Cat S53 in the test: robust outdoor mobile phone with 5G and long battery life

Outdoor smartphones are a special category. The devices are bulky, but they can usually withstand a fall or shock without any problems, and staying in the water is also no problem. The British company Bullit has been manufacturing robust outdoor cell phones with the Cat logo for years on behalf of the construction machinery giant Caterpillar . These are not only suitable for outdoor lovers, but are also interesting for the commercial sector, for example on construction sites, in trade or for rescue workers.

As robust as the devices are, the technology usually does not cause surprise in a positive sense. Outdoor cell phones usually contain simple and often outdated technology. The manufacturers are trying to compensate for the additional costs for the stable case. Outdoor smartphones are often significantly more expensive than ordinary smartphones. The Cat S53 is one of the affordable mobile devices for every environment. The successor to the Cat S52 (test report) is in the midfield of outdoor smartphones at a price of 425 euros and is located below the Cat S62 Pro (test report).

This test clarifies how robust the cell phone is and what the technical equipment offers. We show other devices of this type in the top 10: The best outdoor cell phones.

As you would expect from an outdoor device, the Cat S53 is also a real block. It is twice as thick as an ordinary smartphone and also significantly larger than most models. It also weighs almost twice as much. It does indeed look stable – and it is. From front to back, the Cat S53 is dedicated to just one goal: stability. The fact that a chunk comes out of it shouldn’t surprise anyone. It looks very solid and inspires confidence.

We threw the Cat S53 on the ground multiple times, including a stone staircase. That couldn’t harm the smartphone. The manufacturer guarantees that the Cat S53 can hit steel, concrete or gravel from a height of up to 1.8 meters without being damaged. In addition, it is certified according to the US military standard MIL-STD-810H. For this purpose, devices are tested under various environmental conditions, such as shock, vibration, humidity, temperature and other factors.

The mobile device is encased in rubberized plastic that effectively cushions impacts. Nobody needs a protective cover here. The back and the frame are also ribbed, which provides additional grip. It is also protected against dust and water and certified according to IP69, which is the second highest protection class. The number “6” stands for completely dustproof, the second number “9” for protection against water during high-pressure and steam cleaning up to a depth of 1.5 meters. Typically, IP certification is limited to just water with no additives. However, the Cat S53 also survives contact with alcohol (disinfectants), detergents and soap as well as hot drinks.

On the back is the fingerprint sensor in the middle. Above that are the two camera lenses and the LED flash, embedded in a slightly protruding square with rounded corners. On the left is a programmable button that shines conspicuously in golden yellow. Above that is the slot for the SIM cards, which is additionally protected against liquids with a rubber cover. This also applies to the USB-C port on the bottom of the phone. The power button and volume rocker are on the right. All keys have a very firm pressure point. The edge around the display is quite expansive, which is supposed to protect the panel. The front camera is embedded in a massive waterdrop notch. The display itself is protected by Gorilla Glass 6 – but this is not the most stable variant from the manufacturer Corning. Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is used in the Samsung Galaxy S23 (test report), provides the highest level of protection for the display. We don’t know why Bullit doesn’t at least rely on Victus here.

It’s almost hard for us to believe that something could damage the Cat S53. Should this case nevertheless occur – hats off. In this situation, however, buyers also benefit from the comprehensive manufacturer’s guarantee of 24 months. This covers water damage, for example – which no other manufacturer offers. Accidental damage – provided it was not caused intentionally – and broken displays are also covered.

As bulky as the device is, the display is not overly large for the 6.5-inch size. The large edge is intentional here to provide protection. After all, that’s almost 1 inch more diagonally than the predecessor. IPS is used as the panel. The resolution is rather modest at 1600 × 720 pixels (HD), resulting in a low pixel density of 270 ppi (pixels per inch). Individual pixels could still be seen with the naked eye. This is not untypical for outdoor cell phones, but it only corresponds to the technical standard of a smartphone up to 100 euros (best list).

Another weakness that the Cat S53 unfortunately has in common with many outdoor devices is the low display brightness. We could measure a maximum of 500 cd/m². That’s not enough for the screen to be easy to read in the sunshine. That would be desirable, especially for a device of this class. Unfortunately, other manufacturers don’t do it any better. Only the Nokia XR20 (test report) was halfway convincing in terms of display brightness. Also optically the display is not a feast for the eyes.

The Cat S53 uses two lenses. The main camera is a lens with 48 megapixels and F/1.79, plus an actually superfluous macro lens with 2 megapixels. Here we would have preferred a wide-angle lens instead. A 16-megapixel lens is used for selfies.

Useful snapshots can still be taken with the Cat S53 in daylight. However, the dynamic range and image details are a bit meager. In low light, the camera reveals clear weaknesses that lead to images with a lot of image noise. This is already true on a cloudy day or at dusk. The macro lens only offers poor image quality. The front camera is surprisingly well equipped for such a device and delivers acceptable selfies. When using the bokeh in portrait mode, it also shows weaknesses, then the profile can hardly be distinguished from the light background. Videos are possible with Full HD.

A Qualcomm Snapdragon 480 is used as the drive – it is used in the Nokia XR20 (test report), for example. This is better than the “4” at the front suggests and offers sufficient performance for common everyday tasks. We achieve about 7000 points in the benchmark Work 3.0 from PCmark. This puts it in the lower third of the smartphones from our tests in terms of performance. Slight delays are undeniable, but at least the phone doesn’t bother you excessively.

5G is anything but a matter of course for an outdoor smartphone – and the Cat S53 even offers that. The rest of the equipment, on the other hand, corresponds more to an entry-level model: Wifi 5, USB-C 2.0, Bluetooth 5.1. At least there is NFC and a headphone jack (3.5 millimeters). The fingerprint sensor on the back worked reliably and quickly. The additional flashlight on the upper edge of the device is also useful.

The programmable button is extremely practical in everyday life. This can be assigned a function, for example to activate the LED flashlight or camera, for audio playback, the Google Assistant or the push-to-talk function. Precise localization is particularly important for an outdoor device. The Cat S53 uses GPS, Glonass or Galileo for this. According to the GPS test, the accuracy was sufficient at 3 meters and corresponds to a smartphone from Samsung or Motorola.

When it comes to software, Cat doesn’t cover itself in glory. The S53 is delivered with Android 11. The security patch is from July 2022 and is therefore out of date. An update to Android 12 is guaranteed, but that’s about it. After all, security patches are available for 3 years, and Samsung or Nokia now offer more here too. For use in the commercial sector, the Cat S53 supports Android Enterprise, which includes solutions for Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) for managing service devices.

The battery offers a decent capacity of 5500 mAh. However, some outdoor devices offer much more, for example the Blackview BV7100 (test report) uses a massive 13,000 mAh battery. The AGM H5 Pro (test report) comes to 7000 mAh. The battery life is still impressive. In the battery test, we managed around 18 hours with a brightness of 200 cd/m² – that’s far longer than “normal” smartphones manage. The Cat S53 should actually get by for a good two, if not even three, days without a power supply.

You have to be all the more patient when loading. The Cat S53 charges with a maximum of 18 watts. It takes about 2.5 hours for the battery to be full. A power adapter is not included, just a cable from USB-C to USB-A. You also need that, because the Type-C slot is located relatively deep in the cell phone. A different cable may therefore not fit properly. Rather unusual for the price range: The Cat S53 supports charging with induction (Qi).

The RRP for the Cat S53 is 549 euros. You can now get the robust outdoor cell phone for as little as 425 euros. At Saturn it costs 429 euros. This is not an excessively high price for an outdoor smartphone, but it is also not a bargain.

There are no big surprises: The Cat S53 convinces with external values ​​and is really tough in the truest sense of the word. The housing is waterproof and dustproof and can withstand a fall from a height of 1.8 meters onto a hard surface. Should something break on the device, the comprehensive manufacturer’s guarantee applies.

Unfortunately, the inner values ​​cannot keep up – which applies to many outdoor smartphones. The performance is sufficient and at least doesn’t torment the user, but the technology inside – except maybe 5G – only corresponds to a cheap entry-level smartphone. The camera still takes reasonably decent pictures during the day, but clearly weakens in poor lighting conditions. Anyone looking for a device that is as stable as possible with a long battery life will find a proven solution in the Cat S53.