Samsung S4 active or Samsung S4?

[sentinelsx]

http://www.theverge.com/2013/6/5/4398052/samsung-launches-waterproof-galaxy-s4-active

This comes with the same specs except:

1. LCD 1080p instead of AMOLED 1080p

2. 8 MP instead of 13 MP (but you can take pics underwater so yay lol)

3. rugged construction

4. 11.25 GB user accessible memory and

5. Physical buttons.


I wonder if this will make it to north America and particularly Canada.

Man is Samsung bent on giving us everything lately? With the google edition and this rugged top of the line specs monster they have gone from a "may be ill buy" to a "i should buy this" in my eyes lol. Wow.

 

[2298754]

I would have gotten this if it was out last month. Too bad they put physical buttons on the front. Looks weird and out of place.

LCD screen is interesting. Maybe IPS?

And Engadget already confirmed to the US. Probably AT&T

 

[T5BRICK]

Very nice phone. I would have actually considered this vs my HTC One if it were available when I was in the market.

 

[sentinelsx]

I think the benchmarks like battery life could be interesting here, whether the amoled sucks more power or LCD if both tested side by side considering both phones run touchwiz, 4.2.2, have the same chip with same clock, and same ram.

Physical buttons aren't so pretty but that is probably due to the ip67 rating.

Well now Samsung has pretty much quashed the build quality argument with this, the only argument that is probably left is now "pretty build".

I hope it makes it to Canada.

 

[blairh]

I am now EXTREMELY INTERESTED in the Active.

My biggest issue with the S4 was the OLED panel. This uses a TFT LCD.

However you also lose how awesomely lightweight the original S4 is. The Active is 151 grams (5.3 oz.) I love how light my iPhone 5 is.

But I prefer 3 physical buttons versus the S4's 1 + 2 capacitive. Plus I frequent the beach in the summer so a waterproof phone would be fantastic.

 

[2298754]

But I prefer 3 physical buttons versus the S4's 1 + 2 capacitive. Plus I frequent the beach in the summer so a waterproof phone would be fantastic.

I don't know about this. Wouldn't having no buttons at all be even better for durability, etc?



and we have another S4 variant to wait for next week. It seems to be getting a better camera.

 

[sentinelsx]

I don't know about this. Wouldn't having no buttons at all be even better for durability, etc?

Touch buttons aren't great with outdoors grime or water on them. At least you can press a physical button even if something is stuck on it or in water as long as it is water proof.

 

[blairh]

I don't know about this. Wouldn't having no buttons at all be even better for durability, etc?



and we have another S4 variant to wait for next week. It seems to be getting a better camera.

You mean having on-screen buttons? I like those too but you probably can't have that on a phone that can be used underwater.

What other S4 variant is coming? If it doesn't have a TFT panel I'm not interested.

 

[T5BRICK]

You mean having on-screen buttons? I like those too but you probably can't have that on a phone that can be used underwater.

What other S4 variant is coming? If it doesn't have a TFT panel I'm not interested.

I doubt the phone can be used underwater. If it could, that means that they figured out a way to use the touch screen underwater. Then on screen buttons would work too.

 

[sentinelsx]

I doubt the phone can be used underwater. If it could, that means that they figured out a way to use the touch screen underwater. Then on screen buttons would work too.

The camera interface shows an underwater image mode or something, could be something else though.

 

[paparainbow]

sgs4

 

[T5BRICK]

The camera interface shows an underwater image mode or something, could be something else though.

That's kind of cool. I imagine that would have to be tied to a physical button though.

 

[F123D]

Besides the physical buttons, I'm actually liking this phone.

So complaints about timely updates have been answered with an S4 Google Edition and complaints about AMOLED and poor build quality have been answered with an S4 Active. Now all Samsung has to do is release an S4 Active, Google Edition.

Maybe they can release a Note 3 Active.

 

[blairh]

I doubt the phone can be used underwater. If it could, that means that they figured out a way to use the touch screen underwater. Then on screen buttons would work too.

The camera can be used underwater. I'm not sure if you must use the volume keys however to active the camera. If you can use the physical keys by chance, I don't think it necessarily means that on-screen buttons would have worked too.

Unique to the GALAXY S4 Active camera, ‘Aqua Mode’ can be used to increase visual quality and clarity for enhanced underwater images and video. The volume key located on the side of the device can be used as a camera key, allowing users to easily and quickly open the camera application to capture photo and video the moment it happens.

 

[Dontazemebro]

Man is Samsung bent on giving us everything lately? With the google edition and this rugged top of the line specs monster they have gone from a "may be ill buy" to a "i should buy this" in my eyes lol. Wow.

Yep, Samsung is silently becoming one of my favorite OEMs. They just flat out listen to what the masses want.

 

[2298754]

Maybe they can release a Note 3 Active.

Yes please!

 

[maxwelltech]

Man, I might have bought this if it was out last month. Now my HTC One is already past the returning period

 

[onthecouchagain]

I don't have interest in this phone, but it's wonderful to see people have options to fit their smartphone needs and styles.

Samsung is getting that there are many different phone users out there. From the simple phone/text-only user to the hardcore user; from the giant screen users to the smaller screen users; from the TouchWiz to the stock Android; and now to the athletic/adventurous/water-seeker users. They know how to tap into the plethora of different consumers.

Choice is a beautiful thing.

 

[2298754]

If you're listening Samsung, just make your flagship S V waterproof, etc with a metal case next year.

No reason to make two different models.

 

[Sensamic]

Not a chance in the world I would buy a phone with three main physical buttons...

My iPhone 4 with just one physical button broke after only 1 year. Every time I see physical buttons like these all I can think of is how long it will take before they stop working.

 

[Woodcrest64]

I love the idea of the S4 active but I would not get one because the smaller rom support and lack updates from Samsung compared to the original S4.

 

[strausd]

Besides the physical buttons, I'm actually liking this phone.

So complaints about timely updates have been answered with an S4 Google Edition and complaints about AMOLED and poor build quality have been answered with an S4 Active. Now all Samsung has to do is release an S4 Active, Google Edition.

Maybe they can release a Note 3 Active.

And make it available on contract then you would actually have all of the major problems solved with one phone, not different phones solving one problem each...

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I love the idea of the S4 active but I would not get one because the smaller rom support and lack updates from Samsung compared to the original S4.

Well they have the exact same specs and run the same OS... would that really be a problem?

 

[MRU]

I don't have interest in this phone, but it's wonderful to see people have options to fit their smartphone needs and styles.

Samsung is getting that there are many different phone users out there. From the simple phone/text-only user to the hardcore user; from the giant screen users to the smaller screen users; from the TouchWiz to the stock Android; and now to the athletic/adventurous/water-seeker users. They know how to tap into the plethora of different consumers.

Choice is a beautiful thing.

Agreed it is...

yet it is also interesting how certain posters here (not you) rip on company A) suggesting that if they released another phone it would be a terrible thing and they would not have 'trust' in them, and yet in the next breath when company B) actually does release a plethora of flagship phones - they think its great and have no issues.....

There is definetly a lot of double standards going on in this fora.




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Back to topic on hand, where is the headphone jack & charging port on the active? Are they covered like the xperia Z? Can't seem to see them on photos of the device...

 

[Menneisyys2]

I am now EXTREMELY INTERESTED in the Active.

My biggest issue with the S4 was the OLED panel. This uses a TFT LCD.

However you also lose how awesomely lightweight the original S4 is. The Active is 151 grams (5.3 oz.) I love how light my iPhone 5 is.

Me too. With a truly 1080p LCD screen, I might be buying this as well, unlike the S4.

 

[Todd B.]

People still buy terrible, cheap Samsung? Good lord, people...