Panasonic has launched its most rugged Android tablet yet

Toughbook A3
(Image credit: Panasonic)

Panasonic has added a new device to its lineup of Android rugged tablets with the launch of the 10.1-inch Toughbook A3.

The tablet is fully rugged and has a battery life of 9 hours with standard batteries but this can be extended all the way to 15.5 hours with optional large batteries with dual battery capability.

In a press release, General manager of marketing for Panasonic's mobile solutions business division in Europe, Jan Kaempfer provided further details on the Toughbook A3, saying:

“A successor to the popular TOUGHBOOK A2, this latest device is more rugged, powerful and able to work even longer in the field than its predecessor. The TOUGHBOOK A3 is ready-made for mobile workers in warehouses and using forklifts, field service agents and automotive workers needing devices for diagnostics, data management and operational controls and emergency services personnel requiring a secure and effective mobile computing solution.”

Toughbook A3

The Toughbook A3 is Panasonic's toughest device yet and it was designed to help mobile workers tackle the toughest tasks in the field. The tablet is water and dust resistant (IP65) and has been drop tested from an increased 1.5 meters.

Businesses are increasingly turning to Android for their rugged tablets which is why the Toughbook A3 runs Android 9 and is powered by the latest long-term-support Qualcomm Octa-Core SDM660 CPU with 4GB of memory and 64 GB of eMMC storage.

The device's 10.1 inch FHD display has high visibility so that it can be used both indoors and outdoors and the 10-point capacitive touchscreen display can be used with gloves or with a stylus. The Toughbook A3 is also optimized for Global Positioning use with Galileo and GPS in Europe, GLONASS in Russia, QZSS in Japan and Beidou support in China.

In terms of I/O, the tablet includes USB Type-C, USB Type-A and three different customizable gadget port options which can be outfitted with an optional smartcard reader, barcode reader or even an additional USB Type-A port. The Toughbook A3 also comes bundled with the second iteration of Panasonic's Complete Android Services and Security (COMPASS 2.0) package.

The Toughbook A3 will be available in August starting at $1,466 (£1,182) and the device will ship with a range of accessories as well as a standard three year warranty.

Anthony Spadafora

After working with the TechRadar Pro team for the last several years, Anthony is now the security and networking editor at Tom’s Guide where he covers everything from data breaches and ransomware gangs to the best way to cover your whole home or business with Wi-Fi. When not writing, you can find him tinkering with PCs and game consoles, managing cables and upgrading his smart home.