With today’s world becoming increasingly more digital, several businesses are finding their workers need to use digital devices to get their jobs done more accurately and more efficiently, especially since they now spend more time on the go than ever before. While mobile devices have been a staple for frontline and field workers for many years, most companies now require their workers to bring a device out into the field that’s as powerful as a desktop computer or laptop. This is not only to ensure efficiency but also to help improve communication, organization, and workflow among their workers. That goes especially for jobs which involve working in harsh environments such as construction sites, factories and other industrial facilities, extreme remote locations like oil rigs, and most importantly, any type of first responder jobs. This is exactly where having a high-end rugged tablet can come in handy. Unlike standard consumer-grade tablets, rugged tablets are specifically designed to have incredible durability (thus reducing the need for repairs or replacements) and be just as capable as a PC or a laptop, while also packing an extended battery life, making them the best digital equipment option for frontline workers and first responders. If you’re looking for a rugged tablet that can withstand a rough lifestyle and also has great performance, then the RuggON SOL PA501 is an awesome choice to go with.
The RuggON SOL PA501 is an enterprise-grade fully rugged Android tablet which has an extremely durable construction tested against military standards and rated to have an IP65 Water-Resistance Rating, featuring a 10.1” TFT LCD WUXGA capacitive multi-touch display that boasts a 1920 x 1200 resolution, adjustable brightness up to 1000 nits, sunlight readable and hyper dimming technologies that make it easy to read under direct sunlight and under low light conditions, support to gloves touch, and a Night Mode and Stealth Mode, while also integrating a 13MP Rear Camera with LED flash and Auto Focus, plus an 8MP Front Camera. It also features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core processor capable of fast processing speeds up to 2.2GHz, either 32GB or 64GB eMMC storage respectively with 3GB or 4GB LPDDR4 RAM, and Android 12 as its Operative System. It also integrates built-in control buttons, including 3 programmable buttons and a barcode trigger button, multiple connection ports including a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port, a USB-C 3.1 port with Display Port support, a USB-A 2.0 port, 2 Micro SIM slots and 1 Micro SD slot, a 3.5mm audio jack, a RS-232 port serial port, along with a docking connector, plus a built-in Kensington Lock, and it also comes pre-installed with RuggON’s DashON management software, which offers you a wide range of configuration settings via a user-friendly interface. Finally, it also boasts GNSS, Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity, 4G LTE connectivity with a SIM card, compatibility with the FirstNet cellular system, support to Band 14 connectivity, and up to 13 hours battery life.
Built to have extreme durability, an ultra-durable battery life, and also to deliver an exceptional performance with fast processing power for the utmost user experience while on the field, this high-end fully rugged Android 12 tablet is guaranteed to provide interoperability among different first responder organizations, ensuring real-time communications between all frontline agencies on the scene of an emergency.
Now, let’s have a more detailed look at the RuggON SOL PA501 and check out everything that this enterprise-grade fully rugged Android 12 tablet has to offer you.
DESIGN & SPECS
Starting with the tablet’s size, the RuggON SOL PA501 has a reasonably compact form factor, measuring just 11 inches long by 7.7 inches wide by 0.9 inches thick (280 x 195 x 23 mm), and is also fairly lightweight, weighing just 3.09 lbs. (1.4 kg).
On top of its sleek dimensions, this fully rugged tablet also sports an extremely simple design, as it is built with a focus on delivering the utmost ease-of-use for its users, which are mainly frontline workers and first responders, especially when they’re out on the field.
Moreover, the SOL PA501 also packs an extremely durable and ultra-sturdy construction that has been tested against military standards, for which it is both MIL-STD-810G and MIL-STD-461G certified, which qualifies it to be incredibly resistant against vibrations, shocks, and drops up to 5 ft., thus verifying its rugged qualifications.
In addition to its ultra-sturdy outer cover, the tablet’s display screen also comes protected by a high-grade glass cover built from Corning Gorilla Glass, which gives it a high level of protection against scratching and breaking.
Not only that, but the tablet is also rated to have an IP65 Water-Resistance Rating, which qualifies it as being capable of withstanding all weather conditions, whether that’s dust, wind, water-splashes, heavy rain, or even snow.
Moving on to the tablet’s different components. Starting with the tablet’s display screen, the RuggON SOL PA501 comes equipped with a 10.1-inch TFT LCD WUXGA (widescreen ultra-extended graphics array) capacitive multi-touch display which supports glove touch, so first responders like policemen, fire fighters, and even military personal can operate it without requiring them to take off their tactical gloves. Furthermore, the tablet’s 10.1″ capacitive multi-touch display also supports the use of a 2mm hard tip stylus.
The SOL PA501’s 10.1-inch TFT LCD WUXGA capacitive multi-touch display boasts a 1200p resolution (1920 x 1200), and an adjustable brightness that can be set up to 1000 nits.
Its display screen also features both sunlight readable and hyper dimming technologies, which respectively make it easy for users to view and read from its screen under direct sunlight (by preventing sun glare from reflecting on its screen) as well as under low light conditions, which for the latter, ensures a decent level of screen visibility during nighttime.
What’s more is that the tablet’s display screen also features a Night Mode that’s already pre-configured for nighttime use, for which it works with its brightness set close to its maximum level by default (can be adjusted to your personal preferences in the tablet’s Settings Menu), along with a Stealth Mode, which is specifically programmed to enhance its users’ personal mobility and safety during critical operations.
Then, when it comes its performance, the RuggON SOL PA501 comes equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 Octa-Core processor which is capable of delivering fast processing speeds from 1.9GHz up to 2.2GHz.
It’s also worth noting that its processor also integrates Arm TrustZone technology, which is particularly used to protect high-value code and data.
For the tablet’s remaining hardware specs, it’s important to note that the SOL PA501 is available in two (x2) different models, including a US model (for US carriers) which features 32GB of eMMC (embedded MultiMediaCard) storage and 3GB of LPDDR4 RAM, and a global model (outside the US) which features 64GB of eMMC storage and 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM.
Lastly, for its Operative System, know the SOL PA501 comes running on Android 12 as its Operative System.
CAMERAS
Moving on to the tablet’s dual camera setup. Starting at the back-side of the tablet, there’s a built-in 13MP Rear Camera that integrates an LED flash and also boasts an Auto Focus function.
Then, at the front-side of the tablet, there’s an 8MP Punch-Hole Front Camera that’s discretely integrated at the top-center of the tablet’s 10.1-inch display screen, which can be used to conveniently shoot front-facing videos and frontal photos with ease.
INTERFACE / CONTROL PANEL
As for the tablet’s interface, the RuggON SOL PA501 features a very user-friendly interface that’s focused on offering frontline workers and first responders a straightforward and extremely intuitive user experience, even during emergency situations.
Integrated directly under the tablet’s display screen, we have its dedicated Power On/Off button, a Volume Increase and Volume Decrease buttons, and a Home button (for returning back to the Tablet’s desktop view).
Then, integrated at the top-left side, there are also 3 programmable buttons that can be configured to trigger specific actions, along with a barcode trigger button that’s located at the top-right side of the tablet’s screen.
Additionally, the tablet also comes equipped with multiple connection ports, which provide you with a wide range of connection options.
Starting at the left-side of the tablet’s cover, and going from top to bottom, there’s a USB-A 2.0 port, followed by a Micro SIM slot for connecting a Micro SIM Card, which is then followed by a USB-C 3.1 port which boasts Display Port support, a 3.5mm audio jack, and a Gigabit Ethernet RJ45 port.
Then, at the right-side of the tablet’s cover, we have its dedicated DC port (for charging its battery), followed by a RS-232 port serial port that can be used for performing data transfers between the tablet and another device.
Integrated at the back-side of the tablet, there’s an additional Micro SIM slot for connecting another Micro SIM Card, a Micro SD slot, and there’s also a built-in stylus pen holding slot.
At the bottom-side of the tablet, there’s also a built-in Kensington Lock that allows you to physically secure the device, along with a docking connector.
Lastly, it’s also worth mentioning that the RuggON SOL PA501 also comes pre-installed with RuggON’s DashON management software, which provides an overview of important information (such as its current battery level), and also offers you a wide range of configuration settings via a user-friendly interface as well as quick access to important functions.
Via its DashON software’s dashboard, users can change the tablet’s Touch Mode settings (which include finger touch, stylus pen, or glove), lock and unlock its touchscreen and buttons, toggle antenna passthrough between the tablet and any external antennas within range, and more.
CONNECTIVITY
For its connectivity methods, this rugged Android 12 tablet boasts GNSS connectivity (supporting GPS/ GLONASS/ BeiDou), both Bluetooth 5.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity (with support to the most common wireless standards – 802.11 ac for both 2.4GHz and 5GHz), and also 4G LTE connectivity with the use of a SIM card (either with Verizon, AT&T, or FirstNet through optional Sierra Wireless EM7511).
In addition, the SOL PA501 also features compatibility with the FirstNet cellular system, which integrates priority and pre-emption functions, which give public safety communications priority access to voice, data, and video communication. Thanks to that, even when commercial networks are congested, first responders can be at the front of the lane, giving them access to all lanes during emergencies.
Last but not least, the tablet also features support to Band 14 connectivity, a dedicated frequency band spectrum that’s mostly used for public safety within the 700 MHz band, as it is particularly designed to be reliable, functional, safe, and secure in order to provide optimal operational capability at all times. This frequency band spectrum offers several key advantages such as better building penetration and increased coverage in rural areas.
We’d also like to mention that customers also have the option to have the tablet coming equipped with a built-in NFC function.
BATTERY & BATTERY LIFE
For its power, this enterprise-grade fully rugged Android tablet utilizes a 4500 mAh swappable Lithium-Ion battery that can offer you up to 13 hours of battery life.
When it comes to charging the tablet’s battery, know that its battery supports USB-C Fast Charging, and can be charged either by connecting its included AC Adapter to its DC port, or alternatively, via its USB-C port for resorting to USB-C Fast Charging.
FINAL THOUGHTS
When accounting for its wide range of functionalities and its multiple connectivity options, it’s safe to say that the RuggON SOL PA501 is the perfect device for ensuring that first responders and critical infrastructure providers can communicate seamlessly, easily obtain firsthand information while on the field in order to maintain situational awareness, and provide enhanced public safety, whatever the situation or emergency at hand might be.
If you’re interested in purchasing this rugged Android 12 tablet, know that its price starts at $1,389.99. You can order yours online right now, either directly from RuggON’s official shopping page, or you can get it from RuggON’s Amazon page, if you’d prefer.
OPTIONAL ACCESSORIES
We’d also like to mention that the company (RuggON) also sells optional accessories for the RuggON SOL PA501 which further expand the tablet’s functionalities, including:
- a detachable keyboard;
- a built-in 2D barcode reader with an optical character recognition (OCR) function;
- a fingerprint reader;
- a vest-strap (for attaching it to safety vests and bulletproof vests);
- a vehicle dock for mounting it on your vehicle’s dashboard;
- amongst a few other accessories that improve the tablet’s handling and its portability.
All of these accessories are sold separately and can be ordered through RuggON’s corresponding shopping page.
