Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3 is a new rugged tablet for your working life in 2020

(Image credit: Samsung)

Samsung has launched its newest "ruggedized" tablet, the Galaxy Tab Active 3. While it's based on the durable October 2017 Active Tab 2, this updated device includes a number of new features to meet the needs of today's workforce in these unprecedented times.

For instance, the tablet's new Touch Sensitivity feature will doubtless help first responders, who won't have to keep removing their mandatory gloves while working to use the Active 3. 

As with previous Active tablets from Samsung, the Galaxy Tab Active 3 is MIL-STD-810H certified. What do those letters and numbers mean? The tablet features enhanced shock absorption to withstand drops of up to 1.5 metres with an inbox protective cover. The device and its S-Pen are also IP68 rated, which means they are dustproof and waterproof (and can actually be submerged in water up to a depth of 1.5 metres for up to 30 minutes and survive) which should offer peace of mind if you're meeting outdoors to avoid an indoor gathering with people not in your bubble. 

Samsung Galaxy Tab Active 3 features a 'No Battery Mode' for times when you're nowhere near power

(Image credit: Samsung)

The Galaxy Tab Active 3 features an 8-in (1920 x 1200) LCD display, a 13MP rear camera for pictures or scanning detailed documents, and a 5MP front camera which Samsung assures users is ideally suited to video or conference calls.

The Galaxy Tab Active 3 is equipped with the Exynos 9810 processor, 4GB of RAM and up to 64GB of internal storage, which can be upped to 1TB with the purchase of a microSD card. The tablet ships with Wi-Fi 6 and MIMO, which should equal super-fast wi-fi connectivity too. The Tab Active 3 also features a replaceable 5050mAh battery and you'll get fast charging through USB and POGO pins. There's even a new “No Battery Mode” which can be deployed if working in a location devoid of power.

Another fresh feature in the Active 3 is Samsung Dex (a contraction of 'Desktop experience') which allows the tablet to be connected to an external monitor and used with a mouse and keyboard.

The Galaxy Tab Active 3 is now available in the UK for £539 (AU$849, approx. $699).

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Becky has been a full-time staff writer at What Hi-Fi? since March 2019. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, she freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 20-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance is of course tethered to a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo, This is Cabaret and The Stage. When not writing, she dances, spins in the air, drinks coffee, watches football or surfs in Cornwall with her other half – a football writer whose talent knows no bounds.