Motorola Solutions Announced Symbol TC70 Rugged Device

Motorola Solutions today announced the Symbol TC70 rugged handheld computer with a 4.7-inch touch screen protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 2 that can accommodate wet fingers, gloves, or stylus.

The device costs $2000 but can be purchased in large quantities for less than $1000 each, according to Barry Issberner, Senior Director of Motorola Solutions Product Marketing.

The TC70, which runs the stock version 4.4.2 of Android KitKat, promises to combine the ease of using of a smartphone with increased durability and battery life, along with business-specific functions like scanning and data capture.

The 4.7-inch display is protected by Gorilla Glass 2, can be used by wet fingers, gloves or a stylus and adapts to various light conditions so it can be used in indoor and outdoor environments. It has IP67 dust and water protection and can withstand high drops onto concrete.

An 8MP camera, along with an advanced imaging engine, makes it easier to capture data and a range of accessories such as a magnetic strip reader and trigger handle allow for mobile payments and barcode scanning.

The device is VoIP ready, includes support for Near Field Communication (NFC), and can even be used as a two way radio straight out of the box if it is connected to a Wi-Fi network. Powering all this is a 1.7GHz dual core processor and 1GB of RAM.

Issberner said that enterprise customers demand intensive testing of devices and with Android 5.0 Lollipop just out on the market, it is too early to gauge customer interest. “We will continue on the Google platform, but our transitions [to new versions] are not as quick as for the consumer market,” he said. If enterprise customers demand Lollipop, then Motorola Solutions will follow, he said.

The portion of Motorola Solutions focused on public safety devices will retain the Motorola Solutions name. Meanwhile, Motorola Mobility — a maker of consumer smartphones– is being sold by Google to Lenovo of China in a deal set to close by January.

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