MWC: Panasonic gets more rugged

At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Panasonic announced plans to broaden its Toughpad range with the addition of a 5″ rugged Toughpad designed for mobile workers in harsh environments.

Panasonic yesterday unveiled plans at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to broaden its Toughpad range of rugged devices with a 5‚”” rugged toughpad. The device is designed for mobile workers who need a rugged device that can handle voice and data in the field or in challenging environments, including the emergency services and public safety as well as logistics, factories and warehouses.

Following the Panasonic announcement at the NRF2014 EXPO on January 13, the 5‚”” toughpad will be available with Microsoft Windows Embedded 8 Handheld operating system as well as Android.

The 5‚”” toughpad promises a market leading long battery life, with hot swap capabilities and quick charging features to enable users to keep working when on the move or in the field. The glove enabled touchscreen and outdoor viewable display with integrated high resolution camera and bar code reader will make working with the device easy in any environment. In line with the Panasonic Toughpad and Toughbook range, the new device will be built to the same rugged standards for knocks, drops, extreme temperatures, water and dust protection and deliver new benchmarks for drop and ingress protection for devices.

Following Panasonic’s philosophy of delivering rugged devices with the flexibility to be tailored for specific commercial uses, the toughpad will allow peripherals to be added to the device using fixing screws or via the internally accessible micro USB port. The toughpad has also been designed for versatile and comfortable use by mobile workers with optional accessories such as hand-straps and holsters to create wearable PC solutions.

With two versions of operating system planned, including voice and data options, the 5‚”” tablet voice version will come with Panasonic noise reduction technology to ensure crystal clear communication even in areas with loud background machine or mechanical noise.

‚””Many businesses are looking for solutions to their business communication needs in a work environment but haven’t found it in the consumer mobile devices available,‚”” said Jan Kaempfer, Head of European Marketing at Panasonic Computer Product Solutions. ‚””The 5‚”” toughpad with voice is the first of a new generation of rugged devices for these workforces and promises to be one of the toughest and longest working 5 inch device in the market. The new form factor is perfect for those in emergency services and public safety as well as for logistics, transportation, facilities, construction and field engineers.‚””

The 5‚”” toughpad will be introduced to selective European markets in Autumn 2014 and will be the latest addition to the Panasonic Toughpad range of rugged devices. Designed to transform the way mobile workers operate and to radically improve productivity, Toughpad now offers a range of rugged devices with 20 inch to 5 inch displays.

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