Cat Phones S41 Rugged Smartphone

The only places that it takes a rating hit is on processor, gyroscope, and camera. It tends to lag a little, but not bad, and only when quite a few apps are open. The low light performance is extremely lacking, but it does well in full daylight. How to improve camera performance: use Adobe Lightroom camera or camera fv-5, and shoot in raw mode, maybe mess with manual controls. I'd honestly have paid 20-40 more for a gyroscope and just a little bump on whatever causes the lag, be it cpu, gpu, or ram - based on what oneplus is doing I think it's a realistic tweak to want. The gyroscope is an issue only because I had to have a VR headset for school presentations.The good:The battery life is absolutely exceptional. It regularly hits 10-16 hours of screen on time without a charge, depending on what apps I use and screen brightness.Reception is better than past phones.Gps is good enough to get the job done - I've used it to navigate backcountry hiking paths with offline maps.Waterproofing is exceptional. Make sure to have the flaps closed.Drop resiliency is honestly the biggest reason I chose this phone, and it hasn't disappointed. It's survived drops within the specified range that could have obliterated past phones' screens (none outside the specified height). The headphone jack is a little wobbly these days and I can't pinpoint a that it should be, but it still functions fine.Android 8. Nice job CAT. It actually made some of the lag issues better somehow. I'm glad there's almost no bloatware - basic Google apps, a fm radio, and a toolbox where you can download apps specific to industries.Expandable storage is really nice.Glove mode really works - thick leather gloves are a non-issue.Included are photos taken using the stock camera app (field, wheel, dog), Lightroom camera (snowy pine, both pops route 66 rainbow bottles), and camera fv-5 (sunset parking lot). Also included are two photos of it during unboxing, a case available for the phone (it's not included with it. It's third party), and another photo using the stock camera app in low light.

I bought this phone several months ago to replace a low end LG, which was an emergency replacement for a Google Nexus phone that got bricked on an Android 'update' (thanks a lot Google). I prefer ruggedized phones if only because I believe the consumer has a right to expect that their expensive electronics designed for use outdoors can reasonably survive the bumps and bruises of everyday life. I selected the S41 based on price (around $350 when I bought it), compatibility with my carrier (AT&T) and reputation for rugged construction.As a phone, this is a great device. The build quality is outstanding. The battery life is exceptional (I simply don't worry about it. I'll glance at the battery level indicator once or twice a week and say to myself "I guess I ought to plug it in, it's getting a little low", but 'low' on this phone means you've still got a few days left whereas on my wife's iPhone it means you've got an hour). Call quality is very good. Some folks griped about the physical size of the phone. When I ordered it I was expecting a big hulking brick. No - this is really no larger than any other 5" phone encased in an Otterbox case. The S41 fits nicely into my shirt pocket. Let's talk about cases. On every other phone I've bought the first thing I do is buy an Otterbox Defender case for it. This is the first smartphone I've purchased where I didn't feel the need to buy a case. The body of the phone is rugged enough.Now for the flaw. The camera is lousy. Period. CAT made a huge mistake when they picked this camera for the phone. They should have spend an extra $10 (per unit) and incorporated a better camera. Color balance is way off, and the phone has a lot of problems dealing with high contrast situations, with the bright areas washing out. This is really sad, because the S41 is an otherwise excellent phone.At the end of the day is the S41 worth the current Amazon price? I say yes. This is a phone that I've grown to really like, and because of this experience I'm probably going to look at CAT again when it comes time to upgrade. Hopefully by then they will have integrated better cameras into their mid-range phones.

Purchased this phone to replace my ailing S40 and am completely satisfied. Battery last 3 - 4 days before requiring a charge. Phone is easy to use. To the people who complain that this phone 'freezes when using multiple apps together,' you have purchased a rugged phone, not a high speed computer or tablet. These phones have been designed more for sheer durability than for sitting around and trying to see how many apps you can run at once. I have run 3/4 apps at the same time and have had no issues whatsoever. Screen light and clarity is fantastic and photo quality is excellent - quite a bit nicer than the camera on my S40 in fact. Another added bonus is that it comes with a pre-installed tempered glass screen cover - something that most other phones are not supplied with. You will have to load your own ringtones and message alert tones, but again, it's a rugged phone, so don't expect a host of ultra fancy features. I will definitely recommend this phone for anyone who is looking for good quality, a long lasting battery and a phone that is easy to use.