Panasonic Rugged H1 Field Tablet Coming to Sprint, Verizon

Panasonic introduced the Toughbook H1 Field Feb. 10, calling it the world’s most-rugged handheld tablet.
Designed for enterprise verticals such as first response, field sales, maintenance and inspection, the tablet weighs 3.4 pounds, passes military specifications for drops from six feet, features a magnesium alloy chassis encased in polycarbonate, has a 64GB flex-connect Solid State Drive and can operate in temperatures from -4 degrees F to 140 degrees F.
The H1 Field runs Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system, with the option to downgrade to XP Tablet. It also includes a 1.86GHz Intel Atom processor Z540, has 2GB of RAM memory and pairs a 10.4-inch, sunlight-readable dual-touch display – for finger or stylus input – with a number of connectivity and security options.
“As work forces become more mobile, it’s critical to empower them with the right tools,” Kyp Walls, Panasonic director of product management, said in a statement.
“The Toughbook H1 Field was designed based on extensive customer input to ensure it had the right mix of form factor, features and durability to maximize worker productivity and value,” Walls continued. “With so many features that exceed the performance capabilities of competitive products, we believe the Toughbook H1 Field is best positioned to meet the computing needs of highly mobile workers, along with their IT administrators.”
The H1 Field will be certified on the Sprint and Verizon Wireless networks, and offers 802.11a/b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1, and the option of Qualcomm’s Gobi2000 technology, to simplify connectivity, no matter where the device is deployed.
Additional options include SmartCard, RFID, fingerprint and barcode readers, a 2-megapixel camera with dual LED lights and a GPS receiver for GPS-based applications. Included twin hot-swappable batteries, each offering six hours of battery life, allow the tablet to stay in the field, “virtually eliminating down time and maximizing return on investment,” Panasonic points out.
Accessories such as carrying cases, shoulder straps, mounting solutions and charging devices will all be available when the H1 Field begins shipping worldwide in March. Its estimated starting price is $3,379.