Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3: an excellent work companion

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3

As in the smartphone landscape, there is something for everyone in the world of Android tablets. Large, small, for gaming, study and work use or for simple entertainment use. There are also different types linked to the area of ​​use, such as the working one (even outdoors) where there is a need for speed, reliability and a h.24 presence of the device in any condition, even with adverse weather.

The tablet we are talking about today starts from this caption, it is a bodied product that does not fear falls or even adverse weather conditions such as rain, snow and wind. It has the ability to change the battery on the fly so as not to depend on a nearby power outlet even when, for whatever reason, there is no way to recharge it. It is also quick to use and quick to execute commands.

The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3 measures 196 mm x 272 mm x 16.4 mm and is one of a kind, cataloged by the company as suitable for use in public and private security areas. It is clear how it can also be given a generic use footprint but companies will know how to use it, lending itself to be used both indoors and outdoors.

It has a MIL-STD 801H certification, that is suitable for use in extreme conditions such as places with large vibrations emitted by work tools. It can also be hung on the doors of mobile and fixed vehicles to always be at hand and if it falls it will resist without damage up to 1.5 meters high on concrete.

With an IP65 certification, it can be used in dusty conditions such as a construction site, a warehouse and in work environments with the use of protective suits by the staff, but also with heavy vehicles in motion. As for liquids, it cannot be immersed but can bear jets of water from all directions up to 12.5 liters per minute without damage. Also guaranteed to be used in heavy rain.

There are 2 batteries and they can be hot swapped (while the tablet is on) and not turn it off while at least one is connected. They are housed in the back of the tablet and can be removed without screwdrivers, simply with a finger pressure on the safety tabs. Both charged and connected guarantee an autonomy of up to 15 hours to cover a whole day of work without ever connecting it to the power outlet.

In addition to being hung on vehicles, it can be placed on trolleys, forklifts, scaffolding , and thanks to the optimal brightness of the screen (also equipped with anti-reflective treatment) it is possible to use it in all conditions, even intense, under direct sunlight. Even in low light conditions, such as at night, no problem: the brightness sensor will automatically adjust its intensity.

Extensive customization to suit every job

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3 has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 octa core SoC with a storage of 64GB of internal memory (expandable with Micro SD) and 4GB of RAM. Such a configuration guarantees the processing of apps, tasks and heavy processes without particular problems. It has integrated NFC, WiFi, Bluetooth 5, GPS, GLONASS and Galileo and can work optimally between -20 and +50 degrees in all weather conditions.

The operating system is Android 9 with full support for the endless catalog of apps in the Play Store. Panasonic has always been an advocate of long-lasting security and promises to update the product to Android 11 and provide security patches for a period of 5 years. Using it is simple and comfortable with a weight of 880 grams, which is a remarkable result due to its fully rugged nature and the engineering that was carried out to build it. Furthermore, at its thickest point it measures 16.8 mm.

The display is a 10.1-inch unit in IPS-LCD technology which, as mentioned, uses an anti-glare treatment combined with a resolution of 1920 x 1200 pixel that makes it clear on every occasion. In such a device the camera is also important and in fact, as far as the multimedia sector is concerned, it has 2: one rear and one front, respectively 8MP and 5MP.

In addition to the specifications of a bodied tablet, it is the additional module configuration is the keystone that allows the device to be even more productive and to be configured in up to 5 different ways. In fact, in the rear part there is an optional module that can be modified if necessary and be useful with what we need to do:

Configuration with barcode reader: very useful for cataloging packages, objects and any product has a barcode (also called barcode); Configuration with a second USB Type-A connector: useful in those cases where you need to connect an instrument to view its parameters and the standard USB Type-A connector is already occupied; Configuration with a Smart Card reader: useful for example when you need to read information from external archives and you cannot / must not remove the second battery to access the Micro SD expansion slot; Configuration with barcode reader combined with a Smart Card reader: double possibility that can always be useful in the company; Configuration of a second USB Type-A connector combined with a Smart Card reader: this double possibility can also be useful in the company. In the back there is also the optional Stylus Pen, fully compatible with the tablet and usable in conjunction with a total of 5 different modes that provide it and not, these:

Touch mode: enables finger interaction for standard use but disable touches made with the Stylus Pen and with gloves. Glove mode: workers often work with protective gloves and Panasonic has decided to equip the product with this mode which makes it optimal for use even with instruments of reduced sensitivity. The fingers and, indeed, the gloves will be enabled while the pen input will be disabled.

"Water" mode: the tablet can also be used in the rain and this mode prevents drops on the display from being considered as a touch. It will be possible to use your fingers while the use of pen and gloves will be inhibited.

Stylus Pen mode: to take notes or have some precision, this mode enables the Stylus and disables finger and glove touches .

Touch and Stylus Pen mode: when you need to interact with fingers and pen, the mode enables the fingers and the pen but disables the use of gloves.

Even in the company, the eye wants its part

Aesthetically, the Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3 is different from a classic tablet, differing in design. With different sections designed ad hoc, to be productive in the workplace, it takes on a robust and effective appearance. But not only.

Frontally we have the display with a microphone above it, the front camera and the brightness sensor. On the sides of the screen, but always on the front, there are custom keys: left trigger and right trigger. Below the display there are 3 other buttons (A1, A2, A3), two buttons to increase or decrease the volume and the button to turn on and off, but also to lock the tablet.

On the left side is present the circular input for the 16V recharge: this was created on purpose to have a notebook-style power supply in such a way as to leave the other connection ports free, should they be needed for other peripherals. Always on the same side a USB Type A and a USB Type C. A little further down there is a rectangular speaker.

On the right side there is the input for the 3.5mm audio jack and the slot to position and extract the Stylus Pen. A little further down the speaker which, together with the other, guarantees stereo sound.

In the upper part there are inserts to hang and lock it and, depending on how you want to use it, they can be present or a barcode reader or the additional USB connector. In the lower part there are always inserts to lock it and a 25 PIN connector to connect it to accessories such as a mechanical keyboard that makes it look like a laptop.

On the back of the tablet there is the "gadget area", that is the configuration with additional modules that can be configured in the 5 modes that we have mentioned a little more on. In addition there is the 8MP camera equipped with Flash. Moved to the right instead there is the contact TAG for the NFC. A little lower, but always in the back, there are the two batteries that can be removed in simple steps and, below these, a compartment to insert a SIM card (connection with a 4G LTE modem) and a slot to insert an SD card to expand the memory. All connections with the outside are covered with hermetic doors that do not allow dust and rain to penetrate inside the electronic contacts.

Always immediate and ready for use

Once the tablet, the interface is arranged in a simple way. Everything is at your fingertips and you can see how Panasonic has chosen to leave Android as stock as possible. All in all a reasonable choice as a work use must be quick and immediate, without too many frills.

Open the menu there will be standard Apps, Google suite apps and also specific Apps, pre-installed by the company to provide immediacy and readiness of use to customers. Some of these, for example, are:

Application for sending logs, which is used to save in a file everything that the worker does with the tablet in order to have a history of operations. In this way it will be possible to identify and solve any problems that may arise during the work shift; Hardware diagnostics app, which is a hub to test product features and check if and where there is a problem; Peripheral management app that helps organize the devices you are using in a single window. Button manager app to equip the physical buttons on the front with shortcuts, functions and quick settings. Barcode reader app to scan the codes used to catalog packages or labels. The user experience is excellent, moving between the apps, starting the camera, carrying out an operation, all quick and precise tasks. We do not have top-of-the-range hardware available but we are faced with an excellent product for the intended use it wants to cover. It will not have gaming hardware but in fact, the last thing to do is play with it.

Speaking of the camera, without infamy and without praise with average quality. Furthermore, with the front camera you can make conference calls and listen to the audio of the interlocutors through headphones equipped with 3.5mm jacks or through the bluetooth ones.

Conclusions

Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3 è a precise tablet that emphasizes its features in a work environment. Workers will have a perfect companion during the shift. With the potential of the additional modules, it can be useful on many occasions and can support different working ranges.

Outdoors the display is always read with precision and limits reflections, while the processes are performed in fast way. All combined with a battery that ensures an abundant day of work having the possibility of being removed when hot to be changed on the fly with other units. And if no problem falls, the Fully Rugged structure ensures considerable robustness even if it slips out of your hands over and over again.

In short, an interesting product that companies should seriously consider adopting for their businesses. His additional features, combined with the Stylus, make him an excellent workmate.