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MagyarCaterpillar CAT S75 review - Outdoor smartphone with satellite communication and underwater camera
The Cat S75, which is available at an MSRP of 599 Euros, is the most reliable Cat smartphone ever, according to the manufacturer. The outdoor phone's casing is certified according to IP68 as well as IP69K standards and also withstands extreme temperatures, humidity, and vibrations.
The Cat S75 has a 6.6-inch, 120 Hz IPS display and a triple camera setup with underwater mode. The rugged phone is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 930, which has 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of flash storage. The special feature of the latest Cat offspring is the Bullitt Satellite Connect function, which enables communication with geostationary satellites.
Possible competitors in comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 79.7 % | 05/2023 | CAT S75 Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256 | 268 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.58" | 2408x1080 | |
| 78.3 % | 04/2023 | CAT S53 SD 480, Adreno 619 | 320 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50" | 1600x720 | |
| 82.6 % | 12/2022 | Gigaset GX6 Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4 | 278 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.60" | 2412x1080 | |
| 81.9 % | 08/2022 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L | 235 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.60" | 2408x1080 |
Case - Outdoor smartphone with notch
The focus of the Cat S75, which is drop-proof up to 1.8 meters, is on high stability and resistance, but the display-to-surface ratio suffers at only 76.7%. The rugged smartphone from Caterpillar is certified according to IP-68/69K and the MIL-STD-810H - you can read about the military standard and its drawbacks here.
The workmanship of the Cat S75 is on a good level, but the outdoor phone does not really feel high-quality. However, according to the manufacturer, the plastic casing can be cleaned with scrub brushes and disinfecting wipes and also contains antimicrobial silver ions. The IP69K certification even protects the Cat S75 from hot water during high-pressure cleaning from a short distance.
Equipment - CAT S75 with satellite telephone
The outdoor phone's features include Miracast, a status LED, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. Peripheral devices can also be connected via the USB-C port using an OTG adapter. The USB interface uses the slow 2.0 standard for data transfer.
The Cat S75 is only available in a version with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of internal UFS storage. Those who need more storage can resort to expansion via microSD cards.
microSD card reader
The integrated microSD slot supports the current SDHC and SDXC standards, but the memory can only be increased by 128 GB. The outdoor phone's performance in the Cross Platform Disk Test is quite convincing in combination with our reference card Angelbird AV PRO V60. However, the Cat S75 is slow with a copy speed of less than 20 MB/s.
| SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| CAT S53 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Gigaset GX6 (Angelbird V60) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Angelbird V60) | |
| CAT S75 (Angelbird V60) | |
Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)
Software - Outdoor smartphone with Android 12
The Cat smartphone is shipped with Google's operating system Android 12. The manufacturer advertises five years of update support for its rugged phone, but only two major Android updates are planned. Accordingly, the supply will end with the next Android generation 14.
Security updates are available for three years, but only critical security gaps will be fixed for another two years. At the time of the test, the Cat S75 had outdated security patches from February 2023.
Communications and GNSS - CAT S75 with 5G
The rugged phone from Caterpillar enables satellite communication (NTN) via Bullitt Satellite Messenger in addition to the obligatory 4G and 5G support of a premium phone. This satellite service, but without text messaging, can be used for free for twelve months after purchasing the Cat smartphone. After that, a subscription has to be taken out, which costs up to 60 Euros per month.
Instead of relying on a proprietary satellite network, as with an Apple iPhone 14 Pro, the Cat S75 communicates via conventional 3GPP NTN signals thanks to a MediaTek chip, so satellites from different providers can be used depending on which satellite enables the best connection quality. Thus, users should always be able to send and receive text messages and make emergency calls, even when no mobile network is available.
The outdoor phone only offers Wi-Fi 5 within the home Wi-Fi network, which is only sufficient for average transfer rates of less than 400 Mbps in combination with our reference router Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34.8 - 1875, n=158, last 2 years) | |
| CAT S53 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (40.5 - 1810, n=159, last 2 years) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Smartphone (229 - 1894, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Smartphone (598 - 1840, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
The Cat S75 uses the satellite networks GPS, BeiDou, Galileo, and Glonass in dual-band as well as SBAS for positioning. The phone offers good accuracy outdoors. We also check the positioning accuracy on a bike tour and compare the results with Garmin's Venu 2 smartwatch. The Cat S75's route is very close to that of the reference device.
Telephony and Voice Quality - Rugged Phone with Dual-SIM
The call quality with the Cat S75 via the mobile network, including VoLTE and Wi-Fi calling, is good and the built-in microphone transmits voices loudly and clearly. Video calls via the installed front-facing camera also worked without problems in the test. The outdoor phone supports dual SIM, but one card slot is occupied when using the satellite service.
Camera - CAT S75 with 50 MP
The rear-facing main camera has an open aperture of f/1.8. The 50 MP image sensor offers solid photo quality, at least in bright light conditions. However, both the sharpness and the image details are not really convincing considering the price range. The rear-facing camera unit also only cuts a moderately good figure in low-light conditions. The blurriness increases visibly with less light - the same applies to the low-resolution ultra-wide-angle lens in daylight.
However, the highlight of the Cat S75 is that the dual-camera unit is waterproof and can even withstand water pressure at a depth of up to five meters without damage, according to the manufacturer. The outdoor phone also has the appropriate underwater mode on board.
Image Comparison
Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.
Main cameraMain cameraLow LightWide-angle
Accessories and warranty - Outdoor cell phone without power adapter
Our Cat S75 comes with neither a charger nor a car adapter in the scope of delivery. Furthermore, there is no protective film on the display ex-works. The box only contains a USB cable and information material.
The manufacturer grants a 24-month warranty on its smartphone which is valid worldwide where the CAT service is available. A customer and help service in case of emergency (Crisis Response Center) is also available 365 days a year in over 200 languages via the Bullitt Satellite Messenger.
Input & operation - Rugged phone with fingerprint sensor
The Cat S75 offers two programmable keys that can be used for push-to-talk and emergency calls. The outdoor phone has a capacitive touchscreen with convincing gliding properties. There is also nothing to complain about in terms of precision, so our inputs with the fingers are accurately implemented.
The fingerprint sensor integrated on the back unlocks the rugged phone reliably. The period until the display turns on from standby mode is also short enough. The FaceUnlock function via the front-facing camera (2D) is also offered and recognizes the user quite quickly in good lighting conditions.
Display - Outdoor phone with IPS
The Cat S75 is equipped with a 6.58-inch IPS display that has an unusual resolution of 2,408 x 1080 pixels. The achieved pixel density is slightly above the 400 ppi mark. The Cat smartphone does not use pulse width modulation (PWM) for brightness control.
The rugged smartphone can only convince to a limited extent in terms of luminance. We measured a maximum of 580 cd/m² on a pure white background - a good rate in view of the competition, but still quite low for a phone designed for outdoor use. Even inexpensive mid-range phones with AMOLED screens, such as a Redmi Note 12, shine much brighter. In the more realistic APL18 measurement with dark areas, it is almost identical at 602 cd/m².
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 566 cd/m²
Contrast: 1204:1 (Black: 0.47 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.02 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 4.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
95.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.248
| CAT S75 IPS LCD, 2408x1080, 6.58 | CAT S53 IPS, 1600x720, 6.50 | Gigaset GX6 IPS, 2412x1080, 6.60 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro PLS, 2408x1080, 6.60 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 4G AMOLED, 2400x1080, 6.67 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -0% | 18% | -30% | 43% | |
| Brightness middle | 566 | 476 -16% | 505 -11% | 510 -10% | 650 15% |
| Brightness | 529 | 504 -5% | 491 -7% | 495 -6% | 658 24% |
| Brightness Distribution | 83 | 82 -1% | 93 12% | 92 11% | 97 17% |
| Black Level * | 0.47 | 0.6 -28% | 0.3 36% | 0.46 2% | |
| Contrast | 1204 | 793 -34% | 1683 40% | 1109 -8% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.02 | 3.18 37% | 4.32 14% | 7.41 -48% | 1.55 69% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.6 | 5.86 39% | 7.22 25% | 13.26 -38% | 2.59 73% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 4.4 | 4.2 5% | 3 32% | 10.6 -141% | 1.8 59% |
| Gamma | 2.248 98% | 2.268 97% | 2.268 97% | 2.518 87% | 2.194 100% |
| CCT | 7173 91% | 7234 90% | 7098 92% | 10050 65% | 6316 103% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19046 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
The IPS panel of the Cat S75 achieves a solid black value of 0.47 cd/m² in our display measurements. The contrast ratio of over 1000:1 is still satisfactory.
The display analysis is performed with the help of a photospectrometer and the Calman software. The deviations in the color (5.0) and grayscale (4.4) reproduction are to be rated as high and differences to the reference colors are clearly visible.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 15.5 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 5.5 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 28 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 36.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 17.9 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 18.9 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 43 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
The outdoor phone leaves a solid impression outdoors, but display content is hardly visible in direct sunlight. The colors of the IPS panel are stable at flat viewing angles, but the display looks a bit faded.
Performance - CAT S75 with Mediatek SoC
Inside the Cat S75 works a MediaTek Dimensity 930, including an Imagination IMG BXM-8-256 as the graphics unit. The system speed is sufficient in everyday use, but small lags are still there.
The performance of the Dimensity 930 is below that of a Snapdragon 778G in the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro, especially in the multi-score of Geekbench, where the MediaTek SoC scores weakly for this price range. The same applies to the graphics unit released in 2014. The IMG BXM-8-256 cannot even begin to keep up with a mid-range GPU from Qualcomm - an Adreno 642L delivers almost twice as high rates as the Cat S75 in GFXBench.
| Geekbench 5.4 | |
| Single-Core | |
| Average of class Smartphone (119 - 1885, n=241, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (641 - 698, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Multi-Core | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (473 - 5538, n=241, last 2 years) | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1787 - 1909, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Geekbench 6 | |
| Single-Core | |
| Average of class Smartphone (188 - 2531, n=40, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (832 - 916, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Smartphone (512 - 6460, n=40, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1998 - 2306, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Antutu v9 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (111952 - 1322448, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (394141 - 430895, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| PCMark for Android - Work 3.0 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (11787 - 28378, n=2) | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4780 - 28378, n=228, last 2 years) | |
| CrossMark - Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (226 - 1356, n=127, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (606 - 612, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| BaseMark OS II | |
| Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (411 - 9585, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (3527 - 3771, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| System | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2565 - 19657, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (6635 - 6979, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Memory | |
| Average of class Smartphone (670 - 11617, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (4352 - 4955, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Graphics | |
| Average of class Smartphone (697 - 30125, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (4011 - 4298, n=2) | |
| Web | |
| Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2392, n=162, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1276 - 1457, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| UL Procyon AI Inference - Overall Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (207 - 84787, n=111, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (5039 - 5507, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| AImark - Score v3.x | |
| Average of class Smartphone (365 - 103259, n=41, last 2 years) | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (877 - 953, n=2) | |
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7: T-Rex Onscreen | 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen
GFXBench 3.0: on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen
GFXBench 3.1: on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen
GFXBench: on screen Car Chase Onscreen | 1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | 2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | 1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | 3840x2160 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| CAT S53 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | |
| Gigaset GX6 | |
| CAT S53 | |
| CAT S75 | |
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=164, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Chrome 104) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (64.7 - 77.1, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 (Chrome 114) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.3 - 375, n=153, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Chome 104) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (44.1 - 58.4, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 (Chrome 114) | |
| WebXPRT 4 - Overall Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (25 - 202, n=85, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (69 - 86, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Chrome 104) | |
| CAT S75 (Chrome 114) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34 - 292, n=144, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Chrome 104) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (93 - 110, n=2) | |
| CAT S75 (Chromee 114) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Chrome 104) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (20342 - 26766, n=2) | |
| Gigaset GX6 (Chrome 107) | |
| CAT S75 (Chrome 114) | |
| CAT S53 (Chrome 112) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| CAT S75 (Chrome 114) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=167, last 2 years) | |
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1466 - 1986, n=2) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro (Chrome 104) | |
* ... smaller is better
| CAT S75 | CAT S53 | Gigaset GX6 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro | Average 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -50% | -37% | -24% | -28% | -2% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 991.21 | 510.9 -48% | 953.5 -4% | 841.6 -15% | 722 ? -27% | 1183 ? 19% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 878.23 | 208.2 -76% | 454.7 -48% | 484.7 -45% | 514 ? -41% | 743 ? -15% |
| Random Read 4KB | 221.56 | 140.7 -36% | 194.9 -12% | 170.6 -23% | 182.7 ? -18% | 208 ? -6% |
| Random Write 4KB | 233.91 | 141.4 -40% | 39.9 -83% | 204.2 -13% | 177.1 ? -24% | 217 ? -7% |
Games - Cat S75 manages 120 fps
We check the Cat S75's graphics performance using the GameBench app and three Android games from the Play Store. Our first test game, PUBG Mobile, can only be played at medium details (HD) - a UHD setting is not selectable. The shooter is rendered at 30 fps, and 40 fps is possible in the lowest detail settings.
Less demanding games, like Dead Trigger 2, run close to the native frame rate at 120 fps. However, the arena shooter Armajet reveals larger fluctuations and severe frame rate drops below 30 fps.
Emissions - Outdoor phone stays cool
Temperature
The case of the Cat S75 barely warms up in our Stability Test scenario - we only measure 37.2 °C at the back in the peak. The stress tests of 3DMark are not supported by the MediaTek SoC so we cannot provide them for the outdoor phone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 37.2 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 21.7 °C / 71 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The rugged phone from Caterpillar relies on two speakers with a solid volume of over 85 dB. Our measurements show a fairly linear frequency response for the Cat S75's mids and highs. However, lows are not present in the sound picture. A wired or wireless headphone solution via USB-C port and Bluetooth 5.1 is also available.
CAT S75 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.6% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 23% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 49% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 43% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Gigaset GX6 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 40% of all tested devices in this class were better, 11% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 62% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery life - Cat S75 with wireless charging
Power consumption
The Cat S75's battery holds 5,000 mAh and can optionally be charged via USB-C or wirelessly - both with up to 15 watts. The power consumption is inconspicuous for the outdoor phone.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.2 Watt |
| Idle |  1.1 / 1.5 / 1.9 Watt |
| Load |
3.2 / 5.2 Watt |
    
| |
| CAT S75 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro 4050 mAh | Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -15% | -7% | -8% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 1.1 | 0.9 18% | 0.9 ? 18% | 0.883 ? 20% |
| Idle Average * | 1.5 | 1.4 7% | 1.35 ? 10% | 1.487 ? 1% |
| Idle Maximum * | 1.9 | 1.8 5% | 1.85 ? 3% | 1.701 ? 10% |
| Load Average * | 3.2 | 4.7 -47% | 4 ? -25% | 4.26 ? -33% |
| Load Maximum * | 5.2 | 8.1 -56% | 7.45 ? -43% | 7.1 ? -37% |
* ... smaller is better
Power consumption: Geekbench (150 cd/m²)
Power consumption: GFXBench (150 cd/m²)
Battery life
In our WLAN test with an adjusted display brightness of 150 cd/m2, the Cat S75 lasted about 15 hours, which should get even heavy users through the day without problems during outdoor use.
| CAT S75 5000 mAh | CAT S53 5500 mAh | Gigaset GX6 5000 mAh | Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro 4050 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | ||||
| WiFi v1.3 | 896 | 1135 27% | 1002 12% | 768 -14% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Cat S75 is a robust smartphone that stands out from the competition with its satellite communication support. The possibility to use a satellite service via the installed MediaTek chip using the open 3GPP-NTN standard is priced at just under 600 Euros (~$600), but the paid monthly subscription is required for the full range of features.
However, those interested in the outdoor phone from Caterpillar should be aware that this feature and the high level of durability must enjoy a high personal priority because in many areas the Cat S75 operates on the technical level of a cheap mid-range cell phone (the display and the optics are even worse).
For those who move away from civilization, a Cat S75 is an interesting piece of technology despite its hardware shortcomings.
If you are looking for a robust cell phone for the construction site or a trip to the wilderness but are not interested in satellite support, you will find a good solution with the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro or Gigaset GX6 - durable alternatives with a somewhat more modern design and exchangeable battery.
Price and availability
CAT S75
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05/11/2023 v7
Marcus Herbrich
Transparency
The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.
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