Panasonic 4K 20-inch Slate Arriving January Priced at $8K
Panasonic is laying claim to the world's first 4K tablet.
How big is too big for a tablet? Or should the question be, "How expensive is too expensive?" because Panasonic's latest offering is both huge and expensive. Then again, we never would have imagined that a 20-inch tablet would be cheap. Panasonic announced that its 20-inch 4K resolution tablet will go on sale in the United States priced at $6,000.
We first spotted the device at CES 2013, way back in January, and at the time, we were told it was a prototype. However, it looks like Panasonic is gearing up to launch this behemoth, which it's now calling the Toughbook 4K. Engadget points to Panasonic's website which now carries a full spec sheet and splash page for the Toughpad 4K. The Windows 8.1 tablet is based on a Core i5-3437 CPU and Nvidia GeForce GT 745M graphics. It packs 2 GB of dedicated VRAM, 8 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD WiFi, Bluetooth, USB 3.0, and support for SDXC. Of course, the biggest and most notable feature the Toughpad 4K has is the 20-inch 3840 x 2560 LCD with LED backlighting.
These specs line up pretty well with the spec sheet we were given at CES (the CPU is a Core i5-3437 as opposed to a Core i5-3427U). There's also double the RAM and double the storage now (the CES prototype had 4 GB of RAM and 128 GB of SSD storage).
No word on a precise release date other than January, but we'll keep you posted.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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Immaculate So is it $6000 or $8000?Reply
Why is the mobile tech using these great resolutions and yet we wait 8 years for new consoles and one of them is still using the same low-res. -
Immaculate So is it $6000 or $8000?Reply
Why is the mobile tech using these great resolutions and yet we wait 8 years for new consoles and one of them is still using the same low-res. -
QEFX There's a $2k fee if you order one from Tom's. On the upside that money will go to a proof-reader.Reply
But seriously $6K?!? -
guvnaguy So is it 2160p or 2560p? 6,000 or 8,000? Man so many typo'sReply
Obviously this is going to be marketed at professionals, because otherwise no one in their right mind would spend that much on a tablet.
Couldn't they at least through in a built-in 4G LTE modem or something?
And finally, why in heck does it use a 3rd-gen Core i5? Why not a 4th-gen to increase battery life (which will no doubt be very short because of the 4K display). Clearly Panasonic is banking on the 4K gimmick