Durabook has announced the R12 Rugged Tablet, a 12.2-inch fully rugged Windows tablet built around Intel’s Core Ultra Series 3 processors and designed to handle demanding AI workloads in the field. While it is primarily aimed at defence, public safety and industrial users, its optional workstation-class graphics and support for 4K and 8K video make it an interesting option for anyone handling imaging and content creation in harsh conditions.
Edge AI power
The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 chip delivers 180 TOPS of integrated AI performance, which can be boosted by an optional discrete NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada GPU adding a further 232 TOPS, for a combined total of up to 412 TOPS. Durabook says this allows camera, sensor and other data to be processed locally, even when connectivity is unreliable, with the RTX option also suited to architectural visualisation and digital content creation.
The 12.2-inch DynaVue display is sunlight readable at up to 1,200 nits, and Durabook says the chassis is smaller than many current 11.6-inch rugged tablets. A detachable backlit keyboard is available for those who need to switch between touch and typing.
Connectivity includes 2.5GbE LAN, with the option of up to two RJ-45 ports, Thunderbolt 4, USB and 4G/5G, plus expansion options for custom configurations. There is a 13MP rear camera and a 5MP IR camera for Windows Hello, both with privacy shutters, along with a fingerprint reader, TPM 2.0 and a quick-release SSD.
Power comes from a dual removable battery design, with optional hot-swappable high-capacity batteries and up to 20 hours of battery life.
Our take
This is not a tablet most photographers will need, but for those working in extreme locations, from expedition and wildlife work to industrial and scientific imaging, the combination of serious GPU power, a bright screen and genuine ruggedness is rare.
Durabook R12 specifications
- Processor: Intel Core Ultra Series 3
- AI performance: 180 TOPS integrated, up to 412 TOPS with optional dGPU
- Optional GPU: NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada (232 TOPS)
- Display: 12.2-inch DynaVue, up to 1,200 nits
- Cameras: 13MP rear, 5MP IR front, both with shutters
- Connectivity: 2.5GbE LAN (up to two RJ-45 optional), Thunderbolt 4, USB, 4G/5G
- Security: TPM 2.0, Windows 11 Secured-core PC, fingerprint reader, quick-release SSD
- Battery: Dual removable, optional hot-swap, up to 20 hours
- Ruggedness: MIL-STD-810H, 6ft drop, IP66, MIL-STD-461G, ANSI/UL C1D2
Durabook R12 price and availability
The Durabook R12 Rugged Tablet is available to order now. Pricing depends on configuration and is available on request from Durabook.
