Samsung Quietly Unveils Ruggedized Galaxy Xcover 4

Samsung has officially announced the Galaxy Xcover 4, the newest iteration of its line of durable Galaxy smartphones. The company has listed its features and specs, but it has yet to reveal details about the device's availability and pricing for the United States.

The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4 looks pretty similar to 2015’s Xcover 3 in terms of design and materials used. The device comes with a frame that’s been reinforced with a rubberized coating. That rubber material is also used on the device back as well as the three physical navigation buttons up front, according to GSM Arena.

Like its predecessors, the Galaxy Xcover 4 is intended to survive even in extreme conditions. This is why the handset is IP68 water and dust resistant, and is even MIL-STD 810G certified.

IP68 means that the Xcover 4 can be submerged in 1.5 meters of water for up to 30 minutes, while the MIL-STD 810G standard means that it can withstand extreme temperatures, vibrations, exposure to solar radiation and other elements. This also guarantees that the device is protected from humidity and salt water.

As for the Galaxy Xcover 4’s hardware specs, the device comes with a 4.9-inch 720p HD LCD touchscreen display. Although a 720p display seems like a disappointment, al least its touchscreen features will be fully functional even when users are wearing thick gloves, according to CNET.

The device will be powered by Samsung’s Exynos 7570 processor with 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. Storage can be expanded up to 256GB via a microSD card.

The device also comes with a 13MP rear camera, a 5MP front camera and a decent 2,900 mAh battery. On the software side of things, the Xcover 4 will run Android 7.0 Nougat straight out of the box.

The Galaxy Xcover 4 will cost €259 (around US$273) in Europe where it will launch in April, according to Samsung’s German newsroom website. If Samsung sticks to the way it released the Xcover 3 back in 2015, the Xcover 4 should be available in the U.S. in June.