Panasonic’s $1,500 Android phone is an actual tank
Panasonic came to Mobile World Congress with a pretty crazy smartphone. It costs $1,500, for starters, and that’s not because they’re trying to pass it off as some supercomputer or a luxurious status icon. No, this thing is a rugged tank that could take a military-grade beating.
Just look at the thing. You could probably slam it onto cold concrete without a doubt that it’ll come out unscathed. The Panasonic FZ-N1 is a 4.7-inch device with 720p resolution, and also features a 2.3GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon chipset, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, WiFi AC, NFC, dual front speakers and more. It runs Android 5.1.1 Lollipop, though there’s a Windows variant if you are more familiar with that OS.
The battery (which supports fast charging and can be easily replaced in the field) is unknown, but Panasonic says it lasts 8 hours under continuous usage in its standard mode, and a full 16 hours for extended mode. It features a laser scanner on the rear to scan product codes.
For protection, the FZ-N1 is IP65 and IP67 compliant, and its exterior can withstand the punishment of over 2,000 repeated falls.
This obviously isn’t a phone meant for your average Joe Schmo. Something like the Cat S50c is probably more your style and budget. But for businesses, government agencies or private military contractors looking for rock solid devices Panasonic wants to be your last stop. Look for the device to launch this summer.
[via Business Wire]