CAT Smartphones used and refurbished

You probably know the CAT logo from diggers, loaders and work boots. Caterpillar never made phones itself – from 2012 that was done under licence by the British company Bullitt Group. The result was what you'd expect from the name: phones designed for the building site, not the catwalk.

In this category you'll find used and refurbished CAT phones – the models that turn up most often are the CAT S42 and CAT S52 from the S series of rugged Android smartphones. Before going back on sale, every handset goes through a technical check with SWOPiFY partners and, if needed, a repair as well.

Which CAT phones will you find in this category?

The CAT S42 is a classic "work" smartphone: a 5.5-inch Gorilla Glass 5 screen that responds to wet fingers and gloved hands, a 4200 mAh battery, IP68 and claimed durability to MIL-STD-810H. It has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage. There's no fingerprint reader, but it does have a sealed headphone jack and FM radio. It'll suit someone who does physical work and doesn't want to put a chunky case on their phone.

The CAT S52 shows the brand's other side. It's just 9.7 mm thick, yet still meets IP68 and MIL-STD-810G. It gets 4 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, a fingerprint reader and Gorilla Glass 6. The 3100 mAh battery is smaller than in the S42, so it's the choice for someone who wants toughness without carrying a brick in their pocket.

Why consider a refurbished CAT?

A refurbished CAT phone costs noticeably less than it did at launch. With models whose manufacturer no longer exists, the second-hand market is really the only way to get hold of this kit. For the price of a new mid-range phone, you can get a checked model that will survive a drop onto concrete and a dunk in a puddle.

A phone like this goes back into use instead of waiting to be scrapped. That doesn't make it an eco-friendly decision in the full sense, but it makes more sense to use hardware built to last than to shelve it just because the brand's licence changed hands.

What should you check before buying?

Bullitt Group ran out of cash at the end of 2023, went into administration with PwC as administrators in early 2024, and its companies were finally wound up in 2025. In 2025 Caterpillar announced that new CAT devices would be made and sold by Orbic. The S42 and S52 date from the Bullitt era, so don't count on further system updates or security patches. The S52 launched with Android 9 and the S42 with Android 10. That's enough for calls, navigation and messaging apps, but newer banking apps may stop supporting them over time.

In this category you can filter CAT phones by:

• storage – 32 GB or 64 GB;
• RAM – from 3 GB to 4 GB;
• colour;
• price range;
• condition.

If you work in gloves or in the rain, the S42 is the better pick – the touchscreen works where other screens give up, and the battery is bigger. If you want fingerprint unlocking and more room for photos, choose the S52. With both models, pay attention to the condition of the seals and port covers – they determine whether IP68 still means anything.

Can you trust refurbished CAT phones?

The refurbished CAT phones in this category are used devices, checked against a 44-point checklist and, where needed, repaired by SWOPiFY partners. They're not new, and we never suggest they are. The checklist covers, among other things, the screen, battery, cameras, fingerprint reader and face recognition, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS and NFC connectivity, SIM card detection, microphone, speakers and ports. The condition of each unit is described by a grade: Premium, Very good, Good or Fair – each with its own requirements for appearance and battery.

Every purchase comes with a warranty. Since the phone's manufacturer no longer exists, that warranty is your real protection if something stops working.

Got an old phone you no longer use?

Trade it in through our buyback programme and pay less for your next phone. No need to find a buyer yourself, and the device won't gather dust in a drawer.

Browse the available CAT models and pick the one that suits your work, not just the logo on the back.