LOOK: World's First Antibacterial Smartphone Stops Spread of Microbes by 99.9%

It has been a year already since the very first case of COVID-19 was reported and by now, people have valued more the importance of hygiene. For the past months, there have been countless reports of coronavirus surviving on surfaces that could last for days. These surfaces are the common places that humans touch, such as the doorknob, tables, and even a smartphone.

Since most people now have smartphones it is important to always keep these devices clean. Recently, Bullitt has introduced the world's first-ever antibacterial smartphone that uses silver ions to reduce the spread of microbes by 99.9% in just 24 hours.

This antibacterial smartphone is called the CAT S42 which is an entry-level phone made to be tough, durable, and versatile; perfect for military use. It is currently sold at £229 ($397), but models that are equipped with the Biomaster antimicrobial technology will only be available in 2021.

Bullitt hopes to make all the CAT smartphones antibacterial like the S42 by next year, this includes the S52 and CAT's flagship phone the S62. Although it does not really kill coronaviruses, it does stop pathogens from spreading to stop microbes from increases. The device can reduce microbial transmission by 80% within 15 minutes and 99.9% in 24 hours.

CAT S42 Specs

CAT S42 has a 5.5-inch screen, Corning Gorilla Glass 5s, and Biomaster antimicrobial protection to reduce microbial activity. It has a processor of Mediatek Helio A20 MT 6761D 1.8GHz and has 3GB of RAM and 32GB of ROM, not to mention it also comes with an expandable MicroSD.

In terms of camera. its rear camera has 13 megapixels while the front has 8 megapixels resolution. It runs with the Android 10 operating system but can be upgraded to 11.

It also comes with a 4G network, WiFi-enabled, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, IP68 and IP69 certifications, and MIL 810 H military. Lastly, it is drop-proof of up to 1.8 meters to the concrete floor as attested by the YouTuber CompactEquipment.

First-Ever Antibacterial Smartphone

According to Peter Cunningham, Vice President at Bullitt Group, the rugged smartphone is completely waterproof which means users can wash it with soap and water, or use sanitizers or bleach to clean it. He thinks that this feature is vital especially for those who are working within the healthcare setting and those visiting many sites for their job.

"Using a Cat phone already allows them to have confidence that they can wash and sanitize their Cat phone regularly or between visits,": Cunningham said. Also, the CAT S42 is a new product of CAT phones, which makes it a safer option for users that is notably useful these days.

Its main feature is its external component that has been specially treated with Biomaster antimicrobial technology and tested according to ISO 22196. This technology uses silver ions during manufacture to create permanent protection against pathogens and inhibit their growth on the phone's surface to reduce microbe levels.