Zebra Unveils New Rugged Tablets With Wi-Fi 6E and 5G Capabilities

Zebra Technologies has released a new line of rugged tablets and 2-in-1 devices to improve the working experience for people in the field. The ET8x series is built atop a Windows 12 foundation, and leverages the 11^th Generation of Intel processors.

The actual ET80 and ET85 devices both come with a 12-inch screen, a 13MP rear camera, and a front-facing camera that supports the Windows Hello facial authentication system. They are also available with a slew of optional upgrades, including a barcode scanner, a fingerprint sensor, and a rugged keyboard. The latter can be attached with a friction hinge that essentially turns the tablet into a functional laptop, thereby giving employees access to a more complete workstation while they are away from the office.

In addition to those hardware features, the devices are the first Zebra tablets with Wi-Fi 6E and 5G capabilities, which ensures strong connectivity from any location. The tablets similarly can be used with the citizens broadband radio service (CBRS), and weigh in at less than 2.9 pounds.

According to Zebra, the ET8x series is well suited to manufacturing, public safety, and government work. Potential applications include remote inspections, patient care, personnel management, and routing and dispatch, with Zebra noting that the devices are certified for use with the public safety network for emergency first responders. The devices also come with Zebra’s Mobility DNA and PowerPrecision Plus software to streamline employee workflows, and an optional Push to Talk feature to further improve communications.

“The innovative ET8x series provide businesses across multiple industries with the devices they need to improve productivity, speed and reliability across all areas of their operations,” said Zebra Enterprise Mobile Computing VP Julie Johnson.

Zebra has previously reported that public safety organizations are prioritizing the mobile experience as they proceed with their digital transformations. The company’s barcode scanners have previously been featured in the BioPad tablet from SIASA.