Summary
- Bullitt, the manufacturer of rugged phones, has closed down due to intense competition in the smartphone market.
- The company had ambitious plans for satellite-based text messaging, but the deal to transfer the satellite-focused portion of its company fell through.
- With Bullitt gone, customers may turn to Samsung and its Galaxy XCover6 Pro, a rugged smartphone with a removable battery and reliable software updates.
It’s bad news for Bullitt. The manufacturer’s collection of rugged phones managed to withstand the elements, but not the cutthroat competition in the smartphone market. Responsible for extra-tough devices sold by brands like Caterpillar, Land Rover, and JCB, UK-based Bullitt has thrown in the towel after it struggled to establish footing against smartphone giants like Apple and Samsung.
Following early January rumblings in The Daily Telegraph that Bullitt was teetering on collapse, official news of the company’s closure came on January 29 when Bullitt leadership announced on LinkedIn that it would lay off all personel, according to Mobile World Live. Bullitt initially intended to transfer its 100-strong employee roster to an adjacent company owned by Bullitt creditors, per the Telegraph, but this deal has apparently fallen through.
Bullitt had ambitious goals related to satellite-based text messaging, a feature that Apple recently debuted for use in emergency situations. The manufacturer intended to roll out phones with 5G satellite connectivity, according to a report from Light Reading, and said its devices would take satellite communication one step further than Apple did, hinting at phones that can use faster satellite messaging for more than just emergencies. As part of its recent satellite-focused work, Bullitt also released the Motorola Defy Satellite Link, a hotspot that connects phones to satellites rather than cellular towers. Unfortunately, with the plan to move the satellite-focused portion of its company having crumbled, it’s unclear what will happen with this device.
Ben Wood, chief analyst for England-based tech consulting firm CCS Insight, told MWL that Bullitt’s fold is a substantial loss for the industry, and commended the British company’s innovation efforts, hinting that this is unlikely to be the last tech-focused company going under over the next few years.
CAT and Motorola hardy phones remain available for purchase for the time being, but Bullitt’s closure shrinks an already-shallow pool for anyone trying to find rugged gadgets that don’t require additional accessories. There’s the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro, for example, a phone from the very manufacturer that might be responsible for today’s news, which promises resistance to water, dust, sand, and drops.
The XCover6 Pro also withstood military testing and holds up to intense use with its Gorilla Glass display and reinforced frame, all while running One UI, an Android experience a little more familiar and reliable to potential buyers. With Bullitt gone, it’s not hard to imagine its customers flocking to Samsung — its software upgrade policy alone makes it a viable candidate.
Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
The Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro was originally launched in June 2022, and comes packed with a ton of military-specific hardware and software features. Our favorite feature, however, is its removable battery, which is rare to find on a modern-day smartphone, even among budget and midrange phones. Since the Galaxy XCover 6 Pro is a relatively recent smartphone, customers can also expect to receive timely software and security updates.
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