After announcing the new Galaxy XCover Pro smartphone at the National Retail Federation’s Big Show 2020 in January, Samsung is now making the device available nationwide with the hope that it will help frontline workers dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in a variety of scenarios.

In a statement, Samsung said the Galaxy XCover Pro’s rugged, multipurpose design made it ideal for “those in the public sector, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing and other verticals work faster and more efficiently.” 

“It offers the durability frontline workers need as well as brings together integrated features, like Samsung Knox customization capabilities, push-to-talk, barcode scanning and other features to enable users to streamline workflows,” the Samsung statement added. 

SEE: Samsung Galaxy S10: An insider’s guide (free PDF) (TechRepublic)

Priced at $499.99, the device is built for the kind of wear and tear most workers in a number of industries generally put their tools through on a daily basis, with water and dust resistance as well as the ability to survive drops of five feet. 

Samsung’s general manager and head of the mobile B2B business, Taher Behbehani, explained during a tour in January that what separated the Galaxy XCover Pro from other smartphones was that it could be used both as a smartphone device and as a tool for work. He added that the life cycle for the device was three to five years.

It comes with two built in programmable buttons on the top and side that allow users to open specific workplace programs, turn on the flashlight or launch other tools all without swiping through apps, scrolling through menus or looking at the screen. 

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella announced earlier this year that his company would be one of the first to leverage XCover Pro’s push-to-talk feature by integrating the new Microsoft Teams’ walkie-talkie capability.

“Microsoft and Samsung have a deep history of bringing together the best hardware and software to help solve our customers’ challenges. The powerful combination of Microsoft Teams and the new Galaxy XCover Pro builds on this partnership and will provide first-line workers everywhere with the technology they need to be more collaborative, productive and secure,” Nadella said at the NRF conference in January.

DJ Koh, president and CEO of IT & Mobile Communications Division for Samsung Electronics, told TechRepublic at the same conference that the device builds on the long history of the Galaxy line of smartphones and is made with a long-lasting battery and Samsung’s Knox security platform.

“The Galaxy XCover Pro is a reflection of Samsung’s increased investment and commitment to the B2B market,” Koh said. 

“We believe the business mobility market is ripe for transformation in 2020 and we intend to be the leader in pioneering an open and collaborative mobile platform for the next generation of digitally enabled workforce,” Koh added.

The Samsung statement also says the device has software and hardware solutions from partners such as Infinite Peripherals and KOAMTAC, ProGlove and Scandit. The Galaxy XCover Produal SIM ready and will be dual SIM capable through an MR update in the second half of 2020. 

“This means the device can support two distinct personas enabling field service companies to better ensure their employees’ safety by allowing them to use two networks so they always stay connected,” the statement added. 

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