As per one of my earlier posts, Samsung May Release a Water Resistant Galaxy S4, we now have the official news that Samsung will be releasing a water resistant version of its top of the line phablet, the Galaxy S4. This new version of the S4 has been named as Galaxy S4 Active.
The specifications on the S4 Active are very similar to those on the S4. It will have a 5 inch TFT screen with a resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels and a pixel density of 441 pixels per inch. The original Galaxy S4 comes with a Super AMOLED display, which is superior to the TFT screen on the S4 Active. However, the Active will also run on the same Qualcomm APQ8064T Snapdragon 600 chipset and the same quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 processor. The new Samsung phablet will also have the same Adreno 320 graphics processing unit.
While it is not yet known whether the Galaxy S4 Active will be made of plastic like the Galaxy S4, it is known that the S4 Active will be slightly larger than its brother. The dimensions of the S4 Active will be 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1 mm (5.5 x 2.81 x 0.36 inches) while the dimensions of the S4 are 136.6 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm (5.38 x 2.75 x 0.31 inches). At 151 g (5.33 oz), the S4 Active will also be heavier than the S4 which weighs 130 g (4.59 oz).
The S4 Active will run on Android version 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. It will have 16 GB of internal memory of which 11.2 GB will be user available. However, as is customary with Samsung’s smartphones, it will be possible to install a microSD card of up to 64 GB.
The camera on the S4 Active will also get a downgrade. While the original Galaxy S4 comes with a 13 megapixel camera, the Galaxy S4 Active will have an 8 megapixel camera. The camera on the Active will support resolutions of 3264 x 2448 pixels and as expected it will include autofocus, image stabilization, face and smile detection and LED flash.
Video recording on the new phablet is supported at 1080 pixels at 30 frames per second. Like the Galaxy S4, the S4 Active will support simultaneous image and video recording. A new feature on the Active is aqua mode which is expected to produce better underwater photos. The secondary camera will sport a 2 megapixel lens.
The large smartphone should have a 2600 mAh battery, which is also expected to be removable. Sensors on the Galaxy S4 Active will include compass, barometer, proximity, gyro, accelerometer and air gesture. The air gesture sensor allows interaction with the phablet without actually having to touch it. The Galaxy phablet is expected to come in the colours urban grey, dive blue and orange flare.
Leaving the best for the last, the main reason for buying the Galaxy S4 Active over the Galaxy S4 is the fact that it is IP67 certified. This means that the Active is totally protected against dust while at the same time; it can be inserted in up to 1 metre of fresh water for a period of up to 30 minutes. In comparison, the Sony Xperia Z has a rating of IP57. While the “7” in the rating equates to the same level of protection against water damage, the “5” in the “IP57” rating means that the level of dust protection on the S4 Active is slightly superior to that on the Xperia Z.
Although there is nothing official when it comes to the price, the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is expected to be in the same price range as the Galaxy S4. The water resistant phablet is expected to start selling in summer, starting from Sweden and the US.
