Tablets are great for regular usage and regular users but what do you use on a building site, out in the field and in other rugged environments? One solution is the Panasonic Toughpad FZ-A2.
It is the world’s lightest rugged Android 10.1-inch tablet.
Up to 84 per cent of Australian organisations have staff that regularly working outside the regular office environment and they are using laptops, smartphones and tablets to do their jobs.
In fact, seven out of 10 Australian companies now offer a BYOD (bring your own device) option to their employees.
But consumer grade devices for these workers don’t always cut it which is why Panasonic’s FZ-A2 Toughpad would be so attractive.
It has military-standard rugged design made of magnesium alloy that can withstand drops, shocks, vibration, cold, heat, dust, rain and contamination.
You can drop it from a height of 1.2 metres and with an Ingress Protection rating of 65 (IP65) which means it’s sealed from dust and water and will operate in temperatures ranging from minus 10 degrees to 50 degrees Celsius.
The device has a fanless design that’s 16.4mm thick and weighing in at 880g.
Under that tough exterior is a powerful 2.4Ghz Intel Atom quad core processor with 4GB RAM and 32GB internal storage.
It is running Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system with Enterprise Security from Android for Work.
The 10.1-inch display has a full definition resolution of 1920 x 1200 and high visibility and brightness so it can be easily viewed even in bright sunlight.
Toughpad’s 10-point capacitive touchscreen can be used with your hands, with gloves and with a capacitive stylus pen for accurate annotation and signature collection even in the rain.
On the connectivity side, the FZ-A2 has a USB 3.0 port, a USB-C port, HDMI port and a microSD card slot.
Customers can also add a smartcard reader and 4G connectivity.
The device also has a full high definition front-facing camera for live video conferencing and 8-megapixel rear camera.
There is also a number of peripherals for the Toughpad including a desktop cradle, four-bay battery charger and vehicle docks.
The Panasonic Toughpad FZ-A2 is available now and is priced from $2,199.
Key Features
– Intel Atom x5-Z8550 processor
– Android 6.0 Marshmallow (Including Android for Work)
– Fanless design for enhanced protection from temperature, water and dirt
– Intel HD graphics
– 10.1 WUXGA (1,920 x1,200) outdoor display (up to 800 cd/m2
– Capacitive 10-finger multi-touchscreen
– 120cm shock-resistant*
– Water and dust resistant (IP65)*
– Up to 9 hours battery life
– User field exchangeable battery
– Hot swap battery optional (in combination with business expansion module)
– USB 3.1 type C OTG
– Flexible configuration port (20 Barcode Reader, LAN)**
– Integrated business expansion module (Smartcard Reader)**
– Lightweight at approx. 880g
