Dubai
Caterpillar’s B25 handset does not have high-end specs or standout features; it is clearly a basic rugged device to withstand the extreme conditions.
The brick-like phone is big and chunky but the idea of Caterpillar is focus on industrial workers. It weighs 161 grams and the features are outdated.
The casing is made of thick and shock absorbent rubberized plastic to withstand the drop from a height of two metres and is water resistant of up to one metre for about 30 minutes. During the test, it withstood all the drops even on concrete tiles and nothing happened to the device. It is extremely solid. The IP67 certified phone also means dust resistant.
The two-inch screen sport 320 x 240 pixels TFT QVGA screen and runs on propriety software and resembles an old Nokia phone that ran on Symbian operating system.
On the left side of the device houses a shortcut for the camera and the micro USB port for charging and which is covered by a rubber flap. On the right side of the device houses a button for the torchlight placed next to the camera at the back. The super bright torchlight also serves as the flashlight for the camera.
Connectivity
The 12 keys on the device are big and strong plus a navigation key. The battery case is protected by two screws and Caterpillar gives a screw driver to open it and it is in the form of a keychain.
Removing the screws to insert the battery, dual SIM card (big SIM) and microSD is a task. The memory can be expanded up to 8GB using microSD, which is below standard.
Regarding connectivity, it has 2G, SMS, MMS, Bluetooth 2.1 and no WiFi. There is no access to Facebook, Twitter and no apps but can surf emails and other websites. It has sound recorder, ebook reader, photo editor and FM radio. The FM radio works wells even inside a flat due to the strong antenna. The phone speaker is really loud and you can hear it from a distance.
The 2MP rear camera is basic and the photos suffer badly even in proper lighting conditions and grainy. Even if the shots are good it is difficult to view it on a two-inch screen amid six effects. The device can zoom four times and can take five continuous shots in one click.
The phone has a video recorder for the name sake and watching a movie on a two-inch screen is ridiculous. It also has six effects.
The 1,300mAh removable battery is solid as the device is not a power drainer. The device easily lasts for more than three days and for heavy user, almost two days. The phone can last for 13 days in stand-by mode. It is priced at Dh599.
