GALAXY S4 Active - a smartphone for a better life
You do not like the glossy plastic GALAXY S4? Do you prefer the Japanese manufacturer because of the dust and moisture-proof smartphones? Do not like the "acid" colors AMOLEd? Samsung has heard your voices and created such a wonderful device:
Meet GALAXY S4 Active. Not afraid of sand and water, does not burn eyes and does not know performance problems. And he also makes great shots and has something that many on Habré are missing: the hardware buttons on the front panel. So, two weeks, nasty weather and S4 Active ... let's go!
From the moment of the first leaks and before the announcement, I carefully followed this model: I did not buy the fourth galaxy - I had a Nexus 4 and it almost completely suited me. It’s just the thought that Samsung will launch its top smartphone in a similar design seemed interesting to me (and I sincerely hoped that, unlike the situation with the S4 Camera and S4 Mini, this device will receive the same “guts” as its parent). Already the third generation of devices, the global industrial giant hailing from South Korea remains true to several things: a plastic case, an AMOLED screen, a removable battery, a slot for a memory card, and a great camera.
')
Regarding the first and second traditions, of course, there are different opinions, but I do not see any particular advantages in a metal or glass case. They look gorgeous, of course, but in the case of HTC, we once again received some sort of compromise, and in the case of Sony, weird selection of components. Here (in S4 Active) two significant drawbacks were eliminated, for which the original GALAXY S4 didn’t like so much on Habré: the glossy case and the “boring” appearance. Has the smartphone become better? Now we find out.
I got the smartphone without packaging, so I didn't appreciate the complete set, on the other hand, what could be special there? Headphones in body color? :) By the way, there are three colors to choose from: gray, red and blue:
Perhaps, later, black and white versions will appear, although I would have bet on a “protective” color. He would definitely find his audience. Well, okay - not in color because happiness.
With the protection from dust and water came the new design features reflected in the design of the case itself. The device has a rather obvious tangible "frame", on the basis of which the remaining elements are held.
The back panel, oddly enough, opens in the same way as the S II, S III or S4: regular latches, no additional key lock or screws / bolts. The main difference is a special seal that protects the valuable stuffing from the effects of harsh environmental conditions.
The upper and lower end have received plastic fragments from a very soft-touch soft-touch plastic containing corrugation on the main surface. The screw holes are covered with aluminum decorative inserts. I do not know how the photo, but live looks great:
The headphone jack is not protected by a “gag” (a church choir should sound here, singing “Hallelujah!”), But protected from the destructive effects of the aquatic environment. How - I do not know, but the fact can not but rejoice. The constant romp with rubber plugs on Sony devices I have never personally pleased.
The bottom edge contains a microUSB covered with a curtain.
Well, here without it, apparently, can not do nothing - let it be. Although it was possible to come up with some kind of custom port for charging / transferring data (necessarily double-sided, so it was all the same how to insert): I want to - use it, forgot the cable / came to visit - open the cap, here is your microUSB. And the wolves are safe and the sheep are fed.
On the side faces, everything is like in the best houses: the lock button on the right, on the left is the volume swing. The distance from the edge is optimal, the buttons themselves are comfortable to the touch, the “click” is confident, spring-loaded and clear. The same can be said about the buttons on the front side: clear, neat, comfortable. You do not accidentally click, but for a “deliberate” pressing a very clear tactile interaction is left. Nice in one word.
This time, I think you can do without performance tests. The LTE-version of the smartphone was taken as a basis (it is also sold in Google Play in the Pure Google version) - it means there are all modern wireless interfaces, almost 2 GHz on four cores of the Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 GB of memory, Adreno 320 video core and excellent performance. all fronts without any gaps in compatibility with games and software.
Here are a few screenshots with benchmarks from the open spaces of the network for fans of digital cameras, but I have nothing more to say here.
Software, in principle, is no different from that in S4: the same TouchWiz with two-pane mode, a good set of "useful", a bit of crapware and a bunch of funny things with Hover Touch'em. On Habré was a review of the four, there everything is described in detail.
If habr again gobbled up timecode - about the software told from 3:27
All the characteristics more or less correspond to the LTE version of GALAXY S4: one day autonomy, performance, multitasking, and embedded applications. What do competitors have?
HTC does not have a dustproof, waterproof model in the range, and the top HTC One recently overlooked the Flagman . Buttons (especially volume) are terrible. The battery, according to tradition, is smaller than that of classmates. Memory cards? Forget it. No, the screen, of course, is cool, and the idea with “ultra-pixels” has the right to life ... But ... In general, as usual.
Sony, oddly enough, this year did not put in the flagship before last generation piece of iron, as it was with the past two smartphones, who occupied the "head" position in the range. Z-ka came out very balanced, although with, to put it mildly, not the best screen for the flagship. And as for the updates (and their proprietary software), they raise questions that I can not answer: I do not own the Z-ki, and none of those familiar with this phone is not. Suit to make braking a quad-core kvalk in the launcher and the main menu - you had to try it.
LG has Optimus G, there is G pro, and neither one nor the other direct competitors for S4 Active are not. Both smartphones are not bad, but today we are not talking about them: one in the 720p generation, and the second one should rather compete with the Note II, since it is close in size to it closely. Let's wait for G2, and then we'll see.
Samsung, oddly enough, to itself a competitor with a set of a wide variety of devices, and the main opponent Active will, perhaps, the usual version of GALAXY S4. Why? It's simple: differences in some aspects of both hardware and external + unhealthy pricing in Russia.
Finally, the most interesting thing: what distinguishes the Active Galaxy from the "Passive"? :)
First, the S4 Active has a PLS screen. Yes, AMOLED'a not. What does this mean for users? Opt-out PenTile - one, excellent color rendition - two, excellent viewing angles - three, the screen does not blind in the sun - four. True, it also didn’t go without minuses: they are due to the IPS / PLS technology itself: the black color gives a little purple to the maximum brightness (very noticeable when the device is loaded and doesn’t strain at all during everyday use), slightly higher power consumption (to the point of error, but the effect, however, is noticeable), changing shades when the brightness of the display changes (which, in principle, is quite normal for a smartphone).
Secondly, S4 Active has a different camera module: the maximum frame resolution is limited to 8 megapixels, not 13, as in the usual four. In principle, it practically does not affect the quality, and it’s okay - but the pictures weigh less.
Thirdly, S4 Active has differences in the built-in software, designed to work in the water: the camera has a special mode, the control is transferred to the hardware keys, the smartphone does not have only a mechanical trackpad. I do not know why, but it would be possible, for example, to read the beloved Habr under water.
For the camera should speak her pictures. But since S4 Active is not just a "camera phone", then the attitude to this section will be slightly different.
I am sincerely convinced that Samsung has the best app for the camera from all that I have seen on Android smartphones. With ergonomics, of course, there are problems, to go far away to manual settings, but the local application has a number of ready-made presets with which, in theory, it’s not necessary to go into the settings (of which, by the way, plenty). There are not many useful modes, but we will look at them all in order:
Auto mode: regular frames with fully automatic settings. Basic, simple, makes good frames:
Underwater mode: switches the camera to control the volume keys, disables autofocus by touch. To remove the bottom of the bath is somehow not comme il faut, but to find a sufficiently transparent reservoir in our latitudes is still a task. An example of underwater photography (if you can call it that) will be in the video section. :)
Night mode: photos with long exposure, image stabilization and no flash:
Normal mode without flash
HDRi mode
Night mode
Sports mode: the choice of one of several shots taken in a very short period of time, is no different from a serial shooting, except that it is not necessary to remove unsuccessful doubles manually.
Panorama:
The only noticeable cant is a bench that was too close. Or I moved the phone too fast.
Panorama turned out more than 360 degrees. :)
"Time Machine": a long shot of one scene with the ability to remove the "extra" (passing cars, people, moving objects), perfectly demonstrated in the video:
HDRi:
HDRi free
HDRi
HDRi free
HDRi
Animated photo: hybrid photo and video frame. Part of the frame will be fixed, part - will move. The tool is interesting, but it seemed a little raw.
Drama Shot: storyboard sports (and not only sport) events. Convenient, simple, cool mode for capturing all that implies an active lifestyle.
Photo with sound: no comments. Photograph and a fragment of ambient sounds. Probably, it is very atmospheric, but I was not hooked. Yes, and compatibility problems may be: not all the same fourth galaxy.
Well, there are three modes that I don’t want to describe in detail: quick-fire, the “best shot” mode and the “face enhancer” mode. If the burst is at least something good, then the rest can be safely sent to the marketing department.
Perhaps more than a photo shoot, I was pleased with the video:
In addition to all of the above, the camera is perfectly geotagging, and a special application is able to combine photos into “photo albums”, grouped by appearance, date and place. Perhaps the function is not of paramount importance, but the bun is pleasant. I did not think at all that I might like the work of such a utility, but not the same. And it is not clear: either I’m getting old, or this is a really good application, though not often used.
Here is such a review. As you can see, the device is absolutely not afraid of water, drops and scratches, can take pictures, looks great (IMHO, especially against the background of the usual GALAXY S4), and fully, 100% justifies the word Active in its name. It’s hard to believe, but the smartphone snatched me out of the gray everyday life Defolt City, and I regularly went somewhere, just out of a desire to see, and what would happen to the phone if ... I threw it into the water, I used it, like a helmet cam for a bicycle (not the most successful experience, it was necessary to fix the smartphone better, fortunately, it withstood all the ordeals, and I am ashamed to show the results), I just got out of the house at night to check out the vaunted “night” shooting mode. Naturally, there was no miracle, but I would be ashamed to call the result unsatisfactory. In the end, this is a smartphone, not a special camera for shooting night events.
I don’t know how or whom, but I’ve got a smartphone that hooked me. He is not perfect, but he has his charm, a kind of raid ... old school design, or something. A light fragrance from the very times when the fans of Siemens and Noki broke spears in Internet disputes, adherents of Motorola laughed at them, and Samsung made the loudest and brightest phones. (By the way, I have a friend with a samsung folding bed from 6th grade to 5th year of university, and she is still alive).
This is the most long forgotten behind the plastic of high-tech rattles and glass of “stylish” smartphones, the feeling of a reliable, comfortable and soul-made technique and presented me with GALAXY S4 Active ... I don’t want to give back! :)
Well, if you do not have much of my opinion, then this is what all sorts of online publications say about the smartphone:
I agree with something, not with something, but is it really important to you if someone really likes the device?
Meet GALAXY S4 Active. Not afraid of sand and water, does not burn eyes and does not know performance problems. And he also makes great shots and has something that many on Habré are missing: the hardware buttons on the front panel. So, two weeks, nasty weather and S4 Active ... let's go!
LYRICS
From the moment of the first leaks and before the announcement, I carefully followed this model: I did not buy the fourth galaxy - I had a Nexus 4 and it almost completely suited me. It’s just the thought that Samsung will launch its top smartphone in a similar design seemed interesting to me (and I sincerely hoped that, unlike the situation with the S4 Camera and S4 Mini, this device will receive the same “guts” as its parent). Already the third generation of devices, the global industrial giant hailing from South Korea remains true to several things: a plastic case, an AMOLED screen, a removable battery, a slot for a memory card, and a great camera.
')
Regarding the first and second traditions, of course, there are different opinions, but I do not see any particular advantages in a metal or glass case. They look gorgeous, of course, but in the case of HTC, we once again received some sort of compromise, and in the case of Sony, weird selection of components. Here (in S4 Active) two significant drawbacks were eliminated, for which the original GALAXY S4 didn’t like so much on Habré: the glossy case and the “boring” appearance. Has the smartphone become better? Now we find out.
APPEARANCE
I got the smartphone without packaging, so I didn't appreciate the complete set, on the other hand, what could be special there? Headphones in body color? :) By the way, there are three colors to choose from: gray, red and blue:
Perhaps, later, black and white versions will appear, although I would have bet on a “protective” color. He would definitely find his audience. Well, okay - not in color because happiness.
With the protection from dust and water came the new design features reflected in the design of the case itself. The device has a rather obvious tangible "frame", on the basis of which the remaining elements are held.
The back panel, oddly enough, opens in the same way as the S II, S III or S4: regular latches, no additional key lock or screws / bolts. The main difference is a special seal that protects the valuable stuffing from the effects of harsh environmental conditions.
The upper and lower end have received plastic fragments from a very soft-touch soft-touch plastic containing corrugation on the main surface. The screw holes are covered with aluminum decorative inserts. I do not know how the photo, but live looks great:
The headphone jack is not protected by a “gag” (a church choir should sound here, singing “Hallelujah!”), But protected from the destructive effects of the aquatic environment. How - I do not know, but the fact can not but rejoice. The constant romp with rubber plugs on Sony devices I have never personally pleased.
The bottom edge contains a microUSB covered with a curtain.
Well, here without it, apparently, can not do nothing - let it be. Although it was possible to come up with some kind of custom port for charging / transferring data (necessarily double-sided, so it was all the same how to insert): I want to - use it, forgot the cable / came to visit - open the cap, here is your microUSB. And the wolves are safe and the sheep are fed.
On the side faces, everything is like in the best houses: the lock button on the right, on the left is the volume swing. The distance from the edge is optimal, the buttons themselves are comfortable to the touch, the “click” is confident, spring-loaded and clear. The same can be said about the buttons on the front side: clear, neat, comfortable. You do not accidentally click, but for a “deliberate” pressing a very clear tactile interaction is left. Nice in one word.
IRON
This time, I think you can do without performance tests. The LTE-version of the smartphone was taken as a basis (it is also sold in Google Play in the Pure Google version) - it means there are all modern wireless interfaces, almost 2 GHz on four cores of the Snapdragon 600 processor, 2 GB of memory, Adreno 320 video core and excellent performance. all fronts without any gaps in compatibility with games and software.
Here are a few screenshots with benchmarks from the open spaces of the network for fans of digital cameras, but I have nothing more to say here.
SOFT
Software, in principle, is no different from that in S4: the same TouchWiz with two-pane mode, a good set of "useful", a bit of crapware and a bunch of funny things with Hover Touch'em. On Habré was a review of the four, there everything is described in detail.
If habr again gobbled up timecode - about the software told from 3:27
COMPETITORS
All the characteristics more or less correspond to the LTE version of GALAXY S4: one day autonomy, performance, multitasking, and embedded applications. What do competitors have?
HTC does not have a dustproof, waterproof model in the range, and the top HTC One recently overlooked the Flagman . Buttons (especially volume) are terrible. The battery, according to tradition, is smaller than that of classmates. Memory cards? Forget it. No, the screen, of course, is cool, and the idea with “ultra-pixels” has the right to life ... But ... In general, as usual.
Sony, oddly enough, this year did not put in the flagship before last generation piece of iron, as it was with the past two smartphones, who occupied the "head" position in the range. Z-ka came out very balanced, although with, to put it mildly, not the best screen for the flagship. And as for the updates (and their proprietary software), they raise questions that I can not answer: I do not own the Z-ki, and none of those familiar with this phone is not. Suit to make braking a quad-core kvalk in the launcher and the main menu - you had to try it.
LG has Optimus G, there is G pro, and neither one nor the other direct competitors for S4 Active are not. Both smartphones are not bad, but today we are not talking about them: one in the 720p generation, and the second one should rather compete with the Note II, since it is close in size to it closely. Let's wait for G2, and then we'll see.
Samsung, oddly enough, to itself a competitor with a set of a wide variety of devices, and the main opponent Active will, perhaps, the usual version of GALAXY S4. Why? It's simple: differences in some aspects of both hardware and external + unhealthy pricing in Russia.
DIFFERENCES FROM THE "PASSIVE" VERSION S4
Finally, the most interesting thing: what distinguishes the Active Galaxy from the "Passive"? :)
First, the S4 Active has a PLS screen. Yes, AMOLED'a not. What does this mean for users? Opt-out PenTile - one, excellent color rendition - two, excellent viewing angles - three, the screen does not blind in the sun - four. True, it also didn’t go without minuses: they are due to the IPS / PLS technology itself: the black color gives a little purple to the maximum brightness (very noticeable when the device is loaded and doesn’t strain at all during everyday use), slightly higher power consumption (to the point of error, but the effect, however, is noticeable), changing shades when the brightness of the display changes (which, in principle, is quite normal for a smartphone).
Secondly, S4 Active has a different camera module: the maximum frame resolution is limited to 8 megapixels, not 13, as in the usual four. In principle, it practically does not affect the quality, and it’s okay - but the pictures weigh less.
Thirdly, S4 Active has differences in the built-in software, designed to work in the water: the camera has a special mode, the control is transferred to the hardware keys, the smartphone does not have only a mechanical trackpad. I do not know why, but it would be possible, for example, to read the beloved Habr under water.
CAMERA
For the camera should speak her pictures. But since S4 Active is not just a "camera phone", then the attitude to this section will be slightly different.
I am sincerely convinced that Samsung has the best app for the camera from all that I have seen on Android smartphones. With ergonomics, of course, there are problems, to go far away to manual settings, but the local application has a number of ready-made presets with which, in theory, it’s not necessary to go into the settings (of which, by the way, plenty). There are not many useful modes, but we will look at them all in order:
Auto mode: regular frames with fully automatic settings. Basic, simple, makes good frames:
Underwater mode: switches the camera to control the volume keys, disables autofocus by touch. To remove the bottom of the bath is somehow not comme il faut, but to find a sufficiently transparent reservoir in our latitudes is still a task. An example of underwater photography (if you can call it that) will be in the video section. :)
Night mode: photos with long exposure, image stabilization and no flash:
Normal mode without flashHDRi mode
Night mode
Sports mode: the choice of one of several shots taken in a very short period of time, is no different from a serial shooting, except that it is not necessary to remove unsuccessful doubles manually.
Panorama:
The only noticeable cant is a bench that was too close. Or I moved the phone too fast.Panorama turned out more than 360 degrees. :)
"Time Machine": a long shot of one scene with the ability to remove the "extra" (passing cars, people, moving objects), perfectly demonstrated in the video:
HDRi:
HDRi freeHDRi
HDRi free
HDRi
Animated photo: hybrid photo and video frame. Part of the frame will be fixed, part - will move. The tool is interesting, but it seemed a little raw.
Hidden text
Drama Shot: storyboard sports (and not only sport) events. Convenient, simple, cool mode for capturing all that implies an active lifestyle.
Photo with sound: no comments. Photograph and a fragment of ambient sounds. Probably, it is very atmospheric, but I was not hooked. Yes, and compatibility problems may be: not all the same fourth galaxy.
Well, there are three modes that I don’t want to describe in detail: quick-fire, the “best shot” mode and the “face enhancer” mode. If the burst is at least something good, then the rest can be safely sent to the marketing department.
Perhaps more than a photo shoot, I was pleased with the video:
In addition to all of the above, the camera is perfectly geotagging, and a special application is able to combine photos into “photo albums”, grouped by appearance, date and place. Perhaps the function is not of paramount importance, but the bun is pleasant. I did not think at all that I might like the work of such a utility, but not the same. And it is not clear: either I’m getting old, or this is a really good application, though not often used.
THINKING OUT LOUD
Here is such a review. As you can see, the device is absolutely not afraid of water, drops and scratches, can take pictures, looks great (IMHO, especially against the background of the usual GALAXY S4), and fully, 100% justifies the word Active in its name. It’s hard to believe, but the smartphone snatched me out of the gray everyday life Defolt City, and I regularly went somewhere, just out of a desire to see, and what would happen to the phone if ... I threw it into the water, I used it, like a helmet cam for a bicycle (not the most successful experience, it was necessary to fix the smartphone better, fortunately, it withstood all the ordeals, and I am ashamed to show the results), I just got out of the house at night to check out the vaunted “night” shooting mode. Naturally, there was no miracle, but I would be ashamed to call the result unsatisfactory. In the end, this is a smartphone, not a special camera for shooting night events.
I don’t know how or whom, but I’ve got a smartphone that hooked me. He is not perfect, but he has his charm, a kind of raid ... old school design, or something. A light fragrance from the very times when the fans of Siemens and Noki broke spears in Internet disputes, adherents of Motorola laughed at them, and Samsung made the loudest and brightest phones. (By the way, I have a friend with a samsung folding bed from 6th grade to 5th year of university, and she is still alive).
This is the most long forgotten behind the plastic of high-tech rattles and glass of “stylish” smartphones, the feeling of a reliable, comfortable and soul-made technique and presented me with GALAXY S4 Active ... I don’t want to give back! :)
Well, if you do not have much of my opinion, then this is what all sorts of online publications say about the smartphone:
Hidden text
via Mobile-Review
via IXBT.com
via hi-tech.mail.ru
via gagadget
The conclusions are very simple: if you need a powerful smartphone, protected from dust and moisture, and the “Sonnev” devices for some reason do not like them, then you should definitely take a look at GALAXY Active. Otherwise, it makes sense to buy a Sony Xperia Z: also protected, elegant, thin and light, with a slightly more interesting camera and a slightly lower price. If you are not going to drown the phone in a puddle (aka sea / ocean) or play with it in the sandbox, then run behind the original Samsung GALAXY S4 - the coolest camera, contrast screen, light and compact.
via Mobile-Review
The smartphone came out very good in all respects, it is in all senses a top model, but the user doesn’t find any special advantages in terms of security in this model: c GALAXY S4 Active will have to be treated as carefully as with an unprotected original. This is practically the same pampered “city dweller”, which is distinguished by the fact that it can be neatly put into fresh water and taken photographs there. Even on wet fingers, the screen of the phone instantly stops responding, which is officially confirmed by the developers, so in a truly extreme situation, the smartphone may not be very suitable. Thus, we have practically the same Samsung GALAXY S4, only in a different, more attractive case, although preferences for appearance, of course, always remain a matter of taste - someone likes it, someone does not. As for the comparison with the protected smartphones of the Japanese Sony, here there is a parity between the hero of our today's review and the Sony Xperia Z model. Models demonstrate almost the same performance in tests, similar in technical characteristics, although small differences in hardware platforms, the quality of screens and cameras still exist. And yet, by and large, these two smartphones are quite close to each other, so the final choice between them will depend more on the user's “taste” preferences. As for the previous Japanese defended model, Sony Xperia V, then, of course, with Samsung GALAXY S4 Active, it is no longer able to withstand it. According to the characteristics, the Korean smartphone is a head taller than the rival - however, it is more expensive than twice as much, and as far as security is concerned, it is still unknown who is better. At least, we never had any problems with the “wetness” of test samples when testing any of Sony's protected devices.
via IXBT.com
The Samsung GALAXY S4 Active is a serious competitor for Sony's secure smartphones. The model turned out to be very interesting - powerful, pretty and at the same time with full protection from dust and moisture. Among the shortcomings, I can note the poor response of the screen to wet fingers (Sony has implemented this moment better), as well as not the highest quality of the camera. Another controversial point is the GALAXY S4 Active TFT display, which is inferior to the Super AMOLED in the GALAXY S4.
The rest is full order. I especially want to praise the new design - in my opinion, it turned out to be quite successful, after glossy models of the same type it looks just fine, especially in different colors. And the characteristics largely coincide with the flagship GALAXY S4, so they are unlikely to disappoint anyone. It is important that the Koreans did not sacrifice the functionality - there is both an expansion slot and a replaceable battery (by the way, good capacity). In general, the model really deserves attention.
The main competitor is Sony Xperia Z, but this is a previous generation smartphone, and it loses almost everything. If Samsung does not have delays in launching the GALAXY S4 Active to the market, the model will become the most interesting choice for those who want to get a protected advanced smartphone with maximum performance. According to the test results, the model receives a recommendation award from us.
via hi-tech.mail.ru
So, in the text version of the Samsung GALAXY S4 Active review, we found out that the main difference between the device and the flagships of 2013 is an 8-megapixel camera - the rest went to 13 MP. She takes pictures in good quality. We can not say that it is not Super AMOLED, and the TFT-display is much inferior to the other top devices. The direct competitor Sony Xperia Z display is slightly worse in viewing angles, and there is no black color on it at all. However, at the level of top-end devices for most users, the choice between the two models will not lie in the plane of technical characteristics and the minimum difference in price, but in the plane of sympathy for a particular brand or the exterior of the body of a particular model. And anyone who wants a top-end smartphone from Samsung can easily choose between two models - S4 and S4 Active. On the side of the first - the best camera, smaller size (and the best ergonomics, respectively), exotic environmental sensors and price. On the side of the second one is a protected case with a slightly “brutal” appearance and the possibility of underwater shooting that we showed you in this video.
via gagadget
I agree with something, not with something, but is it really important to you if someone really likes the device?
Source: https://habr.com/ru/post/189646/
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