A lot of laptops these days are not super durable. If you are like me, you don't want to baby something that is meant to be portable. I want to be able to throw my laptop into my bag and not worry if I drop it. Panasonic is launching their new Toughbook 55 that takes this idea to the extreme. It is a rugged and durable laptop with high-end specs and a great display.

Specifications

PANASONIC TOUGHBOOK 55 | MK1

810G Drop Rating

3 feet

Display

14.0-inch HD (112 PPI); opt. FHD touch 1000 nit (157 PPI);special order FHD non-touch 1000 nit (157 PPI)

GPU

Intel UHD 620; Optional AMD Radeon Pro WX 4150

CPU

Intel Core i5-8365U 1.6GHz vPro (Turbo Boost up to 4.1GHz)Intel Core i7 (optional)

OS

Windows 10 Pro

RAM

8-64GB DDR4 user-upgradeable (64GB available special order)

Storage - Main Drive

512GB-1TB SSD (256GB available special order)User-upgradeable to 2TB

Storage - 2nd Drive

512GB-1TB SSD (256GB available special order)User-upgradeable to 2TB

Optical Drive

Optional (DVD or Blu-ray)

Webcam

1080p IR with privacy cover

Microphones

x4 (tetra-array)

Speakers

x2 (92db)

Headphone Jack

Yes

USB Ports

Type A - x2 (3.1 Gen 1), optional 3rd USB 3.1 Gen 1Type C - x1 (3.1 Gen 1) with optional PD

SD Card Slot

x1 (MicroSDXC)

Video Output

x2 (optional 3rd) – HDMI 2.0 & USB-C standard, VGA optional

Connectivity

Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (up to 1.7 Gbps)Bluetooth 5.0 (Class 1)4G LTE (EM7511 Band 14)

Keyboard

Yes (Color-selectable backlight and 3x brighter)

Biometrics

Windows Hello 3D scanning, Fingerprint scanner optional (touch)

Battery

20h non-touch model (40h w/opt 2nd battery), hot-swappable

Dimensions (including handle)

10.7 x 13.6 x 1.3-inches

Modular Expansion Packs

Yes

Weight

4.6 lbs (non-touch model)

The Toughbook 55 has some of the best specs you can put into a laptop. For its CPU it has Intel 8th-gen i5 or i7 vPro. The storage isn't a slouch either with up to 2TBs of storage and up to 64GBs of RAM. The drive supports RAID-1 , assuming you use the optional second storage drive. There are three display options: the base HD display at 112ppi, upgraded FHD (157) non-touch display with up to 1000 nits of brightness, and a touch display option with FHD resolution and up to 1000 nits of brightness. To power these displays, there is the option for AMD Radeon Pro WX 4150 dedicated graphics.

The Toughbook 55 also supports both Windows Hello 3D scanning facial recognition and an optional touch fingerprint scanner. As for connectivity, it has an Intel Wireless-AC 9560 wireless card with speeds up to 1.7 Gbps. It also has Bluetooth 5.0. Interestingly enough, it has 4G LTE over Band 14. Don't expect to be using this though, as it's made for AT&T FirstNet service. FirstNet is designed for emergency crews and law enforcement.

While anyone can buy this laptop, it probably isn't meant for you. This laptop is designed for emergency crews and law enforcement. It does have the specs and functionality of a great laptop, but from the get-go, Panasonic had their customer base in mind, and it isn't the general consumer. If you are an IT professional looking for a new set of laptops for your workplace, this might be for you. This laptop starts at $2099 and will be much more expensive as you upgrade it.

Panasonic Toughbook 55 MK 1