Can being rugged and tough really be
a substitute for style and sophistication? The B15 puts the theory to the test
Price: $449.99
Website: www.catphones.com
The B15 is never going to win any style
points, but then this isn’t your typical phone. At its core, the B15 is all
about being tough and is primarily aimed at those needing a phone to keep up
with their rough and tumble lifestyle. If you don’t fancy your HTC One’s
chances of surviving your workplace then this is the kind of the device you
need instead.
CAT
B15
The hardened exterior of the phone lends
itself well to this and the IP67 rating for ruggedization means it is
waterproof at up to one meter for 30 minutes and is also dustproof. It can also
withstand drops from up to 1.8metres. All the standard ports can be found
around the edging and each has their own rubberized cover to keep them well
sealed. Our testing gave us no reason to doubt the phone’s rugged credentials.
Between the side volume rocker and
headphone jack is a dedicated camera button. It can be a bit temperamental to
use, but you won’t really want to use it too much, anyway, as the
five-megapixel camera offered here isn’t really that good. Colors certainly
look vivid, but overall image quality is slightly grainy and a lot of our
images came with a small level of distortion added.
CAT
B15’s camera
Removing the backplate can be a bit of a
pain, but for a phone that’s meant to be tough, perhaps that’s actually a good
thing. What you’ll initially find when the plate has been removed is a large
2000mAh battery. It can easily provide you with a whole day of average usage
before needing to be charged, but if you plan on streaming a lot of media the
battery life will lessen considerably.
Also there is a micro SD slot that can
handle a storage card up to 32GB. With the B15 you get a paltry 4GB of internal
storage, so the option to expand is very welcome. What you’ll also find under
the backplate is arguably the best feature of the B15. There’s room for
dual-SIM cards which helps give you superb network coverage wherever you are,
and to ensure you can keep your work and business lives separate. We don’t see
many phones with this feature included, so to find it in a phone like the B15
was a really nice surprise.
Turning on the phone reveals Android 4.1 in
all its glory and even better when you consider the phone runs the stock
Android OS. The four-inch screen is decent enough and includes a handy wet finger
tracking software enabling you to use the capacitive screen when it’s pouring
down, but the poor 800x480 resolution leaves the colors looking grainy and
pretty dark throughout.
Moving through the phone is fairly nippy,
thanks to the dual-core processor and you’ll find a selection of decent apps
already pre-installed. On top of that you’ll also find the full range of Google
apps already at your disposal and a handy Bluetooth Proximity app that gives
your Bluetooth connection a bit of a boost when needed.
If you’re already a CAT customer, then
you’ll be pleased to see the range of CAT-based apps available to you as well.
Where the B15 does let itself down is with
its sometimes sub-par performance. The lowly 512MB of RAM is somewhat less than
we’ve become accustomed to and is very noticeable when using more intensive
apps, or trying to use multiple apps at the same time.
But then perhaps that is to be expected.
Although priced in line with a typical mid-range device if you take off $150 or
so for the ruggedisation then you’re very much into entry-level territory, and
that is where the specs of this device lay. So in all it’s very much a
love-hate relationship with the CAT B15. The device is fine for all basic tasks
but nothing more ambitious and the camera is underwhelming.
But it absolutely excels in being a rugged,
tough and durable smartphone that will be useable in nearly any situation, and
that is the priority of a niche device such as this. If you can look past its
faults and enjoy a hectic lifestyle, then the CAT B15 is a well-priced device
in a market with relatively limited options.
But
it absolutely excels in being a rugged, tough and durable smartphone that will
be useable in nearly any situation.
Stock Android
You’ll find a vanilla version of Android
4.1 pre-installed on the phone without too much interference from CAT involved.
There are some official CAT applications which are helpful if you regularly use
the company’s store
Hard exterior
Both the metallic and rubber edgings make
sure that the B15 can withstand the harshest of conditions. It’s waterproof up
to one meter, dustproof and can withstand being dropped on to a concrete floor
without breaking.
Both
the metallic and rubber edgings make sure that the B15 can withstand the
harshest of conditions.
Lack of power
Despite the dual-core processor doing a
good job at keeping things ticking over nicely, the 512MB of RAM lacks the
power to help the B15 complete some more of the advanced tasks that are
occasionally required
More storage
The 4GB of storage won’t be enough for
people who want to put some media files on the phone, so you’ll need to use the
B15’s micro SD slot to expand the memory up to 32GB
Wet, wet, wet
Although the display may include a rather
basic 480 x 800 resolution, one of its outstanding features is its wet finger
tracking software that lets you use the capacitive touchscreen no matter how
wet it is
Dual-SIM
We don’t encounter many dual-SIM phones, so
to see the B15 include this feature is a massive plus. It’s simple enough to
change between the two if you aren’t sure how the process works too
Battery life
2000mAh battery copes well with the phone’s
dual-SIM capabilities.
Good for
Being tough
There’s no need to worry if you drop your
device on the floor or in water
Stock Android
Running a stock version of Jelly Bean means
you get Android’s best features
Apps
There’s a good range of pre-installed apps
included and more available on the Play store
Browsing
Chrome is readily available for you to use
and browse the internet
Verdict
·
Ratings: 3/5
·
There’s no doubting the B15’s tough credentials,
and though it lacks in certain areas should fulfill its main purpose well
Performance
·
Ratings: 3/5
·
Not slow by any means, but the lack of RAM
hinders the phone occasionally
Design
·
Ratings: 3/5
·
It’s not sleek, obviously, but the rugged build
lends it a reassuring toughness
Features
·
Ratings: 4/5
·
Stock Android is a big plus and the range of
CAT-based apps are good too
Value for money
·
Ratings: 2/5
·
You do pay a small premium for the ruggedization,
on top of average specs
|
Technical
specs
·
Operating system: Android 4.1
·
Processor: Dual-core 1GHz processor
·
Memory: 512MB RAM, 4GB storage (expandable to
32GB)
·
Dimensions: 125 x 69.5 x 14.95mm
·
Weight: 170g
·
Display size: 4-inch
·
Display resolution: 800 x 480 pixels
·
Expansion slot: micro SD
|
