Anyone who values durability over any other quality in a smartphone is familiar with Cat phones, developed by the Bullitt Group under the Cat Construction Equipment brand, which have developed a reputation as rugged phones that can be relied upon for long days in the field or warehouse.

The latest phone, the Cat S62 Pro, launched in the US this month after debuting in Europe last year. It is the third generation Cat phone to feature an infrared camera that detects temperature differences and water leaks.

With such features front and center, the $699 Cat S62 Pro was not designed with the average user in mind. However, if you work all day in places where dropping your phone could have disastrous consequences, you may find the Cast S62 Pro's rugged construction appealing.

As for its durability, according to the Bullitt Group, the phone and its 5.7-inch FHD+ display use Corning's Gorilla Glass 6 for added strength; Bullitt has tested the Cat S62 Pro from a height of 6 feet to drop test by dropping it onto steel, and its IP68 waterproof rating means the phone can withstand being dropped into 5 feet of water for up to 35 minutes.

The display has been optimized for outdoor use with construction sites in mind, so there is no need to squint to see what is displayed on the panel. The S62 Pro's touchscreen can also be used with wet fingers or work gloves.

Still, the FLIR thermal camera and Lepton 3.5 imaging sensor are the stars of the show. This version of the camera boasts four times the number of infrared pixels of the S61; new features added to the Cat S62 Pro include VividIR image processing and enhanced multispectral dynamic imaging, allowing users to vary the intensity of visual contour detail superimposed on the thermal image The S62 Pro can monitor temperature ranges from -4°F to +752°F and will alert the user if the specified range is exceeded.

Other cameras include a 12MP dual-pixel main shooter on the back and an 8MP selfie cam on the front, so infrared photography is not the only thing the Cat S62 Pro can capture.

According to the Bullitt Group, the 4,000 mAh battery promises two days of battery life, but the Cat S62 Pro comes at a time when 5,000 mAh power packs are more common, especially in budget phones. The Moto G Power (2021), for example, has such a battery, which lasted 14 hours in our custom battery tests. We are interested to see how the Cat S62 Pro fares.

A Snapdragon 660 chipset with 6GB of RAM powers the Cat S62 Pro. Considering that the Google Pixel 5 and Apple iPhone 12 mini in the same price range boast more powerful processors, it falls a bit short. But rather than using the S62 Pro to play overloaded games or run power-hungry apps, this phone is meant to help workers deliver reliable performance in the field.

The phone does not have 5G connectivity, which is curious because the enterprise segment is one of the areas that will reap the benefits of the new 5G network sooner than we will.

The Cat S62 can be pre-ordered on the Cat phones website starting Friday, April 2, and will ship on April 16; Amazon, Best Buy, Home Depot, B&H, and other retailers should offer the phone.

No word on carrier availability, but it could prove difficult for the Cat S62 Pro. Kyocera, which makes durable phones, also offers the DuraForce handset through Verizon in the US.