Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Phones

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

Samsung's high-end line of smartphones, the S series, saw the launch of the S4 in 2013. The smartphones in this series include the Samsung Galaxy S4 Mini, S4 Zoom and the S4 Active. If the S4 was Samsung's flagship smartphone, then the S4 Active was the ultimate device. What made it a must-have? Very simple – you could swim with it. Yes, the S4 Active was an upgrade from the regular S4 in that it was water-resistant. It had to sacrifice some of its features in little ways for this IP67 protection rating, like its camera, weight and screen resolution, but who cares, right? Who wouldn't give up those for a water-resistant smartphone?

The S4 Active is a rugged device, at least it is supposed to be, but many do not agree with Samsung's declaration of the S4 as a rugged device because apart from its IP67 rating, it is essentially similar in build with the S4. No major additional protection, no real added solid structure, only that it is a little thicker. The Active is 9.1mm thick, and the original S4 is 7.9mm. 

To the Active's credit, it differs from the regular S4 in build material. The plastic material used in the Active is different, and the screens are also not the same. If this isn't enough addition, the fact that it can handle submersion in water at a depth of 1 meter for up to 30 minutes is enough to keep all criticizing tongue-tied.

The changes made to the custom Galaxy S4 to accommodate the IP67 rating feature in the Galaxy S4 Active include a reduction in the camera resolution from 13MP to 8MP in the S4 active and the TFT screen instead of an AMOLED. 

Overall, the S4 Active is good for its sporty build; it takes good pictures in daylight, responds quickly and is fun to use underwater. It is a durable smartphone, perhaps stronger than average, but it isn't the typical rugged device built for the harshest situations. 

If you want a device for any weather, consider going higher up to Samsung Galaxy S8. Perhaps the Xperia lineup may cut it for you. Either way, you can sell your Galaxy S4 Active on Gizmogo or swap it for a device you want.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active Specifications 

Design info: Take a quick look at the S4 Active, and you would only see the S4; it has the same polycarbonate body as the S4. A closer observation that involves feeling and comparing tells you that the plastic materials used are not the same. However, the basic design and build are not so different from the S4.

The S4 is heavier and thicker because it needs to be if it must be strong and survive harsh treatment. The S4 will survive a couple of bumps in real life, but it is just as strong and durable as any high-end and durable smartphone, not quite rugged enough to survive a few drops. Its edges are rubberized quite alright, but these don't offer much protection. 

The keys on the S4 Active are not the capacitive type rather the raised, clickable type that would be useful underwater, unlike the touch-sensitive ones in the S4. 

It has the conventional keys; the power button and volume rocker on the right edge, USB below and headphone jack on top.

Capacity info: It had 16 GB of internal storage with room for expansion.

Size and Weight info: The S4 Active is slightly thicker than the S4 as part of the water-proof protection, which puts it at 9.1mm thick, 1.2 mm thicker than the S4. Its dimensions measure 139.7 x 71.3 x 9.1mm, and it weighs 153 grams, 21grams heavier than the S4 owing to the different materials used.

Display info: The display is a 5-inch screen with an LCD panel and 1080p resolution. It isn't as good as the Super AMOLED of the S4; its colors are less rich even though it is brighter.

The S4 used Gorilla Glass 3 for its screen, while the S 4 Active has Gorilla glass 2. Yeah, I know what you're thinking; the Gorilla glass 3 of the S4 is stronger, and you're right. For this reason, the S4 Active may not appreciate being dropped, contrary to its rugged identity.

Camera and video recording info: You may Skype as you want with the 2MP camera in front. The camera at the back is an 8MP autofocus shooter, a sizable downgrade from the S4's 13MP. The camera is optimized to take pictures underwater. Videos are recorded in 1080p.

Water-resistant info: The S4 Active was developed for its water-resistance feature and is IP67 certified. Dust won't enter your phone, neither will water because of the rubber seals used to seal the phone, separating the internal compartment from the external features. The plastic flap that covers the USB should be sealed before going swimming, though, but you don't have to worry about the headphone jack; nothing is getting in through that opening. If you have a water-resistant earpiece, you can even listen to music underwater but don't go below 1m.

Performance info: The processors are a Quad-core Krait 300 with a 1.9 GHz clock rate or Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 CPU with an Adreno 320 GPU. It ran on Android 4.4.4 Jelly Bean.

Connection info: If you have 4G available in your local region back then, the S4 Active can use that network. However, it had quad-band 3G, Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi. NFC was available, but an LTE version was later released.

Battery info: The battery here is a 2600mAh capacity battery that can go a full day combining web browsing with music. Playing games drains it faster.

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active deals

Do you have plans to sell your Samsung Galaxy S4? Sell it on Gizmogo. We promise to make the process easier than you expect it to be; that's why we exist. You may also swap your Galaxy S4 for another device with us.

Trade-in your Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

If you want to use your device to make a trade-in deal, we are more than willing to trade with you. Our store has a lot of devices you can choose from; all you have to do is find one that suits your current needs.

Sell your Samsung Galaxy S4 Active

If you want to make a quick sale, Gizmogo can buy your device directly from you and pay you in cash as soon as we confirm that it's in good shape.