British tractor maker Caterpillar has announced the creation of its S60 smartphone, a phone that plans to compete in the mainstream industry using its edge as the first to have thermal imaging features.
The phone, manufactured by Bullitt but bearing the Caterpillar brand, showcases a military-grade thermal imaging C2 camera module from FLIR, similar to what the Intel-powered Daqri smart helmet uses, allowing the camera to exhibit images in temperature contrasts, according to The Inquirer.
In addition, the camera can detect and measure surface temperature from as far as 50 to 100 feet away, and can read through minimal obstructions like smoke.
Other features of the 4.7 inches "rugged phone" include its capability to survive from a fall from as high as 1.8 meters high, as well as submerge five meters deep underwater for an hour.
Bullitt believes that these features would be enough for the product to go mainstream, considering the lack of innovation from current smartphones.
"At the moment we are in a bit of a lull. If you look back at the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Edge, it's a hell of a product, but in terms of innovation we are taking incremental steps," said Pete Cunningham, senior product manager at Bullitt, according to CNBC. "We believe you will see this technology in mainstream products and this is a gamechanging step for the industry."
Despite the unique features, users probably won't trade their iPhone for an S60, which is considerably alright for Cat since it highly targets professionals that work in industries in which it is necessary to see in the dark or identify places that had heat loss or overheating, as well as people who have extremely active lifestyle where a durable phone is preferable, according to PC Magazine.
The S60 is set to be available late 2016 for a price of $599.
