Cat S60: World's first built-in thermal smartphone camera unveiled

The world's first smartphone with a built-in thermal camera has been showcased at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. The S60 smartphone from Caterpillar features an integrated thermal feature developed by Flir, which allows users to capture a live thermal image of their surroundings.

While better known for its construction equipment Caterpillar's Cat Phones launched its new flagship phone — the S60 — ahead of MWC on 18 February. However, it was at the mobile show that it drew attention. Similar to other Cat smartphone models, the S60 has also been designed for "rugged" use. The tech firm is promoting its flagship smartphone for outdoor users and professionals such as construction workers, emergency first responders and utility workers.

"The Cat S60 represents a milestone for smartphones. We are excited for thermal technology to be in the hands of Cat phones customers and to discover the myriad of daily time and efficiency use cases it will present for them," said Peter Stephans, CEO of the Bullit Group, which is the global mobile device licensee for Cat Phones.

CEO and president of Flir Andy Teich said: "We are delighted to work on the latest Cat phone with Bullitt Group, to integrate our thermal camera into their proven, industrialized smartphone to create a truly innovative and groundbreaking mobile product."

The company said the S60 "exceeds military specs" in its ability to endure wear and tear. The smartphone is waterproof and dustproof and its 7in HD touchscreen has been designed to work even when operated with wet fingers or while wearing gloves. The phone's "super-bright display" can also be viewed in sunny weather. It supports a 13 megapixel waterproof camera with a 5 megapixel front camera, 4G LTE and operates on Android Marshmallow.

Cat Phones has not yet specified the release date for the S60. However, the tech firm has confirmed that it will be priced at $599 (£421) and will be made available to users later in the year.