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Unitech EA520
Aggressively priced, light and handy Android-based handheld computer
(by Conrad H. Blickenstorfer)
Unitech announced the EA520 rugged smartphone on November 10, 2021, as a budget-friendly solution for when fragile consumer smartphones just aren't up to the job, and there's a need for industrial-grade barcode scanning. Targeting a variety of applications within the retail, transportation, logistics, and field service industries, Unitech counts on not only price, but also a pleasing consumer smartphone look to attract customers.
Competent technology
On the hardware side, the EA520 follows up on the initial Unitech EA500 and EA500+. This latest version runs Android 11 GMS on an octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 (MT6762) processor. There's now 4GB of RAM instead of just two. Onboard storage quadrupled from 16GB in the EA500+ to 64GB, and that can be augmented by up to 128GB via a microSDXC Card slot. The standard battery capacity is slightly up from 14.4 to 15.6 watt-hours. Default battery life isn't listed, but we'd expect 10+ hours. The battery is externally accessible and replaceable.
The Unitech EA520 still comes with a 5.0-inch LCD display with 1280 x 720 pixel resolution. That's 294 pixels per inch and makes for a sharp-enough picture. With consumer smartphone displays getting ever larger, 5-inch now looks almost small. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3 and it can be operated even with gloves on and when it's wet.
Unitech has steadily improved camera resolution on the EA5x0 versions, with the EA520's front-facing vidcom camera now up to 8mp and the rear-facing documentation camera to 13mp. Much appreciated. And there is a USB 2.0 Type-C connector for charging and data connectivity. Compared to micro-USB, USB Type-C is quicker, more reliable, and you plugging it in isn't trial and error, as Type-C is reversible.
The EA520, of course, uses capacitive multi-touch. Below the display are the standard three Android buttons: Back, Home, and Tasks. There are scan buttons on each side of the device, a volume rocker on the left, and also a programmable key.
The EA520 is based on Android 11, up from Android 8.1 on the predecessor EA500+. As of late 2021, according to statcounter GlobaStats version 11 of Android has the largest marketshare of all Android versions. Unlike the initial EA500, the new EA520 comes with Android GMS. GMS stands for Google Mobile Services which includes all the popular Google Android apps as well as access to the Google Play Store for software downloads. Yes, that can be a temptation and may raise security questions, but that can be addressed with proper configuration.
Powerful data collection capabilities
Like most of Unitech's handhelds, the EA520 seeks to meet the needs of a large variety of data collection applications. Its NFC RFID reader/writer supports ISO 14443 Type A and B, and the EA500 can handle all major barcodes and 2D codes. On the wireless communication side, there's dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac WiFi including the d/e/h/i/j/k/r/v extensions that add a variety of functionality. Bluetooth is at version 5 now, and the EA500 has 4G LTE mobile voice and data on AT&T and T-Mobile.
While consumer smartphones can scan barcodes via apps and their cameras, that wouldn't do for a ruggedized enterprise device where heavy-duty scanning may be part of the job. And that's why the Unitech EA520 has an integrated industrial-grade Zebra SE4710 scanner. The SE4710 (see specs) is a higher-end 1D/2D scanner with red aiming LED, a scan range of about 2 to 30 inches, and a combination of onboard software/hardware scanning for faster capture and processing.
Also of note: the EA520's positioning system supports not only the US AGPS/GPS, but also the Russian GLONASS, the Chinese Beidou, and the European Galileo. Access to more satellites is always better.
Size, weight and toughness
While many enterprise handhelds with integrated industrial-grade scanning are on the big and bulky side, the EA520 is remarkably compact with a 3.0 x 6.0 inch foot print (about like an iPhone 13 Pro Max), a very manageable half-inch thickness and weighing 8.5 ounces, also the same as the (non-rugged) iPhone 13 Pro Max. The frontal design follows contemporary smartphone standards with flush frontal glass, and a rectangular shape with rounded corners. Heftier and slightly raised perimeter protection identifies the EA520 as a device that's much tougher than any consumer phone.
As far as ruggedness goes, the Unitech EA520 delivers. There's a five foot drop spec (and six feet with an optional boot), a newly widened -4 to 140 degree Fahrenheit operating temperature range, and IP67 sealing where the "6" means the device is fully dustproof, and the "7" that it can handle full immersion down to a meter. The EA520 also passed the "tumble" test (1.6-foot (0.5m) tumbles for 300 cycles / 600 drops.
Bottomline
The Unitech EA520, a fairly significant update and tech refresh over the initial EA500 and EA500+, is a solution for an era where almost everyone is thoroughly familiar with their smartphone, and most of the world's smartphones use the Android OS. So it makes sense to make available a handheld computer that looks and works about the same as a standard smartphone, with the exception that it is a lot more durable and can handle routine work-related tasks, such as industrial-grade scanning and other data capture. The device starts at US$850. -- Conrad H. Blickenstorfer, November 2021
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 Specifications Unitech EA520
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Added/changed
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Added 11/2021
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Form-factor
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Rugged Android smartphone
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CPU/Speed
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Octa-core MediaTek Helio P22 MT6762 (4 x Cortex A53 2.0GHz, 4 x Cortex A53 1.5GHz)
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Graphics
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Unknown
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OS
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Android 11 GMS
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RAM
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4GB RAM
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Card slots
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1 x MicroSDXC Card Slot (up to 128GB), dual SIM
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Storage
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64GB eMMC Flash
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Display type
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TFT LCD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
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Display size/res
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5.0-inch/1280 x 720 pixel LCD (294 ppi)
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Digitizer/pens
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Capacitive multi-touch (wet, glove, stylus, finger)
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Keyboard/keys
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2 scan keys, volume keys, power, programmable function key
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Navigation
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Touch
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Housing
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Impact-resistant plastic
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Operating Temp
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-4° to 140°F (-20° to 60°C)
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Sealing
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IP67
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Drop
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5-foot drops to concrete (6-foot with boot case)
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Vibration
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Unknown
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Tumbles
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1.6-foot (0.5m) tumbles for 300 cycles / 600 drops
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Humidity
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95% (non-condensing)
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Regulatory
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CE, FCC, NCC, CCC, SRRC, VCCI, TELEC, RoHS, BQB, N-Mark, BSMI for battery
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Size (WxHxD)
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3.0 x 6.0 x 0.5 inches (77 x 151 x 12 mm)
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Weight
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8.5 oz. (242 grams) with standard battery
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Power
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Removable 3.8V 4.100mAH 15.6 watt-hour Li-Polymer ("10-12 hours")
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Sensors
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G-sensor, proximity, light, e-compass, gyroscope
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Scanning
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Zebra SE4710 1D/2D imager
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Camera
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Front: 8mp; rear: 13mp autofocus, LED flashlight
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Interface
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1 x USB 2.0 Type-C, 90db speaker, pogo pin for charging cradle; optional fingerprint reader
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Wireless
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802.11 a/b/g/n/ac d/e/h/i/j/k/r/v, Bluetooth 5, NFC HF RFID reader/writer (ISO 14443 A/B, ISO15693, Felica(ISO/IEC18092), Mifare), WWAN 4G (FDD-LTE), 3G (UMTS / HSDPA / HSPA / HSPA+), 2G (GSM / EDGE / GPRS), GNSS (AGPS, GPS, GLONASS, Beidou, Galileo)
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List price
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Starting at US$850
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Brochure
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EA520 brochure (PDF)
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Web page
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EA520 web page
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Unitech EA520
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