Zebra TC22/TC27

Zebra TC22 and TC27 are Android mobile computers in a smartphone form factor, the third generation of the TC2x series and successors to the TC21/TC26. They combine the look and feel of a phone with a built-in barcode scanner, a sealed housing and a swappable battery, which makes them a good fit for retail, lighter warehouse work, inspections, stocktaking and field work. TC22 connects over Wi-Fi, while TC27 adds 5G/LTE, two SIMs (nano SIM and eSIM) and VoLTE calling, so it can also serve as the employee's business phone.

Key features

• SE4710 or SE55 scan engine with IntelliFocus technology and two side scan buttons: a dedicated scanner reads barcodes much faster than a phone camera, including damaged ones. The SE55 reads both a barcode in hand and a label on the top shelf.
• 6-inch Full HD+ display (1080 x 2160), 450 nits, Corning Gorilla Glass: more data without scrolling and good readability outdoors. The screen works with a bare finger or a thin glove.
• 16 MP camera: photos of non-conformities, damage or the condition of a fixed asset are taken with the same device used for scanning.
• IP68 and IP65, 1.3 m drops to tile over concrete, 1.5 m drops to concrete with the protective boot: the device withstands rain, dust and a typical drop from hand, more than a regular smartphone does.
• Swappable 3800 or 5200 mAh battery: according to the manufacturer, the standard battery lasts a shift and the extended one several shifts. A depleted battery is swapped without taking the device out of service. PowerPrecision shows the health of each battery.
• Qualcomm 5430 (2.1 GHz), 6 GB RAM / 64 GB or 8 GB RAM / 128 GB, microSD up to 2 TB: according to the manufacturer, twice the performance of the TC21/TC26.
• Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC: Wi-Fi 6E is available with a Mobility DNA Enterprise license. NFC supports contactless payments as well as cards and tickets from Apple and Google wallets.
• Android Enterprise Recommended and Mobility DNA Professional included: Zebra tools for fast device setup, sending scanned barcodes to any app without programming, and regular security patches. The manufacturer commits to supporting future Android versions.

How to choose a variant

• Connectivity. TC22 is enough when the device stays within the company Wi-Fi network, and it supports Push-to-Talk over Wi-Fi out of the box. Choose TC27 for field staff or when the device is to replace a business phone: it has 5G/LTE, two SIMs (nano SIM and eSIM), VoLTE calling, two noise-cancelling microphones and a proximity sensor that turns the screen off at the ear.
• Memory. 6 GB RAM / 64 GB covers typical business apps. 8 GB RAM / 128 GB gives headroom for many apps at once or a large number of photos stored on the device.
• Scan engine. The SE4710 suits close-range scanning in stores, offices and workstations. Choose the SE55 when barcodes are also placed high on racks.
• Battery. The standard 3800 mAh battery gives the lightest device (236 g). The extended 5200 mAh battery (262 g) is for multi-shift work. The 3800 mAh BLE battery, combined with a Device Tracker license, lets you locate a lost device even when it is discharged.
• Accessories. A snap-on trigger handle makes intensive scanning easier, an arm mount frees the hands, and the protective boot improves drop resistance. Reading UHF RFID tags requires an RFD40 or RFD90 sled, as the device has no built-in RFID reader.