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Rugged Handhelds and PDAs

Ruggedized vertical market handheld computers and rugged PDAs are the unsung heroes of the mobile computing revolution. They are tough tools for the job, and their impact on productivity and the financial bottom line can be tremendous. (by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)

Not too long ago it was unthinkable to expect computing power away from the desk, and then a time when it was unthinkable to have it where you need it most: out in the field and on the job. As a result, field force workers had to make do with pen and paper that often resulted in errors, delays, and an inability to access and forward data when it was needed most.

About two decades ago, some companies began using pen computers for such field work, and some of those applications were quite successful. But full-fledged pen computers cost a lot, and thus computer penetration in field force applications remained low. That is now changing with the emergence of tablet computers and relatively low cost handhelds that benefit from the great advances in consumer market smartphone technology.

Most of the devices you see in this section use the same electronic components you find in a conventional Pocket PC or PDA, but they are packaged in tough, rugged shells and designed for the job at hand. They come in several form factors. Some look just like slightly larger PDAs. Others carry on the convenient "flashlight" style of earlier generations of data terminals. Some have pistol grips for easy handling. Others are small-size tablets. Many have integrated bar code scanners or lasers. And they may use anything from minimal technology to state-of-the-art CPUs and displays.

There are also those that were designed from the ground up for use as rugged devices, with all of their components carefully selected to hold up in much more demanding environments in terms of sealing, vibration, shock, resistance to heat and cold, and other criteria.

The right display

Most rugged handheld devices will be used outdoors, and so an outdoor-viewable display is especially important. Unlike commercial notebooks where outdoor readbility was/is not considered important, PDAs and Pocket PCs have had sunlight viewable displays for many years, and so finding a device with a good display is generally less of an issue. However, technology moves on, and we're less and less inclined to accept low contrast displays or excessive reflection and glare.

Resolution can also be an issue. For years, Palm and Pocket PC devices used fairly low resolution displays (mostly 240 x 320 pixels), but as handhelds are being used for more sophisticated applications like mapping or browsing, many devices now have full 480 x 640 VGA displays. And if industrial handhelds follow smartphones, which some undoubtedly will, we'll soon see resolutions once thought unthinkable for handhelds.

Designed to take a beating

Handhelds are not immune to the laws of physics, but their generally smaller size and weight, and the absence of hard drives, makes them more able to take extreme punishment. We have tested devices that can survive drops from six feet and more, and they not only continued to work, they didn't even get scratched or dented. Some are so well sealed that they can be used in driving rain or even submerged in water. We have actually tested some underwater, in full Scuba gear. The image to the right is real. It was taken when we tested a TDS/Trimble Nomad handheld computer underwater. It continued to work.

As with all computers scheduled to be used in tough jobs out in the field, picking the right one is the difference between success and failure of your project. So do your homework carefully. Handheld computers are designed with deployment in certain types of environments in mind, so matching equipment to application is essential.

This page contains access to full reviews or capsule reviews/specs for hundreds of rugged terminals, rugged PDAs, rugged Pocket PCs, and other rugged mobile handheld computing devices.

Operating systems

Most vertical market handheld computers run one of Microsoft's compact operating systems, either Windows CE or Windows Mobile (essentially a friendlier user interface on top of Windows CE). This is interesting as in the 1990s the market was initially slow to switch from DOS or proprietary operating systems to Windows CE (some early industrial handhelds ran the Palm OS), but now that the traditional PDA/Pocket PC has largely been replaced by smartphones running Apple's iOS or Google's Android operating system, virtually all vertical market handhelds still run Windows CE.

This presents some uncertainty as the projected capacitive touch screens used in smartphones have fundamentally changed user interface expectations, and also because Microsoft itself split Windows CE into the mutually incompatible consumer-only Windows Phone side and the vertical/embedded market Windows Embedded Compact side.

Where are handhelds headed?

While consumer electronics change very quickly, industrial handheld computers have a much longer life cycle. Many models are being used in almost unchanged form year after year, with the importance being in ruggedness and convenience rather than whistles and bells. However, time doesn't stand still and there are a number of technologies that are finding their ways into handhelds and will change how handhelds are being used. Some of these technologies are GPS, wide area wireless radios, RFID, high quality imagers and scanners, and integrated high resolution cameras.

None of these technologies are new, but they are just now becoming powerful, small and reliable enough so they can be integrated into handhelds rather than being peripherals to them. Such integration, however, increases cost and complexity, so one should carefully consider what is needed and what is merely desirable.

Another interesting new development in rugged handled computers is the inclusion of increasingly sophisticated sensor technology.

Motion sensors, pioneered in smartphones such as the Apple iPhone, can be used to automatically change display orientation, engage power conservation, or interact with applications.

Light sensors can adjust screen brightness and thus safe battery power. Gyros can provide valuable 3D information. Barometric pressure sensors may provide climate data.

During 2010 and 2011, we saw a number of attempts at providing smartphone functionality in a rugged handheld computer package that could also be used for data capture, with the idea of eliminating the need of field workers to carry separate devices. We also saw the first industrial handhelds inherently capable of running Android, though the default OS usually remained Microsoft-based.

By early 2012, the difference between consumer and industrial handhelds had never been greater. While the vast majority of consumer handhelds were either iPhones or Android-based smartphones from Motorola, HTC, Samsung or LG and had large (3.5 to 5.0 inch) displays projected capactive touch screens, industrial handhelds continued to hold on to an earlier era. The majority of ruggedized handhelds remained based on Windows CE or Windows Mobile and had resistive digitizers.

There were, however, isolated attempts at offering Android-based industrial handhelds, often in conjunction with making the same hardware available with Microsoft software. Microsoft's own successor to Windows Mobile, Windows Phone, did not gain any traction or even presence in industrial handhelds, a situation undoubtedly cemented by Microsoft making it impossible to upgrade from Windows Mobile to Phone 7, and making Phone 8 incompatible even with its own Phone 7 and 7.5.

In 2013, it became increasingly clear that Android was considered a viable alternative for rugged and industrial handhelds. A number of manufacturers began offering Android versions of selected handhelds, often with the same or similar hardware as their Windows Mobile based products. Both Intermec and Motorola Solutions followed with Android platforms. On the software side, cross-platform solutions such as RhoMobile and iFactr sought to make the transition easier by enabling apps that ran on various OS platforms.

2014 saw still more new legacy handhelds with versions of Windows CE or Windows Embedded Handheld, but there were at least a matching number of new Android-based handhelds. A debate began, both with tablets and handhelds, whether it might not make sense to embed leading-edge consumer handhelds into hardened and/or value-added cases.

In 2015, most vendors of vertical and industrial market rugged handheld devices sold both Android and Windows devices. Of the latter, the majority still used Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5, due primarily to the lack of a feasible alternative from Microsoft. This will almost undoubtedly change as the new Windows 10 IoT versions gain traction.

Interesting trends were a) much wider acceptance of capacitive multi-touch instead of the resistive touch that had ruled handhelds for almost two decades, and b) rapidly increasing display sizes to meet the demands of customers used to giant smartphone screens.

In 2016, Microsoft made a renewed effort to finally offer a replacement of the old Windows Embedded Handheld 6.5 with Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise (how's that for a name!). Its prime attraction is that it uses the same "universal core" as the full Windows 10 OS, which would allow developers to write code just once and then easily adapt it to various Windows platforms.

By mid-2017, the Windows 10 IoT Mobile Enterprise effort hadn't picked up much steam, with most handheld vendors either choosing full tablet Windows or Android. As a result, in mid-2018 Microsoft threw in the towel with Windows 10 Mobile and its vertical market version. This meant that the Windows Mobile era in handheld computing devices was over and Android essentially inherited that market.

Ever since, it's been pretty much all Android in the handheld mobile computer market. With Microsoft gone, there was no more need to offer handhelds either with Windows Mobile or with Android, an approach that always was a compromise. New devices were designed and engineered from the ground up for Android, making for better better products.

But not everthing was new Android-based rugged handhelds. That's because a good number of enterprise customers are opting for iPhones or consumer Android devices in a case.

By mid-2021, almost all new rugged handhelds were Android-based. There were a few exceptions — such as the DT362 by DT Research that ran full Windows 10 on a 6-inch handheld — but the fast majority of devices was on Android. However, the wholesale migration of rugged legacy Windows CE/Windows Mobile handhelds to Android also saw older handheld devices replaced by other form factors, such as mid-size Android or Windows-based rugged tablets. A growing concern was Google's increasing use of the Android platform for its own marketing purposes.

The rugged handheld market weathered the COVID pandemic fairly well, and 2023 was off to a good start.

--Conrad H. Blickenstorfer

Comparison Tools >>
Rugged handhelds
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Rugged Handheld Reviews
2T HANDGEAR
2T Hydrus (full)
2T Hydrus Luna
2T JETT*ce
2T JETT*XL
2T N4
2T Safari
4P FDA300
4P FDA600
Aceeca MEZ1000
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Aceeca PDA32
Advantech MARS-1030/1031
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Amrel APEX AH53
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Arbor Gladius 5
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Arbor G60
Atid AT911
BDA SwitchBack
BDA MTS
Bluebird Pidion BM-170
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CipherLab 8600 Series
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CipherLab RS30
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Datalogic Skorpio X4
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DLI 7200
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DT Research WebDT 410
DT Research WebDT 415
DT Research WebDT 430
DT Research WebDT 435
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Elbit Systems RPDA-57
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Emdoor EM-T40
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Eurotech HRC-3100
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F4Devices BAP/Flint
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Honeywell Dolphin CT40
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Honeywell Dolphin 70e Black
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Honeywell Dolphin 7800
Honeywell Dolphin 7800 Android
Honeywell CN75
Honeywell CK75
Honeywell CN80
Honeywell Dolphin 99EX
Honeywell Dolphin 99GX
Honeywell (LXE) HX3
Honeywell (LXE) MX8
Honeywell (LXE) MX9
Honeywell (LXE) Tecton
Intermec CN3
Intermec CN4
Intermec CN4e
Intermec CN50
Intermec CN51
Intermec CN70
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Intermec CK3
Intermec CK3R
Intermec CK3X
Intermec CK32IS
Intermec CK70
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Intermec CS40
Janam XG3
Janam XG4
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Janam XM2-RFID for Rail
Janam XM2-RFID UHF
Janam XM5
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Juniper Mesa
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Juniper Mesa 2
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MilDef DF8A
Motorola LEX L10
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Panasonic Toughbook FZ-N1
Panasonic Toughbook FZ-T1
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-X1
Parvus Zypad WR1100
Opticon H-22
Opticon H-27
Opticon H-28
Opticon H-29
Opticon H-31 and H33
Opticon H-32
QSI (Beijer) QTERM-G58
QSI (Beijer) TREQ-M4
Quantum3D Thermite TL
Radix FW960
Schweers X600
Schweers Ticketman
Socket SoMo 655
Sonim XP1
SDG Systems Atid AT911
SDG Systems RAMPAGE 6
Spectralink PIVOT
TAG TC-100
Talla-Tech RPDA-57
Talla-Tech Tacter-31M
TouchStar Hawk
Trimble GeoExplorer 2008
Trimble Geo Series
Trimble Juno T41
Trimble Juno 3B/3D
Trimble Juno SC
Trimble Nomad 900
Trimble Nomad 5
Trimble Ranger 3
Trimble Ranger 3 brief
Trimble Tablet
Trimble Yuma
Two Technologies HANDGEAR
Two Technologies Hydrus
Two Technologies Hydrus Luna
Two Technologies JETT*ce
Two Technologies JETT*XL
Two Technologies N4
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Unitech EA602
Unitech HT730
Unitech PA692A
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Unitech PA730
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Winmate C350T (3.5")
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Winmate E430T (4.3")
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Winmate S430T (4.3")
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Zebra MC40
Zebra MC45
Zebra MC55A0
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Zebra MC2100
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Zebra MC3200
Zebra MC9190-G
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Zebra TC20
Zebra TC25
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Zebra TC55
Zebra TC70
Zebra TC70x
Zebra TC75
Zebra TC8000
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Casio IT-10
Casio IT-300
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Casio IT-800
Casio IT-3100
Casio DT-X7
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Cedar CT4
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DAP Technologies M1000
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DAP Technologies M4000
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DAP MicroFlex 5000
DAP Kinysis 8900KS
DAP Kinysis 8900VS
Datalogic Falcon 4400
Datalogic Falcon 5500
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Datalogic Lynx
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Datalogic Memor
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Datalogic Memor X3
Datalogic Pegaso
Datalogic Skorpio
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DLoG XMDA
GD-Itronix GD300
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GETAC MH132
GETAC PS236
GETAC PS535F
Handheld M3 Mobile
Handheld Nautiz X1
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Handheld Nautiz X5
Handheld Nautiz X7
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Hand Held Products 7850
Hand Held Products 7900
Hand Held Products 9550
Hitachi VisionPlate
Honeywell Dolphin 7600
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Intermec 700 Series
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Intermec CK61/CK61EX
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Intermec CK60
Itronix Q200
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Janam XP30
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Juniper Archer (full)
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Juniper Allegro CX Juniper TK6000
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MicroSlate MSL-1500
MicroSlate SideARM
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Motorola MC9090-G
Motorola MC9090-K
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Motorola MC9097
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Panasonic Toughpad FZ-F1
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Psion Teklogix 7530 G1
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Psion Neo
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Socket SoMo 650rx
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TDS Nomad (full review)
TDS Ranger
TDS Ranger (full review)
TDS Recon
TouchStar Olympus R1000
Trimble GeoExplorer
Trimble Nomad 800
Trimble Juno 3B and 3D
Trimble Juno ST
Two Technologies JETT.eye
Unitech HT680
Unitech HT682
Unitech PA500
Unitech PA550
Unitech PA500e
Unitech PA600
Unitech PA600 HF
Unitech PA600 MCA
Unitech PA600 PE
Unitech PA950
Unitech PA966/967
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Unitech PA968II
Unitech PA982
Unitech PA692
Unitech RH767
ViewSonic V38r
ViewSonic V38r (full)
Zebra (Motorola) MC65
Zebra (Motorola) MC75A
Zebra (Motorola) MC3100
Zebra (Psion) EP10
Zebra TC5 Series
Windows Mobile History
  • Windows 10 IoT Core
  • Windows Embedded 8.1 Handheld
  • Windows Embedded Compact 2013
  • Windows Embedded 8 Handheld
  • Windows Embedded Compact 7
  • Windows Embedded Handheld
  • Windows Phone 7
  • Windows Embedded CE 6.0 R3
  • Windows Mobile 6.5
  • Windows Mobile 6
  • Windows CE 6.0
  • Windows Mobile 5
  • Windows CE 5.0
  • Windows Mobile Smartphone
  • Windows Mobile 2003
  • Windows CE .Net
  • Windows for Pocket PC 2002
  • Pocket PC intro 2000
  • Windows CE H/PC Pro 1998
  • Windows CE 2.0 1997