Cat B15Q

Besides adventure junkies and klutzes, ultra-rugged phone is primarily targeted at workers in dangerous fields such as construction. So it would seem natural that Cat, one of the most recognizable brands in construction equipment, wanted to try its hand in the ultra-rugged phones. The B15Q ($ 359 unlocked) certainly looks the part, but disappoints in some key respects. Minuscule internal storage means no room for larger apps, while the lack of LTE is a major drawback. It is reasonably affordable for an unlocked smartphone, but if you are already a Verizon or AT & T customer, see Kyocera Brigadier $ 0.01 Amazon or DuraForce. Or better yet, our Editors Choice 'for rugged phone unlock Sonim XP7, which has a strong warranty against accidental damage.

Design, Features, and Performance Network
The B15Q looks like your typical rugged device, clad in a combination of rubber and molded aluminum panels with exposed rivets. At 4.92 by 2.74 by 0.59 inches (HWD) and 6 ounces, the B15Q is a great size for one-handed use and feel substantial, as it may take a beating. The bright yellow button and visibly Cat logo remind you that this device is meant for the construction site. B15Q meets the standards of IP67 and MIL-STD 810G for durability and ingress protection, which means it can withstand drops from as high as 5 feet, 11 inches and can be submerged in 3 feet, 3 inches of water for up to 30 minutes. The B15Q completed a 30-minute dip and countless volleys across the floor PC Lab.

Slightly recessed below the massive rubber and metal edge, the 4-inch, 800-by-480-pixel LCD looks reasonably sharp (233ppi) and bright. The viewing angle is fairly narrow, though, and even at maximum brightness, the struggle B15Q under direct sunlight. It is far better than the measly 2.64-inch display with Sonim XP6, but easily outclassed by demonstrating the 720p Sonim Kyocera DuraForce XP7 or $ 0.00 on Amazon. There is a single speaker port on the back of B15Q, do not get particularly loud or sound good at maximum volume.

Below the display is dated capacitive Menu, Home, and Back buttons. That alone would not be a big issue, but Cat frustratingly does not account for Recent Apps and launch Google Now motion. Pressing the Home button summons Google Now, even in the user manual says it should get the Recent Apps. I was not able to access the Recent Apps in all my time trial, which is a bug that needs to be fixed.

Unlocked, B15Q support GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800 / 1900MHz) and WCDMA / UMTS / HSPA (850/900 / 2100MHz) network. On top of missing out on LTE completely, the missing B15Q 1700MHz frequency for HSPA + 42 network of T-Mobile and the 1900MHz frequency for AT & T's HSPA + 21 network. It has worked with both AT & T and T-Mobile SIM card in my test, but the mobile data connection is inconsistent and slow. Call quality is usually in terms of common smartphone, but B15Q has some extraordinary deficiencies. Speakerphone is seriously underpowered, especially when compared with the featured both Sonim blaringly loud loudspeaker. Volume in the earpiece is not particularly strong either, and I saw Sonic Receiver technology Kyocera to be far more useful for noisy environments. Shipping via mic sound clear and natural. Noise cancellation worked reliably well testing, dispensing with the same noises as a powerful truck engine immediately.

Rounding out the connectivity options are Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and 802.11b / g / n Wi-Fi, but the 2.4GHz band only. That last bit is adding insult to injury if you live in an area with Wi-Fi crowded airwaves, which provides 5GHz Wi-Fi support a decent speed.

Performance, Android, and Camera
Unlike most entry-to-midrange smartphone in the US, eschews B15Q Qualcomm chips in favor of a quad-core 1.3GHz processor MediaTek 6582M. This is the same chip that enabled the Blu Studio 5.5 we tested well over a year ago, and it's not exactly a spring chicken then. Overall navigation system is smooth, but playing and media-heavy websites Trip B15Q up.