Exclusive: Samsung Galaxy XCover 3 photos and specs leak

Samsung has always aimed to have a few devices on every shelf, top to bottom. Outdoor-targeted smartphones are no exception, but the two most recent offerings, Galaxy S5 Active and Galaxy S4 Active, have been based on the respective flagships. The more affordable Xcover range hasn't seen an update for two whole years, with the latest Galaxy Xcover 2 launched in January 2013.

Well, that is about to change, as we've just been treated to an exclusive peek at the entirely new Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3. The device carries a model designation SM-G388F, and is fitted with distinctly average hardware.

Samsung Galaxy Xcover 3

The tough smartphone packs a Marvell Armada PXA1908 chipset with a quad-core Cortex-A53 CPU and 1GB of RAM.

Update: Our reader Arthur has helped shed more light on the specs, revealed by a GFXBench entry. The device comes with a 4.8-inch screen of 800x480px resolution and 8GB of storage. Camera department is covered by a 5MP main sensor as well as a 2MP front facer.

Performance isn't the Galaxy Xcover 3's main selling point though, ruggedness is, and by the looks of it, the phone will deliver. Design cues have been borrowed from the latest Galaxy S5 Active, namely the toughened corners, button shape and arrangement and sensor placement.

The back reveals its status, however, with flash-camera-speaker layout of more lowly Samsung phones of late. It's also nicely textured and appears to provide a secure grip in muddy or wet hands, a supposedly frequent scenario.

The upcoming smartphone will run Android 4.4.4. No word is out on pricing and availability, naturally, but stay tuned.

Special thanks to our anonymous tipster!