Samsung has a long history of launching rugged phones. Its Active lineup, which consists of slight variations on the Galaxy S flagship smartphone lineup, aims to make a high-end phone, which typically focuses on build over longevity (at least these days, thanks to dropping plastic). The Active lineup keeps what it can in design, but makes necessary decisions to ensure the handset is physically tougher.
That means while Samsung probably doesn't want yo auto drop your Galaxy S8, thanks in part to that curved display, the Galaxy S8 Active can hopefully survive a fall where the flagship model might not. The option is worthwhile, especially for folks who simply want a high-end phone.
Or there are those rugged cases out there.
Accessories exist to make a phone a bit tougher when it comes to drops and what not. They used to be pretty expensive, but, thankfully, time has dropped those price tags quite a bit. You can pick up screen protectors, which are designed to break instead of your display breaking. And then there are the cases, of which there are plenty. Some have slimmed down, still aiming to get that protection without being too bulky, while others are indeed adding bulk to make sure the phone inside doesn't suffer any cracks or breaks.
We recently saw the Galaxy S8 Active leak out, and it shows a pretty nice looking phone. Some had assumed the device would add physical buttons below the display, a change from the all-glass front of the Galaxy S8 before it, but that appears to not be the case. The bezels are bigger and the display isn't curved. But there aren't any physical buttons below the display, which is a nice touch.
The Galaxy S8 Active's specifications will probably be high-end, too, even if the rumor mill hasn't given us much to go on. We've heard it will have a 5.8-inch display, and that it will probably have a battery that measures in at 4000mAh -- which is 1000mAh bigger than the battery present in the Galaxy S8. That's a big boost, and one that Galaxy S8 owners probably wish they could have.
Phones are designed to catch our eye, and the eyes of passers-by. One might argue that a handset like the Galaxy S8 Active, while still boasting a big, beautiful display, doesn't look as good as the Galaxy S8 itself. (We just have leaked images to go on at this point, too, so maybe that changes with the real deal.) So it's an interesting decision to make for someone who also wants to make sure their phone is protected.
They can wait for the Active variant, which Samsung appears to be sticking with after all these years, or they can put a case and screen protector on their phone. I'm curious about which decision you've made, if you've made it. Do you put a case on your phone at all? Let me know!
