Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Review, Part 1: Disaster Proof Version Of Samsung Flagship Is Durable And Has Decent Battery Life

The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active, the South Korean tech giant’s rugged and road trip-ready version of its flagship handset, is perfect for those craving a little more excitement in their lives. According to Armando Rodriguez of TechHive, the S4 Active is for people who want a high-end handset but don’t want it to get in the way of their hyper-active lifestyle.

PhoneScoop noted that the key features of the S4 Active is a 8-megapixel camera, super-sensitive touch screen, and infrared remote control. There is also a unique software features, which includeds OCR and language translation. Other specs in the AT&T-only available handset is a 2-megapixel front camera, removable battery and a memory card slot.

TechHive said that the Samsung Galaxy S4 active is durable. The top and bottom corners of the Active have a rubbery coating that makes it more resilient if it’s dropped, and the phone as a whole doesn’t seem as fragile as the S4. The tech review site also said that the physical navigations are a little spongy, but doesn’t feel lose and they seem like they can withstand some abuse.

TechRadar, which gave the phone a four out of five rating said that the water resistant, excellent screen and fast, fluid OS of the gadget is a “for” vote for the device. The average battery, its bulkier features than S4, and lower res camera is an “against” for it.

In terms of battery life, TechRadar noted that the Samsung Galaxy S4 active comes with a 2600mAh which is the same as a well performing juice pack found in the stock Galaxy S4, a good spec for the gadget.

Based on TechRadar’s test of S4 Active in day-to-day use, including phone calls, text messages, social networking, web browsing and music streaming, the Samsung Galaxy S4 managed to be working all the way to bedtime.

In more extended gaming, however, the S4 Active would drain the battery quite substantially, partly thanks to the big, full HD 5-inch display constantly being on.

TechRadar noted that the screen is by far the biggest drain on the battery, but if the brightness on the S4 Active is kept low, it will last for a whole day. The removable battery from the Samsung Galaxy S4 is also handy, allowing users to swap a fully charged one with an empty juice pack.