It isn’t everyday that I read about industrial-computing products in popular consumer-tech blogs, so I was thrilled when I stumbled across Engadget’s announcement of Honeywell’s new Dolphin 70e Black ruggedized smartphone. Although only announced by Honeywell as recently as October 23, 2012, this new creation has already been trumpeted by Engadget, the U.K.’s Phones Review, Mobile Underground, Techatron, and many others.
The new Dolphin 70e Black features a 4.3-inch capacitive-touch display protected by hardened Gorilla Glass. This is the same screen size that I’ve found to be ideal with my personal Android smartphone. It’s large enough to display streaming video effectively – NetFlix is surprisingly enjoyable on the big 4.3-inch screen! – yet still small enough to remain comfortably pocketable. At just 0.75 inch, the Dolphin Black is the thinnest product Honeywell has ever produced, and it weighs just 7.2 ounces.
Unlike my consumer smartphone, the Dolphin 70e Black boasts a 12-hour battery life, and its battery is user replaceable. But what most noticeably separates the 70e Black from my cutting-edge consumer smartphone is that it carries an IP67 rating, designating that it is completely dust tight and submersible to up to 1.0 meter! Plus, the Dolphin Black delivers superior outdoor viewability and even features noise-cancelling microphones, further separating it from my existing smartphone. Also unlike my personal smartphone, the Dolphin Black is available with both Windows and Android operating systems. Of course, because it’s from Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, it is designed to be enterprise-ready from ground up with Remote Mastermind built in and scanning/area imaging as a core function.
John Waldron, President of Honeywell Scanning & Mobility, stars in a 5.5-minute video (www.dolphinblack.com) in which he explains the design goals that the Dolphin Black is designed to meet the desire of industrial users and IT managers alike for a single solution to all of their mobile-computing needs. As Waldron puts it, “They want one device to do the work of many.” Such a device would combine “the consumer user experience with the professional performance of something like the 99ex,” and it certainly looks like the Dolphin 70e Black will fit that bill. Honeywell expects to begin shipping the new Dolphin Black as early as February 2013.
Dolphin 70e Black – New Product Reveal – John Waldron – Miami, FL from Honeywell Scanning & Mobility
What do you think about the Dolphin 70e Black? Please comment below!