Cat S62 Pro
A rugged Android phone with a FLIR thermal camera built into the body, released by Bullitt Group in 2020.
It is discontinued, and it is still the most interesting Cat phone to buy. That sounds like a contradiction. It isn’t: six years on, there is very little else that puts a real thermal sensor in your pocket.
Specifications
| Released | 2020 |
| Display | 5.7″ FHD+ (1080 × 2160), wet and glove touch |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660, octa-core 2.0 GHz |
| Memory | 6 GB RAM / 128 GB storage, microSD expandable |
| Thermal camera | FLIR Lepton 3.5, 160 × 120 radiometric |
| Cameras | 12 MP Sony rear, 8 MP front |
| Battery | 4,000 mAh, sealed |
| Ratings | IP68 and IP69, MIL-STD-810H |
| NFC | Yes |
| Network | 4G LTE, no 5G |
| OS | Android 11, final |
The thermal camera is the whole point
The Lepton 3.5 is the highest-resolution sensor in FLIR’s Lepton family: 160 × 120 thermal pixels, four times the pixel count of the sensor in the older Cat S61.
It is radiometric, which is the part that matters. Every pixel carries a temperature value, so the phone measures rather than just showing hot and cold as false colour. You can pull a reading from any point in a saved image afterwards.
FLIR’s MSX processing overlays edge detail from the 12 MP visible camera onto the thermal image. Without it, a 160 × 120 frame is a blur and you cannot tell which pipe you are looking at.
What people use it for
Electrical work: overheating connections, loose terminals, overloaded breakers before they fail.
HVAC: supply and return temperatures, blocked coils, duct leaks.
Building inspection: missing insulation, thermal bridging, moisture behind surfaces, which reads cold from evaporative cooling.
Plumbing: tracing underfloor heating loops and hot runs without opening the floor.
Mechanical: bearing temperatures, brake and exhaust checks, a cylinder that isn’t firing.
What it cannot do
It does not see through walls. It reads surface temperature, which is exactly why insulation gaps and hidden pipes show up: the surface above them is at a different temperature.
It cannot see through glass, which reflects infrared like a mirror. It will not read polished bare metal accurately without emissivity correction. And 160 × 120 is a working resolution, not a survey-grade one, so formal thermographic reports still need a dedicated camera.
Why buy a 2020 phone in 2026
Because almost nothing replaced it. Very few phones have an integrated radiometric FLIR sensor, and a clip-on thermal camera costs a meaningful fraction of a used S62 Pro, then has to be carried separately.
The rest of the phone is dated. A Snapdragon 660 is a 2017 chip. No 5G. The 12 MP camera documents work adequately and little more. Android 11 is final, with no further security patches.
So: buy it for the thermal camera, or don’t buy it. If you want a good phone, this is not one. Most people who buy an S62 Pro carry it as a tool that also places calls, and keep their main phone.
Durability
IP68 and IP69, plus MIL-STD-810H drop and vibration testing. IP69 covers high-pressure, high-temperature water jets, which matters if the phone lives somewhere that gets pressure-washed.
Both assume intact seals, and that matters more on a six-year-old device. Check the USB-C cover and SIM tray gasket on any used unit. A damaged seal removes the rating entirely. MIL-STD-810H is also a manufacturer-run test methodology rather than a certification issued by anyone.
Buying one now
There is no manufacturer warranty. Bullitt is gone and no company took on its obligations, which leaves independent repair and whatever rights you have against the seller. Full detail on support and warranty
Check before paying:
- Does the thermal camera work? Ask the seller for a thermal photo taken on the phone. It is what you are paying for and the one part that cannot be repaired.
- Battery health. The 4,000 mAh cell is sealed, so a worn one means a repair shop.
- Carrier lock and band support. US units were sold both unlocked and through carriers. Check the IMEI against your network first.
- Port covers and seals.
Thermal-equipped units hold value better than any other Cat phone, so expect to pay more than for an S53 or S22 Flip. Current prices by model
Cat S62 Pro or Cat S61?
The S61 (2018) also had a FLIR sensor, plus a laser distance meter and an air quality sensor the S62 Pro dropped. But its thermal sensor is a Lepton 2.5 at 80 × 60, a quarter of the resolution. If thermal imaging is why you are buying, the S62 Pro is the one worth having.