Cat looks to lock down SA fans with hardcore new smartphone

Cat phones have a reputation for near-bulletproof construction and are targeted at a very specific market, says the brand manager, as the company launches its new smartphone in SA.

Bullitt launched the Cat S61 smartphone in SA as the company looks to lock down its core market.

"We invest in understanding our core target audience, what their pain points are and what their mobile device can do to alleviate those pain points," Pete Cunningham, vice president of Product Portfolio for the Bullitt Group, told Fin24.

The smartphone features a range of specialist features ideally suited to a working environment that are not seen on mainstream devices.

"Our customers typically work in construction, agriculture, security and emergency services, and vehicle repair," says Cunningham. For that reason, he argues, they need a phone that is tough enough to withstand their working environment, but also needs a long battery life and "outstanding rugged credentials". The phone must be drop-, water- and dust-proof. It must be usable with gloves on and when wet - "to name but a few," he says.

Hero feature

The hero feature of the Cat S61 is the thermal camera, which can analyse heat information from images, which is useful for rescue workers.

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While the camera is similar to the Cat S60, the main shooter is rated at 16 megapixels - higher than the Samsung Galaxy S9.

The S61 also features an air quality sensor, and will tell the user to exit a room if it detects volatile organic compounds, as well as laser measurement from images stored on the device.

But unlike older Cat smartphones, the S61 features a large, 13.2cm (5.2-inch) display, protected by Gorilla Glass 5, thicker than one would find on mainstream smartphones.

The battery is also a powerful 4 500mAh unit, better than the S60 battery, which was rated at 3 000mAh, though still among the more powerful batteries available on a smartphone.

Given the environment where these phones are expected to operate, the S61 has an aluminium frame that helps it survive a 1.8m fall onto concrete, and it is also waterproof to 3m.

Bullitt Group data suggests that 34% of European consumers broke their smartphones in the last three years. That number increases for high-end devices - to 45% of Apple users and 36% of Samsung users.

But finding a Cat smartphone from major mobile operators is not going to be easy.

Vodacom [JSE:VOD] lists the Cat S30 and 31 on its website - both of which are out of stock. MTN [JSE:MTN] lists the S41 for R699 per month on a Pinnacle contract.

Telkom [JSE:TKG] lists the S60 for R649 on a FreeMe contract with 1GB of data per month.

'Obvious choice'

But Bullitt is not worried if their smartphones are not featured on the front cover of mobile operator catalogues.

"Front cover listings are the domain of mainstream mobile brands that have large market share and marketing budgets. Cat phones appeal to a specific niche market, and as such, our marketing and promotion must be very targeted," said Cunningham.

He said that the company partnered with Cernotech to market their smartphones in SA.

"The key to our ongoing success is to focus on the market segments where Cat devices are an obvious choice and avoid taking on mainstream smartphone brands," Cunningham said.

The Cat S61 is priced at R15 999 direct from the local distributor and mobile operator contract prices have not yet been announced.

Follow @Duncan025

Here are the Cat S61 smartphone vital statistics:

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