The Panasonic Toughbook tablets are perfect for outdoor use. Image source: Panasonic.
Panasonic has strengthened its ToughBook line-up with the addition of two new fully rugged tablets - the windows-based ToughBook G2 and the android powered ToughBook S1.
The ToughBook G2 is a 2-in-1 detachable 10-inch Windows 10 based tablet that has an 18.5-hour battery life, an optional keyboard, and user-removable expansion packs (xPAK’s). In addition, the ToughBook G2 is available in the Intel Core i5 and i7 vPro processor (with Intel vPro technology) configurations and has been enhanced with an eSIM. It also has double the RAM (up to 32GB) and storage (up to 1TB) over the previous G1.
The Panasonic Toughbook G2 can have a series of attachments added on. Image source: Panasonic.
ToughBook G2 users can choose from the Standard and Quick Release SSDs models. The device also provides users with the option of adding features such as a serial port, thermal camera, and barcode reader. The user exchangeable expansion bay area allows users to add contact smart card and contactless smart card readers and designate quick clicks via three customisable buttons on the front frame of the display.
The android powered ToughBook S1 comes with a 7-inch display, 14-hour battery life, in a more compact handheld form factor. The device also features a 5-foot drop rating and IP65 and IP67 certification for dust and water resistance. It comes powered by the Qualcomm Octa-core SDM660 Chipset 2.2Ghz with 4GB memory and 64GB storage. It uses the Android 10 operating system with productivity+, an Android ecosystem that enables enterprises to develop, deploy and sustain the Android OS environment across their working environment.
The Touchbook S1 is IP65 and IP67 rated for dust and water resistance. Image source: Panasonic.
We last saw the Panasonic A3 from last year with the S3 representing an improvement over that.
We asked Panasonic if both devices would be upgraded to Windows 11 and Android 12 and the company replied that the Panasonic ToughBook G2 is compatible with Windows 11 and that users can choose to upgrade to Windows 11 when it is made available to them. Panasonic will also be selling the ToughBook G2 with Windows 11 pre-installed from March 2022. The Toughbook S1 is also upgradable to Android 12.
Pricing and availability
The ToughBook S1 is available in Singapore via authorised distributors from the month of October with prices starting from US$2,499, while the ToughBook G2 will be available from December onwards starting from US$2,999.
Specs | ToughBook G2 | ToughBook S1 | ||
Mobile Computing Platform | Intel Core i5-10310U vPro /i7-10610U vPro | Qualcomm SDM660 Octa-Core Processor | ||
Operating System | Windows 10 Pro | Android 10 | ||
RAM | 16GB (max. 32GB) DDR4 | 4GB RAM | ||
Storage | Quick Release 512GB OPAL NVMe SSD (1TB optional) | 64GB eMMC 5.1 | ||
Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics | Qualcomm Adreno 512 GPU | ||
LCD | 10.1-inch sunlight-viewable WUXGA Active Matrix (TFT) IPSa colour LCD (up to 1000cd/m2 brightness | 7.0-inch outdoor readable IPS LCD display (up to 500cd/m2), 1280 x 800 (WXGA) | ||
Touchscreen | 10 finger capacitive multi-touchscreen + digitizer with glove and rain modes | glove-enabled capacitive touchscreen | ||
Bluetooth | Version 5.1 Class 1 | Version 5.1 Class 1 | ||
Wireless LAN | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 | Qualcomm WCN3980 (IEEE802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/d/h/i/r/k/v/w) | ||
Mobile broadband | 4G LTE, supports 3G | 4G LTE, supports 3G - Sierra AirPrime EM7430 | ||
GPS | U-Blox NEO-M8N | Integrated (GPS,GLONASS,Galileo,Beidou,QZSS) - CEP50 (±2 to 4m) | ||
Sound | Intel High-Definition Audio subsystem support, stereo speaker | Single Front Speaker up to 94dBA, internal microphone with noise suppression | ||
Camera | Front Camera | 2 megapixels with IR / privacy shutter (Windows Hello compliant) | Front Camera | 5 megapixels |
Rear Camera | 8 megapixels with autofocus and LED flash | Rear Camera | 13 megapixels with autofocus and LED flash | |
Dimensions | 279 × 188 × 28.1 mm | 193 × 131 × 22.9 mm without Gadgets | ||
Weight | Approx 1.315kg | Approx 506g (Wi-Fi) / 514g (4G) | ||
Price | US$2,999 | US$2,499 |
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