Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Preview

Introduction:

IP67 – such cryptic code is attached to phones, tablets, and all kinds of electronic gadgets made to withstand damage caused by the elements. In particular, this rating indicates that a given device is dust-tight and can survive a dunk into water for at least 30 minutes at a depth down to 1 meter.

One such device is the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, which we are now giving a detailed preview. In many ways, the smartphone is very similar to the Galaxy S4 flagship – it has a 5-inch 1080p screen, a quad-core Snapdragon 600 chip, 2GB of RAM, 2600mAh battery, and Android 4.2 with TouchWiz sprinkles on top is in charge of all this. Characteristics like these are enough to place the S4 Active right into the high-end category. However, it has more than a few peculiarities of its own – peculiarities that truly make this smartphone stand out of the crowd. Read on in case we've sparked your interest already!

Design:

This is clearly not your typical Samsung Galaxy smartphone – no glossiness, no faux metallic elements, no useless bling can be found anywhere on it. Instead, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has a manly, adventurous appearance. Its body is made of matte plastic, which is far more durable than glass or metal and should not scratch easily. What we like the most about it, however, is that there's a fine texture covering the smartphone's surface, providing excellent grip. Thanks to that design feature of the handset, combined with its ergonomic shape, one can easily get a comfortable hold on it even with gloves on.

Our Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has a bright orange back plate. This could potentially make it easier to see in case the phone is dropped underwater or in tall grass. Those who prefer more conservative colors will have grey and blue as options to pick from.


Compared to one of its rivals – the Sony Xperia Z, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is noticeably thicker, but still well within the acceptable range. It is also very close to Sony's flagship in terms of size and weight. Single-handed use of the Galaxy S4 Active may be a challenge, depending on the size of the user's hands, although we were mostly comfortable with its proportions.



Taking off the back cover of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active reveals what gives it its water-resistant properties. There is a rubber band around the sides, preventing water from penetrating into the housing and damaging the phone's internals. However, we must note that while the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is protected against dust and water damage, it can't be regarded as shock-proof. There are no rubber elements on its sides to absorb the energy of shock and vibrations, not to mention that the 5-inch screen on its front is still vulnerable to cracks or scratching. Simply, one must avoid dropping it on hard surfaces.

There is an excellent set of physical buttons present on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. They are all textured and respond with an audible click when pressed. Since they are all raised well, one can operate them comfortably even while wearing mittens.


Display:

Just like the Galaxy S4, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active comes with a 5-inch touchscreen. The resolution is also identical – 1080 by 1920 pixels, resulting in an outstanding pixel density of over 440 ppi. However, a TFT LCD screen has been used instead of a Super AMOLED panel – a solution that has both its positive and negative sides.

On one hand, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is easier to use outdoors as its screen is slightly brighter than the S4's Super AMOLED display. Under the right angle, we had no troubles reading email, browsing through our contacts, using the camera interface, and even checking out a web page or two on a bright, sunny day. Also, the level of detail is nothing short of excellent due to the high pixel density, while colors are reproduced in an accurate and natural manner. But on the other hand, The S4 Active's screen can't quite achieve the deep blacks seen on Super AMOLED panels.

Nevertheless, we are more than content with the screen outfitted on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. It is big, bright, beautiful, and perfectly suitable for every task. On top of it all, Samsung has made the screen sensitive enough to be used with gloves on – a must-have feature for today's rugged smartphones.



Interface:

Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean comes running out of the box on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active – the latest Android version available as of this writing. As is always the case with Samsung smartphones, the interface has been customized heavily with a layer of TouchWiz Nature UX, bringing along plenty of extra functionality and visual flare. 

Camera:

Unsurprisingly, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active camera interfacecomes loaded with all the features found on the Galaxy S4 – features like Drama, Animated Photo, HDR, and Eraser. These allow one to take awesome photos with minimum effort, or just take out unwanted objects out of the frame using the latter. On top of that all, Samsung has thrown in the so-called Aqua Mode, which is meant for taking clearer photos and videos underwater. Sounds awesome, doesn't it?



The camera module on the Galaxy S4 Active has “only” 8 megapixels of resolution vs the 13MP shooter found on the Galaxy S4. Still, 8MP is more than enough to take good-looking photos under a wide range of circumstances. Here, take a look at a few sample shots we took using our non-finalized unit, but keep in mind that the retail version of the smartphone may yield better results.



Multimedia:

Samsung's music player comes pre-loaded on the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active and it gets the job done well. It sorts music by album, artist, or song name and can browse audio files folder by folder. An equalizer with tons of presets is also present, but even better results can be achieved using the Adapt Sound feature, which adjusts audio playback according to the user's hearing.



With all that processing power at hand, it comes as no surprise that the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active handles 1080p video flawlessly. And yes, it looks great on the smartphone's large 1080p screen. The video player can work with subtitle files and supports Pop up Play, allowing video to be played back in a window. A neat trick is that the power key gets disabled while video is playing, preventing accidental presses.



Expectations:

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a member of a rare breed. It is a smartphone that is durable and water-tight, but also crazy fast and rich in features. At the same time, it does not lag far behind the Galaxy S4 flagship on a hardware level, so it is quite worthy of bearing an “S4” in its title.

An alternative to the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active – with such impressive characteristics and top-of-the-line hardware specs – is pretty hard to find, with the Sony Xperia Z currently being the only capable competitor to Samsung's tough handset. At the same time, the S4 Active is pleasant to use and look at as it doesn't have an overly tough appearance. Therefore, chances are it will also grab the attention of users who aren't necessarily looking for a rugged handset, but don't mind owning a high-end phone that can survive after being showered with Coke.

Overall, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is shaping up like a great phone indeed. However, we aren't quite ready to give it a final verdict, especially since we have yet to give its camera a thorough testing. Expect our in-depth review soon!

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Video Preview: