As I promised you guys in this second part of our video review we continue with our detailed examination of one of the toughest flagships this year – Samsung Galaxy S4 Active. Let’s find out how it performs.
It runs on a quad-core 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 and 2 GB of RAM
Galaxy S4 Active packs 18% more power than the original S4. It runs on a quad-core 1.9GHz Snapdragon 600 and 2 GB of RAM. This processor handles perfectly heavy multitasking, streaming high-definition videos and playing demanding games. The graphics processing unit which in this case is Adreno 320 also has credit for the overall performance. The smartphone goes smoothly through full-sized web pages with flash content. The powerful hardware, hidden inside the rugged shell of Galaxy Active makes it one of Samsung’s forerunners. Active comes with 16GB internal storage and 64GB more on an SD card
Active comes with 16GB internal storage and 64GB more on an SD card.
This tough smartphone comes with Android Jelly Bean 4.2.2 platform and of course Samsung’s very own Touch Wiz Ui skin on top. In terms of functionality it is pretty much identical to its predecessor. For example touchless commands and features, introduced with the original S4 like AirView, Smart Stay, Watch On, S Voice and S Translate are also kept. Since it’s targeted at the active and adventurous people, the S health platform is a great way to keep track of your achievements, diet and healthy lifestyle.
Jelly Bean 4.2.2 platform here comes Touch Wiz Ui skin on top
The S4 Active comes with a much better sound system. It now features stereo speakers. Needless to say the sound quality is much clearer and high volume levels sound great. You can easily play your music right out of the handset.
Active comes with the same battery unit. Just like the S4 this rugged buddy is powered by a 2600mAh battery piece. Of course the 5-inch display is a big juice drainer, so if you push usage to the maximum throughout the day you will definitely need to charge it in the evening. For example, playing an average-sized movie on full brightness will leave you with very little battery life by the end.
The good thing is that S4 Active allows you to swap the battery with a charged one on the go
If you need more battery power for the day you can always turn on Power Saving Mode.
So in terms of battery life the S4 Active is far from impressive. The good thing is that S4 Active allows you to swap the battery with a charged one on the go.
To sum up what we learned in our two video reviews. Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is the rugged twin brother of Samsung’s S4 flagship. It’s almost the same except for the fact that it’s waterproof and dustproof. However, it’s not shock-proof. Active is faster, its camera drops down to 8MP but now features special underwater Aqua Mode. And finally if you don’t mind the physical keys it has a much better build quality than the original S4.
