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MagyarSamsung Galaxy XCover Pro Smartphone Review – Outdoor phone with user-replaceable battery
With its XCover-series smartphones, Samsung has been trying to balance a robust exterior with a subtle design for years. Unlike other manufacturers of outdoor phones, Samsung does not use visible screws, metal case elements or unusual case designs and colors. XCover models have an understated design aimed at users who have no interest in a flashy smartphone. While the Galaxy XCover Pro retains this design philosophy, it also looks more modern and appears to be even more business-focused than previous models of the series.
The Galaxy smartphone offers water and dust-protection, good handling and even a user-replaceable battery, which has not been the standard for quite some time now. A good camera and good system performance are supposed to justify the price of just below 500 Euros (~$557). In our test, we compare the device to other outdoor smartphones in its price class, while assessing whether the device is able to meet the requirements for different business scenarios. Perhaps the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro even receives a recommendation for home users who often face rough environments?
Competing Devices
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Drive | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 78 % | 03/2020 | Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro Exynos 9611, Mali-G72 MP3 | 218 g | 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | 6.30" | 2340x1080 | |
| 74 % | 08/2019 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s Exynos 7884B, Mali-G71 MP2 | 172 g | 32 GB eMMC Flash | 5.00" | 1280x720 | |
| 77.2 % | 01/2020 | CAT S52 Helio P35 MT6765, PowerVR GE8320 | 210 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 5.65" | 1440x720 | |
| 77 % | 01/2020 | Blackview BV9800 Pro Helio P70, Mali-G72 MP3 | 322 g | 128 GB eMMC Flash | 6.30" | 2340x1080 | |
| 78 % | 03/2019 | Crosscall Trekker-X4 SD 660, Adreno 512 | 250 g | 64 GB eMMC Flash | 5.50" | 1920x1080 |
Case – Removable Back
At first glance, the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro does not really even look like an outdoor smartphone. Even though it is not as chunky as the Blackview BV9800 Pro, a z-height of close to one centimeter does not make for a very slim device, either. Meanwhile, the purely black case is decidedly subtle. Combined with the rounded-off corners and textured back, the design is visually appealing.
However, a few details expose the fact that this is no ordinary smartphone: The frame around the display protrudes slightly in order to protect the display's glass in case of a fall. Similarly, the camera has been lowered into the case to prevent scratches caused by dropping the phone. All surfaces are relatively slip-proof and the smartphone's handling properties are good for all but very small hand sizes.
The sturdiness of the phone and its suitability for rough environments are emphasized by both an IP68 and a MIL-STD-810G certification. As a result, using the smartphone in fresh water at a depth of up to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes is no problem. According to the manufacturer, the device has also passed a fall test from 1.5 meters onto a concrete surface with a plywood cover. The device feels robust and does not yield to pressure.
The back of the smartphone can be easily removed, and subsequently all slots and the replaceable battery are accessible. The latter needs to be removed in order to swap the SIM card, which makes it necessary to restart the phone.
Features – Fast Storage and NFC
Previous XCover models definitely warranted criticism in regard to the mediocre features. Although the XCover Pro's 64 GB of mass storage and 4 GB of RAM certainly will not break any records in this price range, it at least matches the expected memory configuration of an ordinary, similarly priced smartphone. It is good to see that the storage can be expanded with a microSD card, which also does not occupy one of the two SIM slots.
Furthermore, there is Bluetooth 5.0 as well as NFC on board. This is important, since it makes the smartphone more flexible when for example managing warehouses or for NFC chip security checks.
Software – Very Modern Android
Samsung's OneUI 2.0 and with it, by necessity, Android 10 are preinstalled on the smartphone. Although instead of pure stock Android, users are greeted by a fairly heavily customized user interface, the latter is sleek and modern as well as responsive and fast during use. At the time of testing, the security patches date back to February 2020, making them very up to date.
Since the smartphone is certified for DRM Widevine L1, users can watch streaming content in HD. It should be noted that due to Samsung smartphones being region locked, it is necessary to make calls for 5 minutes with a SIM card from the sales region (e.g. the European Union) before SIM cards from other regions are accepted by the smartphone.
Communication and GPS – XCover Pro with Speedy Wi-Fi
The Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro comes with Wi-Fi 5 support and transfer speeds that far exceed those of other outdoor smartphones, as our test with the Linksys Nighthawk AX12 shows. During the test, the Wi-Fi connection is relatively stable, although there was one large dip.
While the smartphone supports many LTE frequencies, it is not labeled as a world phone and users may run into issues when trying to connect to LTE networks in far-away countries. In an urban area, the signal strength within the German D2 network was good both indoors and outdoors.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (16.9 - 1368, n=65, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Average of class Smartphone (32.7 - 953, n=66, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
Outdoors, the smartphone is able to very quickly locate us with a pinpoint accuracy of within three meters. Similarly, the compass is very accurate and shows the direction faced precisely.
The Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro fares well in our real-world test with a bicycle and the Navi Garmin Edge 520 for comparison purposes: While for the turn, the route deviates from our actual location, the GPS module otherwise precisely tracks our ride through a narrow old-town alley and over the bridge. This feature is particularly important for an outdoor smartphone and we can confirm the Galaxy XCover Pro's precise navigation capabilities.
Telephony and Call Quality – XCover Phone with Mediocre Call Quality
Samsung provides its own telephony app, which shows the dial pad as soon as the app is opened. It contains multiple tabs, which are neatly arranged. VoLTE and VoWiFi should not present a problem to the phone, as long as your carrier supports them.
The call quality of the XCover Pro is not particularly convincing: Although the internal earpiece reaches a fairly high maximum volume, which can be handy for construction sites, it also suffers from a lot of background noise and strong booming. Our voice reaches our conversational partner quite clearly and the elimination of background noise works nicely as well. While the sound is not very loud when using the speakerphone, it reproduces the voice of our conversational partner much more clearly. Our voice can also be well-understood on the other end of the line.
Cameras – Vivid Colors and Odd Sharpness Issues
For the main camera, our test device uses a lens with 25 megapixels. Additionally, there is a wide-angle lens with 8 megapixels. An emulated optical zoom in multiple steps is not available, which means users can only switch between the optics.
While pictures taken with the main camera offer pleasantly vivid colors, the picture of the flower exhibits a noticeable blue tint. Object borders are not cleanly represented and the brightening of our low-light shot could be better. However, we were pleased by the picture's sharpness and the way the camera handles strong contrasts. As for the landscape picture, the details are fairly sharp. Although the wide-angle camera takes noticeably darker pictures, the image quality is decent otherwise.
Videos can be recorded at up to 1080p with 30 FPS, whereas other current mid-range smartphones are often capable of capturing 4K videos. However, this limitation is acceptable for an outdoor smartphone. The camera has to be selected in advance and switching between the optics while recording is not possible. The brightness adjusts to changes in lighting quickly and the focus is rather responsive as well. Since the image sharpness is good overall, the Galaxy XCover Pro receives a recommendation for videographers who do not need 4K.
Of course, there is also a front camera, which in this case has a resolution of 13 megapixels. Here, users can choose between a closer and a farther perspective, which the phone achieves by digitally enhancing a section of the image. Although the pictures could offer a slightly higher brightness level and a close-up look shows that they suffer from noticeable image noise, the degree of sharpness and the image look good overall.
In our lab, the main camera has to prove itself once more. Here, we control the lighting conditions and make sure they are identical for all smartphones. At a high brightness, the camera's picture of our test chart shows a strange lack of sharpness that causes the edges of the picture to appear sharper than the center. In a low-light situation, the chart is at least still somewhat visible. While the camera exhibits clearly visible color deviations, they are still comparatively small.
Accessories and Warranty – Replaceable Battery
The scope of delivery includes a quick charger with a cable and a headset. Since the back cover of the smartphone can be removed relatively easily, granting users access to all slots, a SIM tool is not necessary. The smartphone is compatible with POGO charging docks that can charge multiple devices simultaneously. A replacement battery costs just below 47 Euros (~$52) online.
Samsung offers home users a 24-month warranty for the smartphone.
Input Devices & Handling – Freely Assignable Buttons
The touchscreen navigation is precise and offers a high sensitivity mode to allow users to input commands with gloves.
There is a freely assignable button on the left edge of the XCover Pro, which can for example be used as a hotkey for the flashlight or camera. Since any app installed on the device can be assigned to the button, users can also assign their own applications to it. Various commands can also be assigned to a second button on the top edge of the case.
The fingerprint sensor, which as with Sony's smartphones doubles as a standby button, is located in the bottom right. It works well and recognizes fingerprints accurately.
Display – No AMOLED for the XCover Pro
The Galaxy XCover Pro does not feature an AMOLED display in spite of the high price and Samsung's apparent fondness of the display technology. Instead, the smartphone is equipped with an IPS panel with a resolution of 2340x1080 pixels. Compared to many other outdoor smartphones, the resolution is higher, which results in a sharper image. While its display is the brightest one in our comparison, it should be noted that the ambient light sensor needs to be enabled, since a luminosity this high cannot be achieved only with manual settings.
Although the black value is acceptable, it is poor compared to other outdoor smartphones, resulting in slightly less saturated colors on the display. However, the differences are not dramatic for daily use, since the human eye is worse at detecting the differences than our measuring device.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 569 cd/m²
Contrast: 1355:1 (Black: 0.42 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.14 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.1
ΔE Greyscale 7.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
98.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.256
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro IPS, 2340x1080, 6.30 | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s IPS (PLS), 1280x720, 5.00 | CAT S52 IPS, 1440x720, 5.65 | Blackview BV9800 Pro IPS, 2340x1080, 6.30 | Crosscall Trekker-X4 IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -8% | 47% | -9% | -18% | |
| Brightness middle | 569 | 525 -8% | 521 -8% | 511 -10% | 374 -34% |
| Brightness | 562 | 513 -9% | 530 -6% | 508 -10% | 352 -37% |
| Brightness Distribution | 91 | 90 -1% | 91 0% | 89 -2% | 86 -5% |
| Black Level * | 0.42 | 0.52 -24% | 0.16 62% | 0.29 31% | 0.35 17% |
| Contrast | 1355 | 1010 -25% | 3256 140% | 1762 30% | 1069 -21% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 6.14 | 6 2% | 2.69 56% | 8.1 -32% | 7.46 -21% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 10.92 | 10.9 -0% | 5.07 54% | 15.2 -39% | 13.27 -22% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.9 | 7.8 1% | 1.8 77% | 10.9 -38% | 9.8 -24% |
| Gamma | 2.256 98% | 2.53 87% | 2.243 98% | 2.08 106% | 2.152 102% |
| CCT | 8696 75% | 8605 76% | 6622 98% | 9859 66% | 10554 62% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 250 Hz | ≤ 30 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (Likely utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 30 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19035 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. | |||
With the CalMAN software, we take a closer look at the display characteristics: While both the colors and the grayscale noticeably deviate from their reference point, there are worse offenders in our comparison. A noticeable blue tint can be observed as well.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 7 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 13 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 34 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 46 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 25 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 74 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms). | ||
Outdoor use is possible thanks to the bright display, although direct sunlight and other, very bright environments should be avoided.
As per usual, the viewing angles of the IPS panel leave no room for complaints.
Performance – Galaxy with Mid-Range Performance
The Samsung Exynos 9611 is a mid-range SoC that can, for example, also be found in the Galaxy M30s. While it does not allow the Galaxy XCover Pro to achieve extreme feats, it offers solid mid-range performance. Although the effects of the high resolution display are noticeable in several tests, the graphics performance is sufficient overall. For daily use, the XCover Pro should offer enough performance and only very demanding apps may cause issues.
| Geekbench 5.0 | |
| 5.0 Single-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (345 - 349, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (363 - 1668, n=12, last 2 years) | |
| 5.0 Multi-Core (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (1063 - 1326, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1257 - 4233, n=12, last 2 years) | |
| OpenCL Score 5.0 (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (1393 - 1522, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (1175 - 9123, n=8, last 2 years) | |
| Vulkan Score 5.0 (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (663 - 1079, n=3) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (779 - 7988, n=8, last 2 years) | |
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (5777 - 6697, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9875 - 19297, n=4, last 2 years) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (5080 - 5925, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (5279 - 13282, n=26, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (25 - 44, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (28 - 48, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (19 - 497, n=186, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (15 - 24, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 161, n=187, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (17 - 26, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 331, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (8.9 - 14, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 143, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (10 - 16, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 223, n=188, last 2 years) | |
| AnTuTu v8 | |
| Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (152185 - 187087, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (101336 - 725649, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| CPU (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (43473 - 63005, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (38092 - 191947, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| GPU (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (34020 - 46247, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (14011 - 320795, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| MEM (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (29687 - 44128, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (20787 - 118523, n=39, last 2 years) | |
| UX (sort by value) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | |
| CAT S52 | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (33717 - 44600, n=7) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (23028 - 119537, n=39, last 2 years) | |
In terms of browsing the web, the XCover Pro is sometimes faster and sometimes slower than its competition for an average final score. Subjectively, it is our impression that the device is well-suited to web browsing, although loading pictures may occasionally require some patience.
| Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (17.3 - 282, n=163, last 2 years) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (27.5 - 30.6, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s (Chrome 75) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (27.5 - 414, n=77, last 2 years) | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 (Chrome 71) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (47.5 - 51.9, n=7) | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro (Chrome 79) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s (Chrome 75) | |
| CAT S52 (Chrome 79) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Smartphone (13.3 - 375, n=153, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro (Chome 80) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (26.6 - 30.5, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| WebXPRT 3 - --- | |
| Average of class Smartphone (34 - 292, n=144, last 2 years) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (46 - 57, n=7) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro (Chrome 79) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 74261, n=192, last 2 years) | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 (Chrome 71) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (7442 - 10687, n=7) | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro (Chrome 79) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s (Chrome 75) | |
| CAT S52 (Chrome 79) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total Score | |
| CAT S52 (Chrome 79) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro (Chrome 80) | |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s (Chrome 75) | |
| Average Samsung Exynos 9611 (4332 - 6212, n=7) | |
| Blackview BV9800 Pro (Chrome 79) | |
| Crosscall Trekker-X4 (Chrome 71) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (414 - 10031, n=166, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
Since the XCover Pro integrates UFS 2.0 storage, it is faster and more modern than all other devices in our comparison. The read and write speeds with our microSD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 are slightly slower than those of other outdoor smartphones.
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s | CAT S52 | Blackview BV9800 Pro | Crosscall Trekker-X4 | Average 64 GB UFS 2.0 Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -35% | -21% | -22% | -24% | -3% | 163% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 508 | 298.6 -41% | 286.2 -44% | 286.5 -44% | 272.4 -46% | 512 ? 1% | 1180 ? 132% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 181.1 | 85.4 -53% | 195.4 8% | 185.9 3% | 194.7 8% | 180.8 ? 0% | 747 ? 312% |
| Random Read 4KB | 108.6 | 59.6 -45% | 76.6 -29% | 86.7 -20% | 71.5 -34% | 114.2 ? 5% | 208 ? 92% |
| Random Write 4KB | 100.5 | 10.38 -90% | 21.3 -79% | 20.74 -79% | 14.3 -86% | 80.1 ? -20% | 217 ? 116% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 72.4 ? | 79.6 ? 10% | 82.6 ? 14% | 77.2 ? 7% | 83.5 ? 15% | 73.4 ? 1% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 59.4 ? | 64.3 ? 8% | 61.8 ? 4% | 61.1 ? 3% | 59.5 ? 0% | 55.4 ? -7% |
Gaming – Games Are Allowed
As long as your standards are not too high, the Galaxy XCover Pro is suitable for gaming: While more-demanding games such as Asphalt 9 do not run entirely smoothly, they are at least playable. By contrast, Arena of Valor can be played at a stutter-free 60 FPS.
The touchscreen and gyroscope controls work without any issues.
Emissions – Performance Fluctuations under Load
Temperature
While the smartphone does not become hot even after extended use, the surface temperature increases noticeably. By contrast, no heat development is present during idle.
GFXBench's battery test shows a strongly fluctuating performance: The performance drops after only a few benchmark loops, after which it returns to its original score, just to drop even further afterwards. At worst, the performance can decrease by just above 40%. Thus, it is more or less a matter of chance whether the full performance of the SoC is accessible.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.4 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 54.6 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.7 °C / 82 F, compared to the device average of 32.6 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The speaker is integrated into the bottom edge and is audible even when fully covered. The maximum volume is good and sufficient for mid-sized rooms. There are barely any deep mids and the treble is strongly emphasized to the point where it is unpleasant to listen to at maximum volume. While the sound quality is nothing spectacular, it should be sufficient in most cases.
External audio devices can be connected via 3.5 mm jack or Bluetooth. This worked well in our test and the audio quality was good as well.
Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 29.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 54% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 72% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
CAT S52 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (82.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.1% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 73% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Battery Life – Wasted Potential
Energy Consumption
The energy consumption is significantly higher than on the Galaxy XCover 4s, a fact that can likely be traced back to the higher resolution of the display. In terms of overall consumption, the XCover Pro is the most demanding smartphone.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.3 Watt |
| Idle |  0.9 / 1.8 / 2.3 Watt |
| Load |
5.4 / 6.9 Watt |
    
| |
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro 4050 mAh | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s 2800 mAh | CAT S52 3100 mAh | Blackview BV9800 Pro 6580 mAh | Crosscall Trekker-X4 4400 mAh | Average Samsung Exynos 9611 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 29% | 5% | 4% | 16% | -21% | 13% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.9 | 0.65 28% | 1 -11% | 0.87 3% | 0.7 22% | 1.173 ? -30% | 0.878 ? 2% |
| Idle Average * | 1.8 | 1.62 10% | 1.9 -6% | 1.91 -6% | 1.4 22% | 2.28 ? -27% | 1.483 ? 18% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2.3 | 1.66 28% | 2.7 -17% | 2.03 12% | 2.2 4% | 2.86 ? -24% | 1.696 ? 26% |
| Load Average * | 5.4 | 3.03 44% | 3.6 33% | 4.4 19% | 4.1 24% | 5.97 ? -11% | 4.27 ? 21% |
| Load Maximum * | 6.9 | 4.34 37% | 5.2 25% | 7.49 -9% | 6.4 7% | 7.83 ? -13% | 7.09 ? -3% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The high energy consumption also noticeably affects the battery life, which is not bad overall, but it still disappoints in light of the battery capacity. First things first: The Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro is equipped with a 4,400-mAh battery and lasts 12:11 hours in our Wi-Fi test. While this is more than enough for a workday, being away from an outlet for too long can be a problem.
However, this is where a big advantage of the XCover smartphone comes into play: The battery can be replaced. This allows users to bring multiple charged batteries with them and swap them as needed. Hot swapping is not possible, which means that changing the battery requires a restart of the smartphone.
The charger integrates a 15-watt quick-charge technology and charges the battery from empty to full in close to 2 hours.
| Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro 4050 mAh | Samsung Galaxy XCover 4s 2800 mAh | CAT S52 3100 mAh | Blackview BV9800 Pro 6580 mAh | Crosscall Trekker-X4 4400 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -18% | -13% | 104% | 15% | |
| Reader / Idle | 1259 | 1199 -5% | |||
| H.264 | 802 | 598 -25% | |||
| WiFi v1.3 | 731 | 619 -15% | 637 -13% | 1492 104% | 839 15% |
| Load | 268 | 200 -25% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict – Outdoor Phone with Many Strengths
The Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro is a modern outdoor smartphone. This is not just limited to the exterior, since the internals also include features not usually found in other ruggedized devices: There is a USB Type-C port, fast UFS 2.0 storage and a fingerprint sensor, which has been integrated into the home button for convenience.
Meanwhile, the XCover Pro offers enough stability for rough environments and software with a modern user interface. We are also glad to see somewhat old-fashioned qualities such as a replaceable battery and a 3.5-mm headphone jack return.
While at 499 Euros (~$556), the smartphone cannot compete with traditional smartphones in terms of the memory configuration or system performance, part of the budget was spent on added stability. The Galaxy XCover also offers plenty of useful business features such as freely assignable buttons, a subtle exterior and support for docking stations. This also makes it an interesting choice for home users who venture into rough terrain more often than most, for example while exercising.
The modern outdoor smartphone Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro with a replaceable battery is a successful concept.
Of course, the battery life could be better and the call and speaker quality are not great. However, the XCover Pro still receives our recommendation due to the fast Wi-Fi, good GPS and decent cameras.
Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro
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03/02/2020 v7
Florian Schmitt
Pricecompare
