At an event in New Delhi, Panasonic India has launched fully-rugged 5-inch handheld tablet Toughpad FZ-E1 running on Windows 8.1 and Toughpad FZ-X1 running on Android 4.2.2 OS at Rs.119,000 and Rs. 109,000 respectively. They also launched semi-rugged Toughbook CF-54 at Rs. 139,000.
The Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 represent a significant expansion of Panasonic’s Toughpad line and are enterprise-focussed tablets. These tablets are ideal to be used in tough conditions and suitable for relief work, construction, telecommuniccation, logistics, medical, food industry and defence sectors. These devices were used extensively in the relief work in Nepal after the massive earthquake over there.
The Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 are drop resistant and can withstand drop of up to 10 feet on concrete. They are also IP65 / IP68 dust and water proof. They can remain submersed in 1.5 metres water for 30 minutes without any damage. You can work on these devices with gloves and even in rain. They also offer voice connectivity and come with Dual-SIM (Micro-SIM )slots. These device are fuelled by 6200 mAh battery, which is claimed to provide up to 14 hours of back-up. This high capacity battery is replacable with hot swap function, which means that when you are changing the battery, your device will keep working for few minutes.
Besides above features, the Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 come with Barcode reader, which is significant feature for use in big stores and in logistics. These devies also incorporate 3 microphones for intelligent noise cancellation and loud volume twin speakers. These devices can perform in extreme weather conditions from upto -20 degree celcius to +60 degree celcius. These devices can be mounted on automobile vehicles also.
The Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 have 5 inch HD display (1280×720) with daylight viewing, and come with 2GB RAM, 32GB internal storage which can be expanded upto 64GB via microSD card. They are equipped with 8MP rear camera with LED light and 1.3MP front camera.
The Toughpad FZ-E1 is powered by a Qualcomm MSM8974AB 2.3 GHz Quad-core processor with Adreno 330 for graphics, and the Toughpad FZ-X1 is driven by a Qualcomm APQ8064T 1.7GHz Quad-core processor with Adreno 320.
Finally, the Toughbook CF-54 features a 14 inch LCD display (1366×768 pixels). It is packed with the new 5th Generation Intel Core i5-5300U vPro Processor (3 MB cache, 2.3 GHz up to 2.9 GHz with Intel Turbo Boost Technology). It is equipped with Intel HD 5500 Graphics chip, coupled with 4GBDDR3 SDRAM (max 16GB). It works on Windows 8.1 Pro OS.
Besides use in various verticals, the Toughbook is ideal for usage in the automotive diagnostic industry and field work. The Toughbook CF-54 has a single battery life of 11 hours, and also come with hot swappable battery option. It is approxiamtely 50% thinner and 25% lighter than previous model CF-53. It is shock and vibration protected and can perform in temperatures ranging from -10 degree celcisu to + 50 degree celcius. This notebook can withstand drop from a height of upto 76 centimeters. It comes in honeycomb-style magnesium casing with carry handle.
Speaking on the launch, Mr. Toru Hasegawa, Divisional Managing Director, Solutions Division, Panasonic India, said, “With the industry moving towards unification of enterprise and carrier networks, we are offering all-inclusive solutions to different market segments. The new products build on the legacy of nearly two decades of rugged devices from Panasonic to accomplish the mission of professionals in the most demanding work environments. With this launch, we are looking at increasing our presence in the Rugged IT devices segment from an existing 60% to almost 65%.”
