The extra-rugged Galaxy S8 Active is looking pretty certain
Documents on Samsung's website mention the Galaxy S8 Active, which is the closest we've gotten to an official announcement.
The Infinity Display on the Samsung Galaxy S8 may give the phone a premium look and feel, but more screen also means more potential for ugly cracks. A tougher S8 may be exactly what us accident-prone people need, and it's looking more likely than ever that an "Active" version of the phone is on the way.
Why so certain? Documents mentioning the Galaxy S8 Active have appeared on Samsung's official website. We'd heard previous reports that Samsung was working on the S8 variant and that it could be another AT&T exclusive, but these docs (which mention AT&T apps, by the way) makes it that much closer to being official.
For those unfamiliar, Samsung has a tradition of releasing "Active" versions of its phones and tablets, which feature better drop, dust and water resistance. They may not have the same sleek look as their non-Active counterparts — the Galaxy S7 Active is bulkier and has more physical buttons than the Galaxy S7 — but they give you the same Galaxy experience with the added peace of mind of having a less fragile phone.
The documents don't say anything about when the S8 Active will arrive, but historically, Samsung's Active phones have come out in either June or July. If that trend continues, perhaps the phone will be announced in time for your pool parties and beach trips.
CNET put the regular S8 and S8 Plus through a drop test and found that the huge display, rear casing, and frame were all susceptible to cracking or dents. You could always buy a screen protector or case, but the big curved edge-to-edge display may prove difficult to protect — it's also given rise to goofy cases like this. With Samsung's Active phones, it's kind of like the case is built into your device.
Although we don't know what the S8 Active will look like yet, Samsung's documents give us an idea of some of the apps and features the phone will get. Among the list are features like Bixby Home/Vision, Samsung's Always on Display, Samsung Pay, and Samsung's DeX turn-your-phone-into-a-desktop docking station.
Samsung declined to comment for this story.
Via SamMobile
