Panasonic launches Android-based Toughpad

MUMBAI, INDIA: Panasonic has launched an Android-based toughbook tablet named FZ-B2 in Mumbai.

Built on the Android 4.4 operating system, the Toughpad FZ-B2 is equipped with a quad-core Intel Celeron processor. The 7-inch tablet sports a multi-touch display, is 18 mm thick and weighs 540 grams. It comes with Rain Mode Touch and Glove Touch options, a 1920x1080 pixels front camera and 5 MP rear camera.

In addition to the standard 7-hour battery life, the tablet comes with a 3320mAh lithium-ion replaceable battery, which according to the company gives a run time of about 7 hours. Connectivity options include a USB 3.0 port and a physical LAN port. The toughpad comes in capacity of 2 GB, and storage capacity of 32 GB which is expandable to 64 GB.

Rizkant Zha, Director, System Sales Division, Panasonic India, said that the company is betting big on the new product. “In the rugged tablet market which is pegged at Rs 120 crore in India, we are targeting 70 percent market share by end of 2015. Panasonic already enjoys a lead compared to Dell and others in the segment with a 60 percent market share.”

The company is targeting the logistics, transport, manufacturing, retail, utility, government, defense and the police verticals with the new tablet. It is already running PoCs with some customers in the manufacturing and logistics companies.

“We have received positive response, and are confident that the new product will be appreciated by the heads of all lines of businesses,” added Gunjan Sachdev, General Manager, National Business Head, Toughbook, Panasonic India.

The FZ-B2 is priced at Rs 75,000, and comes with a 3-year warranty, with extended AMC for the fourth and the fifth years.