The IFA 2014 tradeshow in Berlin is not just for stylish devices like the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 or the new Sony Xperia Z3 – Panasonic tries to break the mold by announcing the Toughpad FZ-X1 rugged Android handset (FZ-E1 for the Windows 8.1 model). With a name that sounds more like an artisan tool than a phone, Panasonic seemingly went for all out rugged protection with this new industry-ready device.
The Toughpad FZ-X1 is a 5-inch device with tablet and voice call capabilities. Underneath all the armor is a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 1.7GHz Quad-Core SoC and 2GB of RAM to power all of the processes. The screen is a distinct technology which is readable in sunlight (non-reflective), and has 1280×720 HD resolution, and – dig this – 10-point capacitive multi-touch input. The device runs on Android 4.2.2.
The device’s battle armor is just as impressive – the device is MIL-STD-810G certified, which means it is certified by the US Department of Defense for device physical integrity. The new device is also tested for 3m drops to concrete, which a majority of commercial devices would not be able to survive. The casing of the Toughpad is also IP68 certified, for sealing against dust and submersible in water.
Lastly, the Toughpad has battery life that is drool-worthy – its 6200mAh battery gives users standby time of up to 1,000 hours, talk time of up to 23 hours and up to 14 hours of continuous data access. Not only that, the battery is hot swappable, meaning that you can take the battery out and swap it with a spare one without powering the device down. How cool is that?
In real world terms though, rugged devices like the Toughpad FZ-X1 are designed for enterprise level, industry-related workplaces which will be dangerous for most consumer level devices. It’s not eye-candy, but it will survive a number of situations which a normal consumer phone would not. Lots of interesting stuff going on at the IFA 2014, keep tabs by clicking on our tag link.
SOURCE: Panasonic
Did they mention what carriers are getting this? If it’s coming to Verizon then this is a must buy for us. Our company buys a lot of rugged smartphones. We just bought a couple kyocera brigadiers a couple weeks ago. They’re ugly as hell but they get the job done.