Today, Panasonic introduced the ToughBook A3, its newest 10.1-inch tablet that joins the seven-inch L1, five-inch T1, and 4.7-inch N1 in its lineup. While the company does make rugged Windows 10 laptops like the ToughBook 55 that we reviewed last year, it has moved to Android in the handheld market following the end of life of Windows CE.
"Panasonic is fully committed to customers transitioning from Windows CE to Android. Whether enterprise, federal government, public sector, utilities or manufacturing, industries built upon the support of the mobile workforce likewise need support to modernize mobile devices," said Magnus McDermid, Senior Vice President Mobility Solutions, Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. "The technology ecosystem that powers these industries is complex, but Panasonic provides comprehensive support tailored to the needs of our customers and current market demands, which allows them to seamlessly transition to Android and update their rugged mobile device deployments."
Along with the new hardware, Panasonic introduced its Productivity+ suite, a full-stack solution that includes four pillars: ruggedized hardware, ProServices, software, and partners. These are business devices, so businesses need them to be 100% reliable. With the services that Panasonic provides, you can call in an issue with the A3, and the firm immediately ships out a new one that's already configured, so the end user doesn't have to set anything up. Another example is the battery warranty, where battery health information is sent to Panasonic and if it's failing, a new battery is automatically sent out.
And of course, this hardware is meant to take a beating out in the field. Speaking of batteries, this Android tablet has two, something that's not found elsewhere on the market because they're actually hot swappable. That means that you can replace a battery without ever having to power down. Between the two batteries, you'll get nine hours of battery life, or 15 hours with extended batteries.
Naturally, the A3 has all of the other perks that you'd expect from a Panasonic ToughBook. The screen is ultra-bright at 800 nits, and of course, it supports 4G LTE for working out in the field and staying connected. LTE is certified on AT&T, Verizon, and FirstNet, the band that's dedicated to first responders.
It has an insertable smart card reader, and like all of the ports, it has a cover that allows it to maintain its IP65 rating. It even has an optional extra USB Type-A port so you'll be able to plug in any peripherals that you have to use. The tablet is MIL-STD-810H certified, and it comes with a Snapdragon 660 chipset, 4GB RAM, and 64GB of internal storage.
For more information on buying the Panasonic ToughBook A3, you can get in touch with your Panasonic sales representative.
