Panasonic Toughbook Phone, Tablet Can Survive Your Work Day

Rugged phones and tablets take a modest user base of operations in the consumer market; they're much more of import in the business world. If you lot're a logistics managing director or a retail employee who needs a device that tin can scan a hundred barcodes, schedule shipments, and not break when it gets dropped on the warehouse flooring or exposed to liquids, regular consumer electronics but aren't going to cut it.

With devices like the Toughbook 33, Panasonic has offered rugged solutions for some fourth dimension. Simply the beefy construction of a laptop isn't ever suitable for workers on the go. It's the latter marketplace Panasonic is targeting with its new Toughbook T1 handheld and Toughbook L1 tablet.

"With the devices we're unveiling today, nosotros are responding to where piece of work is now, and anticipating where information technology'due south going – delivering reliable, easy-to-use devices with professional person grade features like integrated, loftier-volume barcode scanning, long-lasting batteries and high-speed connectivity to provide a competitive reward and offering smarter, more responsive workplaces," said Brian Rowley, VP of Marketing and Product Management at Panasonic Organisation Solutions Visitor of Due north America.

We went easily-on with both the new devices, which avowal sleeker form factors than past Toughbook handhelds without compromising on immovability or features. The T1 is a 5-inch handheld that runs Android 8.one Oreo and comes clad in a tough body of aluminum, polycarbonate, and safety. It has the power to "warm swap" batteries, letting you remove the prison cell and alter it out without needing to ability downward. The Toughbook L1 is a seven-inch tablet version running the aforementioned operating system.

Both devices rated Military Standard 810G, giving them drop and shock resistance to impacts, and confirms they've survived a slew of lab tests against conditions similar fog and exposure to humidity. The T1 has an IP68 certification, allowing it to withstand full immersion in 5 feet of water for up to xxx minutes. The L1 is IP67 certified, giving it resistance to 3.3 feet of h2o for 30 minutes. I took both devices exterior while it was raining and gave them a thorough rinsing. Unsurprisingly, they handled the drizzle only fine and the screen can exist used with gloves or fifty-fifty when wet.

This kind of durability is something nosotros've seen on consumer-facing devices like the Kyocera DuraForce Pro and Samsung Milky way S8 Agile, but it'southward rare to find it in such a sleek form factor in the enterprise marketplace. Compared with the hefty Toughbook N1 which sports a body that's over half a pound and an elongated, angled rear barcode scanner, the T1 presents a much more svelte figure. Using both devices side-by-side, the newer T1 is easier to pocket, easier to handle, and mostly has more in common with the Cat S60 in terms of physical appearance, which is a rugged telephone that comes with a thermal imaging camera.

But where the S60 has lots of uses for tradespeople similar plumbers and electricians, the T1 and L1 are both oriented more toward retail, transportation, and warehouse workers. Its built-in barcode scanner, together with a pistol grip attachment, allows information technology to plow into a dedicated barcode reader. One time you're done scanning codes, you can slot the T1 out to brand phonation calls and connect through multiple carriers via 4G LTE (AT&T and Verizon supported).

The L1 has a bigger screen, making it better suited for viewing spreadsheets and inventory direction. Information technology similarly comes with a barcode scanner that can be used in portrait and landscape orientation with a 360-degree rotating manus grip that can browse barcodes just equally easily every bit the T1, however, there's no pistol grip for it. Both devices come up with dual-band Wi-Fi and optional cellular connectivity.

Pricing for both the Toughbook T1 and L1 is expected to exist $1,499, putting them firmly in the enterprise market.