Panasonic’s Toughbook computers look more like
suitcases than laptops – they are not pretty, they are not cheap, but they are
so rugged that they are advertised for military use. A few years ago the
company unveiled Toughpad tablets and now there’s a phone.
Well, the Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 isn’t
necessarily a phone, the press release calls it a “handheld”. That’s because
there’s a Wi-Fi only version as well as a Wi-Fi/4G vesrsion (with voice
capabilities). Either way it runs Android 8.1 Oreo with Panasonic’s COMPASS 2.0
(Complete Android Security and Services), which enables flexible business
management and security.
The handheld features a barcode scanner, which works
at a short and long ranges (depending on whether you’re scanning something in
front of you or high up on a shelve). Next year there will be an auto-range
barcode scanner accessory.
The Toughbook has the usual IP68 and MIL-STD-810G
label. It has been tested with drops from 1.5m (5 ft) height and it has a
working temperature range between -10 to 50°C (14-122°F). The 5” screen can
work in the rain and can be operated with gloves or a passive stylus.
Yes, a 5” 720p screen. This is not a high-end
device, it’s powered by a rusty Snapdragon 210 chipset with 2 GB of RAM and 16
GB of storage. The 8 MP camera won’t impress anyone either, but Panasonic says
it’s useful for scanning documents.
The battery allows for warm swapping – you can take
out a depleted battery and put in a fresh one without needing to power down the
phone. The capacity is unknown, it’s just described as having 12-hour battery
life.
Panasonic unironically calls the handheld “slim and
lightweight”. We don’t know how “slim” it is, but the “under 240g” weight makes
us think that this claim may be a bit of an exaggeration. But that’s nothing,
wait until you hear the price.
The Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1 will be available
across Europe. The Wi-Fi only model launches in August at £ 1,142 (plus VAT) and
the 4G model will be out in September at £ 1,214 (€ 1,386/Us$ 1,615). Hey, at least
you get three years of warranty.
