technology | by Wayne Grayson
WayneGrayson@randallreilly.com
Rough and tumble
Caterpillar jumps into the rugged Android
smartphone market with the carefully designed B15
C
aterpillar's latest unveil
has nothing to do with
horsepower or fuel
efficiency. In fact, the
latest piece of equipment from the company doesn't
even have an engine or wheels.
But it's still all about productivity
in harsh conditions.
During the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, Spain, in
February, Cat unveiled its super-
rugged B15 smartphone. Don't
expect this Android-powered device
to get confused with an iPhone,
however.
Rather than boasting a delicate
design of thin lines and chamfered
edges, this beast takes its cues from
Cat's heavy equipment, dressed in
anodized aluminum and shockabsorbent rubber.
Thanks to its tough exterior, the
device has an IP67 rating – military
spec. That means its waterproof,
dustproof and will survive a 5.9-foot
drop to hard concrete. The device
can also operate in temperatures
ranging from 122F to -4F.
The B15 might be the thickness of
two iPhones stacked on top of one
another, but an iPhone doesn't have
nearly as many lives as the B15.
The device runs Android 4.1 –
not exactly the latest version of
Google's operating system (that
EquipmentWorld.com | April 2013 59
