Test: Samsung Galaxy S4 Active - CHIP

The same smartphone in the office and on a weekend getaway in the mountains? Samsung Galaxy S4 Active has a check in all conditions. The manufacturer boasts that hardened casing and screen cover glass Gorilla Glass 2 offers your phone protection from knocks and blows. In addition, it is easy to put up with dust and water, and check in as an underwater camera or camera recording not only the picture but also the sound.

To check whether the announcement of Samsung are not empty promises, dropped down Galaxy S4 Active vertically on a concrete floor from a height of 1.80 m fact, the smartphone has survived, but emerged with scratches on the frame, and besides, the case was knocked back flap . If you plan to wet the phone so you better make sure that the cover is securely fastened. If so, swimming is not for S4 Active any challenges. However, since the headphone jack is free of the casing during the test dive into the cabinet got a little moisture. You should remember that the water does not work touch screen. To be able to record video diving, you have already activated a special underwater mode. In this mode, the recording function to control the hardware buttons are used on the casing. In summary, S4 Active survive stress, but not completely unscathed.

Galaxy S4 in a more robust version was nicknamed Active.

not find a box of accessories useful in the field. There are only headphones, USB cable and charger.

The back cover holds in place a few snaps. By remained tight, you need to close firmly, pressing at a point below the flash. When you hear a click snaps, we can dive.

smartphone is used to power the battery with a capacity of 2600 mAh. Power suffice it to 10.5 hours on the telephone. However, a clear display makes surfing the Web with a maximum light intensity down the battery after 5.5 h

part of the housing Galaxy S4 Active is a metal frame. The evidence falls phone are appearing on the scratches and dents. But beyond that, the device does not receive any damage.

3.5 mm jack is used for connecting a headset. It is not in any way protected from water, but works fine even after bathing.

S4 Active is slightly longer than the normal S4.

Galaxy S4 is equipped with a housing made of polycarbonate and available, inter alia, the white version. The enhanced version is also made of plastic, but the color and texture resembling metal.

Galaxy S4 withstand minor falls without damage.

more serious falls, for example, of the ear, often result in peeling back the cover.

S4 Active is not afraid of water. Control of filming during a special mode allows you to dive underwater and hardware keys.

After swimming we found traces of water in the body. Despite this phone work as before.

-fledged smartphone

Galaxy S4 Active is also a full-featured smartphone. Like a standard S4, installed here pi?ciocalowy Full HD display which, thanks to the pixel density at 440 ppi provides a very clear, sharp images and is ideal for viewing multimedia. The difference appears in the technology of the screen – is used instead of the AMOLED LCD screen. That means more natural color reproduction, which is confirmed by the results of the measurements. The brightness of the external light at 425 cd / m ² is at the same time, 100 cd / m ² higher than the Galaxy S4 – a smartphone designed for use in the outdoors is a big plus. Another noticeable at first glance, the difference is hardware buttons at the touch.

8 instead of 13 megapixels

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is equipped with a camera of 8 megapixel. At daylight he makes beautiful images with natural colors and decent contrast. Artificial light causes but ugly, yellow-red discoloration known from other smartphones Samsung. When the theme is dark, the photos show a clear sound. In addition, the test images are not clear enough. In total darkness, the LED matrix supports acting as a flash that surprisingly strong and evenly illuminates the area of ??the frame. Optical Image Stabilizer makes it easy to capture Full HD clips to maintain clarity. To the internal memory with a capacity of about 12 GB is not filled up too quickly photos and videos, we have a MicroSD memory card slot.

Photo taken in the laboratory in daylight. As the camera with 8-megapixel, photograph taken in daylight look good. The image is sharp enough, has natural colors and an appropriate level of contrast.

Photo taken in the laboratory under artificial light. Also in artificial light sharpness and contrast is not a problem, there is not a typical smartphone yellow discoloration. It worsens the appearance of photographs and evidence of incorrect white balance adjustment.

Photo taken in the laboratory in low light. The photograph taken in low light in the eyes stings a clear sound. The picture is not too clear enough.

Photo taken in the laboratory in the dark, with flash. The advantage of the Active Galaxy S4 is strong flash, well Illuminates frame when shooting in the dark.

Pictures taken in the open air is crisp, but the camera can not cope when shooting against the light.

Performance and Operating System

heart Galaxy S4 Active is a 600 Qualcomm Snapdragon processor clocked at 1.9 GHz, already known from the standard Galaxy S4. Most of the time guarantees the smooth operation of the system – just when you open your contact list or switching workspaces with many widgets there are slight delays. Overall performance is at a good level. The smartphone runs on Android 4.2.2 with TouchWiz overlay, which included many features that we’ve seen in the Galaxy S4, including CityLife and Airview. This is Samsung’s designers did not go any compromises.

battery and acoustics

battery has a capacity of 2600 mAh and can withstand 10.5 h dial – a good result. Bright screen unfortunately reduces surfing time. At full brightness it is only 5.5 hours, but you can extend it by reducing the intensity of the backlight. During a call the caller’s voice is unpleasant metallic, but it is well understood in a noisy environment. The same applies to the speakerphone. When it comes to communication capabilities, the Galaxy S4 Active there is nothing to be ashamed of. With modules, NFC, WLAN (802.11ac), Bluetooth 4.0, LTE and Dual Carrier HSPA (up to 42 Mb / s) the phone is equipped with all the interfaces we expect from high-end models.

Alternative: Sony Xperia Z

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active costs at online stores about 2300 z?. In less than 2000 gold but you can already buy the Sony Xperia, equipped with a chic design covered with a hard glass. The Xperia is waterproof and resistant to dust, yet surpasses Samsung in terms of quality display and the camera and the working time without recharging. Those who are not faithful fans of Samsung, so they can confidently turn to the Japanese.

Samsung Galaxy S4 – Summary

Samsung Galaxy S4 Active is a successful combination of high-performance components and enhanced housing. This makes it an ideal solution for those who normally spend their time in the office and have to your high expectations. With support for LTE, large display and fast processor Samsung Galaxy S4 Active surely meet them. Taking it in the open air must remember, however, that is not quite as forgiving as one might have expected. Although scored a drop test, but there is a clear case scratches. Active version is at the same time a few hundred dollars more expensive than the standard Galaxy S4, which achieved a better score in the test.

PROS:

LTE, WLAN ac, NFC, Bluetooth 4.0
bright, clear and large display
number of features known from the standard S4
sharp, high contrast images during the day and when you use the flash
robust design, but …

Cons:

Price: 2300 z?

following table presents the technical data and test results.

Warranty [months]	24
class=”xl6527765″> Operating System	Android 4.1.2
class=”xl6527765″> Display size [inch]	5.0
class=”xl6527765″> Overall rating [section.]	93.4
class=”xl6527765″> phone and battery [section.]	94
class=”xl6527765″> Internet [section.]	99
class=”xl6527765″> Multimedia [section.]	89
class=”xl6527765″> Ergonomics [section.]	91
class=”xl6527765″> Store applications [section.]	96
class=”xl6527765″> test date	the 14/08/2013
class=”xl6527765″ Specifications
class=”xl6527765″> Store applications	Google Play
class=”xl6527765″> Radiation SAR [W / kg]	0.26
class=”xl6527765″> Weight [g]	153
class=”xl6527765″> Dimensions L x W x H [mm]	140 x 72 x 10
class=”xl6527765″> Frequency GSM (850/900/1800/1900 MHz)	• / • / • / •
class=”xl6527765″> WLAN	802.11a/g/b/n/ac
class=”xl6527765″> EDGE	yes
class=”xl6527765″> UMTS download speed [Mbps]	42.2
class=”xl6527765″> UMTS upload speed [Mbps]	5.8
class=”xl6527765″> browser that supports Flash	not
class=”xl6527765″> video calls	WLAN and UMTS
class=”xl6527765″> type touch screen	Capacitive
class=”xl6527765″> Multitouch	yes
class=”xl6527765″> response to touch screen	very good
class=”xl6527765″> Display Type	LCD
class=”xl6527765″> Screen Resolution [pixels]	1080 x 1920
class=”xl6527765″> Number of screen colors	16777216
class=”xl6527765″> Voice	yes
class=”xl6527765″> Profile	yes
class=”xl6527765″> push e-mail	yes
class=”xl6527765″> E-mail: Exchange	yes
class=”xl6527765″> Built-in Memory [MB]	12144
class=”xl6527765″> memory card slot	microSD
class=”xl6527765″> USB Version	2.0
class=”xl6527765″> standard connector (micro USB)	yes
class=”xl6527765″> SIM Type	micro
class=”xl6527765″> Bluetooth	4.0
class=”xl6527765″> A2DP Bluetooth	yes
class=”xl6527765″> resolution digital camera [MP]	8
class=”xl6527765″> minimum distance for macro mode, the camera [cm]	7
class=”xl6527765″> Auto Focus	yes
class=”xl6527765″> Video Resolution [pixels]	1080 x 1920
class=”xl6527765″> HDMI	MHL (micro USB to HDMI adapter)
class=”xl6527765″> analog TV output	not
class=”xl6527765″> Audio file formats	MP3, AAC
class=”xl6527765″> Headphone	3.5 mm
class=”xl6527765″> video player	yes
class=”xl6527765″> FM Radio	not
class=”xl6527765″> Navigation: GPS	yes
class=”xl6527765″> Navigation Software	preinstalled
class=”xl6527765″> Software for navigation: full version	yes
class=”xl6527765″> Manufacturer navigation software	Google Maps
class=”xl6527765″> Accessories	USB cable, headphones with a microphone Ear, user manual on CD-ROM or memory card
class=”xl6527765″ test results
class=”xl6527765″> Battery: Talk time [min]	635
class=”xl6527765″> Battery: surfing time [min]	344
class=”xl6527765″> Battery charge time [min]	187
class=”xl6527765″> reflections on the screen (contrast) [1]	4.2
class=”xl6527765″> Brightness [cd / m 2 ]	426
class=”xl6527765″> Contrast (checkerboard) [1]	158
class=”xl6527765″> GPS	yes
class=”xl6527765″> GPS Navigation: time-to-fix [s]	12
class=”xl6527765″> Speed ??USB (100 MB time to load music from your PC) [s]	8