Cat S60 is world's first thermal-imaging smartphone
Ideal for building pros, DIY enthusiasts and anyone who wants to take thermies.
We've seen a number of manufacturers enhance the ruggedness of their smartphones at MWC 2016, but the folks at Cat are doing much more than adding a bit of water resistance.
The firm's new flagship S60 is described as the world's most waterproof smartphone, as well as the first to feature a built-in thermal camera. Powered by an FLIR sensor, the S60's thermal imaging tech can measure surface temperatures at a distance of up to 100 feet and won't be deterred by smoke or mist.
Why would you need such functionality? Well, Cat reckons the S60 is ideal for "building professionals, utility workers, outdoor sports enthusiasts, and emergency first responders to name but a few."
The Android Marshmallow-powered device is waterproof at depths of up to five meters for an hour, it's also dustproof and though we've yet to test these claims, we're told it can withstand being dropped onto concrete from a height of up to 1.8 metres.
Ideal for road warriors? Perhaps, but availability is only tentatively scheduled for "later this year" and at $599 the Cat S60 won't be particularly cheap. Check out the above video walkthrough before you pore through the specification below, and let us know, what would you do with a phone that carries a thermal sensor?
Cat S60 key features:
- Strengthened Die Cast Frame
- Drop proof to 1.8m, MIL Spec 810G
- Super bright display (typical 540 nits), Gorilla Glass 4
- 4.7in HD capacitive multi-touch with auto wet finger & glove support
- Optimised battery performance (3800mAh)
- High quality audio experience (>105dB)
- Underwater 13MP main camera with dual flash, 5MP front-facing camera
- 4G LTE
- Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor
- 32GB ROM, 3GB RAM
- Google Android Marshmallow
- Dedicated FLIR thermal camera app with MSX technology; still image, panorama, and video capture; changeable heat palettes; temperature spot meter; and min, max, and average temperature data