Best tablets for pharmaceutical sites in 2026

The ranking

Our picks for pharmaceutical sites

1. 

   1 Best overall for pharmaceutical sites

   Eaton MTL GECMA IS Tablet PC

   Eaton · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 1GD Ex ia IIC T4 Ga

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1

   Operating system

   Windows 11 IoT Enterprise

   Security updates

   Until October 2034 (unconfirmed)

   Weight

   1430 g

   The Eaton MTL GECMA IS Tablet PC is the tablet that fits the most pharmaceutical production areas. It is intrinsically safe to Ex ia, IIC T4 for gas and IIIC T135°C for dust, certified for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, and Zone 0 rated when used in the case supplied by Eaton, which matters for vessels and tanks. Eaton lists a camera-free version, which covers areas that ban cameras. Note that such a version cannot scan barcodes with a camera, and Eaton lists no scan engine, so plan scanning another way.

   It runs Windows 11 IoT Enterprise on an x86 processor, so Windows desktop software runs natively, and the 10.1-inch 2560 × 1600 screen shows batch records and procedures at full size. The 49.68 Wh battery gives a typical runtime of 12 hours, NFC is built in, a stylus is supplied, and a docking station is available for the safe area. Its UL certification covers Class I Division 1 for Groups C and D only, at T4, so not hydrogen or acetylene. Eaton’s manual shows IP67, which the IECEx certificate does not state.

   It is T4, which suits solvents such as ethanol, acetone and toluene, but not substances that ignite below 135 °C. It weighs 1,430 g, the screen is 540 nits, and it runs a quad-core Intel Atom (Apollo Lake) processor with 8 GB of memory, against a Core i5-1235U with 16 GB in the ecom Pad-Ex 01 P12 DZ2, so test your heaviest software on it. Eaton does not state which release of Windows 11 IoT Enterprise it ships, so ask for the edition and its support date. Charging and connecting are for safe areas only, and the battery is not user-replaceable.

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2. 

   2 Best camera-free Android tablet for Zone 1/21

   ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1

   ecom (Pepperl+Fuchs) · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 2G Ex db ia IIC T6 Gb

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 1

   Operating system

   Android 16

   Security updates

   Q1 2032 (maker’s statement)

   Weight

   1122 g

   For production areas that ban cameras and call for frequent cleaning, the Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 is the Android tablet to look at. ecom offers a camera-free version, and the tablet is IP68 for wash-down and MIL-STD-810H rugged. It is flameproof (Ex db) with an intrinsically safe (Ex ia) circuit, certified IIC T6 and IIIC T80°C for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, with a Class I Division 1 listing in North America.

   ecom’s Ident-Ex 02 wireless 1D/2D scanner, Ex-approved for Zone 1/21, gives scanning that does not depend on the camera, though you should confirm with ecom that it pairs with the camera-free version. NFC is built in, the S Pen is intrinsically safe for use in the hazardous area, and a programmable function key can be set for push-to-talk, an emergency call or an alarm app. ecom states security updates until 2032 (unconfirmed).

   It is not certified for Zone 0, and the certificate asks users to keep it away from processes that generate a high electrostatic charge (pneumatic powder transfer is a typical example). It runs Android apps, not Windows software, on an 8-inch, 600-nit screen, it weighs 1,122 g, and the battery is not user-replaceable.

   View full details + Add to compare✓ In your comparison ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1
3. 

   3 Best for dispensing and material scanning in Zone 2

   ecom Pad-Ex 01 P12 DZ2

   ecom (Pepperl+Fuchs) · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 2/22

   Marking

   II 3G Ex ic op is IIC T4 Gc IP64

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 2

   Operating system

   Windows 11 Pro, version 25H2

   Security updates

   Supported while kept on a current Windows 11 version

   Weight

   1200 g

   For dispensing booths, weighing rooms and stores that are classed Zone 2, where every container and label is scanned and the records live in Windows software, the Pad-Ex 01 P12 DZ2 is built for the job. An optional Honeywell N670X 1D/2D scan engine is Ex-certified as part of the unit, so scanning does not depend on the camera, and the camera is itself optional, with a camera-free version offered. It runs Windows 11 Pro (version 25H2) on a Core i5-1235U with 16 GB, on an 11.6-inch, 1,000-nit screen, and a tethered stylus is supplied.

   It is intrinsically safe (Ex ic) for Zone 2/22 under ATEX and IECEx, IIC T4, and has a North American listing for Class I Division 2. The 43.29 Wh battery is user-replaceable outside the hazardous area, the ambient range is −10 °C to +55 °C, and it lists approvals in Japan, South Africa, Brazil, China and Korea. Windows 11 Pro is supported while kept on a current version.

   Its dust group is IIIB, which covers combustible flyings and non-conductive dust but not conductive dust, so powder-handling areas with conductive dust are outside it. It is Zone 2/22 only, so it does not go into Zone 1 areas, IP64 is a splash rating rather than wash-down, the certificate says to clean it only with a damp cloth, it is not rated below −10 °C, and it weighs 1,200 g.

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4. 

   4 Best camera-free iPad

   Atexxo Zone 1 iPad mini 7

   Atexxo · Converted tablet for the iPad mini (A17 Pro)

   Certified for

   Zone 1/21

   Marking

   II 2G Ex db IIC T4 Gb

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 2

   Operating system

   iPadOS 27

   Security updates

   At least until October 2029 (Apple's minimum)

   Weight

   990 g (including the tablet)

   For sites that use iPads for rounds and checklists but restrict cameras, Atexxo offers blocked-camera (-BC) variants of its Zone 1 iPad mini 7 conversion, which makes it the iPad pick here. It is flameproof (Ex db), IIC T4 for gas, certified for Zone 1/21 under ATEX and IECEx, and it also holds a CSA listing for Class I Zone 1 (AEx) and Class I Division 2, plus Inmetro for Brazil. It has an A17 Pro chip, an 8.3-inch screen and weighs 990 g.

   The housing keeps the touchscreen and buttons working, and the iPad inside is a standard iPad mini with iPadOS 27 and Apple’s minimum support, security updates guaranteed until at least October 2029. Touch ID is removed, and on the blocked-camera variant barcode scanning by camera is not possible.

   Its dust rating is IIIA, which covers combustible flyings only, not dusts, so it is not for powder handling in milling or blending, where the Eaton (IIIC) is the better choice. It is T4, the screen is 500 nits, the battery is not user-replaceable, charging happens in a safe area with the bottom cover removed, and it is not certified for Zone 0.

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5. 

   5 Best for Zone 2 rounds in camera-restricted areas

   ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ2

   ecom (Pepperl+Fuchs) · Dedicated Ex tablet

   Certified for

   Zone 2/22

   Marking

   II 3G Ex ic IIC T5 Gc

   Certification

   ATEX + IECEx, Class I Division 2

   Operating system

   Android 16

   Security updates

   Q1 2032 (maker’s statement)

   Weight

   595 g (unconfirmed)

   For operators doing rounds in Zone 2 areas where cameras are restricted, the Tab-Ex 05 DZ2 is the compact, rugged choice. ecom offers a camera-free version, it is IP68 and MIL-STD-810H rugged, and it is intrinsically safe (Ex ic) at IIC T5 with dust group IIIC T85°C for Zone 2/22 under ATEX and IECEx. It also carries Class I and II Division 2 and Class III in North America, with approvals in Brazil, Korea and South Africa.

   The S Pen is included, a programmable function key can be set for push-to-talk, an emergency call or an alarm app, NFC is built in, and ecom’s Ident-Ex 02 wireless scanner covers barcode checks without the camera. Its weight of 595 g comes from a single source and ecom’s own figures vary, so treat it as unconfirmed. ecom states security updates until 2032 (unconfirmed).

   It is for Zone 2 and 22 only, so it does not go into Zone 1 areas. T5 does not suit substances that ignite below 100 °C, the battery is not user-replaceable, and the Ex-protective case must be correctly fitted before it enters a hazardous area. It runs Android, not Windows software, on a 600-nit, 8-inch screen.

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Before you buy

What a pharmaceutical tablet must show

Your plant’s area classification, dust assessment and camera policy decide which of these matter. Confirm them with your safety and quality teams, then read the certificate for your exact model.

• Solvent gases and temperature class

  Common process solvents such as ethanol, acetone and toluene ignite well above 135 °C, so T4 covers them. Hydrogen, used in hydrogenation, calls for gas group IIC, and any substance that ignites below 135 °C needs a stricter class: among our picks the ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ2 is T5 (surfaces up to 100 °C) and the ecom Tab-Ex 05 DZ1 is T6 (up to 85 °C).

• Dust zone and dust group

  Milling, blending, charging and sieving can put combustible powder into the air, so look for Zone 21 certification next to the gas rating. A tablet rated IIIC also suits IIIB and IIIA dusts, while the ecom Pad-Ex 01 P12 DZ2 is IIIB and the Atexxo iPad mini 7 is IIIA, so they are not for conductive dust.

• Camera policy and scanning

  Check whether your production areas allow cameras, and whether the tablet comes in a camera-free version: the Eaton, both ecom Tab-Ex tablets and the ecom Pad-Ex do, and Atexxo offers blocked-camera variants. Then confirm that the scanning option you need, such as a scan engine or a wireless scanner, is supported on that exact version.

• Static charge and cleaning

  Pneumatic powder transfer can generate a strong electrostatic charge, and the ecom certificates require protection against such processes. Before a tablet is wiped down or washed, check its IP rating and where it comes from: ecom rates both Tab-Ex 05 tablets IP68, the Eaton’s IP67 is from its manual and not in its IECEx certificate, and the Pad-Ex’s IP64 is in its Ex marking, and its certificate says to clean it only with a damp cloth.

• Software and support

  If batch records or MES clients are Windows only, check that they run on the tablet’s Windows edition. The Eaton uses x86 Windows 11 IoT Enterprise, but Eaton does not state the edition, so its support date is unconfirmed, and the ecom Pad-Ex 01 P12 DZ2 uses Windows 11 Pro, supported while kept on a current version.