We have seen an announcement on the Sony Xperia ZR yesterday evening, where that proved to be the most recent water-resistant as well as dust-proof smartphone from Sony Mobile. The thing is, the Xperia ZR still does not come with that degree of resilience against bumps, knocks and drops, but with the Earl tablet, we are talking about a device on an entirely different plane altogether. The Earl tablet has been referred to as the world’s first “backcountry survival tablet,” where it comes with a 6” frontlit E Ink display from LG, an IR touch array, a flip-out solar panel for portable charging even when there is no power outlet within a 10 mile radius, all of it crammed into a case that measures 0.6” thick.
Connectivity options include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, in addition to its ability to allow users to tune in to AM/FM broadcasts, not to mention tap into shortwave and long wave frequencies while doubling up as a two-way radio. Not only that, the Earl tablet will arrive preloaded with 100k topographical maps of the U.S., Canada and Mexico, which means getting lost with the Earl tablet in tow is not an option. It does seem to run on a heavily modified version of the Android 4.1 Jelly Bean platform, and the only thing that is missing from the Earl tablet is to filter dirty water for your survival in the wild.
