The Cat S60 is thick and hefty with an unapologetically industrial design. In addition to being a tough SOB that can endure 6-foot drops and the most waterproof phone made to date, it also has one thing no other phone possesses: a built-in thermal imaging camera.

The Cat S60 features a built-in thermal imaging camera; It can consistently survive 6 foot drops onto concrete and can take a 16 foot dunking into water; It has an expandable microSD card slot and loud front-facing speakers

It's significantly thicker and heavier than other smartphones; The thermal imaging feature while cool and fun, is mostly useless aside from some specific cases

Owning a smartphone means you're also privy to the very particular fear of dropping that smartphone. And many of us go different lengths to mitigate this problem. Some of us slap our phones in big, fat, protective cases. Others are like me - we lie to ourselves and pretend we'll be fine without one.

Very rugged; Thermal camera is fun and useful; Good standard camera

Mediocre screen; Expensive; Hefty design; Thermal camera app is sluggish

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.

The Cat S60 tops its next-closest competitor, the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active , in almost every way. It's more durable, has a brighter screen, lasts longer on a charge and looks better. At $599, the S60 is cheaper, too. And that's before you even talk about its built-in thermal camera.

Great battery life; Unique built-in thermal imaging feature; Attractive; durable design; Superbright screen

Mediocre performance; Lackluster low-light photos; No 802.11 ac Wi-Fi

The Cat S60's spec sheet reads more like a superhero's vital statistics on paper, and the military-grade protection, strong angular looks and the ability to identify heat signatures make it a thing of wonder.

Thermal imaging; hard as nails build quality; long-lasting battery; genuinely useful apps

Medium-powered; screen only HD; gimmicky Underwater mode; high price; niche appeal

The Cat S60 is not for everyone. Without the very clever thermal imaging camera all you're left with is an unspectacular, albeit rugged, phone.

Medium-powered; lowly HD resolution screen; gimmicky Underwater mode; high price; niche appeal

Sometimes, one standout feature in a smartphone can help it pull ahead of the crowd and become an almost instant classic. Caterpillar's Cat S60 smartphone almost manages to accomplish that feat thanks to a unique feature, a heat sensor, that transformed it into the world's first thermal imaging...

One very tough rugged phone; Good performance levels; Built-in FLIR camera

Pretty hefty; Also pretty expensive; Small size of display could be problematic for some

The S60 really is the smartphone version of Gordon Freeman's HEV suit. It ticks every box that will suit a hard outdoor life, and doesn't seriously skimp out on hardware to make that happen.

Better thermal vision than the Predator; Properly rugged; will survive a real beating; Battery life for days

Won't win any style awards; Overkill for most people; Costs as much as a flagship phone

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

If you need a super-rugged phone with a built-in thermal imaging camera, look no further than the Cat S60. But at $600, it's nearly as pricey as top-tier devices like the rugged Samsung Galaxy S7 Active and the shatterproof Moto Z Force Droid, both of which offer far better performance all around.

Accurate thermal imaging camera; Rugged, waterproof build; Useful pre-installed apps; Latest Android software; Expandable storage

Sluggish camera sensors; Mediocre specs for the price; Back flap can pop open upon impact; Lackluster call quality