GSMArena.com GSMArena.com

Tip us

1.5m
109k
RSS

EV

Merch

Log in

Login

I forgot my password
Sign up
  • Home
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Videos
  • Featured
  • Phone Finder
  • Deals
  • MerchNew
  • Coverage
  • Contact
ADVERTISEMENTS
GSMArena team, 1 July 2013

Uncharted waters


Samsung Galaxy S4 Active review: Uncharted waters

  • Comments (67)
  • User reviews
  • I9295 Galaxy S4 Active

1. Introduction
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. 360-degree spin, design and handling, display
  3. 3. Controls, battery life
  4. 4. User interface
  5. 5. Air and motion gestures, Smart Screen, S Voice and Google Now
  6. 6. Synthetic benchmarks
  7. 7. Phonebook, telephony, messaging
  8. 8. Gallery, music and video players, audio quality
  9. 9. Still and video camera
  10. 10. Connectivity, web browser, S apps
  11. 11. Organizer, Google Maps and Play, Samsung Apps and Hub
  12. 12. Conclusion
  13.  
  14. Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active specification
  15. User opinions and reviews
  16. Review comments (67)

Samsung Android

Introduction

Ah, the great outdoors - not enough reception to put the "phone" in smartphone, but plenty of dust and water keep it out. Good thing there are IP67-certified phones like the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active then, combining premium specs with enough durability to survive a hike or a dive.

Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active official images

We've become a little wary of the Galaxy S label, which Samsung flagships share with a number of almost unrelated devices, which simply piggyback on their reputation. That's not the case of the Galaxy S4 Active though, it's a proper flagship.

The 5" 1080p screen has been moved to TFT tech instead of Super AMOLED like on the regular S4, but LCD's are typically brighter, and plus LCDs are less likely to suffer water damage.

The camera situation is less clear though - Samsung downgraded it from 13MP to 8MP and while we've seen plenty of good 8MP cameras, 13MP is the current flagship standard. Everything else seems in order, however, here's the yay and nay list for the Galaxy S4 Active.

Key features

  • IP67 certification - can spend up to 30 minutes in up to 1m of water
  • Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE; quad-band 3G with HSPA; LTE
  • 5" 16M-color 1080p TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen with Gorilla Glass 3
  • Android OS v4.2.2 Jelly Bean with TouchWiz UI
  • Quad-core 1.9 GHz Krait 300 CPU, Adreno 320 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 chipset
  • 2GB of RAM
  • 8 MP autofocus camera with LED flash,1080p video recording @ 30fps, continuous autofocus and stereo sound
  • 2 MP front-facing camera, 1080p video recording
  • Dual shot and dual video recording, Drama shot, Shot and sound
  • Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct and DLNA
  • GPS with A-GPS, GLONASS
  • 16GB of built-in storage
  • microSD card slot
  • microUSB port with USB host and MHL 2.0
  • Bluetooth v4.0
  • NFC
  • IR port for remote control functionality
  • Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
  • Accelerometer and proximity sensor
  • Barometer
  • IR gesture sensor for Air gestures
  • Smart screen: Smart stay, Smart pause, Smart scroll
  • Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic
  • Ample 2,600 mAh battery with great endurance
  • Smart volume and Adapt Sound features for the music player

Main disadvantages

  • Camera downgraded to 8MP
  • Screen is TFT, not Super AMOLED
  • Thicker and heavier than regular Galaxy S4, Sony Xperia Z
  • No FM radio
  • Shared camera interface makes framing tricky
  • No thermometer or hygroscope

Samsung is not new to rugged Androids - the Galaxy Xcover line (along with carrier-specific versions) has been around for a while, but those favored durability over specs. The Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is not as rugged as those phones, it is a premium package.

Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active Review
Samsung Galaxy S4 Active in the office

That includes the powerful chipset, the advanced connectivity, exclusive features, the works. Of course, it's not without competition - the Sony Xperia Z has been around for a while and it's clean, elegant design doesn't pay the rugged tax - the IP57-certified Xperia Z is a suave survivor. But anyway, if you search "quad-core, 1080p and water resistance" you'll find a very short list of options.

The internal hardware and the software of the Samsung Galaxy S4 Active are almost identical to those of the regular S4, the real changes are on the outside. And as luck would have it, this is what we'll start off with on the next page.

Next Page » 2. 360-degree spin, design and handling, display
1. Introduction
  1. 1. Introduction
  2. 2. 360-degree spin, design and handling, display
  3. 3. Controls, battery life
  4. 4. User interface
  5. 5. Air and motion gestures, Smart Screen, S Voice and Google Now
  6. 6. Synthetic benchmarks
  7. 7. Phonebook, telephony, messaging
  8. 8. Gallery, music and video players, audio quality
  9. 9. Still and video camera
  10. 10. Connectivity, web browser, S apps
  11. 11. Organizer, Google Maps and Play, Samsung Apps and Hub
  12. 12. Conclusion
  13.  
  14. Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active specification
  15. User opinions and reviews
  16. Review comments (67)

Reviews Samsung Galaxy S4 Active review
  • Comments (67)
  • User reviews
  • I9295 Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active review: Uncharted waters - Reader comments

D
  • AnonD-495136
  • AMj
  • 30 Jan 2016

They're not loud per se, (the do make very little noise) but I'm a very light sleeper (thank you Parris Island) and I heard my EX-gf snooping through my phone because I heard the keys in my sleep. Yup, that's why she became the EX. Only few will real...

  • Reply
C
  • Caffa
  • 2GU
  • 12 Jan 2016

No they don't, they are a silent soft touch button. I didn't like them at first but they prove themselves underwater and have grown on me.

  • Reply
D
  • AnonD-462451
  • t7%
  • 09 Nov 2015

Looking to purchase this active phone, one question though, are the physical buttons below the screen "loud"? As in do they "click" or "pop" when pressed? (Not through the speaker, etc, but actual noise. Thank in advance...

  • Reply
  • Read all comments
  • Post your comment
Total reader comments: 67

Phone finder

  • Samsung
  • Apple
  • Huawei
  • Nokia
  • Sony
  • LG
  • HTC
  • Motorola
  • Lenovo
  • Xiaomi
  • Google
  • Honor
  • Oppo
  • Realme
  • OnePlus
  • vivo
  • Meizu
  • BlackBerry
  • Asus
  • Alcatel
  • ZTE
  • Microsoft
  • Vodafone
  • Energizer
  • Cat
  • Sharp
  • Micromax
  • Infinix
  • TCL
  • Ulefone
  • Tecno
  • BLU
  • Blackview
  • Acer
  • Panasonic
  • Plum

All brands Rumor mill

ADVERTISEMENTS

Related articles

  • Samsung begins production of first-gen 3nm chips
  • Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro official with 5G connectivity and replaceable battery
  • Samsung Galaxy XCover6 Pro promo images leak ahead of launch
  • One UI 5.0 beta will reportedly arrive next month with an October release date
ADVERTISEMENTS

Popular reviews

Apple iOS 14 review

Apple iOS 14 review
Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra review

Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra review
Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G review

Samsung Galaxy Note20 Ultra 5G review

ELECTRIC VEHICLES

Watch the Kia EV6 try its best in a drag race with a Ferrari F355 Watch the Kia EV6 try its best in a drag race with a Ferrari F355 Fuel cell development issues force Hyundai to delay next generation NexoNew BMW i3 sedan and Touring will come from Mexico
ADVERTISEMENTS

Home News Reviews Compare Coverage Glossary FAQ RSS feed Youtube Facebook Twitter Instagram

© 2000-2022 GSMArena.com Mobile version Android app Tools Contact us Merch store Privacy Terms of use Change Ad Consent Do not sell my data