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Samsung's Galaxy XCover 6 Pro and Tab Active 4 Pro are built to last
ZDNET Recommends
While you can spend extra money wrapping your expensive flagship phone in a rugged case, you are still risking a valuable asset.
Samsung makes tough, light, and purposefully engineered products for fieldwork, and Friday announced its latest smartphone and tablet designed to help you get work done outside the office.
The Galaxy XCover6 Pro is the latest smartphone from Samsung that is built for frontline workers. In the past, it was common to see midrange specifications in phones built for work use, so it is refreshing to see Samsung release a phone that is built for the modern worker with a promise of four Android OS updates.
Also: Here's what the Android 13 September patch fixed on my Pixel
Samsung also announced the Tab Active4 Pro tablet that can connect via Wi-Fi or even 5G, with S Pen support and many other features. It is a device you can commit to using with your business for years thanks to the promise of three OS updates and five years of security updates. It is available now, starting at a price of $649.
Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro
The Galaxy XCover6 Pro smartphone is a fairly sleek rugged device at just 9.9mm thick. Inside that sleek form factor we find a 4,050-mAh removable battery, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G processor, 6GB of RAM, 128GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot, and a 50MP main camera. It uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Plus and a 6.6-inch LCD Infinity-V display, with a side fingerprint sensor. It is also nice to see a 3.5mm headset jack. The replaceable battery is a rare find in 2022 and something that helps ensure that you can use the device for years.
Also: Samsung unveils rugged Galaxy XCover 5 smartphone
A rugged phone that still looks good.
As expected, the XCover6 Pro is built to withstand the elements, with IP68 and MIL-STD-810H ratings. Two programmable keys are available for your most-used enterprise function, such as mPOS or PTT. Samsung DeX support is also provided so that the XCover6 Pro can serve as the brains behind a larger display experience while maintaining Samsung Knox security profiles on the phone.
Also: 5 rugged tablets that can withstand just about anything
Enhanced volume, glove support, and the custom buttons help make the phone useful for first responders and frontline workers. The XCover6 Pro will be available in the US Oct. 20 through select carriers, starting at $599.99, with later availability directly through Samsung and via other partners.
Chris Balcik, vice president and head of Mobile B2B at Samsung Electronics America, stated:
We built the Galaxy XCover6 Pro and Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro with frontline and field workers in mind — including the unique challenges they face on the job. With durable, water-resistant designs, replaceable batteries and 5G connectivity capabilities, these devices help frontline and field workers get the job done from anywhere there's a connection, whether they're on their feet, in trucks or at stores.
Samsung Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro
The Galaxy Tab Active4 Pro is available with either 64GB or 128GB of internal storage with a microSD card for additional storage needs. The 64GB Wi-Fi model is $649, and the 128GB model is $709. A model with 5G support is available for an additional $110.
The Tab Active4 Pro launches with Android 12 and has a fairly slim design at 242.9 by 170.2 by 10.2 millimeters and 674 grams. It has a 10.1-inch display with a resolution of 1,920 by 1,200 pixels. A 7,600-mAh battery keeps the tablet powered up while a 13-megapixel rear camera and 8MP front camera capture the content you need.
Review: Samsung Galaxy Tab Active3 is a sleek, durable tablet for frontline workers
The Tab Active4 Pro also has an IP68 rating with MIL-STD-810H anti-shock rating. A seven-pin POGO connection on the back lets you connect to various accessories to get work done in the field. An integrated S Pen and glove support help you interact with the tablet in different work environments. You can even use the tablet with no battery installed when you have a connection to power it up. Samsung DeX is also supported, but unlike with the XCover6 Pro phone, you can use the DeX desktop interface right on the tablet itself.