Tuga A8 vs Tuga W8
For anyone set on an 8 inch rugged tablet and undecided between Android and Windows. The short answer: buy the Tuga A8 and keep £250, unless a program you rely on only runs on a Windows PC, in which case the Tuga W8 is the one.
The short answer
Software decides this one. The Tuga A8 costs £379 and the Tuga W8 costs £629, a gap of £250 for two tablets with the same 8 inch screen size, the same 1280 x 800 resolution, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, 4G LTE, NFC, and USB-C and USB-A ports. What the extra £250 buys is Windows 11 Pro on an Intel Celeron N5100, HDMI output, a fingerprint sensor and the option of a built-in 2D barcode scanner. If everything you use runs in a web browser or has an Android app, none of that earns its money, and the A8 also gives you the brighter screen, bigger battery and higher IP rating for £250 less.
On the hardware that matters outdoors, the A8 is ahead. Its screen is brighter at 800 nits against 700, its 10000mAh battery is twice the size of the W8's 5000mAh, it is sealed to IP68 rather than IP67, it has glove mode, it is rated for -20°C to 60°C against -10°C to 50°C, and it is 70g lighter at 680g. The A8 is rated to MIL-STD-810H and the W8 to MIL-STD-810G, and the A8's rear camera is 13MP against 8MP, which counts if you photograph every job. On those specs it is the better fit for outdoor and cold-weather work.
Pay the £250 if even one program you rely on only installs on a Windows PC: manufacturer diagnostic or commissioning software, an older stock or accounts system, or a desktop package with no app. A cheaper tablet that cannot run that program is not cheaper at all. The W8 also has HDMI output for driving a screen, and the scanner version at £699, £70 over the standard W8, suits parts and asset scanning. Ask your software provider whether the specific apps you use run on the device before you order either, and try them on the device once it arrives. The five minute test in our Android or Windows guide is the place to start, and the field service page shows where each of the two fits that job.
Choose the Tuga A8 if
- Everything you use runs in a web browser or has an Android app, so Windows would be £250 spent on nothing you need.
- You read the screen outdoors: the A8 is brighter at 800 nits against the W8's 700.
- You want the larger battery: 10000mAh against the W8's 5000mAh.
- You work in the wet and the cold: IP68 rather than IP67, glove mode, and a -20°C to 60°C operating range against -10°C to 50°C.
- You hold it in one hand up a ladder: the A8 is 70g lighter at 680g.
Choose the Tuga W8 if
- One program you rely on only installs on a Windows PC, which settles it on its own.
- You plug into equipment or a screen: the W8 adds HDMI output to the USB-C and USB-A ports both tablets have.
- You want a fingerprint sensor for sign-in: the W8 has one built in.
- You scan barcodes all day: the W8 with 2D Scanner is £699, £70 over the standard W8, and there is no scanner version of the A8.
- Your office already runs on Windows desktop software and wants field staff on the same system.
What is different
Every line comes from the two specification sheets, the same figures as the product pages. Rows where the A8 and W8 differ are tinted.
- The W8 costs £250 more: £629 against £379 for the A8.
- The A8 is lighter by 70g: 680g against 750g for the W8.
- The screens are the same size: 8 inch on both.
- Both run at 1280 x 800.
- The A8 is brighter: 800 nits against 700 nits on the W8.
- The A8 has the bigger battery: 10000mAh against 5000mAh on the W8.
- The A8 is sealed to IP68 and the W8 to IP67.
- The A8 is drop tested to MIL-STD-810H and the W8 to MIL-STD-810G.
- The A8 runs Android 14; the W8 runs Windows 11 Pro.
- Connectivity: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC on the A8 vs 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC on the W8.
Identical on both: resolution (1280 x 800), memory (8GB).
| Specification | Tuga A8 | Tuga W8 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen | 8" sunlight readable | 8" IPS |
| Resolution | 1280 x 800 | 1280 x 800 |
| Brightness | 800 nits | 700 nits |
| Memory | 8GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 128GB | 128GB SSD |
| Expandable storage | microSD up to 512GB | Not listed |
| IP rating | IP68 | IP67 |
| Drop standard | MIL-STD-810H | MIL-STD-810G |
| Battery | 10000mAh | 5000mAh |
| Charging | 18W fast charge | Fast charge |
| Operating system | Android 14 | Windows 11 Pro |
| Processor | Octa-core 2.0GHz | Intel Celeron N5100 |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC | 4G LTE, Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 4.2, NFC |
| Camera | 13MP rear + 5MP front | 8MP rear + 5MP front |
| Weight | 680g | 750g |
| Operating temperature | -20°C to 60°C | -10°C to 50°C |
Scroll the table sideways to see every column →
Scanner versions
Sold from the base product page, with the price gap over the standard device.
Tuga W8 with 2D Scanner, £699: £70 more than the standard Tuga W8 at £629. The Tuga W8 with an integrated 2D barcode scanner. All the power of the standard W8 plus professional barcode scanning for inventory, warehouse and field service work.
There is no scanner version of the Tuga A8.
What fits which
Every accessory is matched to specific models. These are the ones that fit each of the two.
Questions about the A8 and W8
Only if you need Windows, or one of the W8's extras such as HDMI output or the fingerprint sensor. The W8 costs £629 and the A8 £379. They share the same 8 inch size, 1280 x 800 resolution, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage and 4G LTE, and the A8 has the brighter screen, the bigger battery and the higher IP rating. The £250 buys Windows 11 Pro, HDMI output, a fingerprint sensor and the option of a scanner. If none of those is on your list, buy the Tuga A8. Both have the 12 month warranty included, there is no VAT to add to either price, and delivery is free to UK addresses in 7 to 10 working days.
Check before you buy rather than assuming. Anything that runs in a web browser or has an Android app is a candidate, but try the specific app on the device, or ask the software provider, before you rely on it. Software that has to be installed on a Windows PC cannot be installed on the A8, which runs Android 14; that is the clearest case where the Tuga W8 is the only choice of the two. Our Android or Windows guide has a five minute test for working out which camp you are in.
The A8 carries a 10000mAh battery and the W8 5000mAh, so the A8 starts the day with twice the capacity. If you choose the W8 and want to top it up between jobs, the 12V DC Car Charger (£26) and the Charging Dock (£49.99) both fit either tablet; see accessories. The A8 also has the wider listed operating range, -20°C to 60°C against the W8's -10°C to 50°C, which matters on winter sites. Our guide to rugged tablets in cold weather explains what the cold does to either battery.
No. The built-in scanner versions in the range are on the Windows models. The Tuga W8 with 2D Scanner costs £699, £70 more than the standard W8, and is sold from the same W8 product page. On the A8 you would scan with the camera through an app, or pair a separate scanner, and you should check that the app or scanner works on the device before relying on it. For occasional scanning a camera app may be enough; our guide to built-in barcode scanners covers when the extra cost pays off.
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