Zebra ET8x Series Rugged 2-in-1 Tablets

Brand - Zebra

The Zebra ET8x Series is a rugged Windows-based 2-in-1 tablet family designed for mission-critical workers in public safety, utilities, field service, manufacturing and other demanding operational environments. It is built for users who need more than a conventional rugged tablet: a mobile device that can work as a standalone tablet, a laptop alternative and a fixed or mobile workstation in vehicles, offices, production areas and field environments. The series includes the ET80 and ET85 platforms. At a high level, the ET80 is the Wi-Fi-focused configuration, while ET85 configurations add cellular connectivity options, including 4G / 5G and optional GPS-related capabilities. For product-page positioning, the family can be presented together as the Zebra ET8x Series, with the connectivity difference handled in a short model selector rather than separate full product descriptions. The ET8x Series is designed for essential workers who move between the field, vehicles and facilities. Typical use cases include routing and dispatch, personnel tracking, incident reporting, patient care reporting, e-citation, records management, mobile incident command, utility repairs, mobile work orders, safety inspection, compliance, meter reading, remote assistance, plant management, mobile HMI, PLC programming, manufacturing communications, maintenance, repair, overhaul, quality assurance, forklift operations and specialised environments such as clean rooms and pharmaceutical production. A key strength of the ET8x Series is its true 2-in-1 design. The tablet can be used as a highly mobile standalone device, or it can be combined with the detachable rugged friction-hinge keyboard to become a laptop-style workstation for heavier data entry. The keyboard supports a wide opening angle, standard-sized keys, a precision multitouch touchpad, physical click buttons, adjustable colour backlighting, IP65 protection and programmable keys, including an emergency key. The tablets can also be used in vehicles or offices through Zebra’s universal docking solutions. The same platform can support mobile workstation use in police cars, trucks, forklifts and other vehicles, or desktop-style use in an office. This versatility is one of the main reasons to choose the ET8x Series over a traditional laptop or a standard rugged tablet. The display is designed for professional field and vehicle use. The ET8x Series features a 12-inch QHD display with 2160 × 1440 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio and 800 nits brightness. The 3:2 format provides more vertical working space than many widescreen devices, making it practical for forms, reports, dispatch screens, work orders, maps and application dashboards. The display is sunlight readable and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass with anti-reflective and anti-smudge treatment. Night-vision mode is also listed in the source material. Touch input supports 10-point capacitive multi-touch, glove mode, wet mode and MPP 2.0 active pen compatibility. This makes the ET8x Series suitable for outdoor work, vehicle use, cold or wet conditions, inspections and field documentation where users may be wearing gloves or using a stylus. Performance is based on 11th generation Intel Core processors. The source lists Intel Core i7-1180G7 vPro, Intel Core i5-1140G7 vPro and Intel Core i5-1130G7 processor options. The tablets run Windows 11 Professional 64-bit. Memory options include 8 GB or 16 GB LPDDR4x, while storage options include 128 GB, 256 GB or 512 GB tool-less user-removable PCIe SSDs. This positions the ET8x Series as a Windows productivity platform for enterprise applications, field software, dispatch tools, HMI workflows and data-heavy tasks. The series offers strong wireless connectivity. Wi-Fi support includes Wi-Fi 6E, 802.11ax and the 6 GHz band when used with Windows 11 Pro, while Windows 10 supports Wi-Fi 6 according to the supplied footnote. Bluetooth 5.1 with Audio LE and Class 1 support is included. NFC supports peer-to-peer, card reader / writer and card emulation modes, including ISO 14443, MIFARE, FeliCa, ISO 15693 and NFC Forum tag types. Cellular connectivity applies to ET85 configurations. The source lists available 5G, 4G / LTE and 3G data-only options, including sub-6 GHz NR and LTE Cat 22 or Global LTE Category 12 depending on configuration. ET85 configurations support two SIM options: one Nano SIM and one eSIM. Optional GPS support on ET85 includes GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou / Compass and Galileo, with dual-band L1 + L5 and assisted GPS, subject to carrier support. The ET8x Series is designed for vehicle connectivity as well. WWAN, WLAN and GNSS antenna pass-throughs are listed, helping maintain stronger wireless performance in vehicle-mounted use. This is important for police vehicles, service trucks, forklifts, utility vehicles and other mobile workstations. Data capture is also supported. The optional SE4107 2D scanner can be integrated for barcode scanning workflows. The source positions this for first-time capture of barcodes, including damaged, scratched or poorly printed codes. The scanner placement is designed for practical vehicle-docked use, such as scanning driver’s licences when the tablet is mounted in a vehicle. The ET8x Series also includes a 13 MP rear autofocus camera with user-controllable LED flash and mechanical privacy shade. This camera can be used to document vehicle damage, field conditions, utility infrastructure, production line issues, repair status, incident scenes or other visual evidence. A front-facing FHD Windows Hello autofocus camera with mechanical privacy shade supports facial recognition and video collaboration. Audio is designed for demanding environments. The tablets include stereo front-facing speakers, two front-facing microphones and two rear-facing microphones. The source highlights noise-cancelling microphones for clearer voice in push-to-talk, video calls, dictation and voice-command workflows. Security is a core part of the ET8x positioning. Every model includes a Windows Hello camera for facial recognition, with optional fingerprint reader support for two-factor authentication. Additional security features include TPM 2.0, NIST BIOS compliance, optional insertable Common Access Card smart card reader, contactless NFC smart card reader, BIOS-embedded Absolute persistence technology requiring software and activation, and Kensington lock slots for tablet-only or tablet-with-keyboard configurations. The ET8x Series is built to rugged standards. The operating temperature range is -20°C to +60°C, with storage from -30°C to +70°C. Drop specification is MIL-STD-810H: 1.2 m to plywood over concrete in standard configuration, 1.5 m with optional rugged boot and 0.9 m with keyboard. The tablets are IP65 rated with ports open, keyboard and dock. Vibration, shock, thermal shock, electrostatic discharge, solar radiation and fluid contamination testing are listed in the source material. The rugged, fanless thermal design also supports contaminant-sensitive environments, including manufacturing clean rooms. Class 1 Division 2 configurations and compliant keyboards are available for environments where flammable hazardous materials may be present. Cleaning and disinfecting agents listed include mild dish soap, 70% isopropyl alcohol solution, 0.5–3% hydrogen peroxide solution and diluted bleach solution. Power is provided by a user-replaceable 5180 mAh, 7.7 V lithium-polymer battery with 39.8 Wh capacity. Time to full charge is listed as 2.5 hours. An optional hot-swappable 3400 mAh, 7.6 V secondary battery is available with the required expansion back, providing additional runtime for demanding shifts. A 45 W USB-PD Type-C AC adapter is sold separately. Accessory support is extensive. Accessories include modular vehicle and office docking stations, a 4-slot auxiliary battery charger, rugged boot, expansion back, hand strap, auxiliary battery bay, kickstand, CAC card reader, active MPP 2.0 stylus, shoulder strap, handle strap, charging cables and other deployment accessories. An adapter can add Ethernet and serial ports without tools. Zebra software tools further support enterprise deployment. Workcloud Communication can enable push-to-talk and secure text messaging, while 123Scan helps automatically detect and configure the integrated scanner. Mobility DNA and DataCapture DNA tools add functionality and simplify deployment, management and data capture integration, depending on model and support contract. The ET8x Series is covered by a three-year hardware warranty according to the supplied material. Recommended services include Zebra support options, and the platform is designed for enterprise deployment where lifecycle, serviceability, accessories and long-term operational consistency matter. Overall, the Zebra ET8x Series is a strong rugged Windows 2-in-1 tablet platform for organisations that need one device to cover field mobility, vehicle workstation, office desktop and laptop-replacement workflows. Its strongest value lies in the 12-inch QHD 3:2 display, Windows 11 Pro platform, Intel Core performance, rugged 2-in-1 design, detachable keyboard, universal docking, optional 5G on ET85 configurations, optional SE4107 barcode scanner, strong security options, vehicle readiness, IP65 sealing and broad accessory ecosystem.

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