Panasonic Connect announced the FZ-G3 and FZ-34 on 13 November as new models in its TOUGHBOOK line of rugged PCs. The models are designed to support uninterrupted field operations, with enhanced environmental durability, extended battery life and AI capabilities highlighted as key features.
Panasonic Connect held a new product presentation at its showroom in Shiodome, Tokyo, introducing the FZ-G3 rugged tablet PC and FZ-34 rugged laptop PC. Both models offer enhanced environmental durability, extended battery life and edge AI capabilities to keep field operations running even under extreme weather conditions. The presentation also explained the importance of ruggedness and reliability, given that interruptions in the field directly affect business operations.
The FZ-G3 is a 10.1-inch rugged tablet equipped with drop testing compliant with MIL-STD-810H, IP66 dust and water resistance, and an operating temperature range of -10 to 50°C. It is available with 35Wh, 70Wh or 99Wh batteries, providing approximately 22 hours of battery life as standard and approximately 31 hours with the maximum configuration. It weighs approximately 1.07kg and can be configured with modular options such as an IC card reader and barcode reader. The CPU is from the Intel Core Ultra series, and the tablet is compatible with Copilot+ PCs.
The FZ-34 is a 12-inch detachable 2-in-1 rugged laptop that can be used as a tablet with the keyboard removed. Battery life is approximately 13 hours as standard and up to approximately 26 hours with a second battery installed. A 5G-compatible model is also available. Both models are designed to remain operable when used with gloves or when water droplets are present on the display, while balancing heat dissipation and a lightweight design.
At the talk session following the presentation, the discussion focused on extreme weather and challenges in the field. Many attendees said they had felt the increasing risk from weather events, while others stressed the importance during disasters of sharing accurate information and determining response procedures in advance. Aoki (青木) identified promoting the use of AI to process information from the field as a future challenge.