What you need to know
- Samsung's assumed XCover 8 Pro has appeared in the SafetyKorea database for battery certification.
- The phone is listed with a 4,350mAh battery, which is a 300mAh upgrade over the previous two generations of rugged phones.
- Samsung was reportedly developing two new Pro-level rugged devices, a phone and a tablet, in October, and rumors state both could debut in mid-2025.
It seems that Samsung has another rugged phone in the works, but this one could improve one key element.
A Samsung device was spotted in the SafetyKorea certification database by GalaxyClub (Dutch), which is assumed to be a new rugged smartphone (via GSMArena). According to the listing, it appears that the next device is the XCover 8 Pro. The publication spotted an uploaded photo detailing the device's battery information.
Per the listing, it seems the XCover 8 Pro will debut with a lithium-ion battery capacity of 4,350mAh.
The listing also states that this battery will not be built into the phone when it launches. It seems consumers might expect a removable battery once again in the XCover 8 Pro, much like the XCover 6 Pro and 7.
The publication reiterated the rumored existence of another rugged tablet from Samsung. The listing lacks any further information concerning a launch; however, the post speculates the OEM could launch the XCover 8 Pro (and potentially the tablet) in mid-2025.
Samsung launched the XCover 7 earlier this year with a 6.6-inch FHD Plus display with one 50MP primary lens and a 5MP selfie camera. Internally, the company provided it with 6GM of RAM and 128GB of storage with the ability to jump to 1TB via a microSD. More importantly, the rugged phone only offered a 4,050mAh battery.
This was the same battery Samsung delivered in the XCover 6 Pro, but rumors today suggest a potential upgrade is in the cards for this area. If true, then we're looking at a (roughly) 300mAh jump, which should aid in the phone's overall battery life.
With the latest listing in our hands, we can return to a previous leak that claims Samsung is working on two Pro-level rugged devices. The first is the supposed XCover 8 Pro as it was spotted with model number SM-G766B in October. The device was similar in internal name with the XCover 7, furthering suspicions about it being a successor.
Moreover, that leak also mentioned a Tab Active 5 Pro or "Tab Active 6 Pro." It was highlighted that Samsung rarely offers a "Pro" for the same generation, which is why some believe is could jump to "6 Pro." Little is known specification-wise about either of these devices (aside from the newfound battery specs).
Like the current rumors, the discovery from two months ago claims Samsung could launch the next-gen rugged devices in mid-2025.
