https://www.gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_tab_active3-10476.php
I just bought a brand new Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3 tablet direct from the Samsung website. They took my money right away, but it may take a couple of days before I get confirmation of the sale. I find that a little odd, but I trust that this rather large, worldwide electronics manufacturer will be able to fulfill my order.
They make/made 2 models: one with LTE and one that is WIFI only. They only sell one on their website, so I had to confirm with their helpdesk that I was purchasing the one with LTE. It took about 10 minutes to get connected on the chat and the representative was able to find my order and confirm that it was what I wanted. Great.
Phones/tablets are actually quite cheap if you’re the product. This one came in just under CDN$900 with taxes and free shipping. As this is aimed at a more enterprise level user, it’ll be interesting to see what they’ve loaded on besides the standard Google stuff.
This size/model of tablet is quite popular with truckers and there are all kinds of vehicle mounting options that allow interaction with the vehicle, charging (or use without a battery), and computer systems. The POGO pins on the side are used for various docking connections. They often come with long, coiled cables so it can be handed out of the vehicle for inspection personnel. I shouldn’t need something like that, but it’s kind of cool knowing that it is available.
This device was released about a year ago and has an update to Android 11 out already. I should be getting updates direct from Samsung, so I imagine I’ll get that as soon as I finish registering.
It has a rugged, rubber case which will help with any dings or falls. I’m not going to bother with a screen protector. Modern device glass is plenty durable now.
It should be the perfect size to fit into my daily carry shoulder bag, the dimensions of which are roughly 9"x6". The tablet is 8.5"x5". Even with the case and the S-pen installed on top it should fit.
It has definable sensitivity so it can be used with even thick gloves on. That may be useful once winter arrives (if I ever go outside again). I’ve seen it used with medical and mechanic’s gloves on.
The screen isn’t top of the line, it has fairly thick bevels, the case is made of plastic, but it’s a fairly new device that solves a whole lot of problems for me. I don’t need it to be the flagship of the fleet. I just need it to serve my needs, which are specific and few. I want a big, easy to read screen. I want it to fit into a specific footprint. I want a cellular connection. It needs to have NFC for personal reasons. It can’t be rooted, so has to be a straight-up, useful machine. I want it to last more than a few years, so the newest OS release is preferred. A great battery is great, but this model has a REPLACEABLE BATTERY. I can just get a second one if I need to. I’ve got more than enough battery packs kicking around that afford the possibility of recharging.
The guys at work named my previous phone the BAP: Big Ass Phone. The Xiaomi Mi Max 3 was the biggest phone ever made at 6.9" with a 5500 mAh battery. This new one is an 8" screen and a 5050 mAh battery. That extra inch makes all the difference.
The Exynos 9810 processor and chipset aren’t top of the line, but are powerful enough for anything I’ll need to do. I don’t play games. I don’t do photo or video editing. Not yet, anyway.
IP68 and MIL-STD-810H compliant. 4GB + 64GB RAM, and a micro SD slot capable to 1TB.
Samsung DEX is worth taking a look at. I’ve been trying to make a portable screen device to use this software for some time. Soon I will actually have a device that actually runs it.
With the S-Pen and the physical buttons for back/open/home, it will feel as familiar as the previous Note phones I owned.
