The rugged Samsung Galaxy Xcover runs Gingerbread and is not afraid to get dirty

When it comes to rugged phones, most of them would not offer you much in terms of software and functionality, but the newly-announced Samsung Galaxy Xcover does not follow that unwritten rule. Powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread, the Galaxy Xcover is one full-fledged smartphone, yet it is tough enough to withstand the elements. The device is IP67 certified, which makes it resistant to dust, dirt and submersion in water at up to 1 meter for 30 minutes, so it would probably not mind hanging out in your pocket the next time you decide to go jet-skiing. Besides that, the smartphone's display is made using scratch-resistant tempered glass meaning that it will take more abuse that you would imagine.

The complete hardware specs of the Samsung Galaxy Xcover are not official yet, but it we can tell you that it will pack a 3.65-inch display, GPS, Wi-Fi and a HSDPA radio that can reach downlink speeds of up to 7.2 Mbps, at least in theory. Another handy feature of the Xcover is that its 3.2-megapixel camera is backed up by a LED flash, that can double as a flashlight.

At this time, we cannot really tell you whether the Galaxy Xcover will ever reach the US. It will be the folks in Germany who will get to try the smartphone out first after it gets launched there on October 3.

source: Samsung Germany (translated) via Unwired View