Panasonic Connect Announces its First AI-Enabled TOUGHBOOK PC

By: Panasonic Connect North America via Business Wire

June 19, 2024 at 09:00 AM EDT

Next generation of the TOUGHBOOK 40 enhances efficiency and delivers superior performance for mission-critical workers

Panasonic Connect North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, today announced enhancements to the fully rugged and modular TOUGHBOOK 40® laptop. This second generation of the TOUGHBOOK 40, the Mk2, is the company’s first PC to feature Intel® Core™ Ultra processors, incorporating the latest CPU, GPU, and NPU technology advancements and up to 16 cores. Its dedicated NPU accelerates artificial intelligence (AI)-driven tasks for customers across law enforcement departments, federal agencies, and utility companies. Compared to the previous generation of Intel processors, these new processors deliver up to 143% faster AI application performance, 73% faster generative AI, and up to 40% lower processor power for AI-enhanced collaboration¹.

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Panasonic Connect announces enhancements to the fully rugged and modular TOUGHBOOK 40® laptop. (Photo: Business Wire)

“We are dedicated to developing solutions that not only address the current needs of our customers, but also anticipate their future requirements,” said Dominick Passanante, Vice President and GM of Panasonic Connect. “The TOUGHBOOK 40 Mk2, equipped with advanced AI capabilities, is another example of how we’re providing the mobile workforce with tools to enhance productivity and efficiency on the job.”

The TOUGHBOOK 40 features optional Intel® Arc™ graphics for advanced graphical capabilities (up to 62% improved 3DMark compared to standard Intel® graphics) to handle large datasets, imagery, and live video feeds in real time. An AMD dedicated GPU is also available. With DDR5 memory and 75% faster speeds, field technicians can run multiple applications simultaneously to access critical schematics and operational data to troubleshoot and maintain infrastructure efficiently. The TOUGHBOOK 40 equips federal government personnel with the necessary tools to make informed decisions swiftly and effectively, even in dynamic and high-pressure environments.

The TOUGHBOOK 40 Mk2 enhances the user experience with an optional second SSD that doubles the maximum storage, providing vast space for essential documents and applications. It utilizes an NVMe connector, which typically delivers 6 times faster read/write speeds than SATA connectors, ensuring quick file access and reduced wait times for data retrieval and transfer. It is also available with FIPS 140-2 encryption, offering a secure and certified hardware-encrypted storage drive.

The fully customizable TOUGHBOOK 40 features eight modular user-replaceable locations, including four expansion (xPAK) areas, offering customers 9,600 different combinations. An updated optional barcode xPAK enables seamless scanning of badges and access cards with increased brightness, double the sensor pixels, three times faster scanning speed, and a wider scanning area. The updated contactless smartcard reader xPAK meets evolving security and identification needs, particularly in law enforcement, and simplifies authentication procedures. Another new xPAK adds USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI ports, providing the additional I/O and flexibility customers have requested. These accessories can be preconfigured by Panasonic or purchased and installed separately by customers, offering unparalleled flexibility. This increases futureproofing, reduces the cost of ownership, simplifies ordering, improves lead times, and makes repairs easier.

The laptop comes equipped with Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 7, the latter offering speeds of up to 5.8 Gbps, more than double the previous standard. This is particularly beneficial for police officers who need to upload large volumes of video data at the end of a shift. Users can expect a real-world battery life improvement of approximately 20%, allowing for extended work periods without needing to plug in.

Additional TOUGHBOOK 40 Mk2 Features:

14” FHD 1-1200 nit capacitive gloved touch
Rugged certifications include 6’ Drop, MIL-STD-810H, MIL-STD-461H, C1D2, and IP66²
Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 vPro® 14-core processor 135H (optional Ultra 7 vPro processor 16-core 165H)
Optional Intel® Arc™ graphics or AMD Radeon™ Pro W6300M dGPU
512GB-2TB Main SSD & Second SSD (both user-replaceable) – up to 4TB total
16-64GB DDR5 RAM (both user-replaceable & NVMe)
4G or 5G connectivity options support FirstNet® (band 14), CBRS private cellular (band 48), and dual SIM (physical + eSIM)
5MP infrared webcam with privacy cover
Superior voice accuracy with tetra array microphones and now with AI noise reduction
Class-leading 95db front speakers
24 hours of battery life (MobileMark 25) with optional second battery
Local Platform Erase option to easily and securely wipe the entire contents of the device in less than 10 seconds
New COM splitter software allows WWAN-GPS or dedicated GPS to assign multiple COM ports to integrate with various applications requiring GPS information simultaneously
Easier to open latch and improved touchpad buttons

Panasonic’s TOUGHBOOK As A Service (TaaS) offers a budget-friendly OPEX solution to help customers stay current with the latest technology. Panasonic also provides staff augmentation and last-mile deployment services to support quick setup.

The TOUGHBOOK 40 Mk2 is available for purchase now, with MSRP starting at $4,699. For complete product details and to learn more about the lineup of accessories, please visit our website.

¹Based on Intel data comparing the Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 165H processor to Intel® Core™ i7-1370P. 143% is based on Adobe Premiere Pro (Color Grade + Scene Edit + Export) data calculated as 1.7/0.7 = 2.43.

² Tested by an independent third-party lab.

Follow the TOUGHBOOK Brand

The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK family of laptops and 2-in-1 tablets can be followed on social media channels including LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and X, and on our blog, Rugged Mobility for Business.

About Panasonic Connect North America

Established on April 1, 2022, as part of the Panasonic Group’s switch to an operating company system, Panasonic Connect North America is a B2B company offering device hardware, software, and professional services to provide value to customers across the public sector, enterprise, federal government, education, immersive entertainment, food services, and manufacturing industries. With the mission to “Change Work, Advance Society, Connect to Tomorrow,” Panasonic Connect North America works closely with its community of partners, innovators, and integrators to provide the right technologies to address customers’ ever-evolving needs in today’s connected enterprise.