Panasonic has launched two new handheld 'Toughbook' models in India today. These devices are targeted towards the mobile workforce that need a rugged device to remotely do their job. The Toughbook FZ-T1 and L1 can be used for taking orders, shelf stocking, logistical record keeping among others.
The Toughbook FZ-T1 is slim, extremely durable and sports a 5-inch display. This form factor, and the fact that it can make calls, makes it closer to a smartphone than a tablet - but Panasonic still insists on calling it a 'Toughbook'. It was launched globally back in June this year. The 5-inch display has a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, has 10-point multitouch support along with rain sensing, glove touch mode and can accept a passive pen input. The FZ-T1 runs Android 8.1 Oreo and has an integrated barcode scanner which is capable of scanning barcodes.
This Toughbook can also connect to resource management systems and databases. The FZ-T1 is powered by a quad-core processor which is clocked at 1.1GHz and comes with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of internal storage. It is designed to MIL-STD810G standards and has an IP68 rating. The device is also capable of withstanding a 5 feet drop. Since the device is meant for a busy work environment, it has noise suppression technology and a loudspeaker.
Panasonic's second offering is the Toughbook FZ-L1 which is a professional grade tablet, and launched globally in July this year. It is available in WiFi only for indoor operations as well as aone with voice and data capability for field workers. The FZ-L1 has a bigger 7-inch display with 1280x720 pixel resolution. This also supports 10-point capacitive multi-touch with rain sensing and glove mode as well as input from the optional passive stylus.
This rugged tablet is also designed to MIL-STD810G standards, is IP67 rated and is drop resistant up to 5 feet. It is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, has 2GB of RAM and 16GB of inbuilt storage. Panasonic claims that the Toughbook FZ-T1 is capable of delivering up to 12-hours of battery life while the Toughbook TZ-L1 is capable of up to 9 hours of usage time. The prices of these devices start at Rs. 60,000 without tax but will go up based on customisations.
