panasonic toughbook l1 product review

In this article, we’ll be reviewing the Panasonic Toughbook L1 and cover all the major features of the device.

Toughbook L1 Specifications

Operating SystemAndroid™ 8.1 (Oreo™)
CPUQualcomm® MSM8909 1.1GHz Quad-Core
RuggednessFully Rugged
Display7″ high definition 1280 x 720
10-point capacitive multi touch with rain sensing and glove touch mode. Optional passive stylus.
BatteryApproximately 9 hours based on standard enterprise user profile.
Ports and ExpansionsOptional 1D/2D barcode reader (SE4710) with LED illumination – configurable for portrait* or landscape options
Wireless– Qualcomm® WCN3660B IEEE802.11 a/b/g/n/d/h/i/r
– Qualcomm® MSM8909 – 4G LTE, HSPA+, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS, GSM
– Certified with Verizon, AT&T
– Bluetooth® v4.2 Classic Mode LE (class 1)
– GPS GPS/GLONASS CEP50 (±2 to 4 m)
– Near Field Communication (NFC) Type A, Type B, Felica (*No NFC on TOUGHBOOK L1 with portrait barcode reader)
Weight0.93lbs
CertificationDesigned to meet MIL810G

Operating System of Toughbook L1

Panasonic Toughbook L1 Tablet

Finding the right mobile devices for your organization can be a technological ordeal. There are many manufacturers with hundreds of products, but most of them fall short of what’s needed in some regard. They’re usually not as durable as necessary, or their performance is too sluggish to maintain any level of decent productivity. That’s where high-performance rugged tablets like the Panasonic Toughbook L1 come in.

Rugged tablets are designed for high performance and exceptional durability. They can withstand any conditions, no matter how harsh, and come out unscathed, making them an ideal solution for workers in remote or rugged environments.

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 runs on Android 8.1 Oreo. While it works better than its predecessors, the platform isn’t really powerful enough to guarantee high-speed operations on your device. It was released four years ago, and you can’t expect it to perform as well as newer versions.

Processor

Rugged Tablet Sonim RS80 outdoors

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 features a quadcore Qualcomm chipset that operates at 1.1GHz. It gives decent performance but not necessarily enough to handle advanced operations.

Connectivity

Panasonic Toughbook L1 rugged tablet outdoors

The Toughbook L1 supports 4G LTE which makes it suitable for use in the field and other remote locations where proximity to a wi-fi network isn’t guaranteed. It also features wi-fi, Bluetooth, NFC, and GPS. This makes remote work easier for companies that work with long-haul deliveries, off-site work and anything else that takes workers away from the business HQ.

Display

Panasonic’s Toughbook L1 offers a mediocre solution for their display. The resolution 1280×720 is adequate, however the seven-inch screen may not be large enough for many users. On top of that, the lack of Gorilla Glass raises a lot of questions regarding the display’s ability to endure heavy impact.

Build

construction workers using rugged tablet

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 comes with solid durability. It can withstand drops from up to five feet, outperforming many mobile computers on the market. In addition the tablet is also IP65 and IP67 sealed against dust and water. As far as weight goes, it’s definitely not to heavy to cart around, standing at just under 1 lb.

Battery

rugged tablet forklift

Panasonic offers a standard battery model with their Toughbook L1. The battery has 3200 mAh, which offers decent power but many not be sufficient for any large-scale operations.

Memory

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 features 2GB of RAM adn16GB of flash memory, which isn’t may not be enough if you’re planning on storing a large number of documents. While you can expand the storage, you can only do so with up to 64GB of ROM. Other options on the market give up to 248GB as standard storage expansion, or even more. Depending on the type of business, and the use of business apps, the L1 may be slow and sluggish without extra Flash memory.

Data Capture

Sonim RS80 barcode scanner construction site

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 features an optional 1D/2D barcode reader on some models. This is a vital feature for industries such as logistics and warehousing where data capture is integral. Bear in mind however, that the addition of the barcode reader will significantly impact the price of the tablet. What’s more, the scanner can only capture three barcodes per minute, which is doesn’t lend itself to fast and efficient operations.

Accessories

Sonim RS60 rugged android tablet

Additional equipment is one of the aspects customers tend to overlook when purchasing their rugged device. However, this can be a costly mistake since extra gear can give your workers the edge in the field.

When it comes to the Panasonic Toughbook L1, there are several noteworthy accessories:

  • Single-bay desktop USB
  • USB charger
  • Tethers
  • Stylus pen

MSRP of Panasonic Toughbook L1

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 can be purchased for around $1,500 and the price does vary based on the model you choose. Tablets with integrated scanners will cost more than those without, so it’s something to keep in mind when purchasing.

Truck Driver Using Panasonic Toughbook L1

Final Verdict

The Panasonic Toughbook L1 is a decent choice for a high performance rugged tablet, but perhaps not as efficient as some of the other options on the table- like the Honeywell RT10A or the Getac T800.
High points of the Panasonic L1 are the price- decent for what you are receiving- and the fact that it supports 4G internet connection.

Overall, we rate this product a 4/10.

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