Samsung is getting ready to go offroading again, in a manner of speaking. New signs point to a couple of new rugged devices being in the pipeline, presumably under the Galaxy XCover and Tab Active brands. Here's what we know so far.
A new model number belonging to an unreleased Samsung phone has hit our radar (via GalaxyClub). The company is testing this device carrying model number SM-G766B, and given its designation, it could very well be the next-gen XCover phone.
The latest Galaxy XCover 7 was released in January this year, and it would make a certain amount of sense for Samsung to be working on the Galaxy XCover 8 Pro for a 2025 release. Sources say that the state of development seemingly fits a possible mid-2025 release.
Samsung is also working on a new rugged tablet
In addition to the rugged phone, Samsung also appears to be developing a new Galaxy Tab Active tablet. We don't know its model number yet, but internally, Samsung is referring to it as the Galaxy Tab Active 5 Pro.
That's an unusual name, given that the Tab Active series has never shared the same number with a Pro and non-Pro model. For example, the Galaxy Tab Active 3 was followed by the Tab Active 4 Pro, which was then followed by the non-Pro Galaxy Tab Active 5 in January 2024.
The same goes for the rugged smartphone lineup, wherein it seems that the Galaxy XCover 7 will be followed by the Galaxy XCover 8 Pro.
Following that same logic, it is possible that Samsung's upcoming rugged tablet might be called Galaxy Tab Active 6 Pro instead.
But regardless of how Samsung ends up calling it, it's probably going to be the same deal as usual. The next Tab Active might have an industrial design, S Pen support, and various apps and features designed specifically for businesses, retailers, warehouses, and so on.
When will Samsung release this new rugged tablet? Time will tell, but it could be announced at the same time as the upcoming Galaxy XCover 8 phone sometime in mid-2025. Specifications are unknown, but Xcover and Tab Active devices are usually price-conscious and don't impress through raw internal hardware alone.
