British company Bullitt, responsible for making rugged phones under the Caterpillar (Cat) and Motorola Defy brands, failed to restructure financially and was forced to fold. Former employees posted on LinkedIn company unable to service its debt, and all are currently looking for new jobs.
According to WinFuture, Bullitt’s plan was to hand over the hardware division to a lender-backed firm and focus on developing satellite communication devices.
The British phone maker owns the commercial rights to manufacture and distribute rugged phones with the Bullitt Cat and Motorola logos, as well as several Land Rover-branded handsets. The company revealed at MWC 2023 that it is working on its own solution for satellite connectivity, jointly developed with MediaTek.
The versatile, rugged smartphones are an attractive proposition for people who need a solid yet affordable device. Typical Cat owners weren’t willing to spend extra on the Samsung Xcover series but wanted to stay away from Chinese brands like Ulefone, Blackview and Okitel.
