Hi dogs...
So here’s my personal solution to the eternal GPS conundrum. I’ve never seen myself forking out a few thousand ronts for a dedicated GPS unit – although I’m sure they’re more effective considering that they’re built expressly for the purpose of navigation. I started researching ruggedized smartphones as a possible solution, but they were all cheap, kitschy looking things (despite premium price tags), and had shocking hardware specs.
Then I came across the solution – the CAT S41. I bought mine in December 2017 and I must say - I’m impressed. It features Corning Gorilla Glass 5, an IP68 rating and conforms to Milspec 810G standards. The phone is submersible in water up to 2m (with charging flap closed) and will shrug off drops from up to 1.8m onto a concrete floor. It’s a tough bastard and has pretty respectable innards to boot. Featuring an Octa-core processor, 32GB onboard memory (expandable to 256Gb), 3GB RAM and Android 7.0 Nougat, it’s by no means comparable to a top-of-the-line Samsung or IPhone, but it’s certainly no slouch. It’s also quite easy on the eye with clean lines and a quality finish. It wouldn’t be out of place in classier settings. Arguably, the most important features for its use as a GPS on a dual sport/adventure bike, besides toughness, are its large 5 inch display (can be set very bright for visibility) and its MAMMOTH 5000mAh Li-Ion battery. This thing simply never runs out of juice. I’ve used it on a 7 hour ride, GPS on constantly, and I got it down to about 45-50% battery (admittedly it was plugged into the Tenere’s charger throughout, but that thing would take 12 hours just to charge your mother’s vibrator
ot. Unplugged, it should get at least 5-6 hours of uninterrupted GPS time before throwing in the towel. In GPS mode the screen can be turned off and on again with just a press of the unlock button, so no need to swipe or unlock the screen each time (convenient to conserve battery). It features 2.0 charging, so the battery tops up very quickly. Overheating has not been an issue so far, even on hot days. The device is large compared to most phones and weighs in at 210g, so it’s on the heavy side of things but it’s not going to pull your trousers down. The speaker on the phone is outrageously loud and plays music surprisingly well. The phone has one major drawback – the camera is crap beyond belief. :dousing: If a quality camera is high on your list of priorities – I’m afraid you’re shit outta luck.
I use the S41 together with the RAM mount seen in the pics below. They make a flawless team. The phone fits in by a ball-hair without modifications to the mount and I have complete confidence that my phone is going nowhere. The rubberised ball mounting absorbs most of the vibration of the big single cylinder and the phone comfortably handles the rest. I cannot recommend the mount highly enough. :thumleft:
So, if you’re coming up for an upgrade and you’re also in the market for a GPS solution, the S41 is well worth investigating. At +-R7.5k the price tag is rather hefty :-\, but you get a durable, dependable device that looks good and has more than adequate performance. And you won’t have to dish out R3k+ for a GPS or spend thousands on screen repairs like your typical smartphone. The only remaining challenge is finding a GPS app that works for you. I’ve been using OSMand and I’ve found it tolerable but not great. If you have any suggestions for a better Android app, I’m all ears.
So here’s my personal solution to the eternal GPS conundrum. I’ve never seen myself forking out a few thousand ronts for a dedicated GPS unit – although I’m sure they’re more effective considering that they’re built expressly for the purpose of navigation. I started researching ruggedized smartphones as a possible solution, but they were all cheap, kitschy looking things (despite premium price tags), and had shocking hardware specs.
Then I came across the solution – the CAT S41. I bought mine in December 2017 and I must say - I’m impressed. It features Corning Gorilla Glass 5, an IP68 rating and conforms to Milspec 810G standards. The phone is submersible in water up to 2m (with charging flap closed) and will shrug off drops from up to 1.8m onto a concrete floor. It’s a tough bastard and has pretty respectable innards to boot. Featuring an Octa-core processor, 32GB onboard memory (expandable to 256Gb), 3GB RAM and Android 7.0 Nougat, it’s by no means comparable to a top-of-the-line Samsung or IPhone, but it’s certainly no slouch. It’s also quite easy on the eye with clean lines and a quality finish. It wouldn’t be out of place in classier settings. Arguably, the most important features for its use as a GPS on a dual sport/adventure bike, besides toughness, are its large 5 inch display (can be set very bright for visibility) and its MAMMOTH 5000mAh Li-Ion battery. This thing simply never runs out of juice. I’ve used it on a 7 hour ride, GPS on constantly, and I got it down to about 45-50% battery (admittedly it was plugged into the Tenere’s charger throughout, but that thing would take 12 hours just to charge your mother’s vibrator
ot. Unplugged, it should get at least 5-6 hours of uninterrupted GPS time before throwing in the towel. In GPS mode the screen can be turned off and on again with just a press of the unlock button, so no need to swipe or unlock the screen each time (convenient to conserve battery). It features 2.0 charging, so the battery tops up very quickly. Overheating has not been an issue so far, even on hot days. The device is large compared to most phones and weighs in at 210g, so it’s on the heavy side of things but it’s not going to pull your trousers down. The speaker on the phone is outrageously loud and plays music surprisingly well. The phone has one major drawback – the camera is crap beyond belief. :dousing: If a quality camera is high on your list of priorities – I’m afraid you’re shit outta luck.I use the S41 together with the RAM mount seen in the pics below. They make a flawless team. The phone fits in by a ball-hair without modifications to the mount and I have complete confidence that my phone is going nowhere. The rubberised ball mounting absorbs most of the vibration of the big single cylinder and the phone comfortably handles the rest. I cannot recommend the mount highly enough. :thumleft:
So, if you’re coming up for an upgrade and you’re also in the market for a GPS solution, the S41 is well worth investigating. At +-R7.5k the price tag is rather hefty :-\, but you get a durable, dependable device that looks good and has more than adequate performance. And you won’t have to dish out R3k+ for a GPS or spend thousands on screen repairs like your typical smartphone. The only remaining challenge is finding a GPS app that works for you. I’ve been using OSMand and I’ve found it tolerable but not great. If you have any suggestions for a better Android app, I’m all ears.
