The Panasonic Toughpad FZ G1, especially with our test model's improved componentry, is a great tablet that doesn't sacrifice performance for durability. It comes at a rather high price, but the upfront investment will be more than offset by its extended lifespan. It comes at a rather high price, but the upfront investment will be more than offset by its extended lifespan.
Panasonic's Toughbook and Toughpad series of ruggedized laptops and tablets have dominated the ruggedized laptop and tablet market for two decades and the Panasonic Toughpad FZ G1 is the company's first completely ruggedized Windows tablet. The Panasonic Toughpad FZ G1tablet isn't new; it was first released in 2013, however, this version has been upgraded with fresh internal components.
It's said that boasting isn't bragging if you can back it up. The Panasonic Toughpad FZ G1 tablet, which is both IP65 and MIL-STD-810G certified, can definitely back up its promises of durability. The MIL-STD-810G is the most recent version of the US Military's rigorous durability and testing requirements, and the IP Code rating is an internationally recognized certification that evaluates how effectively a device is sealed off from both solids and liquids. The MIL-STD-810G is a massive 800-page document that explains how equipment should withstand a wide range of environmental testing, including a four-foot drop, shock, vibration, rain, dust, sand, altitude, freeze/thaw, high/low temperature, and temperature extremes.
The rear of the Panasonic Toughpad FZ G1 is densely packed with numerous screws, all of which are basic Phillips heads, so a field technician won't need to hunt around for any hard-to-find Torx or hex drivers to crack open the casing or swap out any problematic add-ons. If that wasn't enough tough table cred, there's also a Class I Division 2, class ABCD certified device, which means it can be equipped for use in a hazardous gas environment without the internal circuitry causing an explosion.
Performance Review:
In our benchmark testing, the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1 performed admirably. It received 2905 on the PCMark 8 Home test and a 3854 on the PCMark 8 Work test. These scores are pretty impressive, scoring only a few points lower than identical devices using newer 6th generation Intel Core i5 mobile CPUs and equivalent GPUs. Panasonic proves that this is a specialized corporate device in the graphics department since there are no choices for upgrading the GPU from the original Intel onboard chip. Despite this stumbling, the 3DMark test yielded a decent score of 1072. Because the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-anticipated G1's conditions and uses are anything but usual, evaluating how it would function in typical scenarios is challenging.
When the Panasonic
Toughpad FZ-G1 is turned on, it will launch a single custom-built app that will
run continuously throughout the day as part of a workflow. We had to make due
mostly by playing games because none of the Notebook Review team members work
for UPS or serve in the National Guard. Candy Smash, albeit dated at this
point, simulates the normal point-and-swipe movements that a bespoke app would
have the user make all day, and we were able to crush a few levels during our
"testing period."