Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Pro Reviews

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is being offered to a small niche of people who require their smartphones to be as rugged as they are. We know there are people out there who are literally being bombarded by water, mud, dust and everything in between on a regular basis, and something like the S4 Active should be right up their alley if they want their smartphone to survive their active lifestyle. It may not offer as many bells and whistles as the Galaxy S4, but the Galaxy S4 Active is still a very good smartphone that will be able to offer the same overall Galaxy S4 experience in a durable case. In the world of durable handsets, we’re confident the Galaxy S4 Active is among one of the best that’s currently available.

Some may say the Galaxy S 4 Active is a gimmick; an attempt to squeeze as much momentum out of the GS4 brand as possible. True, it's more "rugged lite" than "military-grade," and its display literally pales in comparison to its predecessor's. But water resistance aside, this handset still has quite a few things going for it. We actually prefer this design, and it runs well as a daily driver. And even though the camera has fewer megapixels than the GS 4's, it delivers clear, detailed shots and 1080p video. So, it seems we set ourselves up for a question we can't in good faith answer. Should you pick the Galaxy S4 Active over the Galaxy S 4? Ultimately it comes down to what you need your phone to do. Enjoy texting from the bathtub, or simply prone to spilling the occasional glass of water? The Active is probably the better choice. Want the absolute highest-end specs, from camera to display to battery life? The original Galaxy S 4 is definitely the better bet.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active delivers such a solid overall experience that there’s really no reason to choose the standard Galaxy S4 over the Active, unless the extra durability is of no consequence to you. The ruggedized design matched with the top notch internals makes this one of the best phones you can buy on AT&T today.

The takeaway from these two phones is simple: I was able to have a waterproof phone without feeling like I was missing out on a high-end smartphone experience. I can take it to the pool or the beach, spill beer on it, and not have a heart attack when my daughter grabs it out of my hands and drops it in a puddle. And I didn’t have to rely on a cumbersome and ugly case to have that kind of worry-free security. Between the two, I’d choose the S4 Active, since it offers a better camera, faster processor, and a more comfortable shape. Unfortunately, if you aren’t a T-Mobile or AT&T customer, you don’t really have a great option for a waterproof smartphone that can run with the best of them right now, but that will likely change in the future. Given that Sony and Samsung have been able to make waterproof smartphones without giving up all of the other features that people are looking for, I’d be surprised if we didn’t see more waterproof options on the market next year. Until then, I’ll be on the beach sipping a Mai Tai and Instagramming pictures of my feet underwater.

As a smartphone, the S4 Active is every bit as impressive a performer as the S4 proper, but the dust and waterproofing are handy additional features especially as they have been achieved without plugging up the audio jack or locking the battery in place. The LCD screen does nothing for battery life but it is brighter than the S4’s OLED panel and offers more natural colour reproduction. It’s also worth keeping in mind that if you’re buying your handset unlocked, the Active seems to be about £40 cheaper than the S4.

The Galaxy S 4 Active is a cool product. Samsung deserves credit for bucking the trend of saddling “life-proof” smartphones with sub-par specs, and AT&T deserves a pat on the back too, for targeting it at the right kind of consumer with its advertising. Did Sony beat Samsung to the punch with the waterproof Xperia Z and ZL? Yes. Is the Galaxy S 4 Active truly a “rugged” phone? Not in a MIL-SPEC sense, no. But it is hardier than the too-shiny, too-soft stock S 4. Also, it brings capabilities that flagship doesn’t feature, and it sacrifices very little in order to do so. Taken together, all these attributes make this phone a very compelling offering indeed. If you’re looking for a top-shelf smartphone that can keep up with a more get-up-and-go lifestyle, the Galaxy S 4 Active should be at or near the top of your list.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is just as feature-rich as the standard model, and goes a bit further by adding resistance to water and protection from klutzes. I genuinely like the Active's hardware more than the standard GS4 model, both in terms of looks and the reassurance it offers thanks to its more durable exterior. The Active performs well across the board with one major exception: call quality. I am honestly shocked at how poor call quality is with the Active, especially considering how great the standard GS4 was. If you make a lot of phone calls, you should look elsewhere. If you can overlook poor call quality, there's plenty else to like. The Active is easy to use, and has an incredible display. The removable battery and memory card might be selling points for some. Our test unit performed quite well on AT&T's network and offered good data speeds. Samsung has crammed tons of new features into TouchWiz, though only about half of them are as useful as Samsung claims they are. The camera, in particular, adds some fun-to-use shooting tools thanks to the new Aqua Mode and it just might take better pictures than the standard model. Altogether, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is an excellent device, even if it stinks at making phone calls.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is not the best smartphone in the Samsung lineup, but if you add "that I can put in water," things definitely change. It's a very good 2013 flagship aimed at people who until recently had very few options - as you can see there aren't many high-end smartphones with water resistance. Sure not everyone needs to have an IP57 certified handset, but if it doesn't cost anything in terms of overall smartphone performance than it certainly doesn't hurt having it. Initially it may just give you peace of mind, knowing that you won't ruing your vacation by dropping your expensive smartphone in the water, but at some point you'll inevitably want to explore the opportunities that an element-defying handset gives you.

With the Galaxy S4 Active, Samsung puts a device on the market that’s intended to steal the Sony Xperia Z's thunder by combining the performance capabilities of the S4 family with an IP certification. Our test device remained tightly sealed in our glass of water and through our trip in the pond. But the exposed 3.5 mm jack and the water that collected under the lid tarnished our impression a little. So the GT-I9295 is a water lover, but a water lover that needs to be well dried after its aqueous adventurous. Also, Samsung limits the smartphone to use in freshwater. Sony’s smartphone doesn’t have this limitation. It’s also more tightly sealed and certified against jet water. It’s exciting though, that Samsung integrates almost all the current communication technology into their refined outdoor smartphone and combines it with a powerful SoC. Unfortunately it throttles after a long period under load, but even then it retains enough performance reserves, and we never got the impression that the device hit its limits. The TFT screen proved to be a pleasant surprise, particularly in the area of viewing angle stability. We can warmly recommend the Galaxy S4 Active to anyone who likes to be outdoors a lot. You’ll get a robust smartphone with up-to-date technology. If you’re more often out at sea, we recommend the Xperia Z.

There's a lot to love about the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. There's a great hardware experience on offer here that's competitive with some of the best devices on the market. Naturally, the waterproofing is the big sell: it works, taking away the worry of getting your phone wet, but bringing that additional fun of being able to take photos in, or under, water. For that luxury, however, you only have to pay a small price in the size and weight of the device, you're not sacrificing on screen size or functionality. That makes the SGS4 Active an appealing prospect for those considering the regular Samsung Galaxy S4, especially as the SGS4 Active is a little cheaper.But we feel it could be better on the software front. Like the SGS4, there are plenty of features that you'll probably never use and while TouchWiz gives you incredible depth and options, it doesn't feel quite as sophisticated as it once did. Overall, a great fun smartphone that gives you a flagship experience, but loves a little water sports too.

We really like the Galaxy S4 Active. It's got the kind of features that we wish the flagship smartphone has. There is a downgrade with some specifications but they don't seem like a big sacrifice. Performance is excellent and the neither display nor the camera could be described as poor. If you want durability, this is the Galaxy S4 for you but it's worth checking out the Xperia Z as an alternative.

Like we said in our introduction, the Galaxy S4 Active is one helluva phone. With almost no sacrifices and no price increase, you’re getting a Galaxy S4 that is water and dust resistant. These are two features that don’t sound like a big deal, until you have them. It’s reassuring to know that a few rain droplets can’t ruin your $650 phone. The S4 Active is mess proof, and that’s great. Why Samsung decided spin this feature off as a separate phone, only available to AT&T users, we do not know and aren’t happy about. But if you are on AT&T, it’s hard not to recommend the Galaxy S4 Active. It has everything other phones have, and it’s waterproof. This is the AT&T phone to buy.

One of five Galaxy S4 variants, the Active is marketed for people who live an active lifestyle, but I think it's suited for anyone. Who doesn't ever knock over a glass of water or pull into a dusty parking lot from time to time? I also think that the physical design is compelling in its own right: it has more personality than the approachable, but ultimately plain, Galaxy S4.

The Samsung Galaxy S 4 Active remixes the successful S 4 with a waterproof coating for the accident-prone, but the camera suffers.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active almost did enough that we could legitimately ask why anybody would opt for the regular model. Still, the slight increase in bulk – which we’re not opposed to, seeing as we prefer the hand-feel of the Active version – and the slight drop in camera quality may frustrate some potential users, for whom the original Galaxy S 4 might still fit the bill.Nonetheless, while it may not quite be a “ruggedized” phone, it’s certainly more durable than most, and the water resilience makes it ideal for those with kids or pets. The reassurance factor of knowing that, even if you dump your phone into the sink, it’ll still keep on running as usual has plenty of appeal, and we like the fact that, though there’s a sober black version on offer, Samsung also makes bright blue and orange versions for those not afraid of color. In our opinion it’s one of the best-looking handsets in the company’s range.

No matter how we look at it, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a pretty awesome smartphone. It is one of the very few devices that are tough enough to resist some serious dust and water damage, yet good-looking and extremely capable at the same time. To top it all off, Samsung has sprinkled a ton of goodies, packed as part of the TouchWiz UI. Even on a hardware level, the smartphone does not lag far behind the Galaxy S4 flagship, so it is quite worthy of bearing an “S4” in its title. Simply put, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is an impressive high-end phone that shouldn't be underestimated. Perhaps the 8-megapixel main camera is the only thing we aren't entirely happy with. Sure, it gets the job done in most cases, but it just isn't quite as good as the snappers that are outfitted on today's top-of-the-line Android smartphones. It would have also been nice if the screen was usable when wet. The Sony Xperia Z, for example, has that feature, so we know that it wasn't impossible to implement. An alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active – with such impressive characteristics and top-of-the-line hardware specs – is pretty hard to find. As of this review, the Sony Xperia Z is the only capable competitor to Samsung's tough handset as it is also water-resistant and with high-end hardware specifications. Those who don't really need a water-tight phone may go check out the Galaxy S4, The LG Optimus G Pro, or the HTC One, all of which are well-made smartphones that are powerful enough to handle any task.