Rugged Tablets for Professionals in Harsh Workplaces

There are certain environments where it is hard to work, but professionals have to serve. It might be the places with extreme temperatures, dust, water, fire and other potential hazards. Places can be huge mountains, underwater, and mining areas.

Smart devices are very sensitive, so they cannot cope with harsh environments and might wear out. So, professionals use specially designed devices that can withstand harsh environments called rugged devices.

These devices enable them to perform various operations and communicate with the backend team. Here we will discuss the best-rugged tablets and the management solution to help organizations .

1Our Picks: 5 Best Rugged Tablets

1Zebra ET45

Zebra ET45 is a sleek, consumer-styled tablet with high durability to cope with harsh environments. It possesses Zebra-only Mobility DNA tools that ensure improvement in every device lifecycle. It provides all the smart options to optimize tasks and improve productivity. These devices even work if you throw them on tiles and use them in heat or subzero temperatures. You can also use rugged boots to enhance their durability to the next level. 

Here is the link to buy this device from Amazon.

2Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 2 is a rugged device with various sensors to perform various actions automatically. It has proximity sensors, ambient light sensors, a gyroscope, a compass sensor, and a fingerprint sensor. It has multi-touch support with blue light filters.

Here is the link to buy this device from Amazon.

3Dell Latitude 7220

Dell Latitute 7220 is a rugged tablet launched by Dell Company. It supports three languages, i.e., English, French and Spanish. It can withstand high temperatures and has optimal screen interactivity. It possesses high-security features to secure the device data.

Here is the link to buy this device from Amazon.

4Getac F110 Tablet

The Getac F110 tablet was launched in 2013 to provide industries with the thinnest and lightest rugged table to withstand harsh environments. It was a new product with a unique design and features to overcome all existing tablets for corporate sectors.

Here is the link to buy this device from Amazon.

5Panasonic Toughpad FZ-G1

The Panasonic tough pad was launched in 2013 with a display screen of 10.10 inches. It offers a resolution of 1920x1200 pixels. It has a hot-swappable feature to change the battery without shutting down the tablet. It possesses MIL-STD-810G certification and also has an IP65 rating. 

Here is the link to buy this device from Amazon.

2Differences between Consumer-grade and Rugged Tablets

3Buyer's Guide to Rugged Tablets

It is very important to realize the usage of rugged tablets in various industries. Before buying a rugged tablet, you must know its important features and purpose for which you are buying.

3.1Why opt for a rugged tablet?

3.2The most important features to consider

Display

Choose the rugged device that provides comfortable screen visibility, even in extremely dark locations. Also, consider its readability when there is excessive light, such as direct sunlight.

Battery Life

Due to the usage of rugged devices in extreme environments, their battery life must be longer for continuous operation. It is difficult to access battery charging in various areas.

Processing power

Choose a rugged device with high processing power and greater storage capacity to run all necessary applications on the devices faster.

Environmental Protection

Check the manufacturing and specification of rugged devices to choose the best to cope with extremely harsh environments and resist water, heat, shock and dust. You can better identify the IP rating of the devices.

Additional or Specialized Features

Search for the tough tablet that provide you additional support in your industry processing, such as bar code scanners, stylus support, additional ports and NFC.

Reliability

Search for reliable devices to deliver consistent support in all environments. It will help you to reduce the downtime during working hours.

3.3How to choose?

Choosing the right rugged device depends on the intent of its usage. Let’s discuss a few examples to understand its usage in various industries:

Healthcare

Choose the rugged device that complies with medical and healthcare standards and has a microbial coating to prevent viral diseases. It can have a barcode scanner for patient information.

Education

Choose rugged devices with a spill-resistant design and protective cases, as children are careless. 

Transportation and Logistics

Use rugged devices that have strong GPS capabilities. They must cope with vibrations and shocks while on the road.

3.4The Best Way of Rugged Tablets Centralized Management

Using rugged devices is excessive in different industries, but various concerns arise for the management and security of businesses. Businesses need a management system to remotely control these devices to streamline work and implement security measures.

AirDroid Business MDM is a robust solution with remote monitoring and controlling features to remotely detect and troubleshoot issues on these rugged devices.

Admins can remotely monitor the activities on devices operational in the fields from a central location and restrict device usage for specific tasks. They can also remotely wipe and lock down the devices if left unattended or lost.

4Common Industries Using Rugged Tablets

Manufacturing

The risk of accidental drops and exposure to dust and moisture for devices is higher. Rugged tablets have specialized coating that keeps them safe in harsh environments and ensures continuity of work. 

Rugged tablets enable uninterrupted communication and access to the inventory to maintain stock smoothly. They sometimes also act as rugged tablet barcode generator and RFID readers to manage the work efficiently.

Automotive

Rugged devices in the automotive industry enable technicians to access vehicle service history and repair manuals. They can install various diagnostic apps on rugged devices to read the error and troubleshoot it quickly. Rugged devices enable automotive warehouse managers to manage and maintain the stock regularly. Rugged devices resist oil and dust particles and keep working smoothly. In showrooms, staff can use rugged devices to display interactive images, pricing, and features of vehicles in an effective way.

Natural Resources

Forestry, mining, oil and gas are major natural resources worldwide. Rugged devices are the best digital gadgets for these industries, as the environment in these industries is not normal. Hydrologists use rugged devices to check the level and quality of water without damage. Emergency respondents use these devices to establish connections with the workers. The forestry department uses these devices to map the area with GPS.

Construction and engineering

Construction sites are always dynamic and rough, involving heavy machinery and tools for working. So, the risk of potential hazards is high. Rugged devices are strong enough to handle rough handling, dust and moisture. The device may drop from the hand, but it will be safe. Rugged devices help engineers to access 2D and 3D designs online for better productivity. They provide seamless communication between engineers, project managers, architects and owners.

Utilities and field services

Field service and utilities work outdoors; hence, devices are exposed to various particles in the air. Workers can ensure the device's continuity without any damage using rugged devices. Meter readers use rugged devices to take images of the meters and collect data on the devices to automate the billing process. Internet service providers also use rugged devices to detect and troubleshoot connectivity issues.

5Case Story of Rugged Tablets

The increasing population has created many hurdles for the police to manage road traffic. Police are now looking for a digital system to manage the traffic.

They have introduced rugged devices for police officers to streamline traffic by enforcing traffic rules and their awareness. Rugged devices ensure continuity of work for a longer time and assist police officers in detecting violations of traffic rules. Officers use device cameras to scan the vehicle plate and get the data from the servers. Then they charge a fine to the authorized person.

6Conclusion

Rugged devices are versatile in the corporate sector and are used in almost all industries. Different manufacturing companies like Samsung, Dell, Getac, and Panasonic have manufactured robust rugged devices in different sizes, shapes and processing powers. It is very important to choose the best rugged tablets depending on the purpose for which you are looking.

Every device has specifications like camera quality, storage capacity, coatings, OS, and battery lifetime. Consider and prioritize these factors while choosing rugged devices.

Enterprises must choose an authorized management solution to support these rugged devices. It will help them improve the security and productivity of work in all fields and ensure uninterrupted communication.