Check out the latest individually assigned enterprise mobile Wi-Fi computers, Zebra’s thinnest, lightest mobile computers yet.
Zebra’s EC50/EC55 enterprise mobile computers with integrated scanners are Zebra’s thinnest, lightest mobile computers yet. The smartphone-style devices drive precision, communication and productivity to unmatched levels. They also increase worker job satisfaction, boosting engagement at all levels of your operations.
Zebra is calling their latest in individual assignment mobile computers “a device that looks just like a smartphone on the outside…but is pure business on the inside.” Zebra aims to provide the mobility technology you and your workers need to do your best work, including associates who serve your customers, team managers, or your technical support staff.
The following are some of the ambitious features Zebra has put together to “make work easier for everyone“:
- Business-class durability
- Enterprise-class built-in scanner
- Superior Wi-Fi connectivity with Fusion Wi-Fi
- Pocketable…and transforms into a workstation
- Full suite of enterprise-ready Mobility DNA apps
- Android 10 familiarity —no learning curve
- Two-way radio and PBX handset capabilities
- Industry-leading security support
- All day battery power
- Nearly half the TCO of a consumer smartphone
In this post, Advanced Automation will review the latest in Zebra mobile computer technology against some of their top competitors in the smartphone category of products. We’ll also talk about where the Zebra EC50/EC55 can be best used and how you can inject new features and functionality that will maximize your investment.
EC50/EC55 vs. the Competition
The EC50/EC55 combines the best of both worlds — you want a business device loaded with features that will allow your team to work faster and smarter, simplifies integration, and delivers unprecedented total cost of ownership (TOC). Your workers want a device that looks just like their smart phone — in other words, is easy to use. A device that fits light and snug in their hands and is effortless to use and carry.The EC50/EC55 individual assigned mobile device is designed to stay with your workers, providing:
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A new constant connection to strengthen staff communication and engagement
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Improved collaboration and operational agility
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A staff that feels more valued and empowered to make a difference
The first question our customers want answered is “Why would I invest in this when I can just get smartphones?” The short answer is that your smartphone is nowhere near as smart as the new EC50/EC55 as it relates to your work environment. The longer answer is in the details, and Advanced Automation has the fine-print in a digestible format for you:
The Zebra EC50/EC55 Competitors
SAMSUNG XCover Pro
HONEYWELL CT40/CT40xp
SAMSUNG XCover 4S
APPLE iPhone Xr
Fewer rugged specifications. No tumble specification, no published temperature range.
Inferior OS security support. No LifeGuard for Android equivalent — no means to update over-the-air or control and manage updates.
No enterprise scan option. Customers either need to purchase a 3rd party scanning sled (adds cost, lowers rugged specifications and is more difficult to manage) or rely on the camera for barcode scanning (inferior performance, particularly with challenging barcodes).
Inferior staff communication tools. Requires third party applications to enable PTT voice and staff communication tools, which need testing and validation.
Inferior battery features. No extended battery or battery metrics.
Inferior Wi-Fi. Supports fewer Wi-Fi protocols, no 2×2 MU-MIMO, Zebra Fusion or WorryFree Wi-Fi.
No Mobility DNA equivalent. By contrast, Zebra offers 16 different apps that add key new enterprise capabilities that make devices easier to use, deploy, secure and manage.
Inferior Android platform. Ships with Android 7.1, 8.1 or 9, with 50% less Flash memory — just 32 GB vs. 64 GB.
Inferior software support. Honeywell’s Mobility Edge is seven years behind Mobility DNA, with many major gaps in features and functionality.
Light in device features.
Lacks key device features: no front facing camera for video calls; lower sealing (IP64 only).
Inferior staff communication tools.
Requires third party applications to enable PTT voice and staff communication tools, which need testing and validation.
Less rugged. The CT40 is less rugged: IP64 vs. IP67 for the EC50/EC55; neither model has a Gorilla Glass scanner exit window.
Heavier and thicker device. Both models are over 50% heavier and nearly double the thickness of the EC50/EC55.
Inferior Wi-Fi.
Supports fewer Wi-Fi protocols, no 2×2 MU-MIMO, Zebra Fusion or WorryFree Wi-Fi.
Inferior battery features.
No extended battery or battery metrics.
No front camera. No ability to make/receive video calls.
Support for one SIM card. Can only support one cellular network.
Fewer rugged specifications.
No tumble specification, no drop specification, no Gorilla Glass display or published temperature range.
Inferior OS security support.
No LifeGuard for Android equivalent — no means to update over-the-air or control and manage updates.
No enterprise scan option. Customers either need to purchase a 3rd party scanning sled (adds cost, lowers rugged specifications and is more difficult to manage) or rely on the camera for barcode scanning (inferior performance, particularly with challenging barcodes).
Inferior staff communication tools.
Requires third party applications to enable PTT voice and staff communication tools, which need testing and validation.
Inferior battery features.
No extended battery or battery metrics.
Inferior Wi-Fi.
Supports fewer Wi-Fi protocols, no 2×2 MU-MIMO, Zebra Fusion or WorryFree Wi-Fi.
No Mobility DNA equivalent.
By contrast, Zebra offers 16 different apps that add key new enterprise capabilities that make devices easier to use, deploy, secure and manage.
No enterprise scan option.
Customers either need to purchase a third-party scanning sled (adds cost, lowers rugged specifications and is more difficult to manage) or rely on the camera for barcode scanning (inferior performance, particularly with challenging barcodes).
Less rugged. No drop or tumble specification, much narrower operating temperature range.
Inferior staff communication tools.
Requires third party applications to enable PTT voice and staff communication tools, which need testing and validation.
No Mobility DNA equivalent.
By contrast, Zebra offers 16 different apps that add key new enterprise capabilities that make devices easier to use, deploy, secure and manage.
Inferior Wi-Fi.
Supports fewer Wi-Fi protocols, no 2×2 MU-MIMO, Zebra Fusion or WorryFree Wi-Fi.
Inferior battery features.
Less battery run time, no extended battery or battery metrics.
Where can you put the EC50/EC55 to work?
The EC50/EC55 adds extreme value in a handful of different industries:
Retail
Hospitality
Ancillary Healthcare
Field Service
Information lookup and assisted selling
Price check
Task assignment and management
Mobile Point of Sale (POS)
Inventory and cycle counts
Put-away and replenishment
Order picking
Receiving/shipping
Asset management
Concierge service
Luggage verification
Event verification
Reservation verification
Badge scan
Payment
Food and beverage vendors in stadiums, arenas and more
Patient transportation
Meal delivery
Sanitation
Housekeeping
Staff collaboration
Courier/Delivery
DSD
Employee ID Check
Mobile sale
Pharmacy sales
Food and beverage vendors in stadiums, arenas and more
For Operations Managers, there are so many advantages:
- Workers are connected, even when not on location, and able to quickly respond and address last minute scheduling issues and more.
- Workers feel more empowered in your business, helping reduce turnover rates and unnecessary mistakes.
- The possibility of spreading germs is completely eliminated, protecting your workers and your operations.
For IT Managers, it’s important to note that mobile phones are not a money saver. In fact, over a four year period consumer mobile phones will cost nearly twice what you would end up spending on the Zebra EC50/EC55. Not to mention these benefit of a consumer mobile phone:
- A TCO that is almost half of a consumer mobile phone
- Integrated enterprise-class scanner for fast and easy barcode capture
- Durability to last at least 4 years (smartphones in this context rarely make it past a year)
- It’s super easy to add additional features, like a 2-way radio and/or PBX mobile handset and desktop workstation functionality
For those working across Retail, Hospitality, Ancillary Healthcare, and Field Services, there is a long list of features that the EC50/EC55 provides and smartphones simply can’t:
- Take the EC50/EC55 from desktop workstation functionality to a gun style device with a trigger handle for scan intensive activities in a snap
- The best possible Wi-Fi connections — true ‘wired quality’ won’t drop connections
- A standard or extended battery that provided 10 or 13 hours of power
- Mobility DNA value-add software
Mobility DNA
Last but definitely not least, we always like to remind our customers to get the most out of your mobility investment with Zebra’s Mobility DNA, which allows you to inject even more new features and functionality into your existing devices.
Mobility DNA:
- Simplifies data capture for your workers
- Improves device security
- Reduces device management time and cost
Conclusion
While the average smartphone may seem like the easy way to provide your workers individual handheld mobile solutions, it will never provide the level of enterprise integration, precision and communication that the The Zebra EC50/EC55 is promising.
Even better? The EC50/EC55 are shipped fully assembled with the battery and battery door, Quick Start and Regulatory guides — once again, to “make work easier for everyone”.
Make your work easier. Contact Advanced Automation today to help navigate Zebra’s full suite of products, Like Mobility DNA, and get your biggest bang for your buck.
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