Panasonic ToughPad JT-B1 hands-on

Targeting a specific demographic, Panasonic is hoping to be a figure when it comes to ruggedized tablets, since there are still relatively few floating about currently in the market. At CES, they were showing off their 7-inch Android powered tablet in the Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1, which from the looks of it all, can really withstand even the most severe punishment imaginable.

When you’re gunning for something that meets military standard 810g and is IP65 certified, which means it can withstand drops from a height of 5 feet and both dust/water resistant, you’re not going to find something that stylish with its design. Rather, the Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1 is simply a beastly looking thing with its no holds barred design approach. Not only is it weighty and thick, but its white tough feeling plastic exterior doesn’t elicit any favorable glances from us.

Sure, there’s Gorilla Glass 2 protecting its 7-inch 1024 x 600 display, but it’s nothing worth boasting about, since its viewing angles are dreadful. So much so that the slightest of tilts results in some heavy distortion and color bleeding – so it’s hard to see whether or not its 500 nits of brightness will do anything with outdoor visibility. Furthermore, there’s nothing to reel us in with the experience, since it’s none other than an aged Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich experience on there.

To tell you the truth, if it weren’t water and drop resistant, this could arguably win the ugliest tablet design award – if there was one, obviously. As much as we appreciate the impervious aspect of the Panasonic Toughpad JT-B1, it’s a tough battle raging inside of us, since it’s going to be sporting a higher than normal price tag of $1200 when it’s released. Still, we can see some people easily forking that heavy tally over just to have peace of mind that this is rock solid with its construction.