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Samsung’s small, cheap and rugged Galaxy XCover5 is officially unveiled and will go on sale this month.

 

Yesterday we saw a couple of leaks about Samsung’s new rugged phone, and well, here it is. The Galaxy XCover 5 is a smaller and cheaper tough-as-nails model and is a fraction of the cost of the XCover FieldPro. Most importantly, it actually runs the current version of Android.

The XCover 5’s spec sheet is purely budget-friendly, with a 5.3-inch 720p LCD screen, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The Exynos 850 processor is the same as found in low-cost phones like the Galaxy A21s. The rear camera module uses a single 16MP sensor with a 5MP front camera. The battery is quite spare at 3000 mAh, and Samsung announcement In particular, there is no mention of 5G, although there is a dual SIM option on the phone.

XCover 5 is out of spec. No, this is a cheap little phone built to withstand absolute defeat. Besides IP68 dust and water resistance, which is as good as the top models in the Galaxy S series, the XCover 5 meets the MIL-STD 810H standard. Which sections of this very long US Department of Defense standard it is not mentioned. Its 9.2mm thick reinforced body and Gorilla Glass 6 screen (not as strong as Victus, but still better than most) withstands drops from 1.5 meters, and the screen can be operated with gloves.

The XCover 5 also has a couple of custom additions: an additional programmable button with a chic red border like the Galaxy Active series, and POGO contacts at the bottom for 15W charging in the proprietary dock. As stated in the press release, this is technically “wireless” charging, but not standard Qi charging. Both options make more sense for a device that will work in tough environments. There is no fingerprint sensor, but basic Samsung face recognition is available.

Samsung will sell the Galaxy XCover 5 in the UK from March 12th for £ 329 (about $ 460). This makes it significantly more expensive than its specs indicate, but the rugged nature of the phone is likely to be worth the upgrade for many buyers. It helps that the phone immediately runs Android 11, and as part of the Samsung Enterprise Edition program, the company has pledged to update its security system within five years.

It will also be marketed in “select markets in Asia, Europe and Latin America.” No US release was mentioned, although availability may expand at a later date.

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