Samsung unveiled the Galaxy XCover7 rugged smartphone earlier this 12 months and launched it in plenty of markets since, together with India, the place it marked the XCover lineup’s debut. We used the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 for a couple of weeks, and listed below are our findings.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 packs a 6.6″ FullHD+ PLS LCD having 600 nits peak brightness, 60Hz refresh fee, and a V-shaped notch for the 5MP selfie digicam. The show is surrounded by bezels thicker than what we see on common smartphones, however we cannot maintain that towards Samsung since we’re speaking a few rugged smartphone right here.
Transferring on to the again, we’ve got a single 50 MP digicam with a twin flash positioned beneath. The digicam has a crimson ring round it, which matches effectively with the black colour of the cellphone and provides substance to the design. Samsung informed us the Galaxy XCover7 is barely accessible in black colour as a result of that is what most individuals on this class favor.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s rear panel is plastic, and the first digicam sits flush with it – one thing we hardly ever see on smartphones nowadays. This prevents the cellphone from wobbling on flat surfaces, which occurs typically with smartphones sporting large digicam islands and might typically be annoying.
Given its total plastic design, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 does not really feel premium to carry and can also be on the heavier facet for extended one-handed utilization. However it’s sturdy and constructed effectively, and that is necessary for rugged smartphones.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 is MIL-STD-810H compliant and might face up to drops of as much as 1.5m. It is also IP68-rated, making it waterproof in as much as 1.5m of recent water for as much as half-hour. Furthermore, Samsung says the XCover7 is secure to wash with sanitizer however advises towards utilizing it on the seaside or pool.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s again panel is user-removable with out requiring any particular instruments, and thus, its battery is user-replaceable. It is spectacular to see a rugged cellphone with a user-replaceable battery having an IP68 ranking.
Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s rear panel has a recess on the high, permitting customers to open it with none instruments
We requested Samsung the way it provided an IP68 ranking and a user-replaceable battery, and the model informed us that it did so by having seals at completely different locations. The Galaxy XCover7’s rear panel additionally has seals that align with the battery and the SIM card space to cowl them.
Furthermore, the realm surrounding the digicam can also be protected, and there is area to soak up water, which could be eliminated simply, permitting the consumer to make use of the Galaxy XCover7 simply by wiping it. The Korean conglomerate additionally stated the cellphone’s MIL compliance ensures sooner drying. We would prefer to see extra rugged smartphones coming with user-removable batteries.
Samsung may additionally need to take into account launching non-rugged smartphones with user-replaceable batteries since its smartphones are a few of the slowest within the business by way of charging speeds. Even the freshly introduced $1,900 Galaxy Z Fold6, which is probably the most superior Samsung smartphone, costs at an terrible 25W velocity.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 sports activities a programmable button with a crimson accent on its left-side body. It is known as the XCover Key and has good suggestions. The button additionally has texture, which provides to the expertise. Plus, the important thing measurement ought to make it simpler to function when carrying gloves.
The XCover Key could be personalized to open completely different apps and launch the Walkie Talkie characteristic (requires Push-To-Speak apps) shortly with a single or long-press by navigating to the cellphone’s Settings > Superior options > Xcover button menu. Moreover, you should use it as a shutter button within the default Digital camera app to take footage, activate/off the torch, and scan barcodes with Knox Seize.
XCover Key
The XCover Key additionally works when the display screen is locked, however it’s value noting that the display screen must be turned on – even when it has a display screen lock – for you to have the ability to use the XCover Key. That is not preferrred since you would be required to double-tap on the display screen or press the facility button to activate the display screen, which is a further step and defeats the aim of getting a shortcut key to open apps and entry different features shortly. We hope Samsung will repair this with an replace to enhance the XCover Key’s expertise.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s right-side body has an influence button and quantity rocker with respectable suggestions. On the backside is the USB-C port, flanked by POGO pins for charging, a speaker, and the first microphone. Up high is the three.5mm headphone jack with the secondary mic. The SIM/microSD card slot is accessible after eradicating the cellphone’s again cowl and battery; therefore, these playing cards aren’t hot-swappable. We additionally discover the Galaxy XCover7’s rear panel on the slimmer facet and surprise how effectively it would maintain up towards frequent drops and battery removals. It may’ve been a tad thicker.
Ports and controls
Show
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 is constructed round a 6.6″ FullHD+ PLS LCD having 600 nits peak brightness, 60Hz refresh fee, and Gorilla Glass Victus+ safety. Samsung informed us that the rationale behind selecting LCD over AMOLED is that AMOLED panels are difficult to supply at this worth level and are nonetheless not prepared for the environmental temperature wherein the XCover7 will function. We requested Samsung in regards to the Galaxy XCover7’s working temperature, and the model stated it’s between -70°C and 80°C.
Because the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 packs an LCD, it does not characteristic an in-display fingerprint scanner. The cellphone does not include a side-mounted fingerprint scanner both, which is a bummer as that is one thing we have seen on some rugged smartphones on this worth vary. Samsung stated that is as a result of a fingerprint reader shouldn’t be a requirement within the business but, they usually have offered face recognition in its place. The Galaxy XCover6 Professional – launched in June 2022 – had a side-mounted fingerprint reader, so it appears between then and now, Samsung did not see sufficient demand from its target market to justify the inclusion of a fingerprint scanner.
Properly, contemplating the actual fact the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 is a rugged smartphone and would even be used outdoor by some individuals who’d be carrying masks and different gear protecting the face, relying solely on face recognition does not sound like a good suggestion, and the model ought to’ve provided a fingerprint scanner for biometric authentication. Nonetheless, Samsung has assured that the following XCover cellphone will characteristic a fingerprint reader.
That stated, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s show is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+ and has Widevine L1 certification, permitting 1080p video streaming in supported apps. The panel was legible sufficient outdoor underneath sturdy daylight and acquired the job completed. Simply do not anticipate something spectacular.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s show is marketed to work with mountain climbing, surgical, industrial, or any gloves with a thickness of as much as 2mm. There is a “Touch sensitivity” characteristic within the cellphone’s Settings > Show menu for this, which additionally helps contact enter when the machine is moist.
Whereas we did not have any gloves with us thinner than 2mm to confirm Samsung’s declare, we had been in a position to make use of the display screen when it was moist. Samsung additionally informed us that the display screen will work even with salty water on palms and display screen. Nonetheless, the model says that the Galaxy XCover7 can’t be used when absolutely submerged underwater since underwater contact is unavailable.
Software program and Efficiency
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 is powered by the Dimensity 6100+ SoC and comes with as much as 6GB RAM and 128GB storage, expandable as much as 1TB through a microSD card that has a devoted slot (the secondary SIM is eSIM) within the cellphone. Ours is the top-end 6GB/128GB mannequin, which ran Android 14-based One UI 6 out of the field however picked up the One UI 6.1 replace a couple of weeks in the past.
Samsung has promised 4 Android model upgrades and 5 years of safety updates for the Galaxy XCover7. Nonetheless, the safety updates will probably be launched quarterly as a substitute of month-to-month, which might be a bummer for some enterprise customers.
That stated, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 comes pre-loaded with third-party apps, however thankfully, most could be uninstalled. It is also value noting that whereas the Galaxy XCover7 runs One UI 6.1, it does not include all One UI 6.1 options. The Circle to Search characteristic that is part of Galaxy AI is one instance.
Additionally, for those who did not like One UI on different Samsung smartphones, you most likely will not prefer it on the Galaxy XCover7 both. In the course of the testing course of, a couple of issues about One UI 6 got here off as not-so-user-friendly to this reviewer, comparable to the necessity to unlock the smartphone to allow/disable the Wi-Fi hotspot, cellular information, and Bluetooth. You can also’t flip off the Wi-Fi with out unlocking the smartphone. That is just like what Apple does with iOS, which hampers the consumer expertise.
There are two variations of the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 – Commonplace and Enterprise. Each are the identical telephones, however the former comes with a one-year guarantee, whereas the latter comes with a two-year guarantee and a 12-month Knox Suite subscription.
By way of efficiency, there’s nothing to write down residence in regards to the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 because the cellphone is not the snappiest round and did stutter at occasions. It is positively not for energy customers and will get the essential duties completed with out a lot trouble. The Dimensity 6100+ on the helm must be sufficient for many enterprise customers to serve the aim the cellphone is marketed for.
We performed some video games on the Samsung Galaxy XCover7, and the cellphone dealt with most of them fairly effectively at medium settings. We additionally performed Name of Obligation Cellular for over an hour at “Medium” Graphic High quality and “High” Body Price, which is the perfect setting accessible for the XCover7, and the smartphone dealt with it with none stuttering and getting sizzling.
We examined the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 in India, and the one factor it did that impressed us lots was remaining latched to Reliance Jio’s 5G community. We’ve got used a number of flagships in the identical community space, they usually typically switched from Jio’s 5G to 4G community routinely, however that did not occur even as soon as with the Galaxy XCover7 throughout our utilization, which is commendable.
We have not reviewed any rugged smartphones recently, so we have included some telephones that fall within the Galaxy XCover7’s worth vary (besides the Motorola ThinkPhone geared toward enterprise customers) only for the sake of it. You possibly can verify their scores under.
Digital camera
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 options two cameras – one on both sides. The selfie unit on the entrance makes use of a 5 MP sensor with an f/2.0 aperture and might file movies in 1080p decision at 30 fps.
The first unit on the rear makes use of a 50 MP sensor, which has an f/1.8 aperture and might file 1080p movies at 30FPS and slow-motion 120 fps in HD decision. Nonetheless, Samsung does not reveal the precise imagers utilized by the XCover7 and it solely reveals the first digicam was sourced from Namuga, and the selfie digicam comes from CammSys.
Samsung largely advertises the Galaxy XCover7’s cameras as match for enterprise makes use of – the unimpressive {hardware} is all enterprise prospects want, the corporate claims. So Samsung claims the Galaxy XCover7’s cameras are optimized for eKYC, doc scanning, barcode scanning, and related functions.
We did click on some daylight and nighttime pictures with the Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s main digicam so you possibly can study them your self.
Daylight Pictures
Let’s take a look at the daylight pictures first, captured with the 50 MP main digicam having an output of 12.5MP within the Photograph mode.
Main digicam, 12.5MP.
Main digicam, 12.5 MP
The element degree is alright, if not fairly spectacular, whereas dynamic vary is extensive and the colours are effectively rendered. The pictures do have a little bit of an overprocessed take a look at pixel degree, the chip working further laborious to make up for the comparatively restricted mild gathering of the sensor.
We then tried the 50 MP excessive decision mode, however as might be anticipated there’s little to achieve by switching to that.
Main digicam, 50MP (Excessive decision)
The digicam module limitations imply you do not actually get something by way of further particulars and also you simply find yourself with bigger information. On the upide colours and dynamic vary aren’t affected negatively.
Nighttime Pictures
Now, let’s check out some nighttime pictures.
Main digicam, 12.5 MP.
Main digicam, 12.5MP
Low-light photographs are hardly spectacular – whereas their colours are alright, they’re decidedly tender and shadows come out underdeveloped.
Main digicam, 50 MP (Excessive decision).
Main digicam, 50 MP (Excessive decision)
The excessive decision mode makes little sense in good mild, however is outright damaging picture high quality in the dead of night. The additional decision means it the same old processing would take too lengthy so some steps should be skipped and the result’s underexposed extra-soft pictures.
Battery
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 comes with a 4,050 mAh user-replaceable battery, which is positioned individually within the retail field. We could not run our commonplace battery assessments on the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 because the cellphone wasn’t examined at our HQ. However anecdotally talking, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 acquired us by the day simply on a single cost with 5G cellular information and Wi-Fi hotspot enabled the entire time.
We acquired a mean of about 6.5 hours of screen-on time, with the utilization consisting of over an hour of video watching, social media looking, and gaming. The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s battery life is fairly good, and that is hardly a shock contemplating the chipset and 60Hz show used for the cellphone.
As soon as the Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s battery is drained, you possibly can fill it with a 15W energy adapter as a result of that is the utmost supported charging velocity by USB-C and POGO pins.
The Galaxy XCover7 does not come bundled with an influence adapter, however we had a Samsung 15W adapter with us, which charged the smartphone from 1% to 19% in quarter-hour, 35% in half-hour, 50% in 45 minutes, 63% in 1 hour, 99% in 1 hour and 52 minutes, 99% in 2 hours, and 100% in 2 hours and three minutes with 5G cellular information enabled, and the Wi-Fi hotspot turned off.
With the Wi-Fi hotspot turned on, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 charged from 1% to fifteen% in quarter-hour, 26% in half-hour, 35% in 45 minutes, 46% in 1 hour, 50% in 1 hour and 6 minutes, 99% in 2 hours and 22 minutes, and 100% in 2 hours and 33 minutes.
Be aware that we’ve got offered the perfect outcomes right here from our charging assessments, and your mileage will seemingly range relying in your utilization and ambient temperature when charging the cellphone.
Additionally, whereas two hours is kind of a very long time for a 4,050 mAh battery to cost in 2024, the upside is you have got the choice to swap the battery with a completely charged one because it’s user-replaceable, and your entire course of did not take us greater than two minutes. A user-replaceable battery is the quickest charging choice proper now in case you are keen to see it that manner.
As talked about within the design part, we would actually prefer to see extra smartphones with user-replaceable batteries, particularly from Samsung, since its telephones have a few of the slowest charging speeds within the business throughout all worth ranges.
Conclusion
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s Commonplace model is priced at INR27,208 ($325/€300) in India, whereas the Enterprise mannequin prices INR27,530 ($330/€300). The distinction is that the Commonplace mannequin has a 1-year guarantee, whereas the Enterprise model comes with a 2-year guarantee and a 12-month Knox Suite subscription.
The Enterprise mannequin makes a extra logical buy since individually shopping for a further 1-year guarantee prices INR1,800 ($21/€20), and a 12-month Knox Suite subscription prices INR3,500 ($42/€38).
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 will not impress you in case you are somebody whose concept of a rugged smartphone is one thing that options evening imaginative and prescient or infrared cameras and appears chunky resulting from huge batteries, with some even charging sooner than the Galaxy XCover7, as a result of the XCover7 does not supply any of that. And we do have some rugged smartphones on this worth vary providing all of that together with larger refresh fee screens, higher-res cameras, and side-mounted fingerprint scanners.
Nonetheless, most of those rugged smartphones are offered by Chinese language manufacturers, and that is the place Samsung has a bonus as a result of model notion remains to be a factor. Samsung additionally has a greater presence than many Chinese language manufacturers worldwide, with the sturdy distribution and repair community being a bonus. In markets like India, with no direct competitors within the rugged telephones class, Samsung is positioned even higher. Moreover, the software program assist for the Galaxy XCover7 is one thing most Chinese language manufacturers cannot match but.
It might even be unfair to match the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 with common smartphones, which have higher specs and options for the same worth, because the Galaxy XCover7 is focused at enterprise customers.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 has a rugged construct, comes with an IP68 ranking, and you may as well function it with moist palms or when carrying gloves, offered they are not thicker than 2mm. In addition to, the XCover7 has good battery life, and whereas its 15W charging velocity is unimpressive, it does include a user-replaceable battery, permitting you to shortly swap it with a completely charged one.
The XCover7’s 60Hz display screen and the dearth of a fingerprint scanner may be a downer for a lot of, and we hope the model will take into account the next refresh fee display screen and a fingerprint reader for the following mannequin.
Whereas the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 is geared toward enterprise customers, it additionally makes an important choice for normal shoppers who desire a smartphone with a pleasant construct, that survives splashes and spills, can deal with fundamental duties with out a lot trouble, and has good battery life. Oh, and there is additionally a 3.5mm headphone jack for many who favor listening to music by wired earphones.