A device that can survive in a harsh environment is not that hard to find. If you are looking for the one, the CAT S42 H+ review can be the first to go.
The CAT S42 H+ smartphone was released in 2021. This phone is also known as Cat S42 Hygiene Plus. It develops in specific niche demographics for people who often work outdoors, especially in extreme environments.
It goes with a ruggedized industrial design that can endure more harsh situations than normal. You can see it directly on its military-grade body and all of the specifications that have water, dust, and drop-proof specifications in certain situations. What gets more interesting is it also comes with silver ions to prevent the device from getting germs.
Interesting. This review will take the extra mile to reveal the other specifications and features that will make it a perfect smartphone for outdoor environments. After this, you can reach some conclusions about whether this CAT S42 H+ is suitable for you or not.
Key Specs
CAT S42 H+ key specifications:
| Weight | 220g |
| Dimensions | 161.3 x 77.2 x 12.7mm |
| OS | Android 10 |
| Screen size | 5.5-inch |
| Resolution | 720 x 1440 |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio A20 MT6761D |
| CPU | Quad-core (4×1.8 GHz Cortex-A53) |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Storage | 32GB |
| Battery | 4,200mAh, Non-removable |
| Rear camera | 13MP |
| Front camera | 5MP |
| Features | Ruggedized, Water Resistant, Drop Resistant, Bacteria Resistant |
Design
From its appearance, anyone can tell that the CAT S42 H+ smartphone is specifically built for different environments. It has a ruggedized design with antimicrobial silver ions to protect the device from germs or bacteria.
As a rugged phone, it is definitely more chunky than the ordinary one, with 161.3 x 77.2 x 12.7mm dimensions and 220g as its total weight. This combines with IP68 military-grade, protecting the water, dust, and drop.
If you look closely, the overall design looks very old. It has a rectangular shape but with very rounded edges. The screen area is surrounded by large bezels at the top and bottom. The front camera is also placed here at the top bezel.
The black doff case with the CAT logo is placed in the back area. To make it more masculine, line accents make it comfortable while your hand grips the device. A single rear camera aligns with the LED flash at the center.
Display
Being a ruggedized smartphone doesn’t stop the CAT S42 H+ from having a big display screen. It has a 5.5-inch screen, which is generous enough compared to the other rugged phone.
The protections are not only on its body, their display is also well-protected with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. It makes the device scratch-resistant. Again, they are serious about being a harsh-friendly environment smartphone with this.
They commented on the display since the CAT S42 H+ also has incredible display quality specs. The device has a 720 x 1440-pixel resolution with 293 PPI density. With this, it is great to know that users can still enjoy top-notch display entertainment. The colors? Bright and accurate. The details? Crisps!
Camera
The CAT S42 H+ smartphone knows the camera becomes a vital buying decision for some customers. That’s why they put the camera on its ruggedized device, even though it came up with a decent one.
For the rear camera, the CAT S42 H+ only gives us a single one, a bare minimum from any smartphone. Thankfully, the camera quality is still considered good. It is equipped with a 13MP camera with an LED flash as its companion to capture beautiful pictures and record videos.
This phone also has a selfie camera at the front. It is just an ordinary 5MP camera that is enough for you to take pictures or video call with your colleagues.
Storage
The CAT S42 H+ internal storage is above average with 32GB capacity. We never saw this much in the other ruggedized competitors, so we’re happy. This size is spacious enough for you to save your personal files.
Even though the actual size is far from 32GB. We don’t see it as a problem since we can still get our favorite music, videos, and applications into the device.
However, you can always have more room for those unsatisfied with the accumulated capacity by extending the storage. You can install up to 128GB of MicroSD card into the CAT S42 H+.
Read also: BLU S91 Pro Review: A Fine-Looking Smartphone With Luxurious Touch
Performance
The CAT S42 H+ smartphone operates on the MediaTek Helio A20 MT6761D with 1.8GHz Quad-core Cortex-A53. This combination makes the device perform smoothly and boosts the battery life cycle to be more efficient. This also ensures you will get a no-crashing experience while doing some intensive tasks.
Additionally, the device gives you an above-the-ordinary 3GB RAM to operate the device. Why do we say it is above the standard? Because mainly, we only found a rugged smartphone with at least 2GB RAM.
The 3GB RAM ensures swift operations, whether when you multitask or play high-intensity apps. Still, you must use it wisely to prevent the device from getting heated and lagging.
The CAT S42 H+ uses Android 10 as its operating system. This is where we see the smartphone become less attractive. As a newly-fresh smartphone, Android 10 is so yesterday. For today, at least, the version is Android 12 or above.
Even though the device promises to give us an upgrade to Android 11, we see it isn’t enough yet. With Android 10, users will miss some fun from the latest version.
The CAT S42 H+ smartphone comes with several functional features as a ruggedized smartphone. We mentioned earlier that this device has already been IP68-certified. It is military-grade that lets you have a solid experience.
With the IP68 certified, the CAT S42 H+ is sand and dust resistant. It is waterproof up to 1.5m for 35 mins and drop-proof up to 1.8m onto the steel. This phone also has MIL-SPEC 810H grade, which means it can handle thermal shock from low to high-temperature differences between 30°C (-22°F) to 75°C (167°F).
Connectivity
The CAT S42 H+ smartphone connectivity is available in 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE. With this connectivity range, we still advise you to stick with the 4G LTE one since it’s the most reliable network. With 4G LTE, you will get an immersive experience while trying to connect to the internet. Moreover, it also comes with VoLTE for better and clearer voice calling.
Wi-Fi becomes another option for those unable to have their own data connections. You can also share files with other devices using Bluetooth or USB Type-C. The CAT S42 H+ also has NFC technology which allows you to use e-payment.
Battery
As a ruggedized smartphone, the CAT S42 H+ battery is very impressive. It has a 4,000mAh battery capacity, which is obviously larger than the average. With this battery size, you can run through hours of operations without needing to charge the device repeatedly.
On paper, the CAT S42 H+ promises its users that it can last up to 31 hours in talk time, while on standby, it can last longer, up to 35 days. As for specific outdoors-goers, this device is reliable and convenient enough for their activities.
Verdict
After this CAT S42 H+ review, we all agree that this smartphone is not a typical communication device widely sold. That’s why its price is over the budget for some of you. It costs $290 in Q-Link Wireless.
This price can be slightly pricey for a smartphone that looks old. However, the features inside are reasonable, especially if you’re one of its targeted consumers. The military-grade features are something we must say, perfect.
CAT S42 H+ Pros:
- Military-grade
- IP68 water-proof, and dust-proof
- Drop-proof on the steel
- Antimicrobial silver ions
CAT S42 H+ Cons:
- Quite pricey
- Android 10
- Very old design