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Samsung Galaxy xCover (Extreme) Review

Rating: 6.5.

Samsung has been the leader of the Android smartphone world for over a year now with their market-leading smartphones such as the Galaxy S and its consequent successor, the Galaxy S II. However their lower end phones have never overly impressed me; so can the Samsung Galaxy xCover (also known as the Extreme in some markets) turn this around?

The Samsung Galaxy xCover comes complete with IP67 certification, meaning it is waterproof in up to 1 metre of water for 30 minutes and is dustproof as well. Backing this up is a previously unseen ARM Marvell chipset with a single core CPU clocked at 800 MHz and 512 MB of RAM.

The most recent of the three tough Androids, with the others being the Motorola Defy series and the Sony Ericsson Xperia Active, the xCover comes complete with Android 2.3 Gingerbread and Samsung’s TouchWiz UX skin. But how does it stand up in the real world?

Key Specifications:

  • 3.65 inch TN LCD capacitive touch screen with a resolution of 480×320.
  • Gorilla Glass strengthened and scratch resistant display.
  • Water and dust resistant (IP67 Certification).
  • Marvell PXA968 chipset.
  • 800 MHz single-core CPU with the Marvell GC800 GPU.
  • 512 MB RAM.
  • 158 MB of internal storage with available MicroSD slot.
  • Android Gingerbread (2.3.6).
  • TouchWiz UX.
  • 3.2 MP camera with LED flash.
  • VGA video recording.
  • 1500 mAh, 5.55 Wh battery.
  • Weighs 100 grams and is 12mm thick.

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10 comments

  1. That is one hell of a review blair!

  2. Well I have this phone and I think it sucks. id be harder on the product. I am on my third now via the phone company as the first two started developing problems (call dropout etc).

    Its a pretty looking phone but its not the greatest.

  3. Thanks Roger!

    And Davis, I encountered none of the major issues you have mentioned. But trust me if I did you would hear about them

  4. Like the benchmarks.

    What is it like for playing app games? screen no use?

  5. For Angry Birds and the like the display is fine, anything that involves a bit more of a 3D experience it won’t be that amazing. I didn’t really test many games on it to be honest though.

  6. Unfortunately I have to go with any phone I purchase in 2G mode (T-Mobile USA). I am considering the Galaxy Xcover or purchasing the USA identical (Samsung Rugby Smart). But neither are getting rave reviews as far as I can see.

    When the Motorola Defy continues to beat the Samsung(s), it really makes me reluctant and I don’t want a Defy.

  7. The Rugby is more like the xCover’s long lost cousin, rather than the USA version of it. The Rugby has the better display, processor, camera and by noticeable amounts as well. That being said I have never seen the Rugby in person, nor used the Defy for long enough to say what it is best out of the two. But I imagine the xCover would come in third

  8. I have an Xcover. It is okay, but it occasionally locks up and I have to remove the battery to reboot. The other thing, something I dislike far more than the phone, is the software that backs the phone to my computer is very limited. For instance I can find no way in which I can backup my txt messages and access them on the computer. The phone has too limited memory to be bothered with music. And why would I put a podcast on the thing? But I can and back it up. But no capacity or messages! I won’t be replacing it with another Samsung when my contract runs out in a year. The camera is okay, the images are quite clear even at quite large magnifications.

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