CAT Brings Rugged Good Looks B100 Feature Phone

CAT had created an Android smartphone in the past and now the construction machinery company is rolling out with a CAT B100 phone. Unlike CAT’s first endeavor, the B100 is actually not a smartphone; rather the device is a feature phone. Metal sides, protected ports, and CAT’s black and yellow photo scheme with a rubber casing all help the device stay rugged.

CAT says that the phone can hold up to a 1.8-meter drop while the B100 can also survive being dunked in water for half an hour up to depths of a meter. Moreover, it can even operate in extreme temperatures, ranging from -418 degrees Fahrenheit to 1022 degrees Fahrenheit.

The device features a 2.2-inch QVGA display, GPS, Bluetooth, a microSD card slot, and FM radios. The device sports a quad-band GSM/EDGE radio and dual-band 3G support.

The phone features a simple keypad similar to old candybar phones of yore with large keys. This is beneficial to those on construction sites who may need to place a call while wearing heavy duty gloves can still operate the keypad.

The CAT B100 features a 3-megapixel camera on the rear. A capacious 1,150 mAh battery–large for a feature phone–delivers up to 10 hours of talk time.

Given the company’s heritage in creating industrial forklifts and bulldozers, the B100’s noise canceling microphones is a huge benefit to those working in noisy construction environment.

Thus far, the CAT B100 has been announced for select European markets. At this time, CAT hasn’t disclosed any news for a U.S. release.