Verizon becomes the first US carrier to pick up Samsung's latest rugged phone (with 5G)

Publish date: 2024-05-27
While Apple is all of a sudden trying to make rugged smartwatches mainstream, joining the efforts led by the likes of Garmin for a number of years now, rugged smartphones are still a fairly rare sight at most major carriers and retailers around the world.Of the few such outdoor and enterprise-friendly mobile devices that do occasionally make it to Verizon or AT&T in the US, for instance, the most appealing options almost always come from Samsung.

That doesn't exactly make this a dirt-cheap Android mid-ranger, but of course, it's not entirely fair to judge the incredibly robust 6.6-inch handset by "traditional" mid-range standards. While the XCover 6 Pro packs a decidedly non-flagship Snapdragon 778 processor, its resistance to not only water and dust but hard drops, "severe" weather, and many "other hazards" is clearly unrivaled by even the most sophisticated "mainstream" high-end phones out there.

Designed with "extreme" working conditions in mind above all else, this muscular bad boy doesn't come with the largest battery in the world, but said 4,050mAh cell is easily removable and replaceable to keep up with the hardest workers in the most challenging environments.

Meanwhile, the dual rear-facing camera system is... arguably not great by any modern standards (although it does include a respectable-sounding primary 50MP sensor), with the 6.6-inch display however looking almost too good to be true (on paper) for a rugged device, as it sports not just Full HD resolution but state-of-the-art 120Hz refresh rate technology as well.

All in all, this is probably thebest rugged smartphone you can buy in the US right now, although you will need to do that exclusively by using Verizon's business channel, at least for the time being. On the bright side, if you are a business or "organization" representative, you're currently eligible for up to a $250 discount with a new line of service or an upgrade of an existing line, which certainly takes some of the sting out of that aforementioned $599.99 retail price. View Full Bio

Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7sbTOp5yaqpWjrm%2BvzqZmp52nqHy3sdGisaimXafCqLPEnWSsmZ2owq%2BzjKCYpZmornq5r86vnKtlZmK9s7uMbp5mmaaWtq2twaKjoqypYr2ztcKelqKcYWmAc36S