Panasonic's has revealed some updates to its Toughbook 20, an exceptionally rugged 2-in-1 that first debuted two years ago. Meant to survive rough work environments, the new Toughbook 20 features the same beefy design as its predecessor. Where Panasonic has improved things, however, is with a new, faster processor, better battery life, and new standard features that will ship with every Toughbook 20.
At the top of the list is a speedier processor, the Intel Core i5-7Y57, which features a Turbo Boost of up to 3.3 GHz. All models also come with 256GB of SSD storage standard, along with the option to expand up to 512GB. Panasonic says the new Toughbook 20 will come with Windows 10 Pro by default, but it will still offer Windows 7 Professional as an option on models with Intel's Core m5-6Y57 processor for customers who need to maintain compatibility with existing applications and setups.
A number of other features are now included as standard as well. Those include an integrated digitizer in addition to the device's touchscreen, an infrared webcam that supports Windows Hello, and a rear-facing 8MP camera. In terms of battery life, the Toughbook 20 can now keep going with a "bridge battery," which now comes standard, allowing users to hot-swap charged batteries. That's in addition to an optional second battery that can be used to double battery life. Lastly, LTE connectivity is also on board, allowing for connectivity anywhere while in the field.
According to Panasonic, the revised Toughbook 20 is now available at a starting price of $3,099 from Panasonic resellers.
