The "1-Minute" Review
Verdict
A solid rugged option with practical features, compatibility for tough tasks, and mid-range performance.What's good
- Rugged and waterproof
- Removable battery
- Sensitive touchscreen
- Good software support
- Expandable storage
What's bad
- Flimsy rear cover
- Limited charging speed
- Finicky fingerprint sensor
- No wireless charging
- Average camera performance
Design
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro maintains a rugged charm with its plastic body and ribbed edges, enhancing your grip even in wet conditions. This design makes it easy to handle, and the slim profile ensures it doesn't feel bulky in your pocket.
However, reviewers like those on PCMag caution that while the phone withstands water and dust, the removable back cover can pop off when dropped, potentially compromising durability. This feature might concern you if you prioritize extreme ruggedness in a phone.
Display(s)
The 6.6-inch LCD offers vivid colors with a resolution of 2408x1080 pixels. This ensures images and text appear sharp, enhancing your viewing experience. Most will find the 120Hz refresh rate gives smooth scrolling and fluid transitions between screens.
PCMag noted the "screen's brightness is fine for indoors," but you might struggle under bright sunlight. This means the display is perfect for indoor use but could leave you searching for shade outside.
Rugged features like the Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+ make the screen tough against scratches. You can enjoy peace of mind knowing your phone can handle a bit of rough treatment.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is powered by the Snapdragon 778G, offering a good balance between performance and efficiency. This means you can run productivity apps like email and documents swiftly, making work tasks seamless. People often express frustration with lag, and thankfully, many reviewers highlight that this phone manages multiple apps smoothly, addressing a common concern.
While it doesn’t match flagship levels, it exceeds expectations with fluid performance when switching between apps. In testing, the phone performed impressively on digital benchmarks like Geekbench, showing it as a strong contender in its range. "Compared to other rugged phones," experts noted, "the XCover6 Pro packs a punch," making it ideal for anyone needing reliable and robust performance.
Software & Storage
The XCover6 Pro runs Android 13 with Samsung's One UI, promising ease and speed in navigating apps.
Experts highlight the benefit of five years of security updates and four software updates, ensuring your device stays current.
Reviewers from NextPit appreciated the lack of unnecessary apps, allowing for more storage and a focus on what matters.
Overall, the phone combines simplicity with reliable updates, keeping your device secure and performance smooth.
Cameras
The XCover 6 Pro comes with a 50-megapixel main lens and a 8-megapixel ultrawide lens that offer good detail and vivid colors. Samsung's software delivers slightly oversaturated images. The main camera struggles with backlit subjects and low light, but the ultrawide lens manages to maintain clarity outdoors.
The front camera surprises with clear selfies thanks to its 13-megapixel sensor, providing good results even without much processing. As reviewers from several sources mention, videos cap at 4K with no stabilization, making them tricky for movement-heavy recording.
Battery
With the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro, you'll appreciate the removable 4,050mAh battery, a rarity in today's market. This design offers you extended usability by allowing quick battery swaps—perfect for long days without access to power outlets.
While charging tops out at 15W, taking just under two hours for a full charge, this setup ensures you won't worry about device downtime. You'll find reviews highlight, "The Xcover 6 Pro lasted around four days on standby," making it suitable for those often on the move without frequent charging opportunities. Sadly, wireless charging isn't included, a minor consideration if you're drawn to the phone's rugged features and flexibility.
Audio
You'll find the XCover6 Pro's call audio serviceable, though voices might sound a bit muffled. "The phone does a good job of rejecting background noise," according to PCMag, making it reliable in noisy settings.
For entertainment like music and movies, the single speaker offers average performance with clear highs but lacks depth in bass, a common downside in many phones. Reviewers suggest choosing headphones, wired or Bluetooth, for a fuller audio experience.
The Bottom Line
This phone is an ideal choice if you want a device that offers practical durability and doesn't skimp on necessary features for everyday use. It's equipped with a robust screen and a removable battery, making it suitable for both adventurous outdoor activities and professional needs. While its rear cover can detach upon impact, which could be a concern for some, it remains a competitive option for those seeking a rugged phone without the extra bulk.
"Experts appreciate the phone's ease of customization with buttons, its capability to withstand drops and environmental stress, as well as its balance of performance for its class," say reviewers.
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Iyaz Akhtar, PC MagazineSamsung's Galaxy XCover6 Pro offers better overall performance than many competing rugged phones, but it falls a bit short on durability.
- Conor Cawley, Android PoliceThe Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a surprisingly solid rugged smartphone that pairs protection with functionality. It won't necessarily compete with a flagship on the basics, but if you really don't want to get a rugged smartphone case, this smarpthone could be an excellent alternative.
- Rubens Eishima, NextPitTruth be told, the XCover 6 Pro target market is not the traditional consumer. And among big brands, the only rivals for the XCover 6 Pro are the Motorola Defy and the future Think Phone, both with weaker policies when it comes to the so-important-to-corporate-customers software support. The Samsung...
- Adam Birney, Android AuthoritySamsung's thin, rugged phone is tough enough for most environments and includes a sharp display, a big removable battery, and long-term software support, with processor performance that goes beyond almost all of its direct competitors. While it's not the toughest phone you can buy, but if you want a...
- Florian Schmitt, NotebookcheckThe Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro is a plainly designed outdoor phone that does not stand out in meetings or on the desk. In addition, the sturdy case is quite light despite IP certification and possesses a detachable back cover that provides access to the SIM slots and, of course, the replaceable bat...
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
The Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro price will vary depending on retailer, age, special offers and whether or not it's purchased with a service plan. If purchased with a 2 year service contract for example, you would likely pay much less for the phone itself up front. You can compare Samsung Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro prices from around the web here on The Informr.
Samsung backs up the Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Galaxy Xcover 6 Pro has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Samsung support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Samsung's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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