The Handheld That Shows Which Barcodes Are Already Scanned

At PACK EXPO 2026, the newest generation of rugged handhelds stopped being passive data collectors. The DT610 Pro shows which barcodes are already scanned, reads expiry dates with OCR and takes voice commands on a noisy floor — all processed on the device.

A warehouse operator holding the DT610 Pro with the multi-barcode tracking view marking scanned and unscanned labels

At PACK EXPO 2026 (October 18–21), the most practical AI applications on display were not robots or autonomous vehicles. They were small, repeated tasks on the floor of a warehouse: which cartons have been scanned, what date is printed on that package, and whether the terminal understood a spoken instruction over the noise of a loading dock.

The DT610 Pro was shown handling all three. What those demonstrations point to is a shift in what a rugged handheld is for: it no longer only collects data and passes it to a business system. It now reads the scene, marks its own progress and takes instructions — and it does the processing on the device, not in the cloud.

The short version

Three capabilities carried the demonstrations.

AI multi-barcode tracking. The terminal reads several barcodes in the frame at once and keeps tracking them as the view moves. The screen marks each one as scanned or unscanned, so the operator sees progress at a glance instead of reconciling a count at the end of the task.

OCR for expiry management. Aim the camera at a package and the on-device AI reads the printed date. Dates move from a manual note into the record while the worker is still standing at the shelf.

Voice control and AI noise reduction. Spoken instructions become terminal actions, which matters when both hands are on a carton. An AI noise-reduction feature (UTalk 2.0) cleans up human speech against background noise for push-to-talk communication in loud zones.

Why it matters

On-device AI is the difference between a demo and a workflow. The DT610 Pro runs on the Qualcomm Dragonwing Q-6690 platform, built on 4nm with a dedicated 6 TOPS AI engine. OCR, intelligent data capture and voice-assisted workflows run directly on the device, with lower latency and no dependence on a cloud connection inside a metal racking or a cold room. The same platform is supported through 2034, so AI capability keeps arriving through OTA updates rather than a hardware refresh.

Reading range decides whether the job gets done. The optional FlexRange scan engine works from 5 cm to 10 metres. A worker collects a label at arm's length and a pallet across the aisle with the same device, without bending, climbing or swapping hardware.

Connectivity has to survive the warehouse, not the demo room. Wi-Fi 7 with 2×2 MU-MIMO and Multi-Link Operation keeps the link stable in high-density environments, and 5G carries field work where no access point exists. A scan that happens offline is a record that arrives late.

The hardware has to be boring in the right way. The DT610 Pro is rated IP68, survives 1.8-metre drops and operates from −20°C to 60°C. A 5,200mAh battery is user-replaceable and hot-swappable, so a shift change does not become a charging stop. The 6.0-inch FHD+ display runs at 600 nits, readable in direct sunlight.

The camera is now a capture tool, not an accessory. The rear 50MP autofocus camera with PDAF feeds the on-device OCR: delivery verification, document digitisation and expiry checks run on the same device that scans the barcode.

The printed date goes into the record while the worker is still standing at the shelf

Built for the floor

Receiving and dispatch checks. A worker faces a pallet of cartons, each with a label. Multi-barcode tracking shows which labels the device has already registered, so the check ends when the screen says so — not when someone counts paper.

Expiry and batch control. Food, pharmaceutical and chemical stock carry printed dates that never make it into the system on time. OCR moves the date into the record at the shelf, where the error rate is lowest.

Hands-busy operations. Picking, moving and stacking leave no free hand for a touchscreen. Voice control turns an instruction into an action, and noise reduction keeps the channel usable next to a running dock.

When both hands are occupied, a mounted terminal and spoken instructions keep the task moving

DT610 or DT610 Pro

Both models share the same AI platform, the same Android 15 with an upgrade path to Android 19, the same Wi-Fi 7 and 5G connectivity, and the same built-in UHF RFID module. The choice comes down to environment and shift length.

Both run on the Q-6690 platform with the 6 TOPS AI engine, and both carry the AI capture features described above. Operations that stay indoors with two shifts are well served by the DT610; cold rooms, outdoor yards, third shifts and camera-heavy workflows point to the Pro.

A platform that will still be current in 2034

Rugged fleets usually age in three years, because the platform behind them stops receiving updates. The Q-6690 line is supported through 2034, which changes the replacement conversation: AI features arrive as OTA updates on hardware the operation already owns. For a fleet of hundreds of units, that is the difference between a capital expense every three years and a software plan across ten.

Talk to our team about which workflows on your floor lose the most time to re-scans and manual entry, and where on-device AI changes the numbers first.