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I have been using CAT phones for a few years. They really are tough, work pretty well with gloves, do not care much about water, etc. Can recommend, and the inf
by H8crilA 4y ago
I have been using CAT phones for a few years. They really are tough, work pretty well with gloves, do not care much about water, etc. Can recommend, and the infrared sensors are worth it just for the wow effect alone :). From the downsides - some of the smaller things break faster than you'd like (e.g. laser meter, or rubber covers for the USB port, or the painted/glued layer on the back in one of the older models). These downsides do not invalidate the main purpose(s) of the device. Also the phones rather quickly fall out of the supported Android version range, but this seems to be a common problem with all Android phones.
- 2000UltraDeluxe 4y agoI used to go through two phones per year simply because I'm clumsy. After two years, I'm still on my first CAT. There are definitely downsides, but the durability is something else compared to other phones.
- bo1024 4y ago> Also the phones rather quickly fall out of the supported Android version range This was my first concern. Otherwise seems awesome.
- shp0ngle 4y agoyeah if you care about getting updates, don’t get CAT phone. They stop putting updates very quickly. Much shorter time you get updates than even Samsung, forget Apple.
- slingnow 4y agoI know the #1 reason I buy a phone is to get updates for it. The rest is window dressing.
- shp0ngle 4y agoThen, CAT phones are not for you. They are very durable, yes, but they don’t care about supporting them long term, software-wise.
- slingnow 4y agoSo you're telling me the device I buy will stop nagging / forcing me to install updates to it that changes / breaks the way it functions? Sign me up!
- shp0ngle 4y agoYou seem to be contradicting yourself?
- treve 4y agoI took the original comment as sarcasm.
- legalcorrection 4y agoYou should care about security updates. For most people, their phone has more very private data than even their laptops. And the attack surface on modern phones is absolutely massive.
- corrral 4y agoThis would seriously be a Killer Feature for phones for my parents. Android updates confuse the hell out of them (me, too, when I have to help them out—Google's UI design for their built-in apps is terrible, and they can't help but screw around with it in unhelpful ways every single release) LTS Android (or iOS) with five+ years of security-only updates would be the perfect phone for them.
- ranger_danger 4y agowoosh
- samstave 4y agoThe number #1 reason I buy a phone is TO PREVENT CERTAIN UPDATES. I have been on the iPhone 6S+ since inception. But upgraded to the 7S+ only for the water proofing... Its the only phone I like... but the 6S+ didnt have the facial survellience NSA option. Thus I held onto that for a long time.
- the_third_wave 4y agoTry an Android with LineageOS, it won't suddenly change underneath you unless you tell it to install a new version (full or point release, e.g. 18.1 -> 19). No surveillance, no planned obsolescence, no hassles. The source is there is you want to modify/build your own release. This also makes it possible to extend the life of the device even when LineageOS ceases support.
- CuriousCosmic 4y agohonestly nowadays I might even recommend graphene over lineage provided your device supports it. It's way better about security, privacy, anonymity and all that jazz
- h-w 4y agoGraphene is simultaneously the easiest to install and most robust rom I have ever installed in my years of it. It is a gem.
- bo1024 4y agoI don't need lots of updates, but it bothers me to have security holes, and also when apps you need say they are no longer compatible with your OS.
- kekebo 4y agoOr if you care about unlocking the bootloader / getting root (at least based on the S60). Latter was possible but non-trivial, with a good chance of ending up with a brick. IIRC installing a custom OS to get recent security patches never worked (it was abandoned on Android 6).
- KronisLV 4y ago> Or if you care about unlocking the bootloader / getting root (at least based on the S60). It would be really cool if in the $CURRENT_YEAR we could finally get unlocked bootloaders for all of our phones and actually own the devices. But that's unlikely to ever happen with the way how Android and manufacturers treat the OS, much like how the driver situation is nowhere near where *nix is.
- samstave 4y agoUh, can you just get a cat phone for all the HW -- and manage your own android dist on the phone?
- h-w 4y agoThat is much easier said than done.
- kevincox 4y agoIf you want a long-lasting phone the best thing I am aware of is to go to https://androidenterprisepartners.withgoogle.com/devices/ https://androidenterprisepartners.withgoogle.com/devices/ and you can filter by supported lifetime.
- kennywinker 4y agoI did that, out of curiosity, and I'll summarize what I found in case anybody else is interested: First, it looks like the very best options for long term support is this guy https://androidenterprisepartners.withgoogle.com/device/#!/FABhMZWeIzET1F8PJu5K https://androidenterprisepartners.withgoogle.com/device/#!/F... (Point Mobile PM30) with "Security updates until March 2028". That's 6 years of support, if a little suspicious since it's from a company with a single device on the market. After that it looks like Samsung offers support for their devices until "February 2027", and one other company, Zebra Technologies, offers support until "March 2027". Going to 2026 adds a few more brands (Motorola, Xiaomi, Google Pixel). So the bulk of phones have support for 4 years, there's decent options with 5 years of support, a single device with 6 years, and nothing beyond that. Two data points for contrast: 1. I just bought a 10 year old PC that's still useful, can run the bleeding edge of operating systems, and can be upgraded and repaired easily - I expect it to have another 5 years of useful lifespan ahead of it. 2. The iPhone 6S, released in 2015, is still supported by Apple. That's a 7 year old phone. iOS 13 (released in 2020) dropped support for the iPhone 6/6+ (2014) and 5s (2013) so 6 years and 7 years respectively. A final note: all of this is about software support - none of this is actually about useful lifespan. Two years ago my phone crapped out on me and I used a friend's old iPhone SE (1st generation, 2016) for a couple months - it was trending hard towards a trash can. The battery lasts about 2 years before it needs replacement, the glass screen breaks easily and aftermarket replacements have touch input issues, and running the latest iOS on it had things moving slower than LA traffic. My hope is that phones hit / have already hit the end of easy performance advancement, and a focus on longevity might start to take over. But I don't think that's likely. There is pressure from things like large institutional buyers to make generic PCs last long and be endlessly repairable - it's not really clear that pressure exists or CAN exist under capitalism, for phones.
- 4y ago
- djur 4y agoCan they be flipped open one-handed easily?
- ranger_danger 4y agoNope, I have this phone and it's quite bulky (about 3 Note8's worth of thickness) and requires two hands to open.
- Animats 4y agoI've had several CAT phones. I have two S41 phones right now. Their biggest weakness is the little rubber covers over the ports. Those are the first to go. They need a better solution to that problem. Wireless charging, at least. Also, I've had two of them bulge from battery expansion, just from leaving them plugged into power most of the time. Battery repair has several week turnaround, which is why I ended up with two of them, one back from repair, unused in its box. Plus, putting silver in the case rubber to "avoid infection" is just silly.
- aqfamnzc 4y agoI have an S41 missing its USB cover too, and have always wondered if it's still splash or water proof without it. I did find a picture of a replacement port online, and it looks like that part has a rubber seal which seems promising.
- samstave 4y agoHas anyone tested a 'submersible phone' (whatever water-proofing level that may be... and wireless charging whilst submerged?
- deleted 4y ago[deleted]
- 867-5309 4y agoLinus Tech Tips challenge accepted
- samstave 4y agoA good litmus may be: get a phone to a certain level of depletion of batt Get (2) phones' batts to same level. Place each on a charged, but one submerged, one not. Time to 100% ==?? Measure this multiple times/multiple device types Build a table of "underwater charging rating of xFactor..."
- hulitu 4y ago
- Zondartul 4y agoAs a fellow CAT S41 user, I can confirm that the phone is basically invulnerable to dropping, although one of the rubber pads did break off after a couple years of opening and closing it. My compass doesn't work, probably due to exposure to strong magnets. Gps and cellular internet still work perfectly, I can browse modern websites and watch youtube without much trouble. The battery lasts forever. The camera is kinda meh and I regret not getting the variant with a FLIR camera. If they can make the flip-phone variant hardy enough to play football with I'll definitely buy it. But chances are, my S41 will still be working by then ;)
- samstave 4y ago>Play football with... Basically any phone can work as you play football - because your hands are free to browse the web.
- digitalsin 4y agoPersonally I've gotten good enough spirals with a Samsung phone that I feel confident during neighborhood pickup games.
- hoistbypetard 4y agoWith my Galaxy, I can get a pretty good spiral when I throw it down field, but haven't had any luck so far when I punt it. I suppose I need more practice.
- mdp2021 4y ago> hardy enough They have a page about the ruggedness of their products - "built rugged, perfect for construction sites, farms or extreme, outdoor environments"; "Made to military specification (MIL-SPEC 810H) - Drop-proof, dust proof and shockproof"; "[drop] tested onto concrete from up to 1.8m (6ft)"; "waterproof" with Ingress Protection level 8 or 9. https://www.catphones.com/en-us/features/rugged-and-tough/ https://www.catphones.com/en-us/features/rugged-and-tough/
- andai 4y ago>infrared sensors Thermal imaging! How cool is that! https://www.catphones.com/en-gb/features/integrated-thermal-imaging/ https://www.catphones.com/en-gb/features/integrated-thermal-...
- unwind 4y agoOr how hot!
- kipchak 4y agoThere are a couple companies (Seek, FLIR) that make attachments for iOS/Android also, though having it integrated is definitely nicer.
- ChikkaChiChi 4y agoI purchased one a few years back. The lack of range and incredibly low frame rate make it virtually useless for anything more than a few feet away. I think it's meant mostly to upsell to the more expensive handhelds. Frankly, I'm shocked we haven't seen an alternative in this segment
- flir 4y agoThe frame rate is a US government limitation. Turns out they get huffy if you start selling high-frame-rate (defined as >9fps?) LWIR cameras.
- aidenn0 4y agoIs that because it would ease creating all aspect heat seeking weapons?
- H8crilA 4y agoYes, and particularly because some of the, hmm, "good" players out there still haven't developed domestic capabilities. I'm talking about Russia. This is the kind of stuff that should've been completely sanctioned for decades. It's just completely fucked up to find western IR sensors in guided ammunition used against civilians in Ukraine. EDIT: details: https://infraredcameras.com/thermal-camera-export-restrictions https://infraredcameras.com/thermal-camera-export-restrictio...