Review: A flip phone made to withstand the toughest working conditions
I think of the mid-90s to the mid-2000s as the golden age of cell phones. It was that period between bag phones and smartphones when you really had the classics like, well, any phone that had the word Nokia emblazoned on the front.
Then you had the clamshell-shaped phones, starting with the Motorola StarTAC in 1996 and culminating with the most popular ever released, the Motorola RAZR from 2004. While you might think flip phones mostly disappeared with the emergence of touchscreen smartphones, they’ve slowly started making a comeback in the form of flexible screen devices from Samsung and others.
There’s another that just hit the market from a brand you might not expect: Cat, the flagship brand of construction and mining equipment company Caterpillar. They actually produce several phones, including this new take on a classic design packing modern features, a rugged build and a refreshingly low price.
Meet the Cat S22 Flip
The product description page sums it up pretty well: “The Cat S22 Flip takes the cell phone back to what it should be … a phone.” Sure, it’s a flip phone reminiscent of what you would see 20 years ago, complete with a physical T9 keyboard and large buttons, but that’s not all — this phone is also designed to take a beating.
Cat S22 Flip highlights:
- Powered by Android 11 (Go Edition)
- 2.8″ VGA touchscreen main display & 1.44″ QQVGA external display – both protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- 16GB storage expandable to 128GB with optional microSD card
- 2GB RAM
- 5MP rear-facing camera / 2MP front-facing camera
- 2,000mAh removable Lithium-ion battery
- 12 hours talk time / 13 days standby time
- FM radio built in
- USB-C port & includes 1/8″ adapter for headphones
- IP68 rating: sand, dust, dirt, humidity and salt mist resistant
- Waterproof up to 5 feet for 35 minutes
- Drop tested up to 6 feet onto steel
- Weighs 7.9 oz
- T-Mobile exclusive available now for $234
As you can see, it’s not just a flip phone. The color display is a touchscreen that also works with wet fingers and through gloves. Although it is a more limited version of Android 11, you still have access to the Google Play Store apps.
The most important part is the fact that it’s supposed to be rugged. That could very well appeal to people in many different fields including, industrial roles, construction, drivers, first responders, military, farmers — basically any job where your phone is at risk of being damaged.
Going back in time
