Skip to main content

Panasonic redefines ‘rugged’ with two 5-inch Toughpad phablets

Ever wonder what type of phone construction workers take on site? Chances are it looks something like Panasonic’s new 5-inch Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1. These Toughpads are as rugged as they come and even though they are technically tablets, users can also make phone calls on them.

Both the Toughpad FZ-E1 and FZ-X1 feature 5-inch displays with 1280 x 720 pixel resolutions and an anti-reflective coating. The FZ-E1 sports the superior Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, clocking in at 2.3GHz, while the FZ-X1 has the 1.7GHz Snapdragon 600 under the hood. Although the two devices are powered by different processors, they both come with 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, and Micro SDXC card slots onboard.

Recommended Videos

Panasonic also gave the phablets 8-megapixel back cameras and 1.3-megapixel front-facing cameras. Both devices come with hot swappable 6,200mAh batteries, which should last 14 hours on a single charge. Then, as soon as the Toughpads are out of battery, users can simply pop in a new, fully charged battery while they juice up the old one. 

The only real difference between the two Toughpads, aside from their processors, is the operating systems they run. The Fz-E1 runs Windows Embedded 8.1 and the FZ-X1 has Android 4.2 Jelly Bean installed. In terms of connectivity, the phablets have 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC, and optional 3G or 4G LTE.

The main thing that distinguishes the Toughpads from other smartphones is its super rugged housing, which enables them to survive drops onto solid concrete from 10 feet above and dives into five feet of ice cold water for up to 30 minutes. The rugged phablets also work in temperatures ranging from -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Of course, that rugged exterior comes at a price. The Toughpads are 1.2-inches thick and weigh 15 ounces, so they are bulky and heavy in comparison with most smartphones.

The other obvious downside to buying one of these Toughpad phablets is the price. The Wi-Fi-only Touchpad FZ-X1 will cost $1800 when it arrives in August and the LTE version will run $1850 in January 2015. Meanwhile, the WiFi-only ToughPad FZ-E1, which also arrives this August, will cost $1900 and the LTE version will be $2000 when it comes out this October.

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
Acer is making a smart ring, and doing it the right way
Acer FreeSense smart ring in black and rose gold colors.

Acer is bringing some really impressive computing gear to the Computex event in Taipei this year. From the sleek Swift Edge 14 AI that is nearly half a pound lighter than the MacBook Air to the sleek Predator Triton 14 AI gaming laptop, the company has grabbed quite a few eyeballs.

What came as the biggest surprise was Acer’s shift into the direction of wearables, and specifically, smart rings. At the ongoing show, the company revealed Acer FreeSense, a lightweight smart ring that looks pretty neat and comes loaded with health-sensing features, but with a welcome surprise in tow. 

Read more
AI app clicks nail selfie to detect blood condition affecting billions
Person clicking picture of their nails.

Nearly two billion people across the world suffer from a blood condition called anemia. People living with anemia have a lower than average number of red blood cells, or the hemoglobin (Hgb) protein, and as a result, reduced oxygen carrying capacity. 

Chronic anemia can lead to serious health issues such as heart attack and organ damage, with pregnant women being at a particularly higher risk. So far, anemia identification has required a visit to the clinic for CBC blood tests, Hemoglobin and Hematocrit analysis, or peripheral blood smear assessment. 

Read more
5 phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge
A person taking the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge out of a pocket.

It's an undeniable fact that smartphones have gotten larger and larger over the years. Samsung is trying to turn back the years with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a smartphone that embraces everything we love about modern phones, but tries to make it just that little bit more svelte. The result is a phone that's just 5.9mm thick, making other flagships look like lumbering brutes.

The Galaxy S25 Edge's slimness is going to mean compromises, of course — chiefly, the battery size is smaller than its competitors, and while the build is thinner, there's a worry that could make the phone easier to damage. All of this is pure supposition until we get chance to review the phone, of course, and if you're considering buying the S25 Edge, we'd recommend waiting until our final review until you make a decision. But that doesn't change the fact that there are a number of strong smartphones out there that can do the S25 Edge's job well, and sometimes, better. Here are five phones you should buy instead of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge.

Read more