The Galaxy S7 Active, like the Galaxy S6 Active, looks to be an AT&T exclusive once more (this is a surprise to no one), but the device specs had only been rumored – until now. According to tech site VentureBeat, we can put a lot of questions to rest about Samsung’s upcoming ruggedized device.
There are some differences between the upcoming Galaxy S7 Active and last year’s Galaxy S6 Active. For one, the new S7 Active will have a thickness of 9.9 mm, as opposed to the 8.6 mm thickness of its immediate predecessor. The added thickness of the device may have something to do with the new 4,000mAh battery, which will be 15% greater in capacity than the S6 Active’s 3,500mAh battery. In this light, a little added thickness is welcome.
As for the display size, earlier rumors stated the Galaxy S7 Active would feature a 5.5-inch Quad HD display, but the new measurements shown to the source have given the display a size of 5.1 inches instead, placing it as a direct counterpart to the regular Galaxy S7 (it, too, has a 5.1-inch, Quad HD display). The quad-core, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820, 4GB of RAM, 12MP back camera with an f/1.7 aperture and 5MP front camera with f/1.7 aperture will arrive with the Galaxy S7 Active as they’ve been presented on the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.
While some may see Samsung’s use of a 12MP sensor instead of a 16MP (as on the S6 Active) as something of a downgrade, keep in mind that the f.1.7 aperture on the S7 Active (as opposed to the S6 Active’s f/1.9 aperture) will let in more light than its predecessor and, thereby, produce better photos. That, plus the Dual Pixel phase detection autofocus (PDAF) present on the new Active model will increase autofocus speed and let you capture more moments as they happen without being a split-second late to them (as is the case with a number of smartphone cameras). Additionally, Samsung has fixed the camera hump of the Galaxy S6 and Note 5 series with the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge; the S7 Active’s camera looks as flushed as the rest of the S7 series, which is a welcome change.
One pleasant change with the Galaxy S7 Active, apart from the glorious 4,000mAh battery, concerns the addition of another color. We’ve been introduced to the typical black and white colors, but a Desert Camo color has leaked that will join the usual colors. We hope AT&T has this color available at launch. You can see the new color below, to the right of the black model.
We would love to see the Galaxy S7 Active launch worldwide, but Samsung makes its own decision about these things. From what we see, though, the S7 Active has all it needs to be considered a flagship. We’re just not sure that launching it on one carrier worldwide is giving it the proper flagship treatment, though.
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