The CAT S60 is a niche product that is aimed at those with a very rugged lifestyle. If you want a phone with top of the line specifications, then this isn't the phone you are looking for.

Drop proof to 1.8m; Waterproof to 5m; Thermal camera

A faster processor would have been warranted; Primary camera needs some work

Think CAT and a massive yellow excavator is probably the first image that comes to your mind. Short for Caterpillar, the company has been making heavy construction equipment for decades now.

Being a smartphone manufacturer is no cakewalk these days as getting the audience to notice your product in a highly saturated market is no easy feat. We've seen companies bank on waterproofing and shatter-proof displays to set their products apart.

The CAT S60 handset has been launched in India, it is pricey and a lot different from the others smartphones that are available in the market. S60 is world's first smartphone to feature a built in FLIR Thermal Camera.

If you're reading this in a coffee shop sipping a skinny mocha Frappuccino, the Cat S60 is probably not for you. This beastly device was launched yesterday at The Tin Factory in Sandton, bringing with it extreme ruggedness, top of the line waterproofing, as well as a thermal image camera.

Solid and well constructed; great onboard sound; thermal imaging camera can make a difference; good specs

Smallish screen; heavy; pricey

Last month the Cat S60 was introduced in South Africa. It's one of those handsets that is not aimed at the regular consumer, but rather to professionals in very specific fields, like construction, mining, etc.

Not everyone will exploit the Cat S61's considerable talents, but those that do will likely find it invaluable.

Rugged and water resistant; Thermal imaging camera; Long battery life; Useful measurement tools; Air quality sensor

Very expensive; Heavy and chunky; Sluggish at times

The world's first thermal imaging smartphone is the CAT S60, a device first introduced back in February of 2016. This smartphone is part of a collection of Android-based devices made by the folks at CAT, aka Caterpillar.

Extreme ruggedness; FLIR thermal camera; Headphone jack; SOS hardware button / Multi-function button; Unique industrial design

Super thick; wide body; Tiny display for size of phone; Extreme lack of software updates; Cameras are baseline; GSM/HSPA only (AT&T; T-Mobile; no Verizon

Let us just start by saying that the phone under review here may not be anything that you have come across till date. Agreed that the iPhones and Samsungs dominate the smartphone industry.

Should you buy the Cat S60 Almost certainly not. This is not a phone for the average consumer, but I could see businesses buying them for employees. Almost every contractor I've dealt with was carrying some sort of smartphone in a giant ruggedized case, but the Cat S60 doesn't really need a case.