Shortly before the MWC 2023 in Barcelona, the British Bullitt Group is presenting the Cat S75, its first smartphone with the solution for satellite communication developed together with Mediatek. The robust Android cell phone can already be ordered; it is accompanied by the Motorola Defy Satellite Link, a satellite modem for Bluetooth connection to other smartphones.
The Cat S75 has a Mediatek SoC, the octa-core chip Dimensity 930 with a clock frequency of up to 2.2 GHz and 6 GB of RAM. The new NTN (Non-Terrestrial Network) modem, which the two companies have jointly developed, enables smartphones to communicate with geostationary satellites. In addition to emergency calls, normal text messages are also possible. Communication is via a dedicated app called Bullitt Satellite Connect. In the normal data network, the news is free of charge, via satellite a fee is charged. You can read the exact prices and first experiences with Bullits satellite communication in a previous article.
As an outdoor smartphone, the Cat S75 is particularly robust. Bullitt provides it with the test seals for IP68 and IP69K for protection against water and dust, the cell phone survives dives to a depth of five meters. It also features military-grade 810H protection, allowing it to withstand a 1.8 meter drop onto a steel plate. The manufacturer promises that it should also withstand extreme temperatures, high humidity and vibrations without damage.
Apart from the specially protected case and the satellite modem, the Cat S75 is a normal Android smartphone with equipment that belongs to the upper middle class. The 6.6-inch FHD+ display supports refresh rates of up to 120 Hertz, the 5000 mAh can be charged wirelessly if desired, and the 128 GB internal memory can be expanded using a microSD card. The triple camera consists of a 50-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultra wide angle and 2-megapixel macro, the front camera has 8 megapixels. The Cat S75 is still coming onto the market with Android 12, the manufacturer promises updates up to at least Android 14 and security patches for five years.
Satellite radio for retrofitting
With a second device, the Bullitt Group is trying to open up their satellite solution to other target groups. The Motorola Defy Satellite Link — Motorola has been lending its brand name for the Defy series to the Bullitt Group for a number of years — is an add-on modem that pairs via Bluetooth with any Android smartphone running Android 10 or higher and any iPhone with iOS 14 or later can be. This allows these devices to also communicate via satellite and use Bullitt Satellite Connect without the need for a built-in modem. The satellite functions are identical to those of the Cat S75.
The Cat S75 is the first smartphone with Bullitt Satellite Connect
The Motorola Defy Satellite Link is protected against environmental influences according to IP68 and MIL-STD 810H. The built-in battery has a capacity of 600 mAh and should make it possible to run for several days. The integrated SOS button and the location localization button can also be used to get help when the device is not connected to a smartphone.
Motorola Defy Satellite Link
The Cat S75 can be pre-ordered now, and the smartphone will be delivered from mid-March. It costs 599 euros, which includes three months of the smallest messaging subscription for around 30 satellite messages a month. After that, the service costs 5 euros per month. The Motorola Defy Satellite Link will follow in April, it costs 119 euros without a message tariff, with an annual subscription for 30 messages per month the manufacturer charges 169 euros.
(sht)
