Panasonic Delays Launch of 4K Tablet

News
By Kevin Parrish
published

We won't see this tablet in North America until February.

Panasonic told The Japan Times on Wednesday that the company is postponing the launch of its 4K tablet until mid-February. Dubbed as the Toughpad 4K, this monster 20-inch tablet was scheduled to launch in December in Japan and Europe, followed by a North American release in January. A company rep said the delay is due to "glitches" that affect the radio waves of other appliances.

A Panasonic rep told The Japan Times that the company will modify the product's design and add some parts to fix the "glitch." Yet despite the hardware changes, the company is still pushing for a retail starting price of ¥450,000, or around $4400 USD. Panasonic will mainly sell the device to professionals, the report says.

According to the list of specs, Panasonic's tablet features a 20-inch LED-lit IPS screen with a 3840 x 2560 resolution, ten-point touch capability and support for an optional pen. This screen is backed by an Intel Core i5-3437U clocked up to 2.9 GHz, Nvidia's GeForce GT 745M (2 GB dedicated VRAM), and 8 GB of RAM. The OS of choice is Windows 8.1 Pro.

The specs also show that the tablet has a 256 GB SSD, an SD card slot for even more storage, a 720p webcam with microphone, WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity, a USB 3.0 port, a headphone/speaker jack, and a docking connector. This tablet measures 18.7 x 13.1 x 0.5 inches, weighs 5.3 pounds, and sports a magnesium alloy chassis with a GFRP reader case.

"1080p is fine. But when you need the ultimate clarity for detailed images and video, the new Panasonic Toughpad 4K Tablet offers an impressive four times the resolution of a 1080p display," reads the product page. "And, with Windows 8.1 Pro, it surpasses ordinary tablets by harnessing the processing power of a desktop."

For more information about the Toughpad 4K tablet, head here.

Kevin Parrish
10 Comments Comment from the forums
  • jupebobpete
    I can see this in high end doctor's offices or the like, with a screen like that it would be nice for reviewing medical scans etc.
    Reply
  • skit75
    Take your time...

    Not a lot of 4K content out there anyway. When NFL Films starts shooting 4K footage, I might be in the market for a 4K display. As mentioned above, this product sounds more commercial than anything
    Reply
  • vinay2070
    Is it a slim version of All-in-One desktop?
    Reply
  • somebodyspecial
    $4400...LOL. Get that down to $700 and we'll talk (ok, probably not) ;) I have no need for 4k on anything smaller than 60in and then probably only if I'm standing directly in front of it at a few feet away :) I can't really tell the difference between a good 720p rip and 1080p below this. I have a 46 & 32 and can't tell them apart in 1080p (same with the 61in usually). We are usually 12ft+ away so maybe that's why. I'm sure I'd be able to see something, but if 1080p cost much extra I wouldn't give you a dime for it under 65in. I just can't see THAT much difference. Now between 480 and 720p, yes I'm dumping my DVD collection as fast as I can...LOL. On a 61in you can see 480 sucks, even upscaled to some extent. I'm wondering if I'd say something totally different though at 65in or 70in+ (I plan on 70+ for my next TV). I'm wondering if my next TV will cause me to want to dump all my 720p movies/shows...ROFL. But oh well...

    Since I don't think you can replace the gpu in these, they need to drop the res to 1920x1200 or 1080p or it's pointless for games just like my dad's nexus 10. I won't be interested in anything above 1920x1200 on a tablet until they hit 14nm and I'm not even sure those will GAME OK (which is my main purpose beyond watching some training vids on tablets)...Considering I'd still turn down some games at 1200p on a 780ti, I fear a tablet hitting decent game play even at 1600p before 10nm is probably reaching a bit.

    Wouldn't a "PROFESSIONAL" just buy a REAL PC with 24-30in 1440p/4k monitor or TWO for $4400 and not want a tablet trying to push this res? What will you do with 4K on a 20in? Do they realize you can build a PC that can actually push this res for under 4K and on a much bigger screen? Heck I can buy 780TI/i7-4770k/Asus321q etc..Basically for 5K I have a machine that blows this away +10in extra on my monitor and a video card that actually has a prayer of pushing some games at 4K (ok, not many, but you get the point, far more than a 745m chip with 2GB of ram). Why the heck would I buy an UNDERPOWERED 20in for $4400? This would need to be 24in (at least) and come with a 780ti before I'd even blink in this thing's direction at this price.

    At 5.3lbs you're not holding this on your lap so why not have a real PC? If this is for wall mounts, I'd just buy a larger 1080p TV ($600-700 range, or a T4 all in one HP or something and mount that) while buying a new MONSTER PC to go with it (for the rest of the $4400)...LOL. Heck I guess I'd buy a stonking 10in tablet (google's next nexus 10?), new cell phone, 21in all in one, my choice of xbox1 or ps4 and a stonking PC for $4400 ($400-600 for the 4 devices and a ~$2200 PC...ROFL). This price is ridiculous.

    I guess the same idiot that buys a $150 Ferrari in GT6 would buy this. Clearly some people have more money than they need or products like this wouldn't exist right? I hope products like these sell 3 units. Maybe they will come back to reality and quit wasting resources on crap like this. I wouldn't want a 4K monitor without running TWO top end cards.

    The kicker? If everything else doesn't resonate here...It comes with a 720p webcam...LOL. Well that makes total sense... :) I didn't even know they made 720p cams still ;) This thing isn't 2160p either, note its 3840x2560. Who is making decisions at these companies? I wouldn't try to push that res with 2x745m's...LOL. Are they hiding 3x745m's in here and just not telling us? I'm thinking even a doctor would hang a 24/27in 1440p first. I guess this is just for staring at photos. Maybe I'm just too tired tonight to get this device :)
    Reply
  • lpedraja2002
    Digital artists will surely find this useful as a more portable method of work.
    Reply
  • pacomac
    If they don't get a move on I can see Apple trumping them with a 12" 4K display in an iPad for considerably less money!
    Reply
  • southernshark
    It's called the "toughpad". I wonder if they are selling this to the US military. They wouldn't bat an eye to pay $4400 for a tablet.
    Reply
  • Adam Mckenzie
    it's a wonderful tablet, i like it
    Reply
  • HaavardH
    For field work (I'm a surveyor) this would be pretty awesome. $4k is NOTHING compared to the productivity gains to be had by not driving in to the office to check out some data just gathered, manipulate 3D models at the site, showing craftsmen what's to be done etc. I hope it holds up as well to a beating as its smaller predecesors.

    A doctor at the hospital? They'd want the lighter, slicker, smaller ipad version in 2yrs time, biggest worry beeing if it can take some spilt coffee. For Joe Average, aka somebodyspecial/skit75, it's not ment for watching NFL or playing candycrush while sitting on the can, get some consumer grade device for that.

    I do agree it probably could use a bit beefier GFX hardware, a high spec m version Firepro/quadro would be ideal, we'd pay even more for that - it's still worth it, if you need it :)
    Reply
  • skit75
    12193857 said:
    For field work (I'm a surveyor) this would be pretty awesome. $4k is NOTHING compared to the productivity gains to be had by not driving in to the office to check out some data just gathered, manipulate 3D models at the site, showing craftsmen what's to be done etc. I hope it holds up as well to a beating as its smaller predecesors.

    A doctor at the hospital? They'd want the lighter, slicker, smaller ipad version in 2yrs time, biggest worry beeing if it can take some spilt coffee. For Joe Average, aka somebodyspecial/skit75, it's not ment for watching NFL or playing candycrush while sitting on the can, get some consumer grade device for that.

    I do agree it probably could use a bit beefier GFX hardware, a high spec m version Firepro/quadro would be ideal, we'd pay even more for that - it's still worth it, if you need it :)

    But they will be eventually. These are just the early adopter markets. Think higher-end digital entertainment delivery services... capable of delivering streaming 4K content. I can sustain 10MB/s or better on my home connection already. The last thing this market wants to do is tell the end-user how to use their device. Non-commercial users will come out of the wood-work when the content is there.
    Reply