Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro: Do you really need a rugged phone?

Samsung's XCover smartphone range is now in its fourteenth generation, but you're not alone if you've never heard of it. The XCover hasn't been readily available in the UK until now. 

The latest offering - the Samsung XCover6 Pro - is built to withstand harsher conditions than most smartphones, claiming to handle drops and the elements with ease. 

We sent the latest smartphone to the lab to see if it comes good on these claims. Read on to find out how it performed and if you really need a rugged smartphone in 2023.

Find out our picks of the best smartphones for 2023 or check out all our mobile phone reviews.

What's different about the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro?

The XCover range aims to give you the sturdiest smartphone that can handle the elements and being knocked around. Its IP68 rating means its officially dust resistant to a significantly high level, and waterproof up to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes. Usually this rating is reserved for the most advanced, flagship smartphones. The device is hefty for a smartphone at 235g, and its mostly made out of ribbed plastic to help with shock proofing.

It claims to have heightened touch sensitivity on its screen to help you still use it even when your hands are damp or if you're wearing leather gloves (up to 2mm thick). The 'XCover Key' feature lets you customise what two of the buttons on the side of the device can do, giving you shortcuts for easy access. For example, to access the torch or its enterprise-grade barcode scanner. 

The loud speaker reached a volume of 20.09 sone in our tests – louder than your average phone, which will help you hear it when outside, but it's certainly not ground-breaking. It also has 5G connectivity. This is standard for most 2023 smartphones, but it will give you the best chance of staying connected if you travel a lot.

Samsung positioned this rugged smartphone as also one that doesn't sacrifice on experience. However, the specifications we'd expect for a smartphone costing over £500 are pretty limited in the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro. It has a 6.6-inch LCD screen with 2,408 x 1,080 resolution and LCD screens aren't as impressive as the best OLED screens. It also doesn't have the biggest battery at 4,050 mAh. On the back of the phone you'll find a dual-camera system with a 50Mp main camera and an 8Mp ultra-wide camera. On the front, there’s a 13Mp camera for selfies.

The Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro has launched for £589.

On the hunt for a good deal on your next smartphone? Our experts have scoured the market for the best mobile phone deals for 2023.

Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro durability put to the test

There's no denying that the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro is a durable smartphone. We dropped it one hundred times onto a stone surface and it survived without anything beyond gaining a few scratches. It also survived being submerged in water 1.5 metres deep for 30 minutes. 

We use a scratch tester – known as a hardness test pencil – to try scratching each smartphone's screen and simulate how it might come into contact with sharp objects (like your keys). The screen on Galaxy XCover6 Pro passed this test with flying colours.

However, smartphones have generally toughened up significantly in recent years, which calls into question whether these dedicated 'ruggedised' phones are really worth the expense. In fact, just 5% of smartphones we've tested in the past 12 months had an issue with durability.

There are differences in how dustproof or waterproof each phone is, but our rigorous tests tell you if it should survive the day's everyday stresses.  We always check to see if each smartphone can withstand getting caught in the rain or dropped every now and then. You might be surprised to know that every phone we've reviewed in the past year has scored at least four stars for water resistance (if it claims to be waterproof), and rain resistance.

When it comes to testing how scratch sensitive a smartphone's screen is, our tests have revealed that among new releases, it's only the smartphones with foldable screens - like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold4 or the Motorola razr 2022 - that we have any real concerns about.

So you should be able to take your modern smartphone out and about without being worried about it being damaged easily. It's only worth considering the (let's face it) expensive Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro if you're really going to make use of the extra durability features.

Find out how the screen, battery, cameras and more performed in the Which? Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro review.

Can I replace the battery in the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro?

A nice feature of the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro that you don't find on most smartphones is its replaceable battery. Samsung's website details a five step process to replace your battery, which is a simple process to follow.

This means you could buy a back-up battery and replace it in your phone whenever it dies. Being able to replace the battery yourself should also save you money if you find the battery begins to degrade in quality, as you won't have to pay a professional to do it for you. With the Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro also guaranteed to get five years of security updates from launch, replacing a worn-out battery means you might be able to keep this smartphone for a long time before upgrading. Find out more in our guide to mobile phone security.

Up until now, only Fairphone has released a smartphone where every spare part is easily accessible and replaceable - and you can repair it yourself with just a standard screwdriver. Read our review of its latest Fairphone 4 to get the full scoop on this phone built with sustainability in mind.

Read the cheapest ways to fix common smartphone faults in our mobile phone repair guide.

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