Looks like 2016 is the year for some exciting Windows devices. After HP, it was Panasonic to surprise with an unusual but unique Windows10 device along with an Adrroid counterpart. Panasonic announced Toughpad FZ-F1 and Toughpad FZ-N1, two new rugged smartphones running Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise and Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop), respectively at the MWC 2016 in Barcelona.
Both these smartphones are aimed to attract the adventure enthusiasts with some toughness added to them so they can stand up to the abuse of the most demanding usage environments. Both these smartphones have a 4.7-inch HD glove enabled, multi-touch, sunlight viewable display, powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor and come with IP65, IP67 and MIL-STD-810G ratings with drop rating of 6 feet and also submersible, in up to 3.3 feet of water for 30 minutes.
The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-N1 is expected to be available in WiFi version in March of 2016 at an estimated price of US$1,499 and the voice model will be introduced in summer 2016. The Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise-powered Toughpad FZ-F1 will be available with data and voice in fall 2016 at an estimated price of $1,599.
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-F1 and FZ-N1 specifications
- 4.7-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) sunlight-viewable display
- 10-point capacitive multi-touch with rain sensing and glove touch mode, optional stylus pen (Active or Passive)
- 2.3GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 (MSM8974AB) processor with Adreno 330 GPU
- 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 64GB with microSD
- Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise (FZ-F1) / Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) (FZ-N1)
- Dual SIM
- 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 5MP front-facing camera
- Durability: IP65 (high-pressure jet spray) and IP67 (submersible up to 3.3ft. for 30 minutes)MIL-STD-810G (shock, vibration, rain, dust, sand, altitude, freeze/thaw, high/low temperature,temperature shock, humidity)
- WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; 4G LTE, HSPA+, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA 1x, EVDO Rev.A
- Angled 1D/2D barcode reader, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, GPS
- FIPS140-2 level-1 compliant, ARM TrustZone (Built-in)
- 3,200 mAh battery, optional 6200 mAh long life battery back; Warm Swap capability
Stay tuned for more tech buzz.