this combo does help move the Toughbook FZ-T1 slightly outside the industrial look).
Furthermore, on the left side, a protective cover hides the microUSB port (there is no USB-C), on the top, there’s a 3.5mm headset jack which sits next to a 1D/2D barcode reader, while on the right, there’s the Power button, a programmable Side button and the volume buttons (on the bottom of the device, there is an expansion bus for attaching an optional cradle – useful in an industrial environment where you can easily misplace the device). The rear side of the FZ-T1 is quite interesting since there is a slightly inflated portion towards the top (to accommodate the barcode reader) with the camera embedded within it, while towards the bottom, there is a latch which, once operated, will expose the removable battery.
The large part of the front side is occupied by the 5-inch display, which has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels (a bit disconcerting for a 2-year old rugged phone), a pixel density of around 294ppi and up to 500cd/m2 brightness levels (seems to be the same as on the far older Toughpad FZ-E1). Yes, the display is outdated and I know that the focus was more towards functionality and less about entertainment, but even so it’s a bit ridiculous considering the price tag (the CAT S61 is also fairly industrial, but has a far batter display). That being said, the pixel density is low, the colors aren’t really as vibrant as what other cheaper phones from the competition have to offer and the viewing angles aren’t that great. Now, since this is a rugged device, it is expected that the screen won’t shatter easily and this is true for the most part since it can be dropped from 10 feet without taking any damage (the thick border that surrounds the display plays an important part) and it will survive without problems a lot of drops (yes, even face-first ones – it’s surprisingly difficult to destroy this device).
Furthermore, the Toughbook FZ-T1 is also MIL-STD-810G certified, so it can handle both high and low temperatures (the operating range is between -4 and 122 degrees Fahrenheit), explosive atmosphere, humidity, sand and dust, vibration (including loose cargo transportation), shock, freezing rain, acidic atmosphere and more. As expected, the Toughbook FZ-T1 is also waterproof and dust resistant, being both IP66 and IP68 rated, so you can submerge it down to 5 feet underwater for about 30 minutes. Inside the case, the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 is equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm 210 MSM8909 chipset (the clock rate can go up to 1.1GHz), an integrated Adreno 304 graphics card, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of eMMC storage memory – you can add up to 64GB by using a microSD card. The device is also compatible with the following wireless and Voice&Data standards: IEEE802.11 a/b/g/n/d/h/i/r, Bluetooth, 4G LTE, HSPA+, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS and GSM. Seeing these specs, it does feel like Panasonic took a significant step backwards since the Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909 is the entry-level SoC for Android smartphone, so the performance is not going to be that great (some resource-heavy apps are not going to work properly, but multi-tasking is decent due to the 2GB of RAM and especially thanks to the display resolution); the Adreno 304 paired with the 720p should be fine, but even so, most games will not run smoothly.
The ToughPad FZ-T1 uses Android 8.1 Oreo and it’s an interesting choice, considering that past devices from Panasonic relied on the Windows Mobile and it made sense since it had a better integration with various software from tech and industry companies. The Android OS is going to feel more comfortable for most users and I suppose this handheld rugged device doesn’t really need any special apps – as with other manufacturers of rugged smartphones, Panasonic doesn’t seem to like to update the OS on its devices.
The FZ-T1 is equipped with an 8-megapixel rear camera (with LED flash and auto-focus) and no, there is no front-facing camera on this smartphone (a bold decision, considering that even in an industrial environment, people may want to make video calls).
The rear camera will take reasonable photos in good lighting and especially outside in a sunny day (although there was a bit of overexposing), but indoors and during the night, the photos were blurry and full of noise. Overall, this is a tablet-level camera and won’t really satisfy if you want to use the phone as a main camera on holidays (not that anyone would want to do that) – it should be fine for scanning QR codes or for photographing schematics or other type of documents.
One of the most important aspects of any smartphone or tablet (rugged or not) is the battery life and truth be told, I was expecting a large battery, something similar to the Toughpad FZ-E1 (6200mAh), but no, the FZ-T1 has a 3,200mAh battery which is both replaceable and hot swappable. Panasonic claims that the battery can last up to 12 hours when scanning barcodes three times per minute (mixed with some light WiFi use and cellular calls). Furthermore, the Toughbook FZ-T1 should take about 2 hours and a half for charging the battery from 0 to 100% (depending on the ambient temperature, it can take more).
Verdict: Why isn’t the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 the first in the list you may ask, since it’s such a great rugged device? Well, because it doesn’t really follow the same guidelines as the usual smartphones (or tablets, for that matter) and, while it’s true that rugged cell phones, in general, are more niche devices, the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 is even more narrow into the targeted audience. To be more specific, this belongs in a warehouse with industrial workers and I highly doubt I’ll ever see an active person running with this mammoth strapped to their arm. That being said, the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 is pretty much the pinnacle of ruggedness, having a screen resistant to shock, the case can handle pretty much everything you throw at it, it has some awesome features (suitable for an industrial environment), but there are some minuses, since software is a bit outdated, the camera is nothing to brag about (and the front-facing one is completely missing), the device is quite thick and the most important negative is the incredibly high price.
