Samsung releases AT&T exclusive Galaxy S5 Active

MANILA, Philippines – When Samsung unveiled its flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S5, back in March, one of the device’s headline features was dust and water resistance.  

By no means was this an innovation. In fact, almost a year prior, it announced the dust and water resistant S4 Active. But by bringing these features from a secondary device to its flagship, it appeared Samsung was following in the footsteps of rival Sony in making weather proofing a standard feature. 

One would also think that with a weather-proof S5 an S5 Active wouldn’t be necessary. But Samsung is determined to add yet another phone to its overcrowded smartphone lineup.

The Korea-based smartphone giant quietly released the Galaxy S5 Active exclusively to AT&T subscribers in the United States. The smartphone is an update to 2013’s S4 Active and retains most of the same features as the new S5, but with a more rugged and shock resistant case. Think of it as an S5 with a built-in Otterbox case. 

Like the S5, the S5 Active has the same 2.5GHz quad-core Snapdragon 801 processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, and a 2800 mAh battery. It also sports the same 16 megapixel camera that can shoot 4K video and with the same Focus Select feature, but without the ultra-fast Contrast Detection Autofocus that was a headline feature on the S5. The S5 Active has the S5’s built-in heart rate monitor but not its fingerprint scanner. 

Unique to the S5 Active is a “convenience key” located on the left hand side of the device above the volume rocker. When pressed, the dedicated button will launch Samsung Activity Zone, an app which contains a compass, stopwatch, and flashlight – meant for outdoor activities. 

The S5 Active is available online at AT&T brick and mortar stores starting at $35.75 per month for 20 months on the AT&T Next 12 plan, $199.99 with a two-year contract, and $714.99 contract free. The phone comes in camp green, titanium gray, and ruby red variants. – Rappler.com