Samsung launched the next in its XCover Series in India in February 2024. The Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 was rolled out with options to choose between two editions- Standard and Enterprise. The phone is specifically made for those who need a rugged, durable, and strong device that can withstand not only extreme weather conditions but also other demanding environments. The Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 boasts of a nostalgic replaceable battery design, FHD display, 4050mAh battery, Android OS 14 out of the box, and much more. However, will this niche device be able to make its place in India’s highly competitive market? Let’s find out.
Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Review Snapshot
Editor’s rating: 3.5/5
Design
Display
Software
Performance
Camera
Battery
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Pro
- Robust & durable design
- large battery life
- FHD display
- Replaceable battery design
Cons
- Camera setup not meant for photography
- Inadequate gaming performance
- No fast charging
- Unstable OS update schedule
Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Price & Availability
Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 is available in the following editions-
- Standard edition- Rs. 27,208
- Enterprise edition- Rs. 27,530
It comes in a single 6GB RAM+128GB storage version but the difference is in terms of warranty. While the Standard edition comes with a one-year warranty, the Enterprise edition comes with a two-year warranty.
The device can be purchased via Samsung.com and EPP portal.
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Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 Review IN 10 pOINTS
Design and Build
The Samsung Galaxy XCover series is known for having user-friendly features and stronger builds. The same holds for the recently launched Samsung Galaxy XCover7 smartphone that flaunts a utilitarian yet robust design language when you first look at it. It has a polycarbonate back but that doesn’t look cheap. Also, the sides have a diagonal pattern that offers a better in-hand grip and thus prevents it from slipping away.
The smartphone is IP68 rated for protection against water and dust and is MIL-STD-810H certified to tackle extreme temperatures, rain, and harsh Indian summers and winters. It can withstand drops of up to 1.5 meters. While the design might look basic and boring to some, it can be good for those who want to focus on durability and not style
Functionality
The back panel of the Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 comes with a user-replaceable battery unit at the back. It is one of the most unique features of the device as it takes you back to simpler times when you could easily pull out the battery of your smartphone and clean it or rub it to insert it again. You can swap a depleted battery for a new one without switching off the device.
The back panel can be removed by a sliding mechanism and it reveals a battery compartment, SIM, and SD card slots. Just pull out the battery and replace it with a new one within 10-20 seconds. The right side of the Galaxy XCover7 has a power key and volume rockers while the top edge houses a headphone jack, and a secondary microphone. The bottom has pogo pins, a USB-Type-C port, a primary microphone, and loudspeakers.
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Display
let’s talk about the front of the device now. The front has a 6.6-inch FHD TFT display panel that has a 20:9 aspect ratio. It is protected by fortified glass but runs at merely a 60Hz refresh rate which is disappointing. The effect of low refresh rate can be felt while scrolling and gaming as it is not a buttery smooth experience that can be seen on other devices. Samsung claimed that the display can be used with gloves on and when I tried the same, it came out to be true. At the top is a slight notch for selfie snapper while the display is outlined by definite bezels which are bearable. The PLS LCD panel delivers satisfactory visuals that are sharp and detailed. It is not Samsung’s best display, but still works fine in most scenarios.
Performance
The Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 is powered by MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ SoC which is an octa-core processor paired with Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. The chipset comes with merely 6GB RAM which is much less when compared to modern-day smartphones. Running multiple apps and games in the background simultaneously and switching between them is stuttery and slow which is a let-down.
It comes with 128GB storage which is less but can be expanded using a microSD card. During everyday usage, it is able to handle tasks like calling, messaging, video streaming, and social media browsing easily, so it is only multitasking which is an issue.
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Gaming
The Samsung Galaxy X7 Cover is not a gaming device. Titles like Genshin Impact can be run on Galaxy XCover 7 but they can be played at a lower frame rate only. When I tried playing at higher frame rates, the game was very slow and laggy. Even while playing at lower graphics, it started heating up after 10-15 minutes. Light games like Candy Crush, Ludo, Burger Shop, and Township can be played without any hassles for hours. So in totality, the Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 isn’t meant for avid gamers.
Software
Samsung is running One UI 6.0 based on Android 14 on its Galaxy XCover 7 smartphone. The OS is user-friendly and intuitive making you a part of Samsung’s ecosystem. It comes with Knox Vault for safety and the February security patch is pre-installed. It is not entirely clean so you will find some amount of bloatware on it. Samsung claims it will give five security patches and OS updates which is better than what competitors offer in this segment.
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Rear camera
The Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 features a functional camera at the back. There is a 50MP primary sensor along with a dual-tone LED flash on the rear side. It is not the best image-producing camera, but still, the shots are acceptable and have some amount of detailing. The camera excels in tasks like scanning docs, barcodes, decoding R codes, and more which are mandatory for many professionals.
Selfie camera
The front houses a 5MP selfie shooter that can handle video-calling conveniently. It doesn’t produce very good selfies so would be useless for those who need to up their social media game.
Battery
The battery of Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 is one of its strongest suits. It draws juice from a 4050mAh battery that offers a runtime of almost two days on a single charge with general usage. There are POGO pins too that offer an additional option to charge the device for those who are always on the go. There is no adapter inside the box which can be disappointing.
Verdict
Samsung Galaxy XCover 7 is definitely a niche product that has been made for a specific audience. It comes with a battery-replaceable design, a large battery, a functional camera, and a good display but lacks in various major areas like gaming, photography, and style. The device has been made for those who need a robust design and seek functionality over other features and it does manage to serve its purpose well. For a price of 27k, it can be a good option for those who are looking for a strong yet feature-packed smartphone without burning a hole in their pocket.
