Overview of the Samsung Xcover smartphone: description, specifications and reviews

Samsung Xcover is the first smartphone of this Korean manufacturer, which boasts protection against moisture dust. Later appeared on the market two generations of this device. Also, a mobile protected phone was released , which also belongs to this series of devices. These four gadgets will be examined in detail in our material.

Niche

People who lead an active lifestyle need special smartphones that could boast of high protection from the effects of dust and moisture. It is for them and developed a series of Xcover devices. It includes 4 devices. Initially in 2011, the sale appeared smartphone S5690 and a cell phone Samsung B2710 Xcover. In 2013, the light saw the second generation of the smartphone Xcover 2, which had the designation S7710. The next update of the device of this line occurred in 2015, when Xcover 3 appeared on the shelves, or SM-G388F. It should be noted right away that these devices can not boast of a high level of performance. And their autonomy is not at a very high level. Their main advantage is a high degree of enclosure protection. Therefore, the most interesting line of this is for those who want to get a high-quality "smart" phone with protection from moisture and dust. At the same time, for this its peculiarity it is necessary to overpay and lose some of the functionality in comparison with the usual device.

Set

All devices in this series, including Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2, can boast the following bundle:

• The device itself.
• Accumulator battery.
• Charger.

Other additional accessories (a cover, a protective film, a stereo headset and a flash drive) should be bought additionally.

Design, Ergonomics and Management

All the devices in this series go in plastic reinforced cases. All communication ports are protected by special rubber plugs. But the buttons in these devices are mechanical. There is also a separate button for controlling the camera. This constructive solution allows you to shoot, for example, with the help of Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2, even being in the water. The diagonal of the display of the largest smartphone in this series of Xcover 3 is 4.5 inches. All the control buttons on the sides of the gadget are grouped. As a result, it is not difficult to manage this device only with the fingers of one hand. The same statement is true for the rest of the representatives of this gadget line.

CPU

Regarding the Samsung B2710 Xcover cell phone, there is no specific information about the type of chip used, it can only be guessed. The first generation of smartphones of this series was based on the processor Marvell MG2. It consists of only one computational core, capable of accelerating to 800 MHz with the most intensive load. Samsung Xcover second generation is built on the basis of the dual-core chip NovaThor U8500, developed by Ericsson. Its clock frequency can be increased to 1 GHz. The most productive chip is installed in Xcover 3 - ARMADA PXA1908, designed by Marvell. It consists of 4 computational modules, which in the mode of the greatest load are accelerated to 1.2 GHz. As can be seen from these specifications, only the third generation of this device can boast an acceptable level of performance to date.

Display and video card

Each smartphone line XCover is equipped with a graphics accelerator. This intelligent engineering solution allows to significantly reduce the load on the central processor due to the fact that the graphics processing falls on the video adapter. The most modest graphics accelerator is installed in the Samsung Xcover S5690. This is AdrCG800. Its computational capabilities are quite enough for image processing in the resolution of 320x480 (this is the resolution of the display of this gadget). At the heart of the screen is the TFT matrix. Accordingly, if you deviate from the right angle of view, the image on the display is distorted. And this remark is true for all devices in this series. Much better technical specifications in Xcover 2. He already has a diagonal of the display is 4 inches, and a resolution of 800x480. The image output is provided by the graphic adapter "Mali 400MP". Even better settings in Samsung Xcover 3. It has a graphics chip Vivante GC7000UL. The screen diagonal in this case is increased and is 4.5 inches. But the resolution is exactly the same as that of its predecessor - 800 x 480. The most modest parameters of the graphics system in this family of devices are the B2710 cell phone. The screen diagonal is 2 inches, and its resolution is 240x320.

Cameras, photo and video capabilities

In all gadgets, the Xcover line has the ability to shoot photos and record video. The most modest characteristics of the camera in the Samsung Xcover GT - B2710. At it the sensor - on 2 Mp. There are no additional technologies (autofocus, stabilization system, backlighting). Therefore, the quality of the photo is very, very modest with good lighting. Well, in the dark the situation will be even worse. With video recording, the situation is similar. The device can record video in the resolution of 160x128. A little better camera in Xcover first generation. At it the sensor already on 3,2Мп and there is an LED illumination. And in the Xcover 2 sensor is already at 5Mp, there is a LED backlight and autofocus. The quality of the photo is acceptable. Video, this device can write in the format of 720 p. The identical touch element is installed in Samsung Xcover 3. With the photo it's all the same, but the video can be recorded in the format already 1080 p. There is also a front camera at 2 megapixels, with which you can make video calls.

Memory

Only 40 MB is installed in the cell phone Samsung Xcover. This is clearly not enough for comfortable work, and to solve the problem of lack of memory, the owner of this gadget will have to install an additional flash card, the maximum size of which can reach 32 GB. And the problem of the lack of capacity of the built-in drive is typical for all devices in this series. You can solve it only with the help of an external drive. In the first smartphone in this series, the amount of RAM is 512 MB, and the capacity of the built-in drive is 150 MB. The second generation Xcover 2 is equipped with 1 GB of RAM and 4 GB of integrated storage (of which only 1 GB is allocated for the installation of programs and the storage of personal data of the user). Even better is the memory situation in Xcover 3. There is already 1.5 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal storage (in this case, the owner of the gadget can count on 3 GB).

Autonomy

A high degree of autonomy can boast a cell phone of this line. The capacity of its battery is 1300 mAh. Adding this is just one SIM card and a diagonal of 2 inches and get 4-5 days of battery life in the "caller" mode (that is, only for calls and SMS). If the device is used as a compass, then the specified number of days will be reduced to 3. Well, in the maximum saving mode this device can last 7 days. The battery capacity of 1500 mAh allows you to count on 2-3 days of work from one charge at an average load level. In the most intensive mode this value will be reduced to 1 day, but in the maximum saving mode this gadget can work for 4 days. The proportional increase in the Xcover 2 battery capacity of up to 1700 mAh and the screen to 4 inches allows you to count on exactly the same autonomy parameters. Even more battery in Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 - 2200 mAh. But it uses a more efficient CPU and increased the screen diagonal to 4.5 inches. As a result, the autonomy of this smartphone is almost identical to that of its two predecessors.

Data exchange

The most modest set of interfaces in the cellular phone of this series. It only has Bluetooth (for exchanging information with similar devices), GSM (it provides calls, receives and receives SMS and MMS, and connects to the Internet), GPS (allows using the gadget as a full-fledged navigator) and MicroUsB (synchronization with PC, a stereo headset is connected to the same connector). Smartphones in this series can boast of the presence of such interfaces:

• One slot for installing a SIM card. In the first smartphone only GSM-networks were supported, in the Samsung Galaxy Xcover S7710 this list expanded 3G. Well, Xcover 3 also added LTE. All this allows you to make calls, exchange SMS and MMS, receive information from the Internet.
• "Wai-Fay" - the main wireless interface that allows you to receive and send information from the Global Web.
• "Bluetooth" allows you to connect to a smartphone a wireless headset, share files with similar mobile devices.
• The presence of GPS sensors and support for A-GPS technology allows you to accurately and very quickly determine the location of the device.
• The microUSB port allows gadgets of this series to synchronize with the PC. It is also used to charge the battery.

System software

The cellular phone in this series uses an operating system with a minimum set of functions. All smartphones in this series as the system software use the most popular software platform for mobile devices - "Android." The first device is running under its version 2.3. The second gadget has version 4.1 installed. Well, Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 is equipped with a fairly fresh version of 4.4. From the standpoint of software compatibility, the third revision of this gadget looks the most optimal. It should install all existing applications without problems.

Price

You can not buy the Samsung Galaxy Xcover of the first generation. He had long since been removed from production, and his stockpiles were sold. The same is true for the mobile phone B2710. This is not surprising. After all, their sales started more than four years ago, and during this time they have become obsolete both morally and physically. Xcover 2 can still be purchased from stock. Its current cost is 180 dollars. This is a fairly high price for a device with such hardware characteristics. But, as noted earlier, this cost is due to the special design of the hull. The same is true for Xcover 3, whose sales started relatively recently. The cost of this device is 250 dollars.

Owner feedback

Samsung Galaxy Xcover first generation managed to prove itself well. Most reviews about this device are positive: the quality of the case, the performance of the processor, the diagonal of the display - this is far from all its pluses. But there are only two disadvantages: a small degree of autonomy and only 150 MB of capacity of the integrated drive. The first question can be solved by installing an additional external battery, and the second - by installing an external flash card. But Xcover 2 does not have these drawbacks. To him such claims are put forward: glossy coating of the case and low brightness of the screen. In the first case, everything is solved with the help of a protective cover and a film. But to solve the problem with a lack of brightness can be with a matte protective film. The only drawback of the third generation of this device is a small level of CPU performance, which is not enough to solve resource-intensive tasks. But this device is bought for everyday tasks, and this gadget does not have any problems with them.

Summary

Of all the devices of the Samsung Xcover line, only the third-generation smartphone is relevant. He and the hardware component allows you to solve most everyday tasks, and the software part is quite fresh. The rest of the representatives of this model line are obsolete both morally and physically.