Samsung New Zealand prematurely listed the Galaxy Xcover 5 earlier this week, having promptly removed the “Other Devices” page referencing the rugged smartphone on Wednesday, though the proof of this happening remains archived in the source code of a cached version of the website linked below.
Samsung’s Galaxy Xcover series is rather unusual in more than one way compared to the OEM’s other lineups in that it historically followed a bi-yearly launch schedule and exists as a rugged solution that is independent of the company’s other products, unlike rugged spin-offs such as the Samsung Galaxy S Active family. The last model in the dedicated rugged lineup was the Samsung Galaxy Xcover 4 launched last April, and history would suggest that the Galaxy Xcover 5 should be scheduled for a market release around this time next year. But if the latest, brief listing on Samsung New Zealand’s website is anything to go by, then the OEM might intend on breaking this bi-yearly launch pattern and introduce the Galaxy Xcover 5 much earlier than anticipated.
A couple of Samsung’s partner retailers in New Zealand continue to sell the Galaxy Xcover 4 and given the lack of information at the present time, the device in question remains one of the main points of reference for what the sequel might have in store for future buyers. Nevertheless, last month, a live image depicting the back of the supposed Galaxy Xcover 5 emerged online, showcasing a single main camera coupled with a triple-LED flash and a familiar, industrial-style design. As a point of reference, the existing Galaxy Xcover 4 boasts an IP68 certificate for dust and water resistance, is compliant with the MIL-STD-810G standard, and unlike many of Samsung’s newer smartphone models, it has a user-removable battery with a 2,800mAh capacity. The sequel would presumably share some of these characteristics while employing a newer version of Android and other hardware improvements.
