The Datalogic Falcon X4 was introduced July 2018 as the next generation of the company's long-running Falcon line of real time data capture and communication devices for use in supply chains, retail and warehousing.
Datalogic, of course, already has a comprehensive lineup of handheld terminals ranging from the smart-phone style DL-Axist and Memor 10, to the smaller flashlight-handheld Skorpio X4, the healthcare-oriented Joya Touch A6, the Memor 1 touch device, and more.
What sets the updated Falcon handheld apart, however, is a wide range of available scanners, including the ability to read 2D barcodes at extreme distances with a new extra long range 2D scanner. As before, this latest Datalogic Falcon is also available in a pistol grip version for scanning-intensive applications where that configuration works best.
The Falcon X4 is about nine inches long, 3.5 inches wide in the display part of the device, and a maximum of just over two inches thick. It weighs about 21 ounces without the pistol grip, and a couple of ounces more with the grip. That's quite compact and light for a device in this class. The X4's touch screen display measures 3.5 inches diagonally. It now uses transflective technology that provides good daylight readability. The resolution remains at the same 240 x 320 pixel QVGA as was used for Windows CE versions of the predecessor Falcon X3.
Keyboard/keypad layouts can make or break the usability of a handheld terminal, and so Datalogic offers the Falcon X4 with three different versions, a numeric version with 29 keys, a functional/numeric 29 key version, and an alphanumeric version with a separate numeric keypad. The former lends itself to rapid numeric data input with its large keys, the latter is more conducive for frequent text entry. Each version also has navigational keys and a large orange scan key. Polycarbonate key caps and metal snap domes guarantee the kind of longevity and reliability demanded by the X4's third party logistics clientele.
On the processor side, the Falcon X4 uses a 1GHz TI OMAP4 processor that gives the new model three times the performance of the older Falcon X3. RAM has quadrupled to 1GB, and with 8GB the Falcon X4 has eight times as much Flash storage than the outgoing model, with up to 32GB of additional storage available via an SDHC-supporting microSD card slot. For operating system software, Windows Embedded Handheld is gone. Windows Embedded Compact 7 comes standard on the Falcon 4, somewhat surprisingly as Microsoft will end even extended support by 4/13/2021. The Falcon 4, however, is upgradeable to Android 4.4.
Battery capacity remains at 19.2 watt-hours, which should easily be good for a full shift. There's pre-licensed Wavelink terminal emulation and Wavelink Avalanche, as well as Datalogic desktop, firmware and configuration utilities.
The Datalogic Falcon has always been an exceptionally rugged device, and the new X4 is no different. The X4 still has the very wide operating temperature range of -4 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit of its predecessor, making it suitable for use in almost any environment, including commercial freezers. Sealing remains at the IP65 level. That means the unit is totally dust-proof, and now also able to handle low pressure water jets from all directions. This'll do not only for warehouse duty, but also for virtually all outdoors applications. The drop spec is an impressive six feet; few handhelds fall from that high.
Datalogic handhelds have always offered fast and rapid reliable data capture and communication, and the Falcon X4 so as well with dual-band CCX v4 certified 802/a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR (or BT 4 BLE when used with Android). Scanner options include a 1D or 1D/2D imager, and an extra long range imager will also become available.
With this latest update to X4 status, Datalogic extends the life of a popular, field-proven design.
