Panasonic yesterday launched the Toughbook 55 (FZ-55) laptop as the replacement to the Panasonic Toughbook 54, a ruggedized laptop designed for work harsh climates.
Toughbook 54 | Toughbook 55 | |
Processor | 7th-gen dual-core Intel Core i5-7300U
7th-gen dual-core Intel Core i7 |
8th-gen quad-core Intel Core i5-8365U
8th-gen quad-core Intel Core i7 |
Graphics | Intel UHD graphics 620
AMD Radeon Pro WX 4150 (performance model) |
Intel UHD graphics 620
AMD Radeon Pro WX 4150 (expansion pack) |
Display | 14.0” HD non-touch
FHD touchscreen |
14.0” HD non-touch
FHD touchscreen, 1000 nits |
Durability | IP51, MIL-STD-810G | IP53, MIL-STD-810H |
Ports |
|
|
Weight | 4.4 lb (HD model)
4.6 lb (Touch FHD mode) |
4.6 lbs (HD model)
4.9 lbs. (Touch FHD model) |
Battery | Up to 12 hours on internal battery, up to 20 hours with expansion battery pack | 20 hours internal, up to 40 hours with expansion battery pack |
The Toughbook 55’s IP53 dust and water resistance rating means that it’s protected against contact with dust and spraying water. Because it’s not completely weatherproof, it’s intended as a hardy solution for back-end work. Its targeted audience includes warehouse workers, civil engineers, emergency responders, and the military.
In addition to its IP53 rating, the Toughbook 55 is also MIL-STD-810H certified. This means it can withstand drops from three feet, operate in extreme temperatures from 60°C to -29°C, and work in altitude of up to 7,000 feet. For extremely cold temperatures, the Toughbook 55 has an integrated hard drive heater to keep it within operational limits.
![](https://i.itworldcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/fz-55_utilities-11.jpg)
By default, the Toughbook 55 ships with an Intel 8th-gen Core i5 or i7 vPro processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and up to 1TB storage. It’s also equipped with a super bright 1,000 nit display, which comes in SD and HD resolutions. Users can opt for touch and non-touch displays as well. During its release presentation, Panasonic says that Its internal battery can last up to 20 hours on a single charge.
The Toughbook 55 also comes with a loud 92dB speaker system. Panasonic said that this is the minimum sound intensity to cut through siren noise in an emergency vehicle. Furthermore, it includes a quad-mic array for cleaner voice and better speech recognition.
Enterprise users often have a wide range of needs. In addition to providing user-upgradable RAM and storage compartments, Panasonic also offers expansion packs that add extra functionalities. For example, the Toughbook 55 accepts a secondary battery to extend the runtime to up to 40 hours, or slot in a port module for more connectivity options. Designers and engineers can also opt for the AMD Radeon Pro WX4150 graphics processor complete with its own heatsink and fan.
![](https://i.itworldcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/toughbook-modules.jpg)
The Panasonic Toughbook 55 is available now. Pricing depends on order details.