Dell Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet With 11.6-Inch Display Launched

The company has announced that the new Dell Latitude 12 Rugged tablet will be available via company's online store in the US by end of July. So far the company has not revealed pricing details. Techradar however claims that the Latitude 12 Rugged tablet will be available at a starting price of $1,600 (approximately Rs. 1,01,800). The company stresses that the new Latitude 12 Rugged tablet has been designed for users to work in the worst conditions such as water spills, sand and dust, drops from over four feet and extreme temperatures.

A few companies are active in the space of rugged devices, with Panasonic's Toughpad range perhaps amongst the best known.

Much like other rugged tablets, the Latitude 12 Rugged tablet meets the MIL-STD-810G standard, features an IP65 rating for dust and water resistance, and has been drop-tested for a height of 180cm.

The tablet features an 11.6-inch HD (1366x768 pixels) display which Dell claims can be read in outdoor conditions and comes with glove-enabled multi-touch capabilities.

The Windows 8.1-based Latitude 12 Rugged tablet is powered by a fifth generation Intel Core M processor. Dell's Venue 11 Pro 7000 Series tablet is also powered by an Intel Core M processor. It packs 8GB of RAM and features solid state storage up to 512GB. Connectivity options on the tablet include Wi-Fi 802.11ac, GPS, USB 3.0, micro HDMI, microSD card reader and headphone jack.

Dell claims that the Latitude 12 Rugged tablet can offer up to 12 hours of battery life with two 2-cell batteries. The tablet features a pogo-pin docking interface for modular component expansion when required and can be paired to desk dock, vehicle dock and keyboard. An optional keyboard cover for the Latitude 12 Rugged tablet comes with customisable RGB backlight and an IP-65 rating to protect against water and dust spilling.

Commenting on the launch, Drew Moore, Executive Director and General Manager, Rugged Mobility Products, Dell said, "Dell Rugged devices are critical to many industries including military, emergency response, public safety, industrial work, scientists and even adventurers. It's important for Dell's Latitude Rugged devices to provide superior computing power and the mobile capabilities they require to accomplish their jobs. Whether it's a first responder to an emergency or an avid outdoorsman scaling an untouched summit for the first time, Dell's Latitude 12 Rugged Tablet is built to deliver the performance they need, wherever they need it, without worrying about what their environment throws at them."