Modernity meets past times. The Cat S75 is a true rugged outdoor phone with high IP certification and military protection standards. Howe...
Modernity meets past times. The Cat S75 is a true rugged outdoor phone with high IP certification and military protection standards. However, the highlight of the Cat smartphone is the communication with geostationary satellites, which is supposed to offer advantages over Apple’s satellite emergency call.
Marcus Herbrich, 👁 Florian Schmitt, ✓ Anton Avdyushkin (translated by DeepL / Ninh Duy), Published 🇩🇪
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.
Display
6.58 inch 20:9, 2408 x 1080 pixel 401 PPI, capacitive Touchscreen, IPS LCD, gorilla glass Victus, HDR, 120 Hz
Storage
128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash, 128 GB
, 93 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, USB-C Power Delivery (PD), Audio Connections: USB-C, Card Reader: microSD slot (up to 128GB), 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: acceleration sensor, gyroscope, proximity sensor, compass,, FM radio, miracast, OTG
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5.1, Sattelite: 23/255/256; 5G: N1/N2/N3/N5/N7/N8/N20/N28/N38/N40/ N41/N75/N77/N78; 4G: 1/2/3/4/5/7/8/20/28/32/38/39/40/41; 3G: 1/2/4/5/8; 2G: 2/3/5/8, Dual SIM, LTE, 5G, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 11.9 x 171 x 80 ( = 0.47 x 6.73 x 3.15 in)
Battery
5000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Charging
wireless charging, fast charging / Quickcharge
Operating System
Android 12
Camera
Primary Camera: 50 MPix (f/1.8, Videos @1080p/30fps) + 8 MP (f/2.2, wide angle lens) + 2 MP (f/2.4, macro lens)
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix (f/2.0)
Additional features
Speakers: Stereo, charger, USB cable, car adapter, info material, Cat UI, 24 Months Warranty, widevine L1, fanless, ruggedized, waterproof
Weight
268 g ( = 9.45 oz / 0.59 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.
|
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″ | 2408×1080 | |
| 78.3 % |
04/2023 |
CAT S53 SD 480, Adreno 619 |
320 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.50″ | 1600×720 | |
| 82.6 % |
12/2022 |
Gigaset GX6 Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4 |
278 g | 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash | 6.60″ | 2412×1080 | |
| 81.9 % |
08/2022 |
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro SD 778G 5G, Adreno 642L |
235 g | 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash | 6.60″ | 2408×1080 |
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.
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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.
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 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash (Angelbird V60) |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash (Angelbird V60) |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash (Angelbird V60) |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash (Angelbird V60) |
|
CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø36.6 (23.7-44.1)
Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB: Ø41.8 (28.1-52.6)
CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø76.9 (53.3-85.6)
Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB: Ø73.5 (53.1-77.5)
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.
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=156, last 2 years) |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 | |
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Average of class Smartphone (40.5 – 1810, n=157, last 2 years) |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Smartphone (229 – 1894, n=29, last 2 years) |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz | |
| Average of class Smartphone (598 – 1840, n=29, last 2 years) |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Qualcomm Adreno 642L; iperf3 transmit AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø944 (866-952)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Qualcomm Adreno 642L; iperf3 receive AXE11000 6GHz; iperf 3.1.3: Ø910 (677-949)
CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø345 (331-351)
CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø372 (353-388)
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.
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.
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
click to load images
8.6 ∆E
10.1 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
8 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
7.1 ∆E
10.8 ∆E
6.1 ∆E
2.1 ∆E
5.8 ∆E
6 ∆E
7 ∆E
8.4 ∆E
2.9 ∆E
2.7 ∆E
3.2 ∆E
6.5 ∆E
4.3 ∆E
6.4 ∆E
6.9 ∆E
2 ∆E
5.1 ∆E
7 ∆E
29.6 ∆E
51.1 ∆E
39.8 ∆E
32.9 ∆E
45.8 ∆E
58.1 ∆E
49.4 ∆E
36.5 ∆E
42.8 ∆E
29.7 ∆E
61.2 ∆E
60.7 ∆E
32.7 ∆E
44.7 ∆E
37.5 ∆E
71.9 ∆E
45.1 ∆E
41.6 ∆E
72.2 ∆E
67.7 ∆E
50.2 ∆E
36.4 ∆E
24 ∆E
13.8 ∆E
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.
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.
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.
| 480 cd/m² |
508 cd/m² |
526 cd/m² |
||
| 511 cd/m² |
566 cd/m² |
531 cd/m² |
||
| 525 cd/m² |
580 cd/m² |
536 cd/m² |
||
Distribution of brightness
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 580 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 529.2 cd/m² Minimum: 10.2 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, 2408×1080, 6.58 |
CAT S53 IPS, 1600×720, 6.50 |
Gigaset GX6 IPS, 2412×1080, 6.60 |
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro PLS, 2408×1080, 6.60 |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 12 4G AMOLED, 2400×1080, 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)
ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession – a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
| 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 18911 (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
ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast 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 0.4 (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 (22.4 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 (35.3 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.
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=244, last 2 years) |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| Gigaset GX6 MediaTek Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4, 6144 |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (641 – 698, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| CAT S53 Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Adreno 619, 6144 |
|
| Multi-Core | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| Average of class Smartphone (472 – 5538, n=244, last 2 years) |
|
| Gigaset GX6 MediaTek Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4, 6144 |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1787 – 1909, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| CAT S53 Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Adreno 619, 6144 |
|
| Geekbench 6 | |
| Single-Core | |
| Average of class Smartphone (188 – 2531, n=34, last 2 years) |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (832 – 916, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| CAT S53 Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Adreno 619, 6144 |
|
| Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Smartphone (512 – 6460, n=34, last 2 years) |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1998 – 2306, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| CAT S53 Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 5G, Adreno 619, 6144 |
|
| PCMark for Android – Work 3.0 | |
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (11787 – 28378, n=2) |
|
| Gigaset GX6 MediaTek Dimensity 900, Mali-G68 MP4, 6144 |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| Average of class Smartphone (4436 – 28378, n=231, last 2 years) |
|
| BaseMark OS II | |
| Overall | |
| Average of class Smartphone (411 – 9585, n=164, last 2 years) |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (3527 – 3771, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| System | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| Average of class Smartphone (2083 – 19657, n=164, last 2 years) |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (6635 – 6979, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| Memory | |
| Average of class Smartphone (670 – 11617, n=164, last 2 years) |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (4352 – 4955, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| Graphics | |
| Average of class Smartphone (697 – 29649, n=164, last 2 years) |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (4011 – 4298, n=2) |
|
| Web | |
| Average of class Smartphone (10 – 2392, n=164, last 2 years) |
|
| Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 (1276 – 1457, n=2) |
|
| CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930, IMG BXM-8-256, 6144 |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G, Adreno 642L, 6144 |
|
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Physics | |
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited Graphics | |
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| 3DMark / Sling Shot Extreme (Vulkan) Unlimited | |
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 / T-Rex Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench 3.0 / Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench 3.0 / 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench 3.1 / Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench / Car Chase Onscreen | |
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench / Car Chase Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen | |
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| GFXBench / Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| GFXBench / 4K Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Adreno 642L, SD 778G 5G, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| Gigaset GX6 Mali-G68 MP4, Dimensity 900, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash |
|
| CAT S53 Adreno 619, SD 480, 128 GB eMMC Flash |
|
| CAT S75 IMG BXM-8-256, Dimensity 930, 128 GB UFS 2.2 Flash |
|
| 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% |
-27% |
-5% |
|
| Sequential Read 256KB |
991.21 |
510.9 -48% |
953.5 -4% |
841.6 -15% |
731 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(303 – 1009, n=45) -26% |
1145 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(90.5 – 3867, n=238, last 2 years) 16% |
| Sequential Write 256KB |
878.23 |
208.2 -76% |
454.7 -48% |
484.7 -45% |
514 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(105.3 – 884, n=45) -41% |
710 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(13.6 – 3062, n=238, last 2 years) -19% |
| Random Read 4KB |
221.56 |
140.7 -36% |
194.9 -12% |
170.6 -23% |
183 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(89.3 – 261, n=45) -17% |
203 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(22.2 – 543, n=238, last 2 years) -8% |
| Random Write 4KB |
233.91 |
141.4 -40% |
39.9 -83% |
204.2 -13% |
177.6 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(70.5 – 258, n=45) -24% |
211 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(13 – 572, n=239, last 2 years) -10% |
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.
CAT S75; Armajet: Ø82.3 (24-120)
CAT S75; Dead Trigger 2: Ø115.8 (101-120)
CAT S75; PUBG Mobile; Balanced: Ø29.4 (22-31)
CAT S75; PUBG Mobile; HD: Ø39.5 (34-41)
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.
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum: 38 °C = 100 F Average: 34.7 °C = 94 F |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Maximum: 37.2 °C = 99 F Average: 34.6 °C = 94 F |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||
Power Supply (max.) 43.6 °C = 110 F | Room Temperature 19.8 °C = 68 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.7 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 32.6 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) 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 32.6 °C / 91 F.
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 5000 mAh |
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro 4050 mAh |
Average MediaTek Dimensity 930 |
Average of class Smartphone |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption |
-15% |
-7% |
-7% |
|
| Idle Minimum * |
1.1 |
0.9 18% |
0.9 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(0.7 – 1.1, n=2) 18% |
0.88 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(0.12 – 2.37, n=176, last 2 years) 20% |
| Idle Average * |
1.5 |
1.4 7% |
1.35 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(1.2 – 1.5, n=2) 10% |
1.486 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(0.65 – 2.98, n=176, last 2 years) 1% |
| Idle Maximum * |
1.9 |
1.8 5% |
1.85 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(1.8 – 1.9, n=2) 3% |
1.696 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(0.69 – 3.11, n=176, last 2 years) 11% |
| Load Average * |
3.2 |
4.7 -47% |
4 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(3.2 – 4.8, n=2) -25% |
4.27 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(2.1 – 10, n=176, last 2 years) -33% |
| Load Maximum * |
5.2 |
8.1 -56% |
7.45 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(5.2 – 9.7, n=2) -43% |
7.07 {el.classList.toggle(‘hideEl’);});return false;”>?(3.56 – 13.7, n=176, last 2 years) -36% |
* … smaller is better
CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930; Geekbench 5.4: Ø3.39 (1.13-5.16)
CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø1.696 (1.536-1.941)
CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930; 1920×1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø3.59 (2.23-4)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G 5G; 1920×1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Offscreen: Ø5.65 (5.06-7.73)
CAT S75 MediaTek Dimensity 930; Idle 150cd/m2: Ø1.696 (1.536-1.941)
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.
Battery Runtime
| WiFi Websurfing | 14h 56min | |
Pros
+ high standard of protection
+ satellite communication
+ long runtimes
+ robust housing
+ programmable special keys
Cons
– wide display borders
– moderate display brightness
– old Android 12 + only two upgrades planned
– lame SoC for the price range
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.
The Cat S75 is available at a price of 599 Euros, among others at Cyberport or Amazon. Buyers get three months of free access to the satellite feature for up to 30 messages per month.
CAT S75
–
05/11/2023 v7
Marcus Herbrich
Connectivity
48 / 70 → 69%
Games Performance
26 / 64 → 40%
Application Performance
77 / 86 → 89%
Smartphone – Weighted Average
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.
Pricecompare
I have always been very passionately interested in mobile technologies, especially smartphones. Being a tech enthusiast means the half-life of my devices isn’t exactly long, and being the latest hardware is not enough to suffice as the manufacturer and operating system play a minor role – the most important aspect for me is that the device is state-of-the-art. After posting for Mobi Test I joined Notebookcheck in 2016, where I have been pursuing my enthusiasm for technology by reviewing the latest smartphone, tablet, and accessory trends.
Translator: Ninh Ngoc Duy – Editorial Assistant – 305921 articles published on Notebookcheck since 2008
My main responsibility as an editorial assistant is maintaining the Library section, which aggregates reviews from other publications and channels. In addition, my daily breakfast is Notebookcheck’s long list of new content, which I comb through to select the most interesting topics for translation from English to French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Dutch.”
Marcus Herbrich, 2023-05-15 (Update: 2023-05-15)
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