On the hunt for a tablet that’s as tough as old boots? Panasonic may have the solution, unleashing the Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 at IFA yesterday, only they’re more phablet sized than full-on tablet! Each one packs a 5-inch display and either Android or Windows Embedded 8 for those who need a portable tablet that’s capable of withstanding pretty much anything you can throw at it. Want to know more?
The Windows-based Toughpad FZ-E1, and the Android-powered FZ-X1, certainly won’t come first at a beauty pageant, as they look more like rugged devices from yesteryear than a modern tablet, but each one could be the ideal choice for those who place function a country mile ahead of form. Panasonic is actually positioning its super-tough gadget as a “handheld tablet with data and voice capabilities”, which to us sounds suspiciously like a phone. A big phone, granted, but a phone none-the-less.
That 5-inch panel gets a 1280×720 resolution, and features like an anti-reflective toughened coating and weather-sensing tech that supports use in the pouring rain, making it perfect for life outdoors. With the ToughBook laptop range also in its stable, Panasonic knows a thing or two about making rugged gadgets, which is why the Toughpad meets or betters a whole host of specifications and standards, including MIL-STD-810G and IP68. As a result, it’s capable of surviving drops of up to 3m on concrete, dips of up to 1.5m in water for up to 30 minutes, and can work in temperatures ranging from -20°C to 60°C. There’s even an integrated heater for when the going gets tough!
Despite the rugged design, there’s actually a reasonable spec within that hard-as-nails chassis, including 4G LTE wireless connectivity, an 8-megapixel snapper, Bluetooth 4.0, GPSand Wi-Fi. The fact it’s designed for business use means that battery life is a priority, which is why Panasonic has added a massive 6,200mAh battery (rated for up to 1,000 hours on standby and an impressive talk time of 23 hours). Throw in that choice of operating systems, including Android 4.2.2 or Windows Embedded 8.1 – which is built on Windows Phone 8.1 and runs all of your favourite Windows Phone Store apps – and it’s clear that Panasonic is serious about targeting businesses.
All this doesn’t come cheap though, as the Android-based Toughpad FZ-X1 price starts at £1024 (excluding VAT), while it rises up to £1056 (excluding VAT) for the Windows-based FZ-E1 – fancy one?
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