Panasonic FZ-X1 announced, will launch in August

BY Evan Selleck

Published 24 Jun 2014

image Panasonic FZ-X1

Panasonic has a lineup of mobile devices that are meant to survive the roughest of rough situations, and they’ve just announced a brand new, 5-inch mobile handset that is built just as tough.

Panasonic has just announced the FZ-X1, a brand new handset meant for their Toughpad family. It features a 5-inch 720p display, and under the hood you’ll find a 1.7GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 processor and 2GB of RAM. There is 32GB of built-in storage, with no mention of any expandable memory. On the back you’ll find an 8-megapixel camera, and on the front there’s a 1.3MP camera. The FZ-X1 will run Android 4.2.2 right out of the box. There’s a 6200mAh battery under the hood, which Panasonic says means the handset will keep working for 14 continuous days.

More than that, the manufacturer boasts the FZ-X1 will be able to withstand a fall onto concrete from 10 feet, and you’ll be able to keep the device submerged in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. If you find yourself in some extreme temperatures, anywhere from -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, the FZ-X1 should keep working.

This isn’t a device that’s meant to be picked up by the common consumer, which should be obvious. However, if you’re in the market for something like this, here’s the pricing breakdown: The Wi-Fi-only version will begin shipping in August, and that will run you a cool $1,799.00. If you need a device that can bring mobile broadband data to the table, that will cost you $1,849.00. Now, if you want a Panasonic FZ-X1 that can make phone calls, that won’t be available until early 2015, and Panasonic will charge you $1,899.00.

[via Panasonic]