Samsung Revives Removable Batteries with New Rugged Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and Tab Active 5 Pro

Samsung’s latest rugged devices, the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro, bring back removable batteries and durable designs for enterprise users.

Remember when phones could survive a drop and you could swap out the battery without a degree in engineering? Samsung sure does, and they’re bringing back that nostalgia with a twist. Meet the Galaxy XCover 7 Pro and the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro—two rugged rebels in a world of fragile glass slabs. Not only do they flaunt removable backplates and batteries (yes, you read that right), but they’re also stuffed with modern tech. The XCover 7 Pro, for instance, is like the Swiss Army knife for the enterprise crowd, boasting Galaxy AI tricks like Google’s Circle to Search and Object Eraser. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 chip, sports a screen that’s brighter than your future, and a 4,350mAh battery that’s actually replaceable. But here’s the kicker: it’s tougher than a two-dollar steak, with IP68 resistance, MIL-STD-810H drop certification, programmable buttons, and pogo pins for charging in a pinch.

Then there’s the Tab Active 5 Pro, the XCover’s bigger, badder sibling. It’s got a 10.1-inch screen, the same Snapdragon muscle, and charging flexibility that would make a contortionist jealous. Dock it, and it doesn’t even need a battery. Plus, you can hot-swap batteries faster than you can say ‘power outage.’ And just like the XCover, it’s built like a tank—IP68 all around, even the S-Pen stylus gets in on the durability action.

Let’s be real, these aren’t your average Joe’s gadgets. But they’re a cheeky reminder of how far we’ve strayed from the golden age of removable batteries in the name of looking pretty. Mark your calendars: the XCover 7 Pro hits the shelves on May 8, 2025, with the Tab Active 5 Pro trailing close behind in early June.