Dell tablet for clumsy hands and demanding environments

Dell has announced a somewhat special tablet with Windows 11. It is the Latitude 7030 Rugged Extreme, a 10-inch rugged tablet designed primarily for professionals who might work in the field where conditions are challenging.

Dell bills the new Latitude 7030 Rugged Extreme as "the world's lightest 10-inch rugged Windows tablet." It is the successor to the 12-inch Latitude 7230 Rugged Extreme tablet. The new model is 10.3 inches wide, 1 inch thick and 7.4 inches tall. It weighs a good 1.1 kilograms. The tablet also has a touch-sensitive screen that works even when in contact with water and when operated with gloves. It also supports the Dell Rugged Active Pen and the Rugged 7030 Tablet Premium keyboard, which are sold separately.

Under the hood, it is powered by 12th generation Intel processors. You can choose either Core i3-1210U, Core i5-12400U or Core i7-1260U. The amount of RAM ranges from 8 GB to 32 GB, and the storage space is of the SSD type with a capacity of 2 TB. As for the screen, the tablet includes a panel with a resolution of 1920 x 1200, which is adapted for an aspect ratio of 16: 10. It is covered with Corning Gorilla Glass and can reach 1000 nits of brightness. At the top of the screen is an option for a 5MP RGB IR webcam, but you can also choose a VGA IR infrared camera or an 11MP RGB camera.

Considering that it is a tablet with an emphasis on durability and robustness, you will definitely be interested in official reviews and certifications. It meets the IP65 ratings for dust, dirt and water, as well as the MIL-STD 810 military standard. It has been tested against drops from a height of up to a good meter and can operate in temperature conditions from -30 to 65 degrees Celsius. GPS is understandably built in, and 5G connectivity is also available. The tablet will ensure that workers in the field are always connected to the network. You can even customize the built-in port for a barcode scanner, Ethernet port, USB-A or audio port.

Accessories for the tablet include a solid holder and passive stylus, the aforementioned detachable keyboard, and a rotating wrist strap. Dell will launch the Latitude 7030 Rugged Extreme later this year, and will reveal pricing shortly before it goes on sale.