There might not be as many of them today as there used to be, but rugged phones are still a thing. Samsung used to be one of the companies out there in the wild releasing new tough handsets on a regular basis, so it's not really a surprise to see the company coming back with a new idea in 2020.
Samsung recently unveiled what it calls the "XCover Pro," and it brings with it the now familiar design of its more flagship handsets, but packs it all in a rugged package. The handset can survive a fall from 1.5 meters without a case, and it can also survive in environments with extreme altitude and humidity, among other conditions.
It's not the most eye-catching design out there, but it's also not the worst.
The XCover Pro features a fingerprint reader on the side of the handset (so no in-display fingerprint scanner this time), two cameras on the back, a hole-punch display, and a microSD card slot for expandable storage. It comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of built-in storage. The screen measures in at 6.3 inches.
It's a pretty mid-range handset, all things considered, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. It definitely looks good enough, at least on paper. Plus, it's running Android 10 out of the box, so that's a nice touch.
But what's probably most important about the XCover Pro is the fact that the 4050mAh battery is user replaceable. That's right, Samsung has brought back the removable battery! This used to be one of the primary features for Samsung-branded handsets, with the company using it as a major selling point against the likes of Apple's iPhones for years.
Of course, Samsung moved away from the removable battery, too, but it looks like the company's not ready to completely give up on the idea just yet. But the question is, of course, is this a feature people want anymore?
The reason behind a removable battery is pretty clear: it's quick to swap out in a pinch. So if you have an extra battery and you need to replace the dead one in your phone, you can. I can't say that I've ever done something like that -- having an extra battery on me, even for planned trips, just never panned out. But I know some people who absolutely loved the option, even if they didn't have to take advantage of it all the time.
So, with Samsung bringing back the removable battery (kind of), I'm curious: Is this something you'd be interested in seeing coming back to more flagship handsets? Would you buy a new Galaxy S smartphone down the line if it had a removable battery? Let me know!