Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

                            Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

The new Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is the more ruggedized , more durable version of it's cousin , Galaxy S4.

This phone is supposed to be waterproof and dust resistant. It has an IP67 rating. 

Here , 'IP' is "Ingress Protection"

Let us see what the numbers 6 and 7 mean.

First number
0 – No protection (Sometimes X)
1 – Protected against solid objects up to 50mm³
2 – Protected against solid objects up to 12mm³
3 – Protected against solid objects up to 2.5mm³
4 – Protected against solid objects up to 1mm³
5 – Protected against dust, limited ingress (no harmful deposit)
6 – Totally protected against dust

Second number
0 – No protection (Sometimes X)
1 – Protection against vertically falling drops of water (e.g. condensation)
2 – Protection against direct sprays of water up to 15 degrees from vertical
3 – Protection against direct sprays of water up to 60 degrees from vertical
4 – Protection against water sprayed from all directions – limited ingress permitted
5 – Protected against low pressure jets of water from all directions – limited ingress permitted
6 – Protected against low pressure jets of water, limited ingress permitted (e.g. ship deck)
7 – Protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm and 1m
8 – Protected against long periods of immersion under pressure

Hence we see that the mobile is totally protected against dust and is protected against the effect of immersion between 15cm - 1m.

This mobile has almost the same specifications of Galaxy S4 with a few "downgrades" and other things. Let us look at these changes

Design changes

The Active version of this mobile is more ruggedized.

It has physical buttons instead of capacitive buttons on Galaxy S4.

The 3.5 mm jack and the USB slot are covered to stop water from going into the mobile.

The Active is slightly thicker and heaver than Galaxy S4.

Feature changes

The Active has a TFT LCD screen instead of the super AMOLED screen in Galaxy S4.
The colours are overly vibrant in the Galaxy S4 and are more real in the Active version. My opinion is that the TFT LCD screen is more readable in outdoor conditions and has better viewing angles.

This mobile's camera has been downgraded from 13 MP to 8 MP and it has a shooting mode called aqua mode which allows one to take photos in water.

Verdict

Priced at 40,000 , the Active is a good phone for people who use their mobile outdoors , or go swimming often .