One year test of the CAT S61 thermal imaging phone.

[@fisqual]

I've had my Cat S61 for 14 months. I've used it without a case or screen protector for all 14 months and have not damaged it at all. I once left it in someone's engine bay and they drove about 50 miles in the snow (+salted roads) before I was able to contact them and tell them to see if it was even still there. It was soaking wet and filthy but it was perfectly fine. I've taken it down water slides and in a wave pool. It has functionality to sense your fingers even soaking wet and with gloves on. This is the longest I've ever kept a phone without destroying it other than the old nokia brick I used to have in like 2006. Unfortunately I just sent it off for battery replacement (at least it's under warranty) but despite that one problem I would buy one again in a heartbeat. Honestly I can't wait until they come out with the S62.

[@TonyFleetwood]

Mine fell out of my pocket curbside getting in my car and i came back hours later to find it had been sitting out in the rain in my grass by the curb and all that happend was my phone ended up cleaner! Haha. great phone but ive had battery issues with it.

[@deividasma7343]

Just so you know, the screen protector is pre applied.. That dropdown at the front facing camera is the protector

[@Argondo]

I like mine too it is one that can handle the work as a boilermaker that I do. and it is handy when I need to check steel temperatures between welds. it has gotten quite a few dinks and scratches from my work and weld spark marks but has yet to take any actual damage yet. I love it! so my conclusion is also I will buy again if it dies which I hope it won't in any near future.

[@xenonram]

That's not really out of the ordinary. A lot of phones nowadays are waterproof, and most flagship phones are waterproof. The GS5 had the "sealing flaps" for the charge/HPJ and that system isn't as good as the Samsung phones that don't use flaps. I have been taking my GS7 & recently my GS9+ into the shower everyday to watch KZbin, and to my kid's swimming lessons and water parks for years.

[@brumby92]

@@xenonram drop your phone in solvent or hard water.

[@NFMorley]

Clive, if you're trying to detect anything from audience members at events with thermal imaging, keep it mind it's far more likely to be people who are slightly drunk you are detecting! (ie where the capillaries in their skin are dilated from the alcohol, so the increased blood flow to outer layers of the body means their skin temp appears warmer )

[@MrFFFGGGFFF]

Also taking mdma or Molly will make you run a fever and also is usually cut with methamphetamine.

[@bridgendesar]

@Adymn Sani What, the royal family were there?

[@MatthijsvanDuin]

@@MrFFFGGGFFF Usually? Man, sucks not to live in the Netherlands I guess. Here's the breakdown of test results of pills sold as "ecstasy" in the Netherlands, for 2018 (the most recent year for which data is available): 70.7% MDMA only; 18.4% MDMA + side-products of MDMA synthesis; 9.2% MDMA + other active substance(s); 1.1% Other active substance(s) only; 0.5% No active ingredients. If they do get cut I wouldn't expect it to be with methamphetamine since that stuff is very rare here.

[@whynotagain3639]

@@MatthijsvanDuin what was a speckled double Mitsubishi turbo back in the day 20 years ago? when we were all raving to happy hardcore?

[@xenonram]

@@MatthijsvanDuin Methamphetamine isn'may historically have been rare in the Netherlands, but it is increasing rapidly; especially in Amsterdam. The Mexican cartels are increasing amphetamine production in the Netherlands and are shipping more to the Netherlands. Labs have increased 5x 2016-17, and use has doubled over the past couple years. So it's growing there too.

[@wwsxa39]

The CAT phone site actually pushes the thermal camera for "mass screening" for "essential front line safety" and shows a video of people walking past with someone with elevated temperature. They don't specifically mention the lager lurgy, but it's obvious what they are stating.

[@lovecraftcat]

is that what you call the holocough

[@uncompetenttv9973]

At my former job we had phone for sale, and had one of these on display for a little while. I unintentionally caught a shoplifter with it while I was demoing it to a customer, as I happened to catch sight of another "customer" with a rectangular cold spot on the back of their shirt, in the small of their back. It was nearly invisible when looking at it normally, but they had hidden a game in the back of their shirt, and the case was visible in that that area of his shirt was insulated from his body heat.

[@kiddhkane]

@Razorback73 Everything offers much more.

[@phil_cassidy]

What the fuck is a lager lurgy?

[@oliverbevan2575]

Phil Cassidy covid

[@Dime_Bar]

I was a bit disappointed you didn't tear down and reverse engineer the circuit diagram.

[@Dime_Bar]

@Dave Micolichek 🙄🙄🙄

[@Dime_Bar]

@Dave Micolichek it's a fucking joke you moron.

[@Dime_Bar]

@Dave Micolichek Do you want a lesson in sarcasm or are you ok with been a moron?

[@Dime_Bar]

@Dave Micolichek Are you 5 or something?

[@Dime_Bar]

@Dave Micolichek Just admit your wrong and tell your mom and dad you need a lot more home schooling. Ps moron lol

[@sac3528]

I've had one for over a year now, and I love it. One thing you didn't mention, (because it probably didn't happen to you) is that when exposed to extremely high VOC concentrations, the thing may shut down and bootloop. I haven't torn the thing apart and poked at it with a multimeter, but I have a pretty good idea why this happens. The VOC sensor is basically a small, platinum fuel cell. When oxygen and an oxidizable VOC are presented to it, it catalytically reacts them and generates a voltage. My theory is that too much fuel and that voltage can cause some part of the phone to stop working right, probably overvolting some bus or something, I have no clue as to the details. It's really not a problem, though, it'll never happen in air where you wouldn't already be badly dead. The only two times it happened were because I left it sitting right next to a rag that had been soaked in acetone. It's not really a problem, just a very interesting curiosity.

[@TheWidgetWorks]

I've had mine for a year and a half and I've beat the hell out of it and it by far the beat work phone I've ever had. I'm not overly nice to my phones so normally I only expect a year out of a phone before it's starting to crap out. I run a machine shop and it get covered in coolants, oils, metal fillings all the time and zero issues so far. Also it's taken quite a few hard drops and in a machine shop there's only concrete or steel to catch it ;) It's a little beat up and some of the plastic bezel has busted off but it lives a really hard life. Also the speakers and microphones still work, normal even on these IP rated water/dirt resistant phones the little metal filings get into the speaker and trash them within a year. My biggest complaint is. as Clive says, the laser measuring system is pretty useless. I hope they continue with this product line and I'm very interested to see what improvements they make in the next gen one, like putting a proper laser measuring system in it.

[@sac3528]

@@TheWidgetWorks Yeah, this thing is tough as nails. The covered charge port is great, too, whereas a typical charge port would get full of pocket lint and metal shavings or bits of 3d printing schmoo if I used it for any length of time, this one is still pristine and works perfectly. Honestly the only phones I would ever think of replacing it for are a blackberry priv 2 or a cat s62, if either ever comes into being.

[@Azlehria]

@@sac3528 Flaps keeping crud out of the ports is one of the reasons I loved Sony's Xperia Z3. Loved it so much that I owned two. Sadly the glass back made it a poor choice for construction work, which is the other reason I owned two. After the second one cracked at work, I ended up going with a Galaxy S7 because that was the closest replacement available RFN. Now I've been driving an S8 Active for a couple of years and it's pretty damned durable. The most disturbingly impressive incident was when it slipped out of its clamp on my bike on the highway. The USB C port actually held onto the cable, with the phone sailing in the wind, at 80 MPH!

[@G3mech]

@@TheWidgetWorks I have had mine for a similar period of time. I tend to choose VERY heavy duty phones, watches, etc. because sometimes a hammer isn't readily available.

[@MnemonicHack]

@@G3mech I know exactly how you feel.

[@whynotagain3639]

I had the S60 for two nearly 3 years, I was throwing it on the floor at the end, (after a few drinks) just to prove to people the versatility of the phone. It never broke still works now, still got it now. Since then I seem to drop phones more, so got the S61 and it's just as good and better. A cat toy and humidity sensor with the FLIR on the S61, still as indestructible and dust and waterproof so no brainer. No-one believes the FLIR until you show them. Currently watching and typing this on a Cat S61 The S60 had a better sim and SD card flap on the back, that's the only thing that's been downgraded since the S60 which annoys me. The original design worked and you could have 2 Sims and an SD card.

[@AstralS7orm]

They changed the design because the new S61 is jam packed with CPU, waterproof speakers and buttons. Old one just didn't fit. That said, the phone can hold an eSIM in the secondary slot. Without a card.

[@timmgiles]

Hi Clive. Had mine since it came out. All the connector sockets are zinc coated and 'fully water proof'. So the covers dont have to used to get the stated water resistance and this also provides better protection from solvents and other liquids if it gets in there. This was one of the bigger upgrades from the S60. Also looking forward to the S62. Stud or electric finder would be nice but wireless charging would be my hope. Also found the thermal camera to be so useful in such a robust package. Great for finding hot spots in PCBs, cables and parts of homes that are leaking heat.

[@cybertec2005]

thermal imaging on this phone is great for hydraulic diagnostics when trying to find a valve that is not working correctly, speeds my job up and proves the fault out before you try striping the hydraulics down

[@rdizzy1]

Can also use thermal imaging to detect water leaks in walls at home, so you know right where they are prior to cutting out drywall.

[@teebosaurusyou]

This type of detector would help mechanics servicing those arrays of many large batteries (such as an electric fork lift) where the 'bad' battery will be hotter than the rest.

[@ravusursi893]

14:26 - Waterproof, impact-resistant and rugged, much like your good self, Sir Clive! Keep up the good work.

[@happysprollie]

"You've always got a laser on hand". We're really living in the future now...

[@SilvaDreams]

So the mid and late 90's when everyone and their third cousin twice removed had a laser pointer and they got banned from many places and the cause of most of the laws surrounding them...

[@millomweb]

WOT ? no spindle to mount a CD ?

[@millomweb]

@@SilvaDreams I was well-pleased with the fact I had my own laser at the time - until I realised the pointer ones were just as powerful ! At least mine has a 'party trick' - the beam comes out of both ends.

[@trevorpoole8097]

I always have a laser on hand but it's confined to my CD Walkman that I still use.

[@pointed.sphere]

Watching on CAt S60.

[@lauram5905]

11:30 it's worth noting that several recreational substances are pyretic, you might be looking at someone having an absolute time at the tattoo

[@ches74]

Battery life was improved by disabling the continuous monitoring of the humidity, air quality and temperature in your pocket.

[@Paulito900]

Been using a cat phone for 3 years now, a s30, frequently soaked in gasoline, diesel, brake fluid, etc, and still works very well. can use it with gloves at work, the touchscreen still works even when wet... very robust indeed. occasionaly the gasoline makes the rubber beneath volume buttons on the side to swell but after a few minutes goes back to normal.

[@TomStratton]

Amazing timing Clive... I was going to ask your opinion of the phone during your last livestream as I'm searching for a new one. Thanks for the review! Tom

[@geraldgepes]

Thank you for doing this Clive, I'm thinking this will be my next phone now.

[@pdrg]

@Razorback73 you might find an S60 for less, the previous model (with flir)

[@arnaudmenard5114]

Price wise it’s still comparable to an iPhone, and a heck of a lot tougher for the money! And it’s a swiss-army knife of a phone too.

[@RichardSchuldt]

Now break out the “vice of knowledge” and let’s see the logic board!

[@AstralS7orm]

Uh, it's glued and screwed together (4 tiny torx) with a few orings for additional seal. And the powder aluminum 3 piece frame. Nothing a spudger and screwdriver can't take. Putting it back together correctly would be rather hard.

[@ChrisD4335]

@@AstralS7orm well he's just gonna have to destroy his so we don't have too

[@Slikx666]

I love a chunky phone. The thin ones are just waiting to break.

[@vrsce0178]

But they never break, unless you purposely try to bend it.

[@aspudkicker]

I like your integrity. Other youtubers have been scammed by manufacturers sending them beefed up versions of their product, which they then recommend, but the product the consumer buys is inferior. If the manufacturer truly wants someone to do a independent review, then the best method for integrity is for the manufacturer to refund the price of the product thats been sourced independently. Will Prowse was scammed this way, and the manufacturer got away with it, till one of Will's viewers sent him a faulty one for him to dismantle and compare. @ Thank you for your integrity.

[@forgingluck]

I've got its little brother, s41. Absolutely love it - impeccable phone, perfect for work and camping. Glad to hear the s61 also lives up to the hype! I can't wait to see the review of the competition!

[@bobkaster1]

I've been eyeing up this phone for a while, it's nice to see a no BS honest review about it's performance!

[@k5guy]

Two features I would like is a flir only image as overlay can scew when up close, and a laser only app for pointer purposes without opening distance app which seems to crash somewhat often. Other than that I love this phone.

[@bigclivedotcom]

Yeah, the Flir E4 (now E8) allows you to have just thermal, which is useful for use at close range.

[@k5guy]

@@bigclivedotcom For the cat I just put my finger over standard camera lenses which has same effect and use plastic rods to point at hot spots to identify hot electrical components.

[@stephenmcgreevy9650]

@@bigclivedotcom Clive ...A KZbin channel which should interest you....Microwave Journal.......Up to date Industrial Microwave Technology and 5g news

[@k5guy]

@Mr Derp what's the app? Higher resolution is obviously bogus, but being able to do flir only would be nice.

[@CatRuggedPhones]

Thanks for your detailed review, Clive! We're really happy that you're enjoying the Cat S61!!

[@MnemonicHack]

I'm actually seriously considering purchasing one because of Clive's review. Just don't know if I want an older model, or a newer one. The price tag hurts my money-saving sensibilities, but I know it's very probably worth the investment and as a mechanical and electrical tech, I'm sure I'd get my money's worth of use out of it.

[@zeke7515]

I love my Cat S61. Been daily driving since launch day. Might be a tad slow compared to 'modern' smartphones, but there's really no need for a case. Laser tape measure (doubles as a cat/dog entertainment device), thermal imaging camera (great for not burning the shit out of your mouth when cooking), and has actually detected a gas leak in my mother's home.

[@skizzik121]

Holy shit I bought these for all my project managers, liked them so much got them for their assistants. Never thought I would see you do a review on it! Sweet We use the FLIR for finding wet spots in walls the laser for estimating jobs and relative humidity and thermostat for dessicant math and paper work on drying jobs

[@hpenvy1106]

Serious question: Will the air quality sensor go off, if you fart while carrying the phone in the back pocket? That would be hillarious

[@nunyabuisness21mill]

HP Envy 110 serious answer, it depends on how bad your wife’s cooking is.

[@Petroskoi3000]

@@nunyabuisness21mill What if one has been at the mistress? Asking for a friend...

[@ChrisPBacon-gn9jx]

That's a possibility. Just being in a dirty car can set it off, or being in a closed room for super long periods. Not gonna lie, I'll try to test it for you guys. I'll edit if it works or not

[@waynetudor3247]

I've farted on mine and yes, will trigger an alarm at close proximity 😂

[@hpenvy1106]

@@waynetudor3247 a great day for science!

[@wimwiddershins]

About as close to a tricorder (startrek) as you can get. :)

[@Sys-Edit0r-1995]

Hah! I was thinking the same thing!

[@linyenchin6773]

So when said "when you're needing Data," he means the android guy?...

[@Pyxis10]

@@linyenchin6773 So it will become suicidal? *referring to the awful new series.*

[@robbieaussievic]

@@Pyxis10 .... Yeah, Discovery was disappointing. Star Trek Picard is cool though.

[@Pyxis10]

@@robbieaussievic I was referring to Picard. See also: Data's utterly unneeded suicidal scene.

[@aliaspseudonym1833]

I had the CAT S60 for two years, and it was a great phone despite its few issues. One of which was the battery life seemed to drop like a boulder after about five months. But it was still a great phone to have through diesel technician school. Many burns were prevented because of it. I kind of miss it. I don't miss the Micro USB port, though.

[@Kydrian]

A year late but whenever you charge a phone you should never leave it overcharging so pretty much once it reaches 100% you need to remove the charger or else you'll damage the lithium battery. Usually happens whenever people charge their phones before going to bed and leaving it overnight.

[@insertnamehere5146]

I am using its predecessor the S60 and its the best phone i have used in 20 years. very rugged. Cat customer service are very helpful as well, unlike some other phone makers.

[@ALAPINO]

I've always wanted one, but I no longer work in the field and I'm a damn dirty civilian now so I can't justify the cost. Thanks for sharing, good sir!

[@fromfin90]

ooo thats neat device! its hard to find phones that are of good quality, has preferably usb-ccharging, headphone socket, and being waterproof and rugged, i dont Need it for work, but it could be fun, andhmm, thermal imaging could be decent to check temps of motors and speed controlelrs on rc cars....

[@fisqual]

I never thought I'd use the thermal imaging as much as I do, but it has become a great tool for diagnosing car issues. My friend's taurus hit 3 shops and would still sometimes overheat; I determined that the temperature sensor that kicked the fans on was about 10 degrees off, so it wouldn't kick the fans on before the coolant was starting to boil. Between the thermal imaging and the insane durability I really can't recommend this thing enough. ...And it's come down in price quite a bit since I bought it last year, so I think you should buy one! hahaha

[@sac3528]

@Razorback73 it's US$650 on amazon.

[@jdrissel]

By the time you buy a thermal imager that price is actually quite good. I use my FLIR One Pro for finding bad bearings, leaking radiator and heater hoses (hint the area around the leak gets cold faster), finding where poorly house-trained animals need to be cleaned up after and drying sheets after night sweats. The last one really lets me get back to sleep quicker because I don't waste time on areas that are already dry.

[@vgamesx1]

​@@jdrissel I mean it is a decent price but you can find some nice 2-4 year old used flagships for $200 or less these days, for example the LG G8 isn't the best phone ever but compared to budget offerings at $200 I'd take it any day and the cheaper non-pro flir is $200, so yeah unless you really want the extra ruggedness or something I'd say just wait a year or two and pick up the latest last gen flagship

[@StaticVapour590]

It's 799€ here in Finland

[@gopronomad4381]

When is JerryRigEverything gonna do a test and teardown on this one...?

[@brandonb9452]

Stephen Chen he’s done the S41

[@gopronomad4381]

Thanks for pointing that out, here's a teardown that I found. kzbin.info/www/bejne/rYeQloucjd-qmaM

[@yeet1337]

Maybe he is still working on that but simply unable to open it up 🤔

[@doncarpenter83]

Stephen Chen jerry rig is a joke..please

[@max10eb]

This phone is a must have if your working in some fields, EMS, Police, MP, etc.

[@leemiller4375]

The hump on top makes it look like a valve cover on the CAT C-15 engine.

[@junglie]

So whould the flir tell me if my coffee or teas gone cold without tasting it?

[@FarleyHillBilly]

Poking your finger in would be simpler.

[@jameswest848]

An image changing mug would be cheaper

[@thomas78552]

But the flir camera is the most fun

[@debsy101games]

Yes

[@mensb1936]

3/4 people are incapable of answering a simple question

[@rfitzgerald2004]

An interesting look at the phone and I'm glad you've posted it. I work for a company that does civil engineering among other functions, and we're looking to replace our ageing Samsung Note 4's which are pretty much wrecked after 5 years use. I've been weighing up between the Cat S61 and the Doogee S90 Pro. We've tested the S90 Pro already and found it to be really rugged and well made, I'd highly recommend them. We're leaning more away from the Cat phone due to the age now as it was released in 2016 but despite it's age can't fault it. The Doogee doesn't have a thermal camera, not that we need one though, we're mainly just looking for something that will withstand being thrown in muddy holes in the ground and dropped all the time. May I ask which Chinese one you have ordered?

[@almaefogo]

It might be the Blackview BV9800 Pro It's around 450€ here in Portugal

[@tybofborg]

Holy shit, you've got _working_ Note 4s? I thought they all died... they had this problem where the eMMC chip would stop working, causing bootloops and other "software-type" failures. But they were never solved by software flashing, as the problem would keep coming back and get worse until they straight up died. And it was related to thermal expansion somehow, because we'd always get new ones coming in (I work in a repair shop) when the weather got really warm, around 30ish °C. Yeah, you're best off replacing them.

[@johncrowerdoe5527]

@@tybofborg Any way to save them, e.g. by replacing a flash chip?

[@bigclivedotcom]

I'd suggest testing a few different phones on site to see which one suits your needs. The one on order is a Blackview BV9900 pro.

[@parody4042]

Note 4 have gotten worse with age bit it's still good hardware just they've patch the hell out of the firmware and software made it terrible, I have a note 4 and a S60 (No laser)

[@Skeptic2006]

Thank you Clive for having integrity.

[@TheRubbertube]

Another item I didn't know I needed :)

[@DerCrawlerVomUrAnus]

Too bad it's 700€

[@becauseican2607]

@@DerCrawlerVomUrAnus but If you have 2-3 broken Phone in a year this one will survive it, so i think the price is not an issue.

[@DerCrawlerVomUrAnus]

@BecauseICan BecauseICan How in the hell do you break 2-3 phones in one year? I've had my current phone for 11 years and it wasn't 700€, to be fair it isn't a smartphone either.

[@brazeiar9672]

You don't need a FLIR phone to have a rugged phone. Galaxy S8 active does the same thing for half the price and without FLIR. Or just put a decent case on any smartphone and put a proper 9H hardness screen protector on it.

[@amckern]

Thanks for showing this off, wonderful phone for its price point.

[@Melamamoduro]

>if you give us a good review we will give you a phone Sounds like the classic Chinese store scam.

[@corvidconfidential8826]

Ive only seen that happen once when I bought a cheap bluetooth dongle and I tried it only to find out they were telling the truth, free 64gb flash drive. ^~^

[@brazeiar9672]

@@corvidconfidential8826 Run a flash checker to make sure it isn't a fake capacity and overwriting all of your files.

[@corvidconfidential8826]

@@brazeiar9672 ehh, too lazy. I saw a video of an Indian child doing that and it seemed legit, just a bit slower than usual. I'll take the Indian child's word for it

[@brazeiar9672]

@@corvidconfidential8826 Hopefully it's not anything important on there. tbh I wouldn't trust a free chinese flash drive with anything. Decent 64gb drives are pretty cheap, and data tends to be pretty expensive.

[@QUIZFILTER]

HOMER: "Those guys & their crazy scams, hahahaha." Chief Wiggum: "Hahaha yeah.... good food though."

[@sadiqmohamed681]

Interesting phone. You've talked about this before, and I am surprised that CAT had it designed in the UK. The only other "professional" phone I know of is the one sold by Marshall, which is aimed at musicians and roadies. I can't remember what it is inside, but it is also Android. Incidentaly Naomi is working with Lady Ada to source a supply of the FLIR she was demonstrating so Adafruit can supply them in NY.

[@AjdamusMagnus]

I have S60. I love that phone. But it had some issue. Acutally I have third one (under warranty:D). What kinda make me sad is fact they DO NOT provide any security patches for system for about two years. But yeah.. I can drop this phone on the floor and worry more about floor than phone:D IR camera is superb for fun and work. What kinda also makes me sad is fact, that they always use mid tier SOC in S60/S61 so it is not so snappy.

[@SuperAWaC]

more recent versions of android have separated the security patches from the vendor to google

[@AjdamusMagnus]

@@SuperAWaC With does not help me with my S60

[@philippbrogli779]

I'm a randon Software engineer who also owns that phone. I bought it because of it being waterproof. The termal imaging is the reason i chose this one over the other waterprove phones. I don't really need that feature but it's interesting. I guess i have to try to look at a crowd at some point. :) I never use the air quality sensor and the distance sensor. Altough the laser pointer is handy. The battery is great and the flashlight is quite bright. I don't use phones that extensively. So most problems aren't that big of a problem for me. The only thing that annoys me is that at low volumes the audio quality is bad. Then it kind of cuts out low sounds even on headphones. This problem could also be just with my unit. Overall I'm quite pleased and I hope it will stay functional for at least 5 years.

[@nichtdu23]

Watching this from my Cat s61 which ive had 1 year aswell. Love it, none of that thin glass phone rubbish, lol

[@ChrisPBacon-gn9jx]

I have had the S61 for a year as well. Last phone was the S41(maybe S40?) and it had the same ruggedness rating as the S61, so when I got my new phone, I ran over the old one with my Sierra 1500. Still works fine!

[@jaredkennedy6576]

Have you had any battery glitches with yours? I had to send mine in for repairs at about the six month mark, and the other day it gave the first hiccup of the same issue, five months after repair. I know Ctuan13 here on KZbin had one that gave a bunch of issues like this that he ended up getting rid of, and I almost didn't get it because of that. It's just that in an environment that a thermal camera is most useful in and that a rugged phone is most useful in, those add on thermal sensors are too much of a compromise. As far as the port flaps, I have had a few of the Kyocera rugged phones previously, and they would break off pretty quick. Those ones also used the flap to seal, so no flap means not waterproof. The S61 is sealed internally, and the cover is just to minimize dirt and debris ingress. I usually have 40-60% left after playing Pandora all day and then a couple hours on KZbin after work. I use the thermal camera for diagnosing issues nearly daily, from electrical to cooling systems and sticking brakes. The laser and air sensor really seem gimmicky, the air sensor goes off whenever I paint or am eating my lunch. The measuring laser has never worked reliably for me, but my cat likes it. I'd love to see the S62 have a better resolution thermal camera with automatic alignment to the main camera, fix the battery control board, and ditch the air and laser. That would be worth getting as soon as this one's warranty is up.

[@thomasknight7734]

I really wanted one of these ... Until I saw how much even a used one costs lol

[@rodwallace6237]

$659.99 on Amazon. C60 for about 400USD

[@AiOinc1]

Same story here mate, I was ready to pay a decent amount for one, but unfortunately these are way too expensive for my purposes. Maybe if I sold my car I could get one.

[@tsimeone]

Can get one on contract for £30 a month. Not too bad

[@TedCornish]

@@tsimeone on Vodafone please?

[@tsimeone]

@@TedCornish only seen it on EE, through a1connect.. I've never heard of them, so I'd be a bit dubious. That's a shame.. It looks quite an interesting phone

[@heathhill7802]

Iv had the S60 for about 3 years now , by far the best I have ever had . Coming from having cheap O's wally world phones to supposedly top of the line I phones. I use the Flir at least once a week for everything from finding bad connectors in wiring to hidden water lines in floors and walls . like you said its not as good as the hand held units but it makes my job easier !

[@bdf2718]

New drinking game: chug a shot every time Clive says "It's an industrial phone." I'm on my second litre of vodka and the video hasn't finished yet. Clive owes me a new liver.

[@andyhill242]

Treid it complutly ankered bow!

[@werner.x]

No way - it's your own decision to play games with your health :-P

[@JUMBAGO]

Looking forward to your upcoming Chinese phone review, presuming it's the 99, mine arrived today UK mainland after ordering on 27/3. Only £15 customs... which is nice. I'd be interested to know of any difference in lag or glitching of the FLIR app/camera between the two the C61 and the new model. Cheers!

[@RedFathom]

kind of curious about the longevity of the covers. i've had lots of phones/laptops where the rubber flexes, stretches & tears. my folding phone is the one i remember being the longest lasting. was kind of wanting one of the huawei phones with the periscope camera to mess around with, but now...

[@Sue_Me_Too]

I've had a CAT s41 for about two years now and the rubber flexes are holding up just fine. IDK if they use the same material as the s61, but I hope that helps.

[@ManWithBeard1990]

Oh, I was wondering what that bump was for. Moving it away from the main heat-generating components does make sense. It's a phone I'd love to own but for the kind of work I do I can't justify the price.

[@ChrisPBacon-gn9jx]

They have cheaper options. Obviously not as powerful and the normal cameras suck, but I recommend the S41. It was my last phone before I upgraded to the S61. Think I paid 400CAD for it brand new

[@tylersheehy3918]

Dose it purr?

[@dtiydr]

It is very interesting to see the S61, that is for sure a more refined form and look towards a normal modern phone, than the 2 S60 I bought just for the FLIR a few years ago for a very low price. I had a S7 as the normal phone.

[@AiOinc1]

How's the battery life on this thing? I'd be interested to hear some stats on how long it will run with different tasks.

[@helomech1973]

Battery life is really good. I travel a lot and I can sit in a airport all day and use the phone. My only complaint is the bluetooth really sucks.

[@charleshines6155]

I like that it is not one of those phones that have been made really thin and have no room for a usable battery. The only other bad thing about a thin one is they are sealed so if you ever need a new battery it is like surgery replacing them. Then some phones have the camera protruding out of the body of them. It is not a lot but it would annoy some people. It is just nice that a big and often ugly case would make the bottom of a phone with that problem flat again. Most cases are ugly too and may even have plastic that looks ugly over the screen and around cameras and speakers. They can be hideous.

[@radnukespeoplesminds]

damn I want my phone to be this stronk and chonky

[@VincentRiquer]

So rugged phones have made huge progress since last time I checked then! Good to know.

[@Nissedasapewt42]

Thank you for the interesting review. I'm wondering though if it has a fingerprint sensor on board?

[@86XFA]

www.gsmarena.com/cat_s61-9076.php

[@dalton456]

It does not

[@werner.x]

Fingerprint sensor for a work-phone, which you are supposed to use with gloves, doesn't make sense.

[@johncrowerdoe5527]

@@johncoops6897 Fingerprint sensor is a very practical way to unlock the screen without your pincode getting picked up by shoulder surfers or CCTV. It obviously requires an exposed fingertip and a proper implementation.

[@kendokaaa]

@@johncoops6897 It's much better than not having one considering how many people used to go without a passcode because it wasn't convenient enough

[@lostjohnny9000]

USB-C sockets are the preferred connector for many reasons, most notably because they are easily sealed to IPX8. The rubber covers are to prevent your industrial pocket fluff from blocking the recess.

[@snukie73]

12:15 distracted by Naomi Wu? It’s easily done.

[@ZILLION4EVER]

I agree with both your arguments :)

[@TheSirGoreaxe]

I'm just glad to see that she is watched by someone like Clive. I wish that Vice wasn't the bag of dicks that they are.

[@ZILLION4EVER]

@@Okurka. hehe tought the same ("gr8 minds,..." lol)

[@zogworth]

Not sure that's exactly Clive's cup of tea.

[@GosselinFarmsEdGosselin]

I've had the CAT 48s for about 9 months. I t replaced my Kyocera mil grade phone. Very similar!! I do like it! But as it is all I use for making KZbin videos, the video is choppy. Some viewers are good with the quality, had a few complain. So I'm assuming the camera issue you are having is the same as I have.. The only other thing I don't like, the speaker volume is too low!! I have it turned all the way up, doesn't matter if ear speaker for calls, or external speaker for watching videos. The thermal imaging would be great!! Nice for finding issues with equipment!! Thank you for the video!

[@skittlesryan7862]

You basically have an early engineering Tricorder

[@max10eb]

Yeap! Your making the Vulcans jealous.

[@AvatarianArtificer]

I'm still running my S60. I've had to replace the battery once, but it's still going strong. The speaker grill below the screen and above the three buttons has partially peeled off, but everything else is all good. I stumbled across it when looking for a rugged dual sim phone. It came in at twice the price of alternatives (about £600), but it has a thermal imaging camera.... How could i say no?!? The S60 has dual sim AND a MicroSD slot though - which was also one of my criteria.

[@wcoke]

Blackview do a half decent phone like this as well as other heavy duty work phones should ask for a review unit and compare them.

[@aaronstorey9712]

Whats the phone called

[@wcoke]

@@aaronstorey9712 blackview bv9800 or bv9800 pro

[@bigclivedotcom]

Blackview offered a phone conditional that it was a glowing positive review including footage provided by them. I declined as I don't do fake reviews. I've ordered a BV9900 pro for an unbiased test and review.

[@aaronstorey9712]

@@bigclivedotcom cool how long do you think it will be before review?

[@ptolamaustittan]

The air censor can be very useful when your looking at your temperature in your area you will notice yes it's hot or not compared to what's given to you by a weather bureau .

[@mdem5059]

Oh my, throughout this whole video I was thinking this is an interesting niche phone. But then I checked local pricing and it's $1400 AUD lol

[@sismofytter]

It's kinda cheap when it includes the FLIR and chem alarm 🙂

[@sebastianflynn1746]

It's cheap considering any modern flag ship will easily cost that much and they definitely don't have a flir camera

[@lunchboxproductions1183]

$400 for the phone, $1,000 for the CAT licensing

[@scania9786]

Blackview BV 9800 pro and 9900 pro might be more in a descent price range, especially if you keep track on aliexpress and wait for sales.

[@mdem5059]

@@johncoops6897 yeah I looked at some on ebay and they really do cost a fair amount. I can see why the phone is $1400, since it's an all on one package with a ruggedised phone. On the flip side it'll only last about three years or so till the phone becomes so old is hate to use. And being old mid grade hardware already, it's Outlook isn't amazing. If you need a FLIR camera, it's probably still better on the long run to buy a stand alone I think.

[@madpete6438]

My Cat S60 came of the mount on my motorcycle, hit the road at about 120 kmph. It was chip seal. Phone still works. Only casualty was the flir camera lens.... Wicked phone - best ever.

[@funkyironman69]

The logo above the scene would really annoy me lol, so distracting

[@miatafan]

funkyironman69 yeah I would break out some nail polish and paint over that logo

[@Sue_Me_Too]

Yeah, that's the one thing I don't like about the design.

[@ryanbrown8527]

If the Chinese phone you're talking about is the BV9800 Pro, I've had one since January and have been LOVING it. It seems they tried to create their own version of the S61, and in fact, it even uses the S61's version of the MyFLIR app to run the thermal imaging. And even though it was only released this past October, it seems they just released their second generation already, as their BV9900 just got a "Pro" version that added thermal to it.

[@bigclivedotcom]

The BV9900 pro is the one I've ordered.

[@ryanbrown8527]

Looking forward to your video. Maybe that will be my next phone.

[@ats89117]

My daughter accidentally threw her phone from a roller coaster and it ended up landing in a parking lot and then got run over by a car. I wonder if this phone would have survived?

[@FarleyHillBilly]

Would your daughter have survived the trip ?

[@kutter_ttl6786]

It's certainly tougher than your average phone but it's only rated for falls up to 1.8m(6 ft) onto concrete. I wouldn't guarantee it but it stands a better chance than most.

[@diamondfailer11]

@@kutter_ttl6786 Yeah, especially because of that front glass. The bezels are relatively thin, the screen has a higher probability of breaking. And solder points of ICs might break/snap.

[@TheJttv]

No phone is surviving that.

[@SilvaDreams]

@@TheJttv Nokia 3390 would like to known your location. But seriously.. My Nokia 3390 survived falling off the top of my car on the highway, got ran over by god knows how many cars, trucks and 18 wheelers before I could make the 5 miles to the next exit to double back... I watched it get spat out finally from behind one 18 wheeler and close enough to the edge that I could snag it... It was still working last time I charged and powered it up in 2015 just the old NiCad was dying on it and would only hold half a charge. Just that tough as nails outer case got dinged and scratched up.

[@ruuman]

I think the hump is part of the thermal camera, but its also so you can pull it out of your pocket and feel which way up and round it is with gloves on.

[@FIXDIY]

📍Of course, there is no perfect phone ⁦📌⁦⏳🔎

[@fixdiymobile]

It will appear with the aging of days 🙄

[@creative7981]

Of course dude

[@Hurtydwarf]

All the old Samsung Active phones that were designed as waterproof had the flaps on the charging ports. They were great because not just water was kept out, it stopped pocket lint and other random dust and debris from getting in it, preventing the port from being clogged up. I wish more phones had the port covers.

[@Gin-toki]

Is the resolution of the thermal camera good enough for it to be able to be used to find hot components (also SMD) on a PCB? For fault finding? I have used some older handheld FLIR thermo cameras for this, that worked quite good (cant remember modelnumber though) Would love to see an actual test of this with a PCB

[@bigclivedotcom]

Yes. It's fine for PCB fault tracing.

[@Gin-toki]

​@@bigclivedotcom Okay cool, thanks for the answer.

[@jefvt8857]

I have the S61 now for about 1.5 years. Love it. The flir camera sold it. Solid build quality. I would like to see wireless charging and a form of extra radio (walkie-talkie). If not SDR. That would be awesome. I don't mind the size of the phone. It is definitelynot a phone for everyone. It is a bit expensive. And if you don't use the thermal camera, please chose another phone. Like the S52 or ...

[@robertm1112]

I bought a ulefone armor 3 about a year ago and the rubber over-molding started to pell up recently probably due to using strong sanitizers, being a little OCD I went ahead and peeled it off and it revealed a roughly 2x2MM square hole that leads in too the battery space not really what I would expect from an IP68 rating. I am personally not upset about the rubber coming up. Now I will definitely consider these CAT phones for next time.

[@finlaybichan1275]

that other phone you were going to review wouldnt be the blackview one by any chance? i am seriously considering it as its half the price of the cat.. i have had the cat s41 for a couple of years now and its the only phone i have ever had that stands up the abuse i give it, im a welder/fabricator, its had weld spatter melt into it, dropped out the top pocket of my boilersuit on a daily basis! its a beast!

[@Pickleriiiiiick]

My non thermal bv9500 is great. Done friends bought the 9800 with thermal and are very happy with it. A phone you can take apart with screws should get everyone on this channel horny

[@Pickleriiiiiick]

Some*

[@finlaybichan1275]

@@Pickleriiiiiick nice to hear some good reviews, cheers dude!

[@frederickevans4113]

Back in 2017, I ordered a pair of the previous version, the S60, for a couple with a farm and a construction (excavation/earth-works) company. They said within a year the husband's phone was broken and the wife's had one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave. Prior to their evaluation, I dearly wanted one for myself, but I couldn't afford one (they gave me the money to order their phones for them using my Amazon account). Since I am self-employed and I am an Assistant Scoutmaster, with your detailed review, I shall reconsider getting the newer version, the S61, instead of a Samsung Galaxy S10 or S20 (I currently use an S7). With COVID-19, I don't know when I'll be able to afford a new smartphone, but I can start my KZbin channel and I can work earnestly at my day-job and maybe one day...

[@bigclivedotcom]

Hold off for a while. I think the rugged phones are evolving.

[@Kepe]

"Unlike the other phones that have the hydrophobic coating on the inside. That still means the water can get in amongst the circuitry..." That's only true of Motorola's "splash-proof" phones that have an IPx4 rating, and I think those have the coating on the outside to keep liquids from getting in. IP68 rated phones are properly water-tight, no liquid gets inside. They have internally water-tight headphone jacks and charging ports. Even though those holes are exposed, water doesn't get inside the phone through them. Using awkward flaps to make a phone water-tight is something bigger phone manufacturers used to do like 6 years ago, like my Sony Xperia Z1 Compact. That comment about how other phones achieve water resistance is just spreading misinformation and an image of CAT somehow being superior with its actually old and cheap way of water-proofing the phone. The only nice thing about the S61 is the FLIR thermal camera, otherwise it's just a cheap-o budget phone. Motorola Moto X4 is basically an identical phone with the same chipset, memory, display size, features, but without the FLIR camera and less rugged design. It was 300 dollars when launched in 2017 vs. over 1000 dollars for the S61's launch price. You're paying 700 dollars for the FLIR camera and more rugged design, which can be achieved with a good case that costs 30 dollars. An external FLIR ONE module costs 200 dollars right in FLIR's own online shop. So for about 530 USD you could've bought a phone with exactly the same features as the S61, which cost over 1000 USD. Talk about over-priced...

[@pdrg]

Oh I've got the S60, it's a good line for festivals etc totally agreed. We had an underground cable arcing in Abu Dhabi once, this helped isolate where to dig! Another time the local spark had wired everything onto one phase, explained why one bus bar was white on the floor image and the others cool!

[@jamescorvett]

these are really neat phones. i was looking at the S60 model but after reading so many bad reviews i did not purchase.

[@Caluma122]

Good for you not being a paid shill Clive! I appreciate your integrity!

[@opros7]

I've been using the Cat S60 for over a year but i miss the inductive charging from my previous S30 where i never had to open these flaps (which were weak) and just let it slow charge over night. The battery is mainly being used up by wifi standby and it needs a charge every other day. The quality of these phones is outstanding and most other 'rugged' phones are a decade outdated on the hardware and software side. I've used the thermal cam to find a stuck part in a chain and a to find a broken ceramic cap on a pcb - it always comes in handy.

[@SebRoseWolf]

thank you for this video. Im a mechanic and need a new phone. I saw this one on google for rugged phones and if you give it this good of a review then this is for sure the phone ill be using. Not to mention FLIR and air quality sensors are awesome to have in the shop.

[@bigclivedotcom]

They have a newer model, but there are also other generic Chinese phones with Flir modules now.

[@SebRoseWolf]

@@bigclivedotcom I saw the S62 pro after watching this video and will probably be buying that one. But thanks none the less for drawing attention to it!

[@Moonblade042194]

Was the Chinese manufacturer BlackView? I've been looking at their BV9800 but haven't seen any real reviews about it

[@bigclivedotcom]

It's the BV9900 pro I've got on order.

[@Moonblade042194]

@@bigclivedotcom Ah bummer, the BV9900 pro has a smaller battery than the BV9800

[@710thcenturydigitalboy4]

how does rooting and unlocking the bootloader go with one of these? they're still asking about $650 for them apparently, i wouldn't honestly mind having a decent thermal camera around as well.

[@bigclivedotcom]

Unfortunately it's well locked up.

[@DaRealBzzz]

​@@bigclivedotcom That'll keep me from updating! I do have an S60 work phone that has a damaged IR sensor and shitty battery life sometimes (drains in 3-10h, likely app-related, kicks in randomly) and an S61 is waiting for me. I had a terrible time switching from a non-rootable AT&T Galaxy S5 to this S60, and I also had a boot loop on the S60 that was fixable by modifying a backup file (WHL #P17F1). I do not trust phones that I cannot fully backup and restore...

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

Could the dropped video frames be due to the processor compression factor? If you can record video in another format besides what you're currently using (MPG4, etc.), that may solve the issue. Cheers, Clive! Your sunny disposition is a welcome break from all the current doom and gloom. Be well!

[@bigclivedotcom]

I've tried loads of different things to resolve the recording issue. No luck.

[@greendryerlint]

I almost bought one of these for the FLIR camera and ruggedness. But the reviews and problems people had with the early ones soured me on it, as well as the mediocre specs. I did buy the little FLIR camera that plugs into my Android's micro-USB port, and I love playing with this. I didn't know about the air quality sensors. That might have tipped me over the edge into buying it. Cool phone.

[@Blitterbug]

Have you tried exporting the phone's video to a PC running Vegas? Does it show dropped frames in a PC editor other than YT's app? If not, rendering it for upload in Vegas might fix the problem...?

[@webkar]

I have this phone. Fun fact you can kinda use the built-in VOC sensor as a breath analyzer... If you have alcohol in your breath it will show an increase in the VOC ppm.

[@davidjackson3172]

Hello Sir. Great video. I have ordered one just now and awaiting arrival. I have seen many good comments on the www but a common thread I see is after upgrading the android version the battery suffers big charge losses. May I ask after 10 months since this video have you had the same problems and would you recommend keeping the factory android version or updating it ? Many thanks.

[@bigclivedotcom]

CAT lock their phones down tightly, which stops you using other versions of android. Which is a shame, as the firmware was disappointing. I've switched to using a Blackview BV9900 Pro which also has thermal imaging.

[@dodeblakley5621]

I'm interested to see how you get on with the new China phone. I nearly ordered one but backed out at the checkout just incase in was shit. Is it the bv9800 pro or the bv9900 pro you have coming?

[@itastain]

Is that chinese company Blackview? I have a Blackview 9500 that I have been using for about 8 months now. I originally purchased it because it has a 10 Ah battery. Its a solid phone that I have droped several times and used in the rain at work. Still works like a charm

[@Crack84baby]

Had mine for a while absolutely love it.

[@Pickleriiiiiick]

I've had a blackview bv9500 pro for a year and a half, love, love love it. Friends have gotten the bv9800 pro with flir camera and love it too. The price tag is right on these for sure at ~500 Canadian. Can't say enough about the robustness, battery life and ease of parts replacement (the bv9500 is literally screwed together) in my opinion, it's how phones should be, user serviceable with cheap parts.

[@ehsnils]

I also have the S61 and for me the dual sim was one of the criteria I had, the ruggedness second and that it isn't filled with bloatware as third. The air quality sensor seems to react to particles as well. In any case with these days of hand sanitizer it invariably always complains when I have used it. One bug I have seen is that the automatic backlight adjustment seems to stop working after a while and only a reboot fixes it. The FLIR camera resolution is low to prevent "nude" pics of people. Anyway - this is one of the best phones I have had.

[@gulfwhiskeyiv9314]

If you're referring to Blackview, you get what you pay for in the build quality. They aren't horrible but the one I used last had issues with screen delamination and battery expansion.

[@etopowertwon]

How often you've used FLIR? One Russian reviewer, who is also an owner of a phone shop, noticed that FLIR module is not that robust if used regularly: they had a client who used it regularly on daily basis and FLIR broken twice during a year.

[@christopherwetmore845]

How is the fm radio reception on the phone? That is a feature I am interested in hearing more about. Thank you for the review!

[@DavidAragon13]

Now, I need one once it becomes available with my cell phone network.

[@mikepurdy5734]

Happy to report that my S60 is still functioning after further lift shaft drops and other neglect