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Panasonic's latest Toughpad has the strength, thickness of 10 smartphones (hands-on)
Panasonic may have bowed out of the consumer smartphone game, but gadgets for businesses are a completely different story. That's why the Japanese company came to Mobile World Congress with a new pair of rugged Toughpad smartphones in tow. You can't mistake them, despite their identical looks, because one runs Android 4.2.2 and the other has Windows Embedded 8 Handheld -- and we just got a chance to see what they're made of.
Panasonic's newest Toughpad isn't a smartphone, except when it is
When Panasonic said that it was done making smartphones, it meant it. The 5-inch Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1, you see, are very small tablets that just happen to make calls, okay? Both come with a 5-inch 1,280 x 720 LCD display, 2GB RAM, 32GB of on-board storage and a microSD card slot. Another way in which these devices aren't smartphones is in the connectivity stakes. After all, you wouldn't see a smartphone with 802.11a/b/g/n/ac WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, HSPA+, WCDMA, EV-DO, 3G and LTE radios, not to mention HD Voice, GPS and GLONASS, would you? Since these are Toughpad devices, they're both ruggedized to withstand drops, dust and water to MIL-810G, IP65 and IP68 -- so you can use the device's 8-megapixel camera and 1.3-megapixel front-facing lens in any conditions. There's also a staggering 6,200mAh battery tucked inside, which the company promises will keep you trucking for 14 hours of continuous use and up to 1,000 hours of standby. The only real difference between the two smartphones small tablets is the choice of operating system, with the E1 running Windows 8 Embedded and the X1 packing Android 4.2.2. There's no specific word on pricing, but we could expect 'em to retail for around 130,000 yen ($1,300) when they both drop later in the year.
Panasonic's 20-inch 4K 'tablet' comes to the US in January for $6,000
We got our first peek at Panasonic's 4K Toughpad tablet last January at CES, and now the company says it will go on sale in the US about a year later, for $5,999. Panasonic announced two devices for Europe, but here in the US there's only the higher end UT-MB5 that packs Windows 8.1, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, Intel Core i5 CPU and, oh yeah -- that super high res 3,840 x 2,560 LCD. With a projected two hour battery life you probably won't be using this on the go very often (there's an optional desktop cradle and carrying case), but even with its incredible 20-inch size, it's about .49-inches thick and weighs 5.27 lbs. If you're a professional in the "video production, architecture, design, photography and healthcare" fields who can expense this six thousand dollar slate, you're probably already sold -- all others can check after the break for a demo video and more specs.
Panasonic's 20-inch 4K Toughpad tablet ships in November for about €4,500
Panasonic's 4K Toughpad tablet initially debuted at CES in January, but here at IFA in Berlin, the company is finally ready to shed some light on availability. Speaking at a press conference focused on the device, GM Jan Kampfer detailed the giant slate, which includes a fiberglass housing and sports a 3,840 x 2,560 (230 ppi) power-efficient IPS display with 176-degree viewing angles. The UT-MB5 supports 10-finger touch and includes a Bluetooth-enabled optical Anoto Live Pen with a six-hour battery life and palm rejection. The Toughpad was designed with creative types in mind, such as artists and architects -- though we wouldn't mind having one around as a fantastic (albeit pricey) portable 4K movie viewer. There will be two models: a Standard flavor that weighs in 2.3kg and includes 4GB (expandable to 8GB) of RAM and a 128GB SSD, and a 2.7kg Performance model with 8GB RAM (expandable to 16GB) and a 256GB SSD. The company is targeting design pros with that latter version, such as those working with 3D modeling tools, while the lower-powered spec would be a better fit for healthcare users, retail or sales professionals. Panasonic aimed for workstation performance here, so both devices include Intel Core i5 processors and run on Windows 8.1. There are three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI out, an SD card slot and an optional desktop cradle and mounting point adapter. They're also quite durable, and are reinforced to survive 76 cm (2.5 ft) drops. The Standard model will ship in November, while the Performance slate is expected in early 2014. Update: Microsoft is reporting that the device will ship in the US and Europe beginning this Saturday, September 7th, but Panasonic executives at the IFA event are confirming a November timeframe. The Toughpad on stage is being described as a "prototype," further reinforcing that the slate is not ready to ship. Update 2: Panasonic reps quoted pricing for the standard version at €4,508 (about $6,000), with the Performance version MSRP to be announced. The optional pen will retail for €280 (about $370). Follow all of our IFA 2013 coverage by heading to our event hub!
Panasonic FZ-G1 Windows 8 Pro and JT-B1 Android Toughpad tablets hands-on
Panasonic just revealed the two newest members of its Toughpad family here at CES, the FZ-G1 Windows 8 slate and the 7-inch JT-B1 Android tablet. Naturally, when the company's gave us the chance get handsy with this pair of chunky monkeys we jumped at the chance. Each of them have the telltale look of every Panasonic Toughbook and Toughpad -- a solidly constructed silver plastic shell with black rubber corners and a girth roughly twice that of its less robust gadget brethren. We were surprised to find that the smaller of the two tablets we fondled failed to have Android 4.2 on board. Instead it was loaded up with Ice Cream Sandwich, which the slate's dual-core OMAP silicon kept humming smoothly during our brief time with it. Like its 10-inch sibling we saw last year, its matte screen mutes colors while it reduces glare. While the strap on the back is an optional accessory, we see its appeal for securing the device in hand, and fully expect it'll be a popular add-on for enterprise customers. Meanwhile, the Windows 8 slate's screen was a bit brighter and more vibrant, and its Core i5 had us swiping through the OS's tiles even more smoothly than its smaller stablemate. Build quality was, of course extremely solid, but results in a tablet with considerable heft. If you'd like to see the two Toughpads in action, a pair of videos await after the break. Mark Hearn contributed to this article.
Panasonic launches two new Toughpads, offers a choice of Windows or Android
Panasonic's launching a pair of Toughpads that'll take none of your nonsense -- no matter what you throw at it. The FZ-G1 is a 10-inch version that runs Windows 8 Pro, while the seven-inch JT-B1 runs Ice Cream Sandwich. Both are following in the footsteps of the Honeycomb-running A1 and B1 that arrived back in 2011. Both are ruggedized to MilSpec standard 810G and should withstand immersion in water, have daylight viewable screens and the larger of the pair can even use a stylus with third-party apps. The FZ-G1 10-inch Windows Machine has a 1,920 x 1,200 display and is packing a 1.9GHz Ivy Bridge Intel Core i5-3437U vPro CPU, a 128GB SSD (upgradeable to 256GB), up to 8GB of RAM an eight-hour battery and an optional microSD slot. Connectivity-wise, there's USB 3.0 and 2.0 ports, Bluetooth 4.0, 802.11 a/b/g/n WiFi and optional Verizon LTE or 3G. The JT-B1, on the other hand, has a 1,024 x 600 display and runs a 1.5GHz dual-core TI OMAP 4660, 16GB storage and 1GB RAM, built-in microSD slot, 13-megapixel rear and 1.3-megapixel forward facing cameras and an eight hour, 5,720mAh battery. The larger of the pair will be available in March and will set you back $2,900, while the smaller one will arrive in February and will cost $1,300. Interested in knowing more, or just curious if you can use the hardware to knock down a few walls? Head on past the break for some PR.
Panasonic Toughpad A1 clashes with FCC, goes the distance
It's been a long time coming, but Panasonic's hardy, Honeycomb-decked ICS-toting tablet looks like it might be ready for butter-fingered customers. The FCC's stable of tests aren't revealing much we didn't already know about the Toughpad, but be assured that its WiFi and Bluetooth capabilities are both fit for use. The full radio reports are up now, so hit the source for over 86 pages of detail -- if you're feeling tough enough. Update: Panasonic's got in touch to tell us that the Toughpad will now arrive with Android 4.0.
Hands-on with Panasonic's 10-inch Toughpad tablet
Well, Panasonic's presser here at CES just ended, and we just got done getting handsy with the company's Toughpad tablet. As we reported back in November when it was first announced, it's a 10-inch Android tablet running Honeycomb that's built to absorb abuse (as illustrated when Panasonic's Shiro Kitajima dropped one on stage today). We didn't get to spend a ton of time with the Toughpad, but we did lay our hands on it long enough to form some quick impressions. Using the tablet is much like any other Android slate, except there are a few distinct differences. First off, its 1,024 x 768 capacitive screen sports a matte finish instead of the glossy panels found on most every other tablet. It's a decent display with excellent viewing angles, but colors are a bit washed out when compared to iPads and Galaxy Tabs. While we love that the matte screen eliminates glare, it wasn't quite as responsive to swipes as we'd like, as gestures were met with a slight, almost imperceptible delay. The tablet was also a chore to hold with one hand for more than a few minutes -- a MIL-spec slate that's light in weight just isn't in the cards. The buttons at the bottom are clear plastic and clicky, but their recessed nature and short throw aren't the most finger-friendly we've found. Now, we just need to get a Toughpad we can put though our gadget grinder and see just how much abuse it can take. Ben Drawbaugh contributed to this report.
Panasonic Toughpad A1 and B1: the tablets you can drop and pick back up again
Panasonic's bringing its Tough ways to the tablet front, unveiling two new Honeycomb slates that could be the most durable consumer entries to that field we've yet seen. First up is the 10-inch A1, running with a 1.2GHz dual-core Marvell processor backed by 16GB of integrated storage and further expansion courtesy of microSD. That display packs 1,024 x 768 pixels in a 4:3 form-factor that is said to be anti-glare and stylus-ready, the whole package clocking in at a very healthy 2.13 pounds. Remember, this is an evolution of the Tough series: it'll have more to love -- including LTE or WiMAX connectivity and 10 hours of life from a user-replaceable battery. There's also a 7-inch B1, which we know a little less about at this point, but both are MIL-STD-810G rated to survive drops, dust and water. You know, the sorts of things that most tablet owners buy expensive cases to protect from. But, a starting MSRP of $1,299 for the A1 might make your budget keeper recoil at least a little bit, though the presumably somewhat cheaper B1 is still lacking a price. Both will quite literally drop in 2012, so watch those feet. %Gallery-138727% %Gallery-138729%
