Panasonic Unveils Toughpad Android-Powered Tablets

Now this is a tablet, at least it’s what I need. I’m always afraid to drop my tablet, I like it a lot and I would not be happy if anything happened to it. The new Toughpad from Panasonic is running Android 3.2, a 1,2ghz dual core CPU and it even has HDMI. Sadly it’s priced way out of my range at $1299.

Panasonic, an industry leader in rugged, reliable handheld and tablet computers since 1996, today unveiled the Toughpad family of professional-grade Android™-powered tablets (#Toughpad), which includes a 10” and 7” device. The devices—targeting mission-critical and highly mobile workers—will be supported by an eco-system that includes an enterprise focused app store, peripherals, developer tools, deployment support and more.

Purpose-built for Real-world Mobility

The Toughpad A1 has a high brightness, 10.1” XGA capacitive, multi-touch, daylight-viewable screen so mobile workers, in markets like supply chain logistics, utilities and the military, can easily see critical data and operate the device regardless of lighting conditions.

The Toughpad A1 offers a stylus and active digitizer, enabling flexible data entry in the field, as well as signature capture and handwriting recognition functionalities—ideal for sales, customer service and mobile point-of-service environments. Other features include integrated cameras, a serviceable battery, multiple options for peripheral connectivity and battery life that will accommodate a full day of work.

The new Toughpad family is designed to meet many of the same durability standards as Panasonic’s Toughbook PC product line. The devices have MIL-STD-810G ratings for drops as well as ingress protection ratings for resistance to dust and water. The Toughpad A1 is also rated for use in a wide range of temperatures. This elevated level of durability results in tablets that deliver reliability in almost any environment, assuring maximum mobile worker productivity.

The Toughpad A1 offers optional 4G (LTE or WiMAX) mobile broadband as well as Bluetooth® v2.1 + EDR, 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi and satellite GPS.

Pricing and Availability

The Toughpad™ A1 will be available in the Spring of 2012 starting at $1299. The Toughpad B1 will be released later in 2012, with more details coming closer to availability. Both devices can be purchased through authorized Panasonic resellers.

The Toughpad family comes standard with the industry’s most comprehensive 3-year warranty.

Panasonic will offer a full set of professional-grade accessories to support the Toughpad line, including cases, mounts, printers, keyboards, magnetic stripe readers, Smart Card Readers and multi-unit storage and charging solutions.

More information on the Toughpad tablets can be found at http://www.PanasonicToughpad.com