The CAT S62 Pro is the latest flagship model from the Bullitt Group, the global licensee for CAT phones. The CAT S62 Pro is the third generation of the CAT 60 series and includes the latest in Thermal by FLIR technology to make thermal cameras even more accessible for professionals.
There are plenty of improvements from the previous CAT S61 model's thermal camera, including 4x more thermal pixels, a 30% improvement in image sharpness and the highest resolution FLIR Lepton sensor. There are also some exciting updates to the rugged aspects of the CAT S62 Pro, with the phone achieving Military Spec 810H and an IP68 and IP69 rating (IP69 means that the phone can withstand a high pressure water jet!).
Outside of the thermal camera and rugged specifications, the CAT S62 Pro might struggle to compete against some of the other best camera phones, such as the recently released Samsung Galaxy Note 20 Ultra 5G, as the S62 Pro only has a 4G-capable Snapdragon 660 chipset and a single 12MP rear camera. However, this isn't necessarily a phone for the average consumer.
Instead, the CAT S62 Pro's target customer is a professional who works in a variety of fields, including agriculture, emergency services, construction and utilities. The incredible rugged capabilities and one of the best thermal-imaging cameras could make this a potential game-changer for professionals.
Build and handling
If you didn't know that the CAT S62 Pro was meant to be a rugged and durable phone, you would definitely realize it as soon as you held it in your hand. The S62 pro feels pleasantly weighty (without being too heavy) with a hard-wearing, non-slip rubberized TPU back and a Corning Gorilla Glass 6 screen.
In 2020 hygiene has never been so important, but luckily the CAT S62 Pro is suitably prepared. Smartphones have long been known as expensive petri dishes. However, the CAT S62 Pro is not only capable of being washed with soap and water, but users can also wipe it down with bleach wipes without fear of degrading the screen or body.
In terms of the phone body itself, the CAT S62 Pro is 158.5 x 76.7 x 11.9mm and weighs 248g. On the right hand side of the phone there are three buttons – the power button at the top and then the volume buttons slightly further down. On the left hand side of the phone there is an opening for a SIM card and a microSD card.
There's also a programmable key that you can use to answer/ hang up calls, turn on the flashlight, open a particular app and more. You can actually program two functions into the button using either a double tap or a long press. Each of the buttons are large and easy to use when wearing gloves.
Camera performance
The unique selling point of the CAT S62 Pro is definitely the thermal camera capabilities, offering an integrated FLIR Thermal Lepton 3.5 sensor, which is the highest resolution FLIR Lepton sensor. The CAT S62 Pro offers 4x more thermal pixels than the CAT S61 and a 30% improvement in image sharpness. In addition, the Lepton 3.5 + MyFLIR Pro software is exclusive to the CAT S62 Pro for 12 months, which means you won't be able to find this technology anywhere else for a year.
If you're also planning on using the S62 Pro as an ordinary everyday camera phone, the camera specs are fairly respectable, if nothing to shout home about. On the back of the phone there is a 12MP dual sensor f/1.8 camera and on the front there is an 8MP camera. As mentioned earlier, these specs wouldn't pit the S62 Pro against the best camera phone – but they're not designed to.
The thermal camera itself is pretty easy to use, although the screen can lag slightly as you move the camera around the scene. However, it's obvious that Bullitt group, the licensee of the CAT brand, has put plenty of thought into how to make the thermal camera capabilities as useful as possible. One of our favorite features of the thermal camera is that you can merge the thermal imaging with an ordinary view of the scene. This means that you'll be able to easily identify where exactly the heat was when looking at the image later.
There are also various different features such as 'High temperature mode', which means you can open the camera range up to 400ºC (this is slightly less accurate at lower temperatures, which is why this isn't on as standard). You can also set a custom temperature range (anything that falls between -20ºC and +400ºC) and add an alarm to alert you when something falls within that range.
Check out some sample images from the CAT S62 Pro in the gallery below…
Verdict
The CAT S62 Pro is not a phone for everyone. With an average chipset and a lack of 5G, it's not a smartphone that general consumers will necessarily be clamoring to buy. However, for the users who have specific needs for ruggedness and/ or thermal camera capabilities, the CAT S62 Pro is a great fit.
We were particularly impressed with the thermal camera advancements CAT S62 Pro has made on its predecessor, with plenty of thoughtful additions to its capabilities that will please professional users. We were also happy that, despite its impressive rugged specs, the profile of the CAT S62 Pro was fairly slim and light (although don't expect it to feel like an iPhone 11!).
Overall, if you're looking for a great rugged phone, or one of the best thermal-imaging cameras, then you might want to give the CAT S62 Pro some serious consideration.
Read more
Best camera phones you can buy today
Best budget camera phone
Best burner phones
Best phablet
Best iPhone for photography?
Mobile photography tips
