The Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3 was released in European and other markets this year and did not make its way to the U.S. market. Now the handset is available in the U.S. via Amazon but can the handset be used as a Galaxy S6 Active alternative?
The rugged Galaxy S6 Active was released in the U.S. in early June and is currently available only via AT&T, which means that customers looking for rugged handsets from Samsung will have to search for alternatives.
The Galaxy S6 Active is available via AT&T for $694.99 without any contract. Amazon is selling the Xcover 3 for $300 but the seller has very limited stock. Let us see if the Xcover 3 can be a good alternative to the Galaxy S6 Active. Here's a quick comparison:
Display and screen
The Galaxy S6 Active has a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED display with 1,440 x 2,560 pixels resolution and 577 ppi. The Xcover 3 has a smaller 4.5-inch TFT display with 480 x 800 pixels resolution and 207 ppi. Customers looking out for a bigger screen and better display may not opt for the Xcover 3.
Processor
The Xcover 3 has a quad-core Marvell Armada processor clocked at 1.2Ghz and 1.5GB RAM, while the Galaxy S6 Active is includes a much faster Exynos 7 octa-core processor clocked at 2.1Ghz and has 3GB RAM.
Customers searching for a faster handset may opt for the Galaxy S6 Active over the Xcover 3.
Storage
The Galaxy S6 Active is available only with 32GB internal storage without the option to extend storage limit with a microSD card. The Xcover 3 has 8GB internal storage but the storage can be increased to up to an additional 128GB with a microSD card.
The Xcover 3 may attract smartphone lover who want higher memory capacity even with the option to extend storage limit with microSD card.
Camera
The Galaxy S6 Active has a 16MP snapper and a 5MP front-facing camera. On the other hand, the Xcover 3 is equipped with a 5MP rear-facing and a 2MP rear-facing camera.
Camera capabilities have become one of the key elements for customers to select a smartphone. Smartphone enthusiasts who want a better camera in their handset may opt for the Galaxy S6 Active instead of the Xcover 3.
Battery
A 2,200mAh battery powers the Xcover 3 that can offer talk-time of up to 10 hours. The Galaxy S6 Active includes a bigger 3,500mAh battery that gives up to 24 hours of talk time.
Water- and dust-proof
The Xcover 3 is IP67 certified while the Galaxy S6 Active is IP68 certified, which means that both the handsets are totally dust proof. For water proof the IP ratings suggests that the Xcover 3 is protected against temporary immersion, while the Galaxy S6 Active is protected against prolonged effects of immersion under pressure.
Operating System
The Galaxy S6 Active comes running on Android 5.0 Lollipop, while the Xcover 3 comes with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box.
From the above comparison it does not seem that the Xcover 3 has all that are necessary to become a Galaxy S6 Active alternative. However, the $300 price tag of Xcover 3 from Amazon may still attract many smartphone buyers looking for a decent ruggedhandset.
