Tuga A6 vs Tuga W8

Only if the job needs a Windows program, a bigger screen or the W8's ports. The W8 costs £629 and the A6 £349. What the £280 buys is Windows 11 Pro on an Intel Celeron N5100 with 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, an 8 inch 700 nit screen, USB-A and HDMI, a fingerprint sensor and MIL-STD-810G. If you scan as well, the comparison is really with the W8 with 2D Scanner at £699, so the gap is £350. If your work runs on Android apps or in a browser, the Tuga A6 does it from a pocket with the scanner included. Both have the 12 month warranty, there is no VAT to add to either price, and delivery is free to UK addresses in 7 to 10 working days.

Both have an integrated 2D scan engine; the difference is the device around it and the price. The A6's Zebra 2D scan engine sits in the top edge of a 277g handheld with two side scan keys that work with gloves on, at £349. The W8 with 2D Scanner puts a 2D scanner on a 750g 8 inch Windows tablet at £699, £70 over the standard W8 and £350 over the A6. For hundreds of scans a day on foot, the lighter one-handed device is the easier one to hold. If scans have to go straight into a Windows program, the W8 is the only one of the two that can run it. Test either with the labels you actually read, scuffed and in poor light, before you roll it out; our guide to built-in barcode scanners covers what to look for.

They list different things. Both are sealed to IP67, which covers dust and immersion. The A6 lists a 1.5 metre drop rating and an operating range of -20°C to 50°C; the W8 lists no drop rating and -10°C to 50°C. The W8 lists MIL-STD-810G, which the A6 does not. So the A6 has the higher listed figures for drops and cold, and the W8 has the military standard rating. A 277g handheld also has less mass to land with than a 750g tablet. Our IP rating guide explains what IP67 is tested for, and our MIL-STD-810 guide covers what the military standard does and does not tell you.

The capacities are close, 5050mAh on the A6 and 5000mAh on the W8, but the A6 is running a 6 inch screen on a MediaTek Helio P35 and the W8 an 8 inch screen on an Intel Celeron N5100, so they will not last the same shift. The A6's battery is removable, so a charged spare can take over; the W8's is not listed as removable, though it lists fast charging. Spare batteries are not listed as an accessory for either, so ask us before you plan around one. For charging, the 12V DC Car Charger (£26) fits both, and the Charging Dock (£49.99) and Vehicle Mounting Dock (£109) are listed for the W8 only; see accessories. The A6 has charging contacts for a dock, but none is listed for it, so it charges over USB-C. Our guide to rugged tablets in cold weather explains what the cold does to any battery.