Dell unveiled the Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme Tablet on October 12, 2022. It is the fourth iteration of the company's fully-rugged 12-inch tablet computer, which dates back to June 2015. This most recent iteration, which debuted nearly three years after the 7220 it replaced (see our complete post), seems to provide the platform with a significant technological upgrade. What, then, has changed, and what is new?
Characteristics and features of the Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme
The capacity of this rugged tablet/laptop to endure fall up to four feet and tolerate harsh temperatures ranging from -20°F (-20°C) to 145°F (62°C) are among its standout qualities. It also has an IP65 certification for dust and water resistance. Despite having a strengthened chassis, the tablet only weighs 1.26 kg. It is the "lightest and most powerful 12-inch fully-rugged tablet on the market," according to the maker.
Watt hours per liter: Batteries
In tablets, the size and capacity of the battery are constant problems. Tablets are intended to be entirely mobile, unlike laptops, which are "somewhat mobile" by their form and idea. Therefore, they need to be as small and portable as possible, which huge batteries aren't. Despite its great performance, Dell's 12-inch rugged tablet platform has never had a large battery since it only has two little batteries. What was it this time?
Well, it's difficult to say—impossible, really—because the batteries' specifications list "750 Wh/L" when you'd ordinarily see voltage, amperage, and then—what counts most—watt-hours. The revised Dell standard, though, is silent on it. Wh/L, or watt hour per liter, is a battery density measurement instead of storage capacity. An automobile may be advertised as using 89-octane fuel, but neither the size of the tank nor the expected miles per gallon would be mentioned. As it is, 750 Wh/L is a respectable energy density for a mobile battery, but it again sidesteps the question of how much battery power your new Dell tablet will have. Very bad. According to the press release, up to 20 hours of battery life.
Price and release date
However, the price and release date will be announced near the end of this year.
Having twin Thunderbolt ports and good communication
A flexible connection is essential in business and field deployments, yet most consumer tablets fall short in this regard. Considering the numerous connection needs that might include legacy I/O like serial or older card formats, as well as the physical limitations of a small and light tablet, addressing that is not easy.
In light of this and the future, Dell introduced two Thunderbolt 4 ports to the new 7230 to bear most of the connectivity load for ordinary use. For times when you don't have a cable with a USB Type-C connection on hand, there is also a USB 3.2 Type-A port. There are possibilities for whatever extra you could require in two expansion I/O sections. You may choose an additional USB Type-A port or HDMI 2.0 on the side. RJ45, mini-serial, a 1D/2D barcode scanner, or a watertight Fischer screw-on port are all options for the rear.
What benefits does Thunderbolt 4 offer? Intel and Apple collaborated to create Thunderbolt as a quicker and more robust data transfer technology. It was later developed to utilize the well-liked USB Type-C connection, which is reversible and combines the best features of the PCIe and DisplayPort interfaces. It also supports the blazing-fast USB 4 standard and has upstream and downstream power supply capabilities. Thus, with Thunderbolt 4, you just need a single USB 4 cable and a Thunderbolt 4 dock to connect to multiple devices simultaneously, including keyboards, mouse, external drives, two 4K monitors, and the tablet itself (Dell offers 65 and 90-watt USB-C chargers for the 7230).
Complete toughness
Consumer tablets are a sensitive issue regarding toughness and durability since appearance almost always precedes functionality. According to Dell, a robust solution actually has a lower 5-year total cost of ownership than a consumer product.
Simply said, a rugged gadget must be rationally planned and constructed to withstand whatever situations and eventualities may be met in the real world. This does not mean that the device must be built like a tank. Like its predecessors, the new Dell tablet has IP65 sealing, where "6" denotes complete dust proofness, and "5" denotes protection against all directions of low-pressure water jets. The gadget can function in a very broad temperature range of -20 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, which means it can be used anywhere.
Security
Dell Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme tablet provides extreme security by offering FIPS 140-2 Level 3 and features TPM 2.0 capabilities for secure data storage. n addition to Dell's sophisticated security, data protection, and encryption features, some of the processors on the market enable vPro, a collection of Intel security and remote management technologies that provides many lines of built-in defenses. For further physical protection, there is a cable lock slot. Smart card readers that are FIPS 201-certified, contactless smart card readers, fingerprint readers, and NFC are also available.
Conclusion
The new, somewhat bigger screen should be warmly accepted, and the incorporation of Thunderbolt 4 and the increased processing power of the 7230 rugged tablets should make it far more powerful than its 7220 predecessors. The 7230 isn't a revolutionary advancement, but it looks to be a well-planned improvement to an already excellent machine. For the time being, it has more modern technology than the main rival.
