AT&T has finally taken the wraps off of their next rugged Galaxy Smartphone. Following in the footsteps of the Rugby and the Galaxy S4 Active, the Galaxy S5 Active improves upon the line by offering up a more ruggedized experience with none of the previous compromises made by other “tough” phones.
The S4 Active was similar to the regular S4, but had an LCD screen instead of Samsung’s juicy AMOLED display, and the camera was an 8MP shooter instead of the normal S4’s 13MP shooter.
The normal Galaxy S5 is already water resistant, capable of surviving being completely submerged for short periods of time. This means very little re-engineering needed to happen to toughen up the S5 Active. It’s the same terrific AMOLED display with the incredible new 16MP camera sensor capable of shooting 4 video. This new Active is the same hardware, but bulked up in a more rugged shell. A little thicker, a little wider, but capable of taking more abuse.
The hardware navigation buttons also make a return. These have proven to be terrifically handy, allowing you to partially operate the phone when water or muck is on the screen, or when the phone is fully submerged. Capacitive touchscreens don’t work well with water, especially when they’re under water.
If the S5 is Bruce Banner, the S5 Active is the Hulk. It’s available now as an AT&T exclusive for $199 on contract, and customers can receive a $50 credit if they buy one with a Gear Fit smartwatch.
Related:
Galaxy S4 Active Review
Galaxy S5 Review