Panasonic unveiled the third generation of its semi-rugged laptop, the Toughbook 55 Mark 3. It is aimed at professionals conducting on-site inspections, managing infrastructure or responding to emergencies. There are multiple configuration options, but the highlights start with the 13th generation Intel processors – you can pick between a Core i5-1345U (2P+8E cores, 4.7GHz boost) and a Core i7-1370P (6P+8E cores, 5.2GHz boost). The laptop can have 2 DIMMs of user-upgradable RAM (16-64GB of DDR4-3200MHz) and a main OPAL NVMe SSD (512GB to 2TB). There are more storage options, but it’s more complicated than a second SSD bay, so we’ll get to that.
This laptop has a 14” display – either a
1,366 x 768px one or a 1,920 x 1,080px one with touch. While both are IPS
panels, the higher resolution touch panel also boasts a peak brightness of
1,000 nits along with anti-reflective and anti-glare coatings. The Toughbook 55
Mk3 is equipped with an extra loud 92dB Waves MaxxAudio speaker system. It also
has dual-array mics with AI noise reduction so that it can pick up your voice
clearly even in a noisy environment.
Panasonic calls it “semi-rugged”, but it’s
actually pretty rugged. It has been rated for drops up to 3’ (MIL-STD-810H), in
addition to shock, vibration, altitude, freeze/thaw and temperature shock. The
device is rated IP53 for dust and water resistance. Here’s something you don’t
see every day – the main SSD has a heater. Not a heat spreader, a heater. This
allows it to operate in extra cold environments. The body is made out of a
magnesium alloy and has an integrated handle. The keyboard is spill resistant
and the display has a raised bezel for protection. There’s also a replaceable
screen protector if it does take a whack.
Despite its tough looks, the laptop has
advanced connectivity options. This includes a Thunderbolt 4 port with up to
40Gbps data transfer, plus Display Port and Power Delivery support. It even has
Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support. But it’s the xPAK modules where it gets
interesting. There are three expansion slots – rear, left and right. Each can
accept various modules, so professionals can add serial and LAN ports if they
need them. Or a fingerprint reader, barcode reader, smart card reader, optical
drives, more SSDs and even a second battery. That last option boosts the
battery life from 10 hours to 20 hours (or more – the second battery is
hot-swappable).
Integrated options include a gigabit
Ethernet port, dual-SIM connectivity (one nano-SIM + one eSIM) with a 4G modem
with FirstNet and CBRS Band 48 compatibility, dedicated GPS receiver, an
infrared camera and more. The keyboard has customizable keys that can launch
specific applications or trigger certain actions like shortcuts. The Panasonic
Toughbook 55 Mk3 with an Core i7 processor are available in North America now,
check the official site for more details. The version with an i5 is coming in
February 2024.
