HUNTINGTON, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Cat phones today announced that the Cat® S40 rugged smartphone, a tough, durable Android device that delivers on both performance and design, is now available in the United States. Developed to appeal to the growing rugged smartphone market, which saw over 10 million units sold globally in 2014, the S40 is supported by most major U.S. GSM Open Carriers, for example T-Mobile and AT&T Wireless.
“As our dependence on smartphones grows for everything from exchanging information with colleagues to hailing cabs, they take a serious beating,” said Oliver Schulte, chief executive officer of Bullitt Mobile. “Too many people – from the average consumer to the 85 million people working in construction globally – are left out-of-pocket due to damaged smartphones. With the refined, rugged design of the S40 we are able to offer a device that looks sleek, runs the latest version of Android and provides the levels of protection needed by those who work outdoors and in challenging environments.”
In a recent Cat phones sponsored-survey of smartphone users, 80 percent of respondents admitted they damaged a handset in the last five years. Half of the participants had cracked or shattered the display, and just less than half had damaged a phone by accidentally dropping or immersing it in water. About one third of users had components, covers or other parts of their devices break off, typically when dropped.*
Separately, focus groups with professional tradesmen and outdoor workers emphasized that damaging handsets in demanding work environments is a common problem. More than half of those surveyed cracked or broke their phone screen. The perceived lack of attractive, rugged alternatives was a key reason for the use of unsuitable devices.**
Stand-out features of the S40 include:
- Drop tested up to 5.9 feet onto concrete
- Powered by a quad-core 1.1GHz Snapdragon 210 processor and 1GB of RAM
- Runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop
- IP68 and exceeds Mil-Spec 810G – Water, Dust and Shock Proof
- Super Bright Display capable of being read in direct sunlight
- Large Capacity Battery
- Corning® Gorilla® Glass 4
- Glove-On Working Technology
- Wet-Finger Tracking Technology
- Waterproof warning sensors lets user know when the phone isn’t waterproof (and shows animation of how to correct this)
- Dedicated app store featuring the latest apps relevant to outdoor working and lifestyles (as well as full access to Google Play)
- Own range of Cat branded rugged accessories
Pricing & Availability
The device will retail at $399.00 and will be available through Quality One Wireless and catphones.com.
For images visit: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/hyuuxqlzcvtk4bh/AADXdOCOa3gr_wQCcDIItVRCa?dl=0
For more information please go to www.catphones.com.
*Source: Cat Phones ‘Rugged Research’ survey, Q1 2015
**Source:
Focus groups organised and run by Bullitt Group, Q4 2014
About Cat devices and accessories:
The Cat brand stands for trust, durability, reliability and quality. The Cat DNA is found in every Cat mobile phone and accessory offered by Bullitt Mobile Ltd. and provides boundless experience with robust mobility. A new product was created for wireless communication that meets the great variety of needs of a demanding life.
To find out more about what Cat phones and accessories are made of visit www.catphones.com.
About Bullitt Group
Founded in 2009 by Colin Batt, David Floyd and Richard Wharton, Bullitt designs, manufactures, markets and sells consumer electronic devices in partnership with global brands. It is the worldwide licensee of Caterpillar Inc. for ‘rugged’ mobile devices and accessories and Ministry of Sound and Ted Baker for audio products. Based in Reading, Bullitt’s products are sold in more than 60 countries and the Company has a presence in key markets across the globe including Taiwan, Taipei, the UK and the USA.
In July 2015 Bullitt Group was named as one of the UKs fastest growing companies, ranked 7th in The Sunday Times HSBC International Track 200.
