XCover Pro: The Most Complete Ruggedized Work Phone, Now Better
The most complete ruggedized work phone — the Samsung Galaxy XCover Pro — just got better, with two new reasons to consider the device for front-line workers.
This fall, Microsoft and Samsung announced that companies can use the XCover Pro’s push-to-talk button with Microsoft Teams’ Walkie Talkie function. And just before Thanksgiving, AT&T began offering the XCover Pro, which means the device is now supported on two of the nation’s three largest cellular networks. Verizon has offered the phone since it first came available in April.
AT&T also approved the XCover Pro for the FirstNet first responder network.
I’ve been evaluating the XCover Pro — actually, a pair of them, so I could try the push-to-talk function — for months now on the Verizon network. Just last month, I had the devices configured with Microsoft Teams so I could check out Walkie Talkie.
Bottom line: the XCover Pro is a great ruggedized phone with an unmatched set of features — and at a competitive MSRP of $499.99. It’s even more compelling now that Samsung and partners are offering it for $424.99.
Taken by themselves, the XCover Pro’s features aren’t unique in the ruggedized phone market. Some have advanced, dual-lens cameras. Others sport high-resolution displays and 4K video capability. You can find programmable buttons and a push-to-talk option. There are even a couple other rugged devices with removable batteries, a bygone-days feature some decisionmakers still seek out as reliable, cost-effective approach for powering multiple back-to-back shifts. But try to find another with all of it — for under $500, no less.
Push-to-talk is a treat. You don’t have to use it long before you appreciate why more decisionmakers are looking to empower front-line workers with the feature. For many applications, push-to-talk is flat-out superior to two-way radio communications. Reliability and security are better. Range is effectively limitless. There’s no crosstalk to contend with. You can set up different groups and teams, so everyone knows they’re talking to the right folks — and no one else. And there’s no way to talk over anyone else.
And for mobile Microsoft Teams, Walkie Talkie helps flesh out the workgroup communications suite, adding the two-way talk function to tools like chat, calendar and file sharing. Walkie Talkie is only available on Android version of Teams, and the XCover Pro is the only ruggedized phone on the platform. It’s also the only one with a dedicated push-to-talk button that works with Walkie Talkie.
At a time when more companies, municipal services and others are looking to shave cost and rearchitect workflows, it’s hard to imagine a more compelling upgrade for many applications than a smartphone that can replace front-line employees’ handheld radios as well as their mobile devices. And with so many features at such a low price, the XCover Pro makes a strong case for being that device.
