Yes, your employees will probably be happy to have an iPad Pro along when they’re working in the field. Problem is, that expensive tablet can get dropped, knocked over, and spilled on multiple times throughout the course of the day. That doesn’t bode well for its lifespan. Not the case with the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2, a tablet designed with all the hazards of the field in mind.
Billed as “a ruggedized tablet optimized for business,” the device comes in a burly housing that’s been put through some serious tests, ensuring it can survive every potential danger it encounters on the job. From shocks and vibrations to water and extreme temperatures, this thing should shrug off difficult situations most tablets just aren’t equipped to handle.
Equipped with thick edges that should take the brunt of most impact, the Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 passes military specs MIL-STD-810G, so it can survive drops, shocks, and vibrations, as well as extreme temperatures, high humidity, and high altitudes. That means, you can work in the boondocks in the middle of winter and at the height of summer without this thing giving out, all while living through most accidental falls. It has an IP68 rating for water- and dust-resistance, so you can bring it work in a dusty job site or in the middle of rainy season with no issues. It can even be submerged for 30 minutes at depths of up to five feet.
Both water and snow should roll off the 8-inch display (1280 x 800 resolution) upon contact, ensuring you can keep working even when the weather changes while you’re out in the open. With enhanced touch capabilities, the touchscreen interface remains functional even when you’re wearing wet gloves (there’s a special “glove mode” to make it easier), although you can always use the similarly water-resistant S-Pen that docks on top of the tablet.
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 comes with the outfit’s Knox security platform, a chip-based security system that provides superior data protection, all while making it easy for management to configure, update, and manage all of the company’s devices remotely from a single interface. It has an integrated fingerprint reader on the front button to ensure only qualified personnel get access to the contents, as well as facial recognition if you want that extra level of protection.
Inside, the tablet houses a 1.6GHz octa-core processor, 3GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage, while an 8.0 megapixel camera sits in the back and a 5.0 megapixel is situated out front. It has a 4,450 mAh battery that can keep it running for up to 11 hours between charges, complete with a swappable design that allows you to insert a fresh one to continue working once the power is drained. Other features include the usual wireless connectivity options (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, NFC, optional LTE), a microSD card slot (supports up to 256GB), and POGO Pin connectors on the side (which you can use to add a compatible keyboard or to charge multiple tablets side-by-side).
The Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 is priced at $419.99.