As far as resolution goes, first the Apple iPad and then the rapidly evolving modern smartphones have been setting the bar very high. It began with Apple's 2,048 x 1,536 pixel "retina" display that appeared in the 3rd generation iPad. That's 264 pixels per inch. And it continued with ever higher resolution in smartphones.

The TOUGHBOOK A3's 1,920 x 1,200 layout translates into 224 pixels per inch. That's still far more than any desktop display and higher than most laptop displays, and the A3 display is plenty crisp and sharp. As has been the case for years now, the problem is rarely resolution anymore.

Overall, the A3 display is excellent. We haven't confirmed this, but it likely uses IPS (In-Plane Switching) LCD technology, which means the way the display looks is not dependent on the viewing angle. That makes a huge difference compared to older, lesser screen technologies where the picture changed color and brightness depending on the angle you viewed it.

The TOUGHBOOK A3 display also has anti-reflective and anti-glare treatments as well as direct bonding. The direct bonding part means that some of the many layers of a modern LCD are bonded together, with each set of such direct-bonded layers eliminating the potential reflection from two surfaces.

Anti-glare and anti-reflective films also contribute to making the display as viewable outdoors as possible. That's not an easy task. The less ambient light the display reflects, the higher the ratio between the light the display emits via its LED backlight and the portion of ambient light reflected, and the higher the effective contrast ratio.

The A3's spec sheet claims the display brightness to be "500 nit typical (800nit max)." What is "nit"? It is a measure for luminance, the intensity of light emitted by a display. Luminance is measured in candela per square meter, where candela refers to luminous intensity, the power emitted by a light source. Since "candela per square meter" sounds as cumbersome as it is to comprehend, the industry uses "nits" which really is just short for "units".

A standard laptop display is generally in the 250 nits range, and rarely reaches 300 nits. Premium tablets are in the 400-600 nits range. Some heavy-duty rugged gear goes as high as 1500 nits, but that generally requires a massive battery. We measured the TOUGHBOOK A3's screen luminance and found it to max out at 1120 nits, way higher than the spec — very bright indeed.

Below you can see what the TOUGHBOOK A3 display looks like outdoors compared to an Apple iPad Air 2. The picture was taken on a very bright, sunny day at noon, facing the sky but not the sun. The A3 display is brighter than the also rather good iPad display (which is generally rated at about 450 nits), and it controls reflections somewhat to considerably better. That is important if you often use a tablet outdoors. Why doesn't the A3 look WAY brighter than the iPad? That's not the way it works with luminance.

In everyday outdoor use, the TOUGHBOOK A3 excels. It controls those ever-present outdoor reflections better than most. Note, however, that with current display technology, as shown in the image below, even a super-bright display is no match for the sun.

. With the rise of Android smartphones came a rapid increase in ARM processor performance. But until recently, rugged Android tablets did not benefit from that, continuing to use older, marginal processors. Even the TOUGHBOOK A3's A2 predecessor wasn't very quick with its Intel Atom x5-Z8550 chip.

That's changed now. Qualcomm's SnapDragon ARM processors have been improving in leaps and bounds and are the chips of choice for many leading smartphones. ARM processor technology overall made massive progress, to the extent where Apple will be switching away from Intel processors and to ARM CPUs even in their laptops and desktops. As a result, rugged Android tablets are no longer slow. The 2.2GHz octa-core QualComm SnapDragon SD660 system-on-chip that powers the TOUGHBOOK A3 is a hugely better match for Android than the 1.44GHz quad-core Intel Atom chip that powered the A2. The 64-bit SD660 was/is used in numerous leading smartphones. And over the past year, the SD660 has also become the processor of choice in many leading rugged handhelds and tablets.

Almost needless to say, due to the excellent power efficiency of ARM processor technology, the TOUGHBOOK A3 doesn't need a fan. The thermal image to the right, taken with our FLIR ONE thermal imaging camera while the A3 ran a benchmark, shows that heat simply isn't an issue. Even going full blast, we didn't see more than 84F.

Technological advances are even faster on the ARM/Android side than they are on the Windows side, and so the Snapdragon 660 is no longer the latest news. Overall, in RuggedPCReview's benchmarking of rugged Android devices, we found that since 2012, by and large, overall benchmark performance roughly doubled every two years, and actually more than doubled over the past two years. With the continued rapid technology advances in the Android smartphone market, we expect that trend to continue and perhaps accelerate. This means that frequent tech updates will be required lest a product line quickly falls behind.

That said, as of Summer 2020 the TOUGHBOOK A3 is in terms of sheer performance at the very forefront of what is available in rugged Android tablets and handhelds.

These days, of course, the performance of a mobile computing device isn't just measured in how quick it is and feels on the processing side. Equally important is the performance and reliability of wireless connectivity. Here we have speedy 802.11ac WiFi with multiple-input multiple-output technology that uses multiple transmitters and receivers to transfer more data at the same time. It's actually also IEEE802.11 d/h/i/r/k/v/w/, where those additional letters stand for compliance with standards for handling global roaming, interference elimination, enhanced security, fast roaming, optimized network performance, power savings, and client/infrastructure protection, respectively. Bluetooth is version 5.0, Class 1, which means it can connect up to 300 feet away.

When Panasonic launched the original 10-inch Android-based TOUGHPAD A1 in 2011, it weighed 2.1 pounds and its 34 watt-hour battery lasted ten hours. In 2017, its TOUGHPAD A2 replacement weighed around two pounds and its slightly smaller 31 watt-hour battery lasted nine hours. And now, in 2020, the TOUGHBOOK A3 still weighs about two pounds and is rated the same nine hours, despite a much brighter display and having only 24.3 watt-hours onboard.

So Panasonic's approach with this latest A-Series Android tablet was to improve performance, functionality and the display while staying at the same weight and offering the same "standard" nine or ten hours of battery life. But they did it differently this time.

Whereas the first two A-Series tablets had a single battery, the new A3 comes with dual batteries. That strategy has been used in several tablets and laptops to get slimmer profiles and, sometimes, to be able to claim a low weight with just one battery installed, with the second (and usually very much needed) battery optional. Panasonic doesn't play that game. The A3 comes with two batteries.

The batteries are very small, with a footprint barely larger than that of a credit card, and packing just 12.16 watt-hours each. That's barely more than a smartphone has. That's okay, because the TOUGHBOOK A3, in essence, is a smartphone and uses smartphone electronics. But its display is much larger than that of even the biggest smartphone, and it's much brighter as well, and hence the dual batteries.

But there's yet more to Panasonic's strategy. First the obvious: replaceable dual batteries make them hot-swappable. And just so users know which battery needs to be replaced, the TOUGHBOOK A3 has little indicator lights in the back, right next to the rear camera.

The second reason why Panasonic likely used these batteries is because the exact same battery is used in the TOUGHBOOK L1 and TOUGHBOOK T1 (the N1's is very slightly different). Anyway, to have the same batteries for the whole lineup makes managing and charging batteries a whole lot easier for corporate customers.

The A3's webcam can record in six resolutions, ranging from VGA 640 x 480 pixel up to full 5M pixels. The rear-facing camera offers a total of eight resolutions, going from VGA up to 8M pixel stills. Both cameras can record video in QVG, 480p, 720p, and full 1080p. Both cameras can record stills and video in normal, fine and super fine quality. The documentation camera has five focus modes (infinity, face, auto, continuous, and macro (as close as about 2-1/2 inches)). There are five white balance settings, date stamping, manual ISO selection (200-1600 and auto), and manual focus mode.

Overall, both TOUGHBOOK A3 cameras get the job done. And they get it done better than what you usually get on Windows tablets. Android — with its origins and main focus on smartphones — has always placed much more emphasis on camera apps, operation, and overall imaging quality than Windows. The same goes for the processors used in Android devices: most are systems-on-chip that include considerable image processing smarts.

The user interface here is simple and very basic, and there aren't a lot of options. That makes both cameras very easy to use. If more control is required, or more features, the Google Play Store offers plenty of downloadable camera apps.

Below are a number of sample pictures from the A3's documentation camera. Individual pictures are recorded in 3264 x 2448 pixel 8M pixel mode. Click on the collage for a full-size version.

One example is the Havis DS-PAN-1400 docking station platform for the TOUGHBOOK A3. It is a compact and lightweight design that offers compatibility with all tablet configurations and options, including barcode reader, extended battery, smart card, and hand strap.

In terms of sealing, the "6" in the IP65 rating means the unit is totally protected against dust, and the "5" means it is also protected against low pressure water jets from all directions. However, that doesn't make it totally waterproof as a "5" rating still permits "limited ingress." For protection against immersion you'd need IP67, but IP65 is definitely good enough for almost all field deployments.

I should point out, though, that almost all premium smartphones are now IP67 and even IP68 sealed. Tablets with their multiple ports are more difficult to seal, but we'd like to see them get to IP67 as well.

It's been a while, but I've personally seen Panasonic's ruggedness testing facilities in their Kobe factory in Japan and it's second to none. The facility is fully qualified to conduct ruggedness testing according to any standard, and that's in addition to testing performed for them by independent third party testing labs.

For past TOUGHBOOKs we were usually given a list of all the military standard tests performed, but we haven't seen one for the A3 yet.

Panasonic also tests for electromagnetic interference (EMI) and electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) in their own R&D facility, and then has those tests certified by third parties. A list of those tests should also be available from Panasonic.

The main goal of Panasonic's Productivity+ effort is to assist customers in transitioning from the abandoned Windows CE, Windows Mobile and Windows Embedded Handheld to Android. The plan is to help industries that rely on mobile technology to go through the process as painlessly as possible. That migration includes not just new hardware, but planning, leveraging existing investment and code, configuration and deployment of new systems, managing staging, access and security, future-proofing and more. To cover all that, Panasonic's Productivity+ consists of hardware, software, professional services, and access to Panasonic's extensive network of partners. Here's how it all looks:

• Productivity+ — Hardware:That's Panasonic's lineup of Android handhelds and tablets, all designed and optimized for deployment and use in the enterprise. That means emphasis on reliability; lowest possible total cost of ownership; a high degree of customizability; a large ecosystem of accessories; leveraged investment via shared components such as chargers, docks, batteries, etc.; and secure and reliable wireless communication.

  

• Productivity+ — Software: On the software side, Productivity+ includes software solutions for mobile device development, deployment and sustainability for customers, both existing Android users or those considering the transition to Android. Productivity+ provides tools to rewrite existing applications, configure device settings and define security and access control for Android devices.

  The platform supports mobile deployments across industries with features that enable IT managers to seamlessly configure, deploy and sustain devices, while preserving legacy applications. That means API signing at the OEM level, bardcode wedge, "zero touch" deployment, utilities, dedicated tools, lifecycle management, etc. Additionally, end-users are able to operate devices securely to protect proprietary data and ensure devices are always updated and ready for work, wherever and however tough the job may be.

• Productivity+ — Partners: In this day and age there are all sorts of companies that specialize on certain aspects of information technology and make that knowledge available through consulting services, software, tools, solutions, etc. Leading examples of such partners are Ivanti with its Wavelink terminal emulation telnet clients making it easy to migrate existing telnet screens or web applications to Android; SOTI, a major provider of Mobile Device Management (MDM), Mobile Application Management (MAM), and Enterprise Mobility Management (EMM) solutions; and NetMotion that specializes on network monitoring, diagnostics and analytics to improve mobile device performance and security, facilitate reliable and seamless connectivity, optimize network metrics, troubleshoot issues, and reduce data expenses.

  It is, of course, possible for customers to approach third party service providers individually, but often it's easier to do one-stop shopping and have single points of contact instead of managing multiple and often overlapping relationships separately.

• Productivity+ — ProServices: Panasonic has its own services and support lineup for Android enterprise platform planning and deployment. That includes consulting, app development, device management, warranty and replacement services, all geared to make and keep customers' mobile workforces productive and solutions costs low.

Summary: The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK A3

Based on a powerful octa-core QualComm SnapDragon system-on-chip, the TOUGHBOOK A3 is capable of the effortless performance billions enjoy on their smartphones, while providing full-shift or better battery life even with its exceptionally bright display. Well thought-out, ergonomic design is augmented by programmable hardware buttons and even dual scanner buttons.

Together with the smaller TOUGHBOOK L1 tablet and two TOUGHBOOK handhelds, the new TOUGHBOOK A3 rounds out a hardware quartet designed to easily migrate from legacy Windows CE/Mobile/Embedded Handheld to Android. To make that even easier, Panasonic designed its Android hardware around a accessories and options ecosystem largely compatible throughout the hardware lineup.