Skip to main content

Panasonic Toughpad FZ-A2 will happily shrug off (almost) any abuse you dole out

panasonic toughpad fz a2
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Known for making rugged Android tablets that can take a beating, Panasonic unveiled the Toughpad FZ-A2 during the Automotive Innovation Summit 2016 in Barcelona, Spain.

Starting on the outside, the Toughpad FZ-A2 is shrouded in magnesium alloy, which should allow the tablet to withstand drops from 1.2 meters high. Furthermore, the Toughpad FZ-A2 comes with IP65 certification that makes it resistant to dust and water, with the tablet able to function in temperatures ranging from minus 10 to 50 degrees Celsius, or 14 to 122 degrees Fahrenheit.

Continuing our exterior look at the tablet reveals a 10.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display that can be used with your bare hand, gloved hand, or a capacitive stylus that Panasonic will sell. A 1080p camera sits above the display, while an 8-megapixel camera can be found around back.

Taking a peek under the hood, the Toughpad FZ-A2 is powered by a quad-core Intel Atom x5-Z8550 processor that can go from 1.44GHz to 2.4GHz, along with 4GB RAM. The tablet is equipped with 32GB of native storage, though the MicroSD card slot should please those wanting for more storage.

The Toughpad FZ-A2 supports USB 3.1 Type C, through which the tablet not only gains OTG support, but also allows it to charge other devices — a handy feature for those not willing to walk around with a portable battery charger. In addition, the tablet runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow, with Android for Work’s Enterprise Security preloaded.

Finally, the Toughpad FZ-A2 can be customized with a 2D barcode scanner, a smart card reader, and 4G LTE connectivity.

Overall, the Toughpad FZ-A2 sounds like a very promising Android tablet that checks off many wants and needs for enthusiasts. Unfortunately, the tablet is primarily aimed at the enterprise market, with a wallet-emptying $1,334 price tag to boot. The Toughpad FZ-A2 will be available sometime in July.

Williams Pelegrin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…
AT&T just made it a lot easier to upgrade your phone
AT&T Storefront with logo.

Do you want to upgrade your phone more than once a year? What about three times a year? Are you on AT&T? If you answered yes to those questions, then AT&T’s new “Next Up Anytime” early upgrade program is made for you. With this add-on, you’ll be able to upgrade your phone three times a year for just $10 extra every month. It will be available starting July 16.

Currently, AT&T has its “Next Up” add-on, which has been available for the past several years. This program costs $6 extra per month and lets you upgrade by trading in your existing phone after at least half of it is paid off. But the new Next Up Anytime option gives you some more flexibility.

Read more
Motorola is selling unlocked smartphones for just $150 today
Someone holding the Moto G Stylus 5G (2024).

Have you been looking for phone deals but don’t want to spend a ton of money on flagship devices from Apple and Samsung? Have you ever considered investing in an unlocked Motorola? For a limited time, the company is offering a $100 markdown on the Motorola Moto G 5G. It can be yours for just $150, and your days and nights of phone-shopping will finally be over!

Why you should buy the Motorola Moto G 5G
Powered by the Snapdragon 480+ 5G CPU and 4GB of RAM, the Moto G delivers exceptional performance across the board. From UI navigation to apps, games, and camera functions, you can expect fast load times, next to no buffering, and smooth animations. You’ll also get up to 128GB of internal storage that you’ll be able to use for photos, videos, music, and any other mobile content you can store locally. 

Read more
The Nokia 3210 is the worst phone I’ve used in 2024
A person holding the Nokia 3210, showing the screen.

Where do I even start with the Nokia 3210? Not the original, which was one of the coolest phones to own back in a time when Star Wars: Episode 1 -- The Phantom Menace wasn’t even a thing, but the latest 2024 reissue that has come along to save us all from digital overload, the horror of social media, and the endless distraction that is the modern smartphone.

Except behind this facade of marketing-friendly do-goodery hides a weapon of torture, a device so foul that I’d rather sit through multiple showings of Jar Jar Binks and the gang hopelessly trying to bring back the magic of A New Hope than use it.
The Nokia 3210 really is that bad

Read more