Apple鈥檚 iPad might be beautiful, but it doesn鈥檛 mix well with the outdoors. While it can resist a few bumps and scrapes, it鈥檚 not exactly prepared to dive off a cliff. That鈥檚 where these new tablets come in handy. Designed for outdoor use, they鈥檙e rugged enough for any of your adventures. 聽聽
GETAC F110 ($2,899)
Best For: Long battery life
If you want a tablet with a long battery life, check out the聽, which comes with two replaceable batteries for up to 13 hours of use. The rugged tablet can withstand minor drops, and the 11.6-inch display uses a technology called聽LumiBond, which the company claims is durable and easy to read even in the sun. The three-pound tablet runs Windows 8, but can be downgraded at the factory to Windows 7. The downside? You can鈥檛 submerse it in water. 聽
Panasonic Toughpad FZ-M1 ($2,099)
Best For: Portability
罢丑别听, which fits in your palm, has a seven-inch screen and weighs about a pound. The daylight-readable display uses touch technology that works even when you鈥檙e wearing gloves. Drop-, shock-, and water-resistant, the聽罢辞耻驳丑辫补诲听贵窜-惭1聽can put up with some serious outdoor abuse, but take note that it鈥檚 not fully聽waterpoof. It will last about eight hours with the standard battery pack.
Earl ($299)
Best For: Backcountry survival
Earl is the聽. The six-inch tablet comes聽packed with extra features聽and uses a聽grayscale, sunlight-friendly flexible display. It has a weather radio that will send alerts over the SAME (Specific Area Message Encoding) network, a two-way radio, and detailed topographic maps. Earl is fully waterproof and lasts about 20 hours on one charge. Plus, there鈥檚 a solar panel on the back for charging up in the backcountry. This crowd-funded product should come out this spring.聽
GammaTech Durabook CA10 ($1299)
Best For: Bluetooth-capability
罢丑颈蝉听聽has a 10.1-inch screen that鈥檚 bright and easy to use. The tablet can withstand drops, vibrations, and splashes, but it isn鈥檛 fully waterproof. The Bluetooth-capable gadget can sync with fitness trackers, and like the聽骋贰罢础颁听贵110, the聽Gammatech聽CA10聽has two removable batteries good for about eight hours of use.聽
Sony Xperia Z2 ($TBD)
Best For: Outdoor entertainment
罢丑颈蝉听, announced last month, is fully waterproof and thinner than a pencil. A successor to the original聽Xperia, the Z2 lasts ten hours with one charge and uses a new screen technology called Live聽Colour聽LED to make videos and photos pop even when you鈥檙e outside. The Z2 also has new noise-cancelling headphone technology to improve music playback.