As promised, the Bullitt Group has introduced the first phone with two-way satellite messaging. Well, two phones, actually, the Cat S75 and the Motorola Challenge 2. We’ll cover the Motorola in a separate post.
Before we dive into the specifics of Cat S75, we should explain the direct-to-satellite communication feature as it is a unique selling point. Unlike Apple’s solution which is only for contacting emergency services, this one lets you send messages to friends and family from far away places, whether it’s in the desert or in the middle of the ocean.
You will be able to send a message to any cell phone user. They will receive it as a simple text message, with no need for special equipment or software. If they want to get back to you, they’ll need to use a free app (available for iOS and Android).
The phone comes with a free 3-month trial of Bullitt Satellite Messenger Essentials, this plan includes up to 30 satellite direct messages per month. Once you’ve finished your trials, you’ll be able to sign up for one of several plans, the cheapest of which is $5 a month. There will also be flexible and heavy usage plans, depending on your needs.
The phone can also be used in an emergency, of course. As a subscriber, you will also get 12 months of free 24/7 access to emergency response centers operated by FocusPoint International.
All this is made possible by MediaTek’s NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) chip, the chipset designer also provided the Dimensity 930. The phone comes with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, easily expandable via a card microSD.
Bullitt cares about the longevity of its devices, both in terms of hardware and software. For the latter, it promises two operating system updates – the phone starts with Android 12, then will be updated to 13 and 14 – plus 5 years of security patches (ie 3 years of quarterly patches and 2 years of emergency SMR).
As for the former, the phone is IP69K rated, which extends the usual IP68 rating with protection against powerful high-temperature water jets. The phone is waterproof and can survive immersion up to 5m (16ft) underwater for 35 minutes. In addition, it has been drop tested onto steel plates up to 1.8m (6ft) and has undergone MIL-SPEC-810H testing for extreme temperatures (-30°C/-22°F to 75 °C/167°F) for up to 24 hours. It is also resistant to high humidity, salt spray and vibrations.
Cat S75: Drop resistant to steel plates up to 1.8m • Can survive underwater up to 5m for up to 35 minutes
The Cat S75 is likely to get quite dirty outdoors, but it’s easy to clean. You can wash it with soap and water or use alcohol wipes. The exterior is also coated with Bullitt’s Hygiene+, a special coating that contains antimicrobial silver ions.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. Said screen measures 6.6 inches diagonally, has a resolution of 1,080 x 2,400 pixels, and runs at a 120Hz refresh rate. There’s also an 8MP selfie camera on the front.
The rear cameras include a 50MP (f/1.8) main module, an 8MP ultra wide angle camera and a 2MP macro cam. There’s even an underwater mode, Bullitt is so confident in its waterproofness. He also says the phone is still under warranty even if it’s dropped 5 meters under water.
The phone is powered by a 5,000mAh non-removable battery. It supports 15W wired charging and Qi wireless charging.
The Cat S75 is available for pre-order starting today, is available on select carriers and through select resellers in the EMEA region. The price is €600/£550 and includes the aforementioned 3-month track of the satellite messaging plan.
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