Certainly! Here’s an expanded version focusing on each aspect of the Samsung Galaxy XCover7:
Hands On Review of the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Samsung introduced the Galaxy XCover7 earlier this year, expanding its rugged smartphone lineup into new markets, including India. We extensively tested the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 and here’s our detailed review.
Design
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 sports a rugged design with a 6.6-inch FullHD+ PLS LCD display. It boasts a peak brightness of 600 nits and includes a V-shaped notch housing a 5MP selfie camera. The display is surrounded by thicker bezels, typical for rugged smartphones, emphasizing durability over aesthetics.
Moving to the back, the phone features a prominent 50MP camera with dual flash and a distinctive red ring, complementing its black color scheme. The plastic rear panel integrates the camera flush, which prevents wobbling on flat surfaces—a common issue with protruding camera designs.
Built to meet MIL-STD-810H standards, the Galaxy XCover7 withstands drops up to 1.5m and is IP68-rated for water resistance up to 1.5m depth for 30 minutes. Remarkably, the rear panel is user-removable without special tools, allowing easy access to the user-replaceable battery—a rarity among rugged smartphones with IP68 ratings.
The left side of the phone features a programmable XCover Key, offering tactile feedback and customizable for quick access to apps or features like the Walkie Talkie mode. On the right side, you’ll find the power button and volume rocker, while the bottom houses a USB-C port, POGO pins for charging, a speaker, and microphone. There’s also a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, alongside a secondary microphone.
Display
The Samsung Galaxy XCover7’s 6.6-inch FullHD+ PLS LCD display supports touch input with gloves up to 2mm thick and works even when wet, catering to outdoor and industrial use cases. Notably, it lacks an in-display fingerprint scanner, opting for face recognition due to operational temperature constraints of AMOLED panels in rugged environments.
Software and Performance
Powered by the Dimensity 6100+ SoC with configurations up to 6GB RAM and 128GB storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD), the Galaxy XCover7 runs on Android 14-based One UI 6.1. Samsung promises four Android version upgrades and five years of security updates, albeit on a quarterly basis. While the phone handles basic tasks well, it occasionally shows stutters during heavier usage, indicating it’s not tailored for intensive multitasking or gaming.
Camera
Equipped with a 50MP rear camera, the Galaxy XCover7 captures decent daylight photos with good dynamic range and color accuracy. However, its performance in low-light conditions is average, producing soft images with underdeveloped shadows. The camera is optimized for business applications such as eKYC, document scanning, and barcode scanning.
Battery
The Galaxy XCover7 packs a 4,050mAh user-replaceable battery, which offers reliable performance lasting a full day under moderate usage. Charging is supported via USB-C and POGO pins at 15W speed, although this is slower compared to contemporary standards. The advantage lies in the ability to swap batteries quickly, which compensates for the slower charging times.
Conclusion
Priced at INR 27,208 ($325/€300) for the Standard version and INR 27,530 ($330/€300) for the Enterprise model, the Samsung Galaxy XCover7 is aimed at enterprise users seeking durability, water resistance, and operational reliability in challenging environments. It excels in build quality, battery life, and rugged features but falls short in charging speed and lacks modern amenities like a high refresh rate screen and fingerprint scanner.
Despite these limitations, the Galaxy XCover7 stands out for its robust design, user-replaceable battery, and comprehensive software support. It’s suitable for both business users requiring a dependable device for rugged environments and casual users seeking a durable smartphone with solid performance and long-lasting battery life.
This version provides a detailed breakdown of each section, emphasizing the Galaxy XCover7’s strengths and areas for improvement, tailored for potential buyers and tech enthusiasts interested in rugged smartphones.
