Caterpillar Inc, perhaps better reconginsed as CAT and most famously known for being the worlds largest manufacturer of construction and engineering equipment have entered the smartphone market. It will come as no surprise to find that the B10 is a mid-range Android phone that positions itself as a rugged, heavy duty device.

The CAT B10 is fully IP67 certified meaning it’s water, scratch and dust resistant. The tech specs are relatively modest, sporting Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread, a 800MHz Qualcomm processor, 3.2″ display, 5MP rear camera and a front facing camera for video calling. The B10 is expected to go on sale worldwide from May with European pricing set at €379 ($500).

All terrain phones aren’t new to Android. The Motorola Defy+ has been around for a while and Samsung recently announced the Rugby Smart. The interesting story here is to see if heavy duty experts but smartphone virgins, CAT, can challenge the Android elders.

source : THE VERGE