Samsung really knows how to create a range of phones around a brand. This year alone it’s introduced the flagship Samsung Galaxy S4, the S4 Mini, the S4 Zoom and, now, the S4 Active. Each phone has its own strengths to address a different area of the market. That way, Samsung can have a phone for every type of consumer – which is why it sells so many devices.

Samsung says that the Galaxy S4 Active “provides great protection from dust and water”, which sounds remarkably similar to the Sony Xperia Z1 we tested a week ago. Both phones have a high Ingress Protection (IP) rating and they both offer 5-inch 1080P displays – so what are the differences and which phone is better? Read on for our definitive verdict.

Design

Front on, the S4 Active closely resembles its Galaxy S4 cousin, but there are some subtle differences. The Active has physical ‘back’ and ‘menu’ buttons in place of the capacitive ones used on the S4, making it possible to still use them underwater – pretty apt, given the “Dive Blue” colour of our review model.

The microUSB charging port is covered by a flap at the bottom – a part of the waterproofing process, and as such you should remember to close it before attempting any demonstrations to your friends. As much as the waterproofing is an added bonus, the addition of the flap is a constant annoyance that you’ll have to live with every day when charging the phone.

Around the back, the Active drops the 13Mp camera sensor for an 8Mp unit instead. There’s also an attractive set of fake rivets, which helps the rugged image that Samsung is so keen on pushing in this phone’s marketing. All in all, we think the Active actually bests the regular S4 in the looks department, and if you’re looking for something that’s like an S4 but not as common, this is the perfect compromise.

Performance

The S4 Active has the same internals as the LTE version of the standard S4 – and the HTC One, for that matter. Said internals being a Qualcomm Snapdragon 600 Processor and 2GB of RAM. It’s no longer at the top of the smartphone pile, especially when compared to the likes of the Note 3 (LTE version) or the Xperia Z1 which both have the newer, faster Snapdragon 800 processor. For the average user, though, it performs admirably in day-to-day tasks and copes well with the rigours of gaming.

Display

Samsung’s signature Super AMOLED display, used in other models in the Galaxy range, been replaced by a standard TFT LCD display. It’s similar to the one used in the Xperia Z1, but has much better viewing angles. Side-by-side, with the standard S4 at full brightness, the Active appears to have a brighter display and colours that are less saturated. It may not be Super AMOLED, but it’s still a great display for viewing web pages in particular with our review unit giving a greater contrast between whites and blacks which made reading on it even better.

Camera

As we mentioned earlier, the S4 Active sacrifices the 13Mp camera of the original S4 for an 8Mp sensor, but in doing so gains the ability to be able to take photos underwater. A special mode has been added to the camera’s software called ‘Aqua Mode’, and it prompts users to set a volume key as either the video record or image capture button, for capturing underwater imagery. All of Samsung’s camera effects from the original S4 make the cut into the Active, and offer more options than most users will ever need.

Battery Life

The Active has the same 2 600mAh battery found in the standard S4. For heavy users this means swapping batteries during the day (made possible thanks to the removable battery cover). Regular users, on the other hand, may see an entire day of use out of the Active.

Conclusion

The S4 Active may very well be the best phone available at the moment. It has all of the specs that a high end smartphone should have, including LTE, a removable battery and a 1080p display, but it also adds the ruggedisation needed for water and dust proofing – a huge bonus for those who don’t want to baby their devices. The only other phone that offers this selection of features is Sony’s Xperia Z1, but because that phone’s display is limited we would definitely recommend the Active over it any day of the week.

The only detriment to buying a Galaxy S4 Active over the Galaxy S4 proper is the lack of the ADH (Accidental Damage from Handling) warranty that S4 owners will get but considering that the Active is waterproof you’ll just have to be more careful with the phone to avoid screen breakage.