The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-E1 is the toughest Windows Phone you'll ever (not) see

Part of the fun of events like Mobile World Congress is not only the new devices, but getting to see ones you'd never normally come across in every day life. The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-E1 is one such device that we saw while hanging out with Microsoft's OEM partners division in Barcelona. You won't see many around, but it's the toughest Windows Phone there is.

Windows and Windows Phone goes beyond just the consumer devices we cover daily in these parts. Niche devices such as this are constructed to cater to a specific target market. This one, for example, beyond just being ridiculously tough has a barcode scanner embedded in the top of the casing. Custom apps are being built to interface with hardware such as this, and it's pretty cool to see Windows Phone being used in this way.

We'll likely never see one, it's not something you're going to just go out and buy, but that it exists is still a great thing for the product ecosystem. We've got a few pictures of it for you below, including a couple of side-by-sides with the Lumia 830, just to illustrate how massive the FZ-E1 really is.

TOPICS

Richard Devine is the Managing Editor at Windows Central, where he combines a deep love for the open-source community with expert-level technical coverage. Whether he’s hunting for the next big project on GitHub, fine-tuning a WSL workflow, or breaking down the latest meta in Call of Duty, Forza, and The Division 2, Richard focuses on making complex tech accessible to every kind of user. If it’s happening in the world of Windows or PC gaming, he’s probably already knee-deep in the code (or the lobbies). Follow him on X and Mastodon.