Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition: New Smartphones for Military Personnel and First Responders

Samsung Electronics America’s new Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition are available starting today in the U.S. These new mission-ready mobile solutions are designed to transform the way military personnel operate, as well as first responders, UAS, highway administrations, utility, oil & gas and mining, mineral and exploration companies manage critical deployable assets.

To support the unique needs of different operations and environments, Samsung is expanding the third generation of its Tactical Edition lineup by bringing tactical capabilities to the rugged Galaxy XCover 6 Pro for the first time, in addition to the flagship Galaxy S23. Both solutions harness the power of Samsung’s commercial off-the-shelf mobile devices, enhanced with highly customized software and features to empower operators to make informed decisions and achieve their missions.

“Samsung’s Tactical Edition solutions have been proven to make military personnel better prepared, better informed and better equipped to stay ahead of the high-stakes situations they face in the battlefield,” said Brad Haczynski, Senior Vice President, GM of B2B at Samsung Electronics America. “With the Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition, we are delivering our most powerful tactical solutions yet and providing our Department of Defense customers the flexibility to choose the solution that best supports their needs and objectives.”

Samsung’s Tactical Edition mobile solutions are the result of the company’s longstanding collaboration with the U.S. Department of Defense and are currently in use by all branches of the U.S. military. They are also ideal solutions for first responders, especially those who rely on FirstNet – built by AT&T and the only nationwide communications network created with and for public safety. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition support all of the features from previous Tactical Edition generations – including tactical radio interoperability and mission-ready software support – as well as new hardware enhancements and capabilities that enable military personnel to protect and securely transmit classified information and maintain communication in mission-critical environments.

Keeping Tactical Teams Connected and Alert

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition connect seamlessly with select tactical radios, drone feeds, laser range finders, external GPS and more to support persistent communication in multi-domain environments and provide a complete view of missions. Both models support all conventional cellular capabilities, including 5G, LTE, CBRS, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 6E. They are also the first Tactical Edition solutions to be FirstNet Ready^®.

With a new 5G band-locking Mode, the Tactical Edition solutions can be set up to connect exclusively to certified 5G¹ networks, preventing any other network connections that could pose security threats. Military personnel can also turn on Stealth Mode, which disables LTE and e-911, muting all radio frequency broadcasting for completely off-grid communications. For ever greater mission security, Covert Lock can be enabled which provides Stealth Mode as well as de-energizing the baseband communications and GPS, fully securing the device from emitting an RF signature.

For the first time, the new Tactical Edition solutions offer Server-less Licensing, meaning Knox licenses do not require outreach to a Samsung hosted validation server or an on-premise Knox Server. Users automatically have access to all Tactical Edition features out of the box. This eliminates the need to manually activate licenses, streamlining set-up for tactical teams working in remote locations without immediate connectivity.

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition feature advanced situational awareness tools that help tactical teams stay alert in the field and enhance their decision-making capabilities. Night Vision mode supports viewing through night vision optic devices, and the auto-rotating lock screen accommodates use in a flip-down chest mount. Additionally, Samsung has introduced a new Adjustable Screen Timeout capability to cater to the unique requirements of tactical teams operating in the field. Through this new feature, users can customize the duration of the lock screen timeout period to extend beyond the typical options of 30 seconds, one minute or five minutes, alleviating the need for users to repeatedly undergo an authentication process to access their device.

The new solutions are compatible with mission-ready applications like the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK) and the Battlefield Assisted Trauma Distributed Observation Kit (BATDOK), which can be launched instantly with the programmable side key. And, for the first time, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition come pre-loaded with PAR Government’s TE-Enabler application, as well as Samsung’s Tactical Settings App.

Multi-Level Security

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition are protected by Samsung Knox security, a defense-grade security platform built into Samsung mobile devices from the chipset up to keep data safe and locked down. Both solutions meet rigorous industry regulations, including NSA’s Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Components List, allowing active-duty and civilian military personnel to securely access classified information. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition support dual VPN chaining, enabling the use of two VPN connections for inner and outer tunneling of data in transit. In addition, Knox Dual Data at Rest (DualDAR) protects classified data up to Top Secret to be stored on the devices with two layers of encryption, even when they are powered off or in an unauthenticated state.

The new solutions take security a step further with a new Hypervisor Device Manager (HDM), which is one of the strongest layers of defense in depth to prevent hacking of all types. By utilizing HDM, the solutions enforce restrictions on LTE and GPS connectivity, thereby enhancing control and safeguarding.

And, with Knox Enterprise Firmware Over-the-Air (E-FOTA), the solutions are ready for on-premise or hosted deployment and management.

In addition, the Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition support an extended four-year cycle of software maintenance, providing customers with software support through January 2027.

Tough and Versatile for Any Mission

Samsung’s third-generation Tactical Edition solutions are ready for tactical environments and mission requirements. The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition are both IP68-rated for dust and water resistance², supporting use in wet and dusty conditions. Both smartphones weigh 8.5 oz. or less and are under half an inch thick while being just as powerful as the rugged laptops traditionally used by tactical teams that weigh several pounds. The lightweight, compact design allows military personnel to reduce their loads and reallocate weight for mission essentials, such as ammunition, medical supplies, food or water. Additionally, both new solutions come with a new adjustable keyboard sizing feature, providing tactical users enhanced usability while operating the device in potentially challenging conditions or locations.

Samsung is offering the Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition as a new option in response to customer demand for a rugged solution that can tolerate extreme conditions, including the battlefield and other rough environments. It is MIL-STD-810H compliant³ to withstand extreme altitudes, temperatures, vibration and humidity, and can endure drops of up to 1.5 meters. The Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition solution features a long-lasting, replaceable battery, providing extended power to complete any mission. It is also equipped with a MicroSD card slot, which operators can use to store and access up to 1TB for map files, and supports Glove Mode, enabling use of the touch screen with gloves.

The sleek, powerful Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition solution supports a variety of use cases for military personnel working in the field or the office. It delivers peak tactical computing power with the same high-speed processor found in Samsung’s latest flagship devices – the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy – and features an immersive, Dynamic AMOLED 120Hz display for detailed viewing of maps and mission data. The smartphone is also equipped with a pro-grade 50 MP camera, allowing military personnel to take and share high-resolution images and videos in low light without giving away their position. And furthermore, to amplify the Samsung S23 Tactical Edition’s durability, Samsung partnered with Juggernaut Case and Kagwerks to develop a rugged, military-grade cases ^4.

Availability

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Tactical Edition and Samsung Galaxy XCover 6 Pro Tactical Edition are available for purchase beginning September 20, 2023, through select IT channel partners. For more information about Samsung’s Tactical Edition portfolio, please visit www.samsung.com/TacticalEdition.

¹ 5G speeds vary and require optimal network and connection (factors include frequency, bandwidth, congestion); see carrier for availability.
² Water resistant in up to 5 feet of water for up to 30 minutes. Rinse residue/dry after wet.
³ These devices passed military specification (MIL-STD-810H) testing against a subset of 21 specific environmental conditions, including temperature, dust, shock/vibration, and low pressure/high altitude. Real world usage varies from the specific environmental conditions used in MIL-STD-810H testing. Samsung does not guarantee device performance in all extreme conditions.
⁴ Case sold separately.