CAT S22 Flip Alternatives: 6 Phones You Can Still Buy

The closest CAT S22 Flip alternative you can still buy new is the Sunbeam F1 Pro, a flip with a keypad, a touchscreen, and Waze on select models. If the S22 was your work phone, the Sonim XP3plus 5G matches its push-to-talk key and hazardous-location rating. AGM’s rugged flips cost far less.

None of the six keeps what made the S22 unusual: Android with the open Google Play Store. Each entry names what you give up, and two of them keep WhatsApp. The S22 itself has no maker left, because the company behind it went into liquidation in 2024.

If the apps were the reason you bought the S22, a lighter step fits better. A minimalist launcher on an Android phone keeps the apps you need and hides the rest.

What the CAT S22 Flip was, and why it is gone

The CAT S22 Flip was an Android phone in a rugged flip body. It ran Android 11 Go with the Google Play Store, so apps installed the same way as on any Android phone. You ran it mainly from the touchscreen, with the keypad for some functions.

The body was the other half of the appeal. It carried an IP68 rating, plus ratings for drops from 6 feet and 35 minutes in 5 feet of water. It also had GPS, a programmable push-to-talk key, a removable battery, and a Class I Division 2 rating for hazardous locations.

You cannot order one new from its maker. Bullitt Mobile built it as Caterpillar’s licensee, and UK records at Companies House show that Bullitt Mobile entered liquidation in April 2024. Its parent, Bullitt Group, had gone into administration that February, and Bullitt Mobile was dissolved in November 2025.

T-Mobile still hosts the S22 Flip’s manual, but the phone is gone from its lineup. Any S22 you find now is old stock or used, and no company remains to support it.

How we picked

Every phone below meets four conditions:

• You can order it new today from its maker or a carrier.
• It covers at least one job the S22 did: a tough body, touch with a keypad, maps, or WhatsApp.
• It works on 4G or 5G.
• It has no open app store, so each entry says what replaces the S22’s Play Store.

Rugged Android phones with the full Play Store are closer to the S22, but they keep every app the S22 had, so they stay out. Cheaper carrier flips without a rugged build are in our cheap flip phones list. Sonim’s XP5plus 5G is rugged but a bar, not a flip, so our Sonim XP5plus 5G review covers it.

Commodore’s Callback 8020 is a keypad flip with a touchscreen that runs many Android apps, WhatsApp included, while it blocks browsers and social apps. It is not here because it has not shipped.

The order runs from the closest match to the S22, through the work phone and the cheap rugged flips, to the two phones that keep WhatsApp. The last one is sold outside the US.

The best CAT S22 Flip alternatives

1. Sunbeam F1 Pro: closest match for touch, keypad, and maps

The Sunbeam F1 Pro comes closest to how the S22 worked day to day. Select models pair the keypad with a touchscreen, and the top models add Waze, HERE maps, text-only email, and a hotspot. Waze needs the touchscreen, because it does not work well with the keypad.

It suits an S22 owner who used the phone for directions, texts, and calls. Sunbeam sells it as a set of models with fixed tools, so choose by the features you need. The phone is unlocked, but it is meant for North and South America.

The trade-off is toughness and apps. Sunbeam calls the F1 Pro water and dust resistant, not waterproof, and its warranty excludes water damage. It has no web browser, social media, or app store, and it does not support WhatsApp.

2. Sonim XP3plus 5G: best for job sites

The Sonim XP3plus 5G is the flip to buy if the S22 was your work phone. It carries IP68, MIL-STD-810H, and Class I, II, and III Division 2 ratings, plus a programmable push-to-talk key and an SOS button. Sonim also rates it for 30 minutes under 6.5 feet of water.

It suits crews, site workers, and anyone whose employer buys phones through a carrier. You can buy it from AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Business, with or without a camera. Its three-year warranty also covers accidental damage.

The catch is that it works like a keypad phone, not like the S22. The T-Mobile version has a web browser but no app store and no maps app, so you lose WhatsApp and Google Maps. It weighs 245 g, against 180 g for the S22, and it costs several times more than the AGM flips.

3. AGM M8 Flip: rugged flip with no internet

The AGM M8 Flip keeps a tough body and drops the internet on purpose. It carries IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H ratings. There is also no internet browser, and you cannot install apps.

It suits an S22 owner who wants a rugged phone with a firm boundary, and a parent buying a tough first phone. AGM adds an SOS side key, hearing aid compatibility, and two SIM slots. For US service, AGM points to one carrier, Tello, which runs on T-Mobile’s network.

The cost is everything the Play Store gave the S22: no WhatsApp, no maps, and no way to add either. There is no touchscreen, and the guarantee runs one year, against three for the Sonim. So match the M8 Flip’s bands to your carrier before you port your number.

4. AGM M10: cheapest rugged flip

The AGM M10 is the cheapest way to keep a tough flip in your pocket. The ratings match the M8 Flip’s IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H, and it has a large keypad, two SIM slots, a torch, and an SOS call key.

It suits a backup phone for a truck or a toolbox, and anyone who wants a spare flip that can take a fall. It is a poor fit if you need a carrier match on day one, because AGM publishes no bands and no carrier for the M10.

Unlike the M8 Flip, the M10 has no published answer on a browser, so the boundary is less certain. It has no touchscreen, no maps, and no WhatsApp, and the guarantee runs one year. The battery is the smallest of the six, so plan to charge it often.

5. Techless Wisephone II: keeps WhatsApp and Waze, not the browser

The Techless Wisephone II is the pick if WhatsApp and maps were the point of your S22. It runs Techless’s locked-down WiseOS on Samsung’s A17 5G, with Maps built in and an optional Tool Drawer of vetted apps. That drawer includes WhatsApp, Waze, and Signal.

It suits someone who needs one chat app and directions but wants the open internet gone. There is no web browser, no social media, and no email. You can bring your own carrier or use Techless’s, and a web portal lets you or a trusted person choose which features stay on.

It gives up the S22’s shape and toughness, because it is a full touchscreen phone that Techless rates IP54. Every Wisephone needs a WiseOS subscription, and maps need it too. Techless can add or remove third-party apps at any time, so check that your app is still in the drawer.

6. Opel TouchFlip 4G: touch and WhatsApp in a flip, outside the US

The Opel TouchFlip 4G is the only flip here with both a touchscreen and WhatsApp, so it keeps the S22’s layout without the Play Store. Opel adds a hotspot and an SOS button that calls up to five contacts and texts them the phone’s location.

It suits a reader in Australia or New Zealand who wants touch and keys for family chats. The phone is Australian designed and supports Australian and New Zealand 4G networks. But no US carrier appears on its list, so check the bands before you import one.

It is a poor pick for rough use, because it has no water or drop rating and its warranty excludes water damage. You also cannot install third-party apps, and there is no maps app. It also takes one SIM and charges over microUSB.

How to choose a CAT S22 Flip alternative

Start with the job the S22 did for you, then check what each phone gives up.

1. Name the job. Touch and maps point to the Sunbeam F1 Pro, and work and push-to-talk point to the Sonim XP3plus 5G. A tough body on a budget points to AGM, and WhatsApp points to the Wisephone II or the Opel.
2. Decide about WhatsApp. No rugged flip here offers it. If a family group or a work chat runs on it, pick the Wisephone II, or keep Android with a launcher.
3. Read the rating, not the word rugged. The Sonim and AGM phones carry IP68 and MIL-STD-810H ratings. Sunbeam claims water resistance, not waterproofing, and Techless rates the Wisephone II at IP54.
4. Match the carrier. AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon Business sell the Sonim. Sunbeam’s phones are unlocked, and Tello is the only carrier AGM points to for the M8 Flip.
5. Count the monthly costs. The Wisephone II needs a WiseOS subscription, and Sunbeam charges for map search and talk-to-text. The AGM phones need only a carrier plan.

If the boundary matters more than the toughness, compare phones without internet access and phones that only call and text.

When an Android phone with a launcher is the better choice

Skip every phone above if the S22 earned its place through apps. If your bank or a work app needs Google Play, none of these phones opens the Play Store to you.

The lighter step is to keep Android and change what it shows. A minimalist launcher swaps the home screen for a short list of the apps you choose, and an app blocker limits the rest. On a rugged Android phone, that keeps the S22’s toughness and its apps.

A used S22 Flip is the weaker version of that plan. It still has the Play Store, but its maker no longer exists, so treat it as a stopgap.

Common questions

Is the CAT S22 Flip discontinued?

Yes, in practice. Bullitt Mobile, the Caterpillar licensee that built it, entered liquidation in April 2024, and UK Companies House records show it dissolved in November 2025. T-Mobile still hosts the manual, but the phone is gone from its lineup.

Is there a CAT S22 Flip successor?

No phone came after it from the same maker, because Bullitt Mobile no longer exists. The Sunbeam F1 Pro is the closest match in daily use, with a touchscreen and Waze on select models. For a work phone, the Sonim XP3plus 5G is the flip to pick.

What phones are similar to the CAT S22 Flip?

The Sunbeam F1 Pro and the Opel TouchFlip 4G are closest in layout, because both pair a keypad with a touchscreen in a flip. Neither has the Play Store, though, and Commodore’s Callback 8020 adds Android apps to the same layout but has not shipped.

For the tough body, the Sonim XP3plus 5G and the AGM M8 Flip carry IP68 ratings, and the M8 Flip costs far less.

Is the CAT S22 Flip a Nokia phone?

No. Bullitt Mobile built it as a licensee of Caterpillar, which owns the Cat brand. Nokia phones come from HMD, which sells them on its own site.

Should I buy a Nokia 2780 Flip instead of a CAT S22 Flip?

Not new in the US. HMD’s US site now redirects to its international site, which has no page for the Nokia 2780 Flip. For a plain keypad flip, pick a current carrier flip instead.

Can a rugged flip phone use WhatsApp?

None of the rugged flips here offers it. Sunbeam’s phones do not support WhatsApp, and you cannot install apps on the M8 Flip. The Wisephone II and the Opel TouchFlip 4G both run it, and our list of dumbphones with WhatsApp covers more phones that run it.

Final thoughts

Buy for the job the S22 did for you. The Sunbeam F1 Pro replaces touch, texts, and maps, and the Sonim XP3plus 5G replaces the work phone. The AGM M8 Flip and M10 keep the tough body for far less.

If WhatsApp decided it, choose the Wisephone II in the US or the Opel TouchFlip 4G in Australia or New Zealand. If you need the whole Play Store, keep Android and add a launcher instead of buying another flip.