Today Samsung is following up the launch of its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge smartphones with the introduction of the Galaxy S7 active, a ruggedized version of the flagship S7. Like previous active series phones, it uses the same internal hardware as the rest of its lineage, including the latest Snapdragon 820 SoC with a quad-core CPU utilizing Qualcomm's custom 64-bit Kryo cores and Adreno 530 GPU. This is paired with 4GB of LPDDR4 RAM and 32GB of UFS 2.0 NAND. Additional internal storage options are not available for the S7 active, but it still supports microSD cards for expansion.

The S7 active also uses the same 5.1-inch QHD SAMOLED display as the regular S7, which we found provides a well-calibrated sRGB mode along with additional modes for those who prefer more saturated colors. It also managed to hit about 500 nits peak brightness when using auto brightness mode at 100% APL.

Despite using the same screen size as the S7, the S7 active is larger and heavier because of the additional protection its outer shell provides. Replacing the sleek but fragile glass and metal construction is a larger but more durable plastic and metal chassis that increases the height and width by 6.4 mm and 5.4 mm, respectively. Thickness also increases by 2 mm to 9.9 mm, which helps make room for a larger 4000mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy S7 Family
  Samsung Galaxy S7 active Samsung Galaxy S7 Samsung Galaxy S7 edge
SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
(MSM8996)

2x Kryo @ 2.15GHz
2x Kryo @ 1.59GHz
Adreno 530 @ 624MHz
US, China, Japan:
Qualcomm Snapdragon 820
(MSM8996)

2x Kryo @ 2.15GHz
2x Kryo @ 1.59GHz
Adreno 530 @ 624MHz

Rest of World:
Samsung Exynos 8890

4x Cortex-A53 @ 1.58GHz
4x Exynos M1 @ 2.28-2.60GHz
Mali T880MP12 @ 650MHz
RAM 4GB LPDDR4-3600
NAND 32GB (UFS 2.0)
+ microSD
32GB / 64GB (UFS 2.0)
+ microSD
Display 5.1-inch 2560x1440 SAMOLED 5.5-inch 2560x1440 SAMOLED
Dual Edge
Dimensions 148.8 x 75.0 x 9.9 mm
185 grams
142.4 x 69.6 x 7.9 mm
152 grams
150.9 x 72.6 x 7.7 mm
157 grams
Modem Qualcomm X12 (Integrated)
2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 12/13)
Snapdragon 820:
Qualcomm X12 (Integrated)
2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 12/13)

Exynos 8890:
Samsung Shannon 935
2G / 3G / 4G LTE (Category 12/13)
SIM Size NanoSIM
Front Camera 5 MP, f/1.7, auto HDR
Rear Camera 12 MP, Sony IMX260 Exmor RS, 1.4μm, f/1.7, PDAF, OIS, auto HDR, object tracking autofocus, LED flash
Battery 4000mAh
non-replaceable
3000mAh (11.55 WHr)
non-replaceable
3600mAh (13.86 WHr)
non-replaceable
Connectivity 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2x2 MU-MIMO, BT 4.2, NFC, GPS/GNSS, microUSB 2.0
Launch OS Android 6 with TouchWiz
Battery Charging wireless charging (WPC 1.1 & PMA 1.0), Fast Charging
Fingerprint Sensor Yes, touch
Launch Price
(No Contract)
$795 USD $650+ USD $750+ USD

What really sets the Galaxy S7 active apart from Samsung’s other phones, however, is its improved durability. It retains the S7’s IP68 rating that makes it dust tight and allows for immersion in water up to 5 feet for up to 30 minutes. There's an additional protective polycarbonate layer on top of the screen, which eliminates the stress concentrations that result from scratches, increasing the shatter resistance of the cover glass.

Samsung also claims the S7 active passes the U.S. Military Standard (MIL-STD) 810G tests for a ruggedized phone, including those for exposure to high and low temperatures, salt fog, humidity, and shock, which entails dropping the phone in different ways onto two inches of plywood over concrete from a height of at least four feet.

While discussing the Galaxy S7 active, Samsung stressed its emphasis on enterprise customers with the phone’s security and productivity features. It still has the same touch-based fingerprint sensor as the S7 for authentication and also includes Samsung's Knox security suite that allows for the separation of work and personal content, in addition to other security-focused features.

The larger 4000mAh battery should help the S7 active last longer than the regular version. The battery is not swappable, but it still supports Samsung's fast charging technology and wireless charging to help get the phone back into action more quickly.

Like previous active phones, the Galaxy S7 active will be an AT&T exclusive. It will be offered in three different colors—Cammo Green, Titanium Gray, Sandy Gold—and will be available for purchase online or in AT&T stores on June 10. Pricing is $26.50 for 30 months with an AT&T Next plan or $33.13 a month for 24 months with an AT&T Next Every Year plan.

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  • zeeBomb - Monday, June 6, 2016 - link

    Holy hell. Is faster RAM more beneficial though? What are the good things about it? But 3600mhz...

    Sweet lord baby Jesus.
  • stepz - Monday, June 6, 2016 - link

    I hope the polycarbonate layer is replaceable, because it will scratch a lot more readily compared to Gorilla glass. Doubly so due to intended usage in harsh conditions.
  • Murloc - Tuesday, June 7, 2016 - link

    I don't think rugged phones are for people worried about a single scratch.
  • ImSpartacus - Monday, June 6, 2016 - link

    I find it interesting that they advertise the battery capacity in mAh. I wonder if the battery uses a more rugged 3.7V chemistry to allow it to age better.

    That'd still be an impressive 14.8 WHr battery, but the whole thing is just curious.
  • CoreLogicCom - Tuesday, June 7, 2016 - link

    Seriously? Another phone I'd buy but there's no way in hell I would switch to ATT for it. Samsung, you are idiots to the extreme. Make every damn device you make available to every carrier. you might actually sell more devices that way instead of giving your buddy ATT a BJ.
  • Belard - Thursday, June 9, 2016 - link

    If there was a Samsung phone that should have had a replaceable battery, it should have been this one. :(

    At least it doesn't have a glass back!
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