I replaced my Samsung S25 Ultra with this rugged model that costs much less – and can’t go back

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Samsung Galaxy XCover7 Pro is available now for $599.
• The phone is built to perform in all conditions with a MIL-STD-810H certification, removable battery, and multiple hardware buttons for quick access in the field.
• The phone is powered by an older processor and limited to 128GB of internal storage.

As the weather improves and more people head outside to enjoy nature, it’s a good time to consider a phone that can handle the elements. Samsung’s latest rugged smartphone, the Galaxy XCover7 Pro, is a smartphone designed to do just that, and it’s reasonably priced with a sleek form factor, available on all three major US wireless carriers.

Also: Why I recommend the Samsung S25 Ultra over competing Android phones (and it’s $250 off)

The first thing I noticed after taking the phone out of the box was its excellent in-hand feel. This is a phone you can really hold onto, as the four sides have integrated bumpers with inset areas around the frame to help your grip. The removable back panel has a matte finish with ridges designed for the same purpose, while also allowing it to rest safely on its back.

Rugged phones are typically thick and chunky, so the sleek look of the XCover7 Pro is a compelling design choice. The phone itself is mostly black with red metallic rings around the rear dual cameras and on the left XCover button. 

Also: I’ve tested every Samsung phone released in 2025: Here are my top picks including foldables

This handy XCover button can be customized to launch your two most used apps with single press and long press actions. The right button serves as the fingerprint sensor, with the same press actions. 

There’s even a top button that can be used for single-press and long-press actions. Using hardware buttons to control up to six actions is fantastic for a rugged phone used when you may have gloves on, limited ability to use two hands, have a connected barcode scanner to launch, or other conditions where you need to get to an app or utility quickly.

If you don’t want to look at your display regularly, Samsung also provides an LED indicator light near the top button that can be turned on to flash for unread notifications. 

The first time I saw that flash, I was a bit surprised since it’s been years since I’ve seen that type of visual indicator on a smartphone.

The Samsung Galaxy XCover7Pro is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7S Gen 3 processor to optimize power efficiency and performance. It handled everything I threw at it just fine, including the Samsung DeX experience. 

Also: I changed 10 Samsung phone settings to instantly improve the user experience

The more I travel, the more useful DeX becomes as I turn my hotel TVs into secondary displays and get work done on a big screen, so having that capability even on an XCover device is a big advantage.

The XCover7 Pro improves on the XCover7 with a more powerful processor, higher RAM and internal storage, an additional 8MP ultrawide camera, an improved 13MP front-facing camera, and a larger battery capacity. The addition of an ultrawide camera is good for field work and capturing landscape content while outdoors enjoying the environment.

ZDNET’s buying advice

Although I purchased a Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra for the flagship experience with an S Pen, the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro is half the cost and feels better in my hand. It provides the essentials with a large 6.6-inch display, dual rear cameras, and a user-replaceable 4,350mAh battery. 

Also: The best rugged phones you can buy (including Samsung and Oukitel)

Even though local storage is limited to 128GB, there’s a microSD card slot under the back cover so you can store large files and capture unlimited photos and video content.

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