In 2013, high-definition just isn’t enough anymore as CES reveals how brands are increasing production of ultra-HD formats, namely 4K resolution. Panasonic has now jumped on the 4K bandwagon with the introduction of a 20-inch tablet packed with 9.83m pixels, as well as a 56-inch 4K OLED TV.
The 20-inch 4K tablet features an IPS Alpha LCD panel with a unique aspect ratio of 15:10 (the same as 3:2, which is commonly used in photography). In case you were wondering, 4K resolution is four times that of full-HD, with pixels measuring 3,840 x 2,560.
Mashable reports that the tablet features a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, Nvidia GeForce graphics, 4GB RAM and 128GB SSD. Users can operate the Windows 8 tablet using the multi-touch panel or a high precision digital pen by Anoto.
Panasonic claims this tablet embodies the characteristics of printed media like no other, with texture-rich rendering and natural handwriting recognition – but why would it want to do that?
The brand gives an example of a use case for this tablet on the production side of print media, being used by an editor and his or her staff to proof a print-ready publication in high resolution on a screen that can display A3-size images in almost full size, making annotations using the digital pen. It’s an interesting take when the growing consensus is that devices such as this will be the final nail in the coffin of traditional print media.
Panasonic also points to the tablet’s thin and lightweight structure but, though it’s less than half an inch thick and weighs a neat 2.4kg, the oversized tablet is not something you can describe as portable. The two new Toughpads Panasonic introduced at CES, however, could be taken anywhere.
These ruggedised tablets are built to withstand immersion in water and extreme temperatures, and the screens are made to be visible even in bright daylight.
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1
The 10-inch FZ-G1 runs on Windows 8 Pro powered by a 1.9GHz third-generation Intel Core i5 processor. It features up to 256GB SSD, up to 8GB RAM, and Wi-Fi and 4G or 3G connectivity.
The 7-inch JT-B1 Toughpad runs on Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich OS. This model is powered by a 1.5GHz dual-core OMAP processor from Texas Instruments, with 1GB RAM and 16GB storage. It also features a 13MP rear camera and 1.3MP front-facing camera.
The JT-B1 reaches the US in February, with the FZ-G1 following in March. Meanwhile, Panasonic plans to bring the 20-inch 4K tablet to the commercial market later this year.
Finally, Panasonic has also revealed a 56-inch 4K OLED TV at CES, the largest in the world produced through the RGB all-printing method. While this rivals Sony’s TV set of the very same nature, also announced at CES, the two are in fact working together on developing mass-production printing-based technology for OLED panels.
