The Cat B40 is a dumbphone, well, a feature phone that is IP68, IP69, drop-resistant, has big tradie glove-friendly alpha-numeric buttons and is perfect for rugged use.

Cat came to our attention when researching Waterproof phones – fact or fiction (smartphone guide), and it is the only brand that goes further with IP69 (protected against close-range high pressure, high-temperature spray downs).

I call it a dumbphone because it is not an Android or iOS phone. It is like the good old Nokia feature phones of ‘yore’ that can:

This phone is used worldwide by emergency service workers as it works on 2/3/4G and is ultra-reliable. You don’t care what is under the hood as long as it does its job.

Cat also has Android smartphones, including the Cat S62 Pro with a Thermal Flir camera.

We won’t rate the B40 per se because it is unique, and none of our test software runs on the dumbphone. Suffice it to say that if you need this, then you know what to buy.

It is not complex like a smartphone – probably in your muscle memory if you used a feature phone pre-2007.

It is rugged, bleach, chemical and germ resistant, and has a 100-lumen torch and buttons. The Cat B40 is simply about calls and texts under pressure and getting the job done every time.

And you won’t (can’t) catch a virus/malware as there are no patches or updates.

If you need Internet browser access – the 2.4” QVGA colour screen is not meant for it.

CyberShack Cat news and reviews

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

CyberShack offers consumers a one-stop-shop for the most current information in the tech space, including news, lifestyle and products, as well as reviews on the latest gadgets and games. It also runs competitions and has links to the latest episodes of Cybershack TV.