Galaxy S7 active Comprehensive Review

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TL;DR IS LOCATED AT THE VERY BOTTOM

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The following review is my take on the Galaxy S7 active. I've divided this review into several categories that I feel highlight the important features in a cell phone, and I've given each section a grade from one to ten, with one being low and ten being the highest. I then go into detail about why I graded it as such. I don't have any pictures since my phone IS my camera, and I don't know a thing about video editing, so I've resorted to simply typing out my thoughts. We live in an age of Youtube so the chances of someone reading this thing in its entirety is slim to none, but this is my way of repaying the community for helping me in the only way I know how. If it helps just one person I'll consider it a success. This is strictly my opinion based on my personal usage of the device. As of this writing I am using Android version 7.0, Nougat. 

 

Disclaimer

I live in the United States in a fairly big city, so comments on call quality and data speeds should viewed with that information. I'm not an Internet warrior and mainly use my phone for calls, texts and general Internet use (Netflix, Youtube, etc). I don't do Facebook, SnapChat, Instagram, Twitter or really any social media site. I've owned this phone for four months now, and feel like the honeymoon phase is over with and I can now look at the phone with unbiased eyes. We all know new phones perform fine and we tend to be forgiving of them early on, but I'm someone who keeps his phones for years so longevity is very important to me. I'm not one who wants to switch every year to the newest device; just as some people use cars until the wheels fall off, sometimes literally, I tend to use my devices for as long as possible.

 

The following categories are in no particular order.

 

Build Quality | 10/10

Possibly one of the most important categories I personally look for, this phone is built extremely well. It feels solid in the hand and has some weight to it, something I like in a phone. The delicate features of the original S7 was a turn off for me, and I was afraid I'd have to handle it like an egg - or submit and buy a case which defeats the whole purpose of a good looking phone. Alongside its IP68 rating it also carries a Mil-Spec certification as well so it's resistant to shock, temperature, water, dust, high elevation and life in general. In the beginning of its life cycle Samsung goofed and didn't give its early models a proper IP68 rating, so many failed water tests done by third party testers. Luckily my model, built in September of 2016, passed with flying colors as I tested it myself within the first week. Samsung has since said that the models built now are properly certified.

 

It's not indestructible, no phone is, but it is taking several steps in the right direction in being rugged without compromising its aesthetic appeal or performance. Its specs mirror the original S7 and the battery even gets a bump, so some would argue it's the better option overall. The rubber corners, where the phone is most likely to strike the ground, is a nice touch as well as the premium feeling metal sides. The backing is plastic but doesn't feel cheap and it meshes with the frame very nicely. It just feels very solid and even after a few drops of my own it hasn't skipped a beat. The camera is flush with the back, not protruding like on the original S7, so that should aid in preventing damage. The buttons are have a tactile feel and are very responsive.

 

I watched JerryRigEverything on Youtube stress this device, physically at least, and I was impressed with how it stood up to punishment. Samsung won me over with the effort they put into this device and trying to make it more rugged than its cousin. Other models that claim 'ruggedness' either looked absolutely horrid, or compromised on specs and Android version. The active seemed to fit the bill for what I was looking for in a phone, and should go far in ensuring it lasts me for beyond two years.

 

 

Battery | 8/10

Though technically a new device by Lithium Ion standards, this battery is quite the monster for my day to day activities. I already mentioned I'm not much of an Internet warrior, and am a light user considering the rest of my generation who seems to be glued to their device every minute of every day. I've had zero issues getting through an entire day and have even been charging my device every other day for several weeks now. Technical reports put this battery's charge cycles around two hundred, so I do not fear of approaching that number anytime soon. At the end of a single day I'm anywhere from fifty to sixty percent - at the end of the second day it's around twenty. A solid battery in my opinion. It's only downside is it is not user removable, or at least is not intended to be (we all it know it can but was not intended by Samsung to be). I consider a removable battery a plus in making sure a phone lasts as long as possible, since even the best sealed-battery will eventually die, forcing the user to buy a completely new device. With the much lower cost of a new battery, a phone could continue chugging along as long as the hardware and software keep up.

 

But this was a downside I swallowed, due to the other pros of the device that I felt outweighed this one shortcoming. Reports about today's Lithium Ion show them lasting for as many as four years! So I felt justified in my purchase. In addition, I do utilize the quick charge feature of my phone. Some quick research has shown me that quick charge, while handy in a pinch, degrades the battery quicker over time. It's slight I admit, but since I plan to use this device as long as possible, I feel I need to squeeze every ounce out of this device. Even so, I can go from completely dead to full charge in about two hours. That's plenty fast for me, especially for someone who plugs their phone in overnight. The technology of today also prevents overcharge, so I do not fear degrading my battery through that avenue. All in all it's got plenty of juice for me, but lacks the ability to be easily swapped. However it's difficult to make a rugged phone that isn't sealed, so I understand Samsung's decision.

 

Display | 9/10

Size is important to me as I have fairly small hands for a man. For scale, my wedding ring size is a seven. Consequently it is extremely difficult to find a flagship device that is sub 5.5 inches, which is at the peak of what I consider to be able to be handled with one hand. And even that is a stretch. I know I am in a small minority here that wants a small phone, so I consider it somewhat lucky that this device even exists. It is not an issue to wield this phone one handed and I can do it with ease. But more than size the display itself is also quite interesting. Samsung decided to put a light coating of plastic over the Gorilla Glass to aid in shatter protection. Of course we all know the downside of plastic: scratches. So, a ten dollar screen protector solved that issue and I now own a shatter AND scratch resistant device. Very cost-effective in my book.

 

As an added note, I personally recommend a film protector as opposed to a tempered glass one. I know TG is all the rage but you'll be swapping it out constantly, especially if you drop your phone often, as it's extremely fragile overall. It's great for protecting your screen, but when your phone comes equipped with a plastic coating already, adding another layer seems redundant and unnecessary. My wife has the same phone and has gone through three of them - each small drop introduces a crack which soon develops into a spider-web even without dropping it a second time. My film protector on the other hand handles drops like a champ and is smudge and fingerprint resistant as well. With the plastic coating underneath plus the Gorilla Glass as a final layer before the digitized one, I feel extremely confident in its ability to withstand drops. Best ten dollars I ever spent.

 

The resolution prevents this category from a perfect score - and again I know I'm in a minority. I feel that 1440p in a smartphone is ridiculous and is not necessary. A 1080p display is plenty for a five inch screen and would aid in extending the already great battery life. I agree it looks great but at what cost? Side by side I'm hard pressed to really see a difference unless I plant my face against the screen. Look, AMOLED 1440p is pretty and sharp but not necessary in my opinion, and would feel that a 1080p screen would be just as crisp and beautiful when viewed from normal viewing angles. But again, I'm a minority and honestly this doesn't detract from the overall device. It's more of me nitpicking.

 

Touch reception has been fairly accurate and brightness is acceptable. I leave the bar on automatic and it is a good judge on what is appropriate for lighting. There are zero dead pixels and no bleed that I can see on the edges.

 

Performance | 8/10

Here I was expecting the same stutter-free experience touted by the original S7, but this was not the case at least with my device. True, I am using a skin on top of Samsung's own but with powerhouse specs I can't imagine that straining the system too much. Let's be clear firstly, it's not terrible. Definitely usable and overall not noticeable. But on occasion I can't help but feel it lag when it closes some applications, or in opening them, or switching between several different ones. Text can sometimes take a second or two to register in the messaging app, and more than once a freeze has occurred. Kinda annoying, especially with an eight hundred dollar phone, but it hasn't gotten to the point where I would take it back. Again, I don't game or do very much that's CPU or GPU intensive, so I can't imagine why performance is an issue at all. But it does what I need it to do so overall I can't complain too much, just would like it noted that this device doesn't seem to perform like its classier cousin.

 

Camera | 10/10

I know most Youtubers who review cell phones have a digital hardon for this category but I do not. I take some pictures of my cat and the occasional family photo. They all turn out crisp and clear and are more than satisfactory for me. I don't understand why companies spend so much money and time on the camera of a PHONE, or why tech Youtubers seem to just LOVE talking about this area as if we're all professionals that demand the best. I understand there are those that do use their phone as their camera and therefore want the best, but that honestly can't be the majority can it? Selfies and Instagram pics do not require the amount of time and money that goes into phone cameras nowadays. Again, my opinion, and I realize I'll probably take flak for it but there it is. Having said that, it gets high marks for snapping pics quite quickly and having a wide array of options to customize your pictures and videos.

 

Audio | 9/10

I consider this device a phone first and a multimedia outlet second. Therefore audio quality is perfectly acceptable for my day to day activities. The speaker is loud when contacts are talking, and doesn't seem to get very 'tinny' at high volumes. Youtube videos sound decent and even the tiny speaker can get quite loud. If course it fires downwards and has zero bass, but I don't use this device for its stellar audio qualifications. This category was also the least considered when searching for a phone, as I knew that even if used I'd be more likely to use headphones for anything related to music or movie watching, so the downward firing speaker is rarely used at all except for the occasional phone conversation. Preference is of course front firing, which is why it is just shy of a perfect score, but overall is excellent for what I need it for.

 

Connectivity | 9/10

The second most thought about category for me, this phone receives high marks in my book. I'm one of the few millennials that uses their phone for actual conversations, and there have been zero issues in that area. People come in loud and clear and I'm told I sound quite good on the other end. Even in some rural areas of where I live I still manage 4G LTE and decent coverage. It's a GSM phone so I know I can go basically anywhere with it, and will be easier to switch carriers as long as I don't go to Verizon or Sprint. Wireless protocols are also very good, sporting Bluetooth 4.2 which is the second latest version, Wi-Fi has been stable and speedy and uses the latest AC standard, and switching between cell data and Wi-Fi has been hassle free. Sometimes previous phones just wouldn't know when to ditch a bad Wi-Fi signal but this one switches basically the second the Wi-Fi becomes unusable. Connecting to my car's SYNC feature, as well as a Bluetooth headset, was painless and has operated quite well overall.

 

The only thing I don't like is that it's an AT&T exclusive; if for whatever I did want to switch to Big Red, I wouldn't be able to use this device (unofficially it would probably work but there wouldn't be a guarantee because it's a GSM device and not a CDMA). Its wireless bands are also only used by AT&T so piggy-backing off other bands in areas where AT&T is lacking won't occur, as was the case in my DROID Turbo which could basically use any signal known to man. Again unofficially most of this probably won't matter, but the lack of support elsewhere is off-putting to me. But realistically I'll be a customer of theirs for quite some time, so I really can't fault it too much. It excels in this area where AT&T dominates, which my city does, so overall it's been great.

 

Software | 7/10

I don't like Touchwhiz. I'm sorry but I just don't. I consider it too pretty and introduces too many 'helpful' enhancements to Android that I consider in the way. But, I am able to skin it to something that is more pleasant to my eyes, so all is not lost. I did come from Motorola's DROID Turbo which was about as close to stock as one could get before the Pixel came out. I guess I got spoiled. But I knew this going in and just like with the non-removable battery, considered it justified in favor of the phone's other pros. Along with the software, AT&T bloatware is about terrible as one could get with a phone. THERE IS SO MUCH! I thought Verizon was bad but holy hell this thing is bulging at the waist. So many useless apps that I actually created a folder for them - all TEN of them! Now this may be subjective as some may find these apps a godsend, but they bug the hell out of me.

 

One day I'd like a phone with practically nothing on it so the user installs just what they want, kinda like a zeroed out HDD. It'll never happen but I can dream right?

 

Miscellaneous | N/A

Some things I couldn't really place into a category by itself. The buttons for example are physical and not capacitive or resistive, and that is a love it or hate it relationship. I personally don't mind it at all but did wish Samsung would have bothered to light them up so they can be better managed in the dark. The active key is nice as it can be programmed to open almost whatever you want. The fingerprint reader, something I never thought I'd use, is fast and accurate. There have been some Youtubers complaining at how slow it is but I don't know what they're talking about it. It's been extremely quick for me. The sensor for adjusting light can easily be blocked, forcing the phone to dim even in well lit areas. I would have preferred USB-C as opposed to Micro-USB but it wasn't a deal breaker.

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TL;DR

Samsung has paired decent specs and an aesthetically pleasing (subjective of course) device into the rugged category. It's small enough for small hands, can withstand the occasional drop and/or dip into water. It gets a bigger battery than its sexier S7 cousin and has a plastic coating on the screen to aid in shatter resistance. It'll do everything the original S7 can do and more. It's minor cons are mostly subjective - a less than ideal OS experience with Touchwhiz, enough bloatware to choke a donkey, and somewhat lackluster performance considering what is under the hood. But its additional Mil-Spec rating ensures a device that can take quite a beating.

 

Overall I'd recommend this device. It's meant to tackle life and come away still smiling. You won't have to handle it like an egg and is made for those on the go, or who happen to work outside the office environment. It can still break of course but you'll have to work it at. It's small but mighty and seems to fit the bill if you're like me and want a phone to last more than a year.