Specs and images for the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active have leaked out of Vietnam. The rugged Galaxy S7 variant has a rounded mixed rubber and polycarbonate frame to replace the metal one on the S7, along with physical buttons and a camouflage design.
Samsung has done very well with its latest flagship smartphone coupling, the Samsung Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge. The company just reported robust operating profits for its mobile division, and attributed them to stellar sales figures for the new devices. Since the introduction of its now-ancient predecessor, the Galaxy S4, Samsung has also included a more rugged "Active" version in its Galaxy S lineup, and this year is shaping up to be no exception.
Images of the purported Galaxy S7 Active have now leaked out of Vietnam, and considering the fact that much of Samsung's mobile manufacturing occurs in that region, there's a very good chance the photos are legit. The pics show a thick black rubber bumper completely surrounding the unit, the back of which appears to be made of polycarbonate as opposed to the current glass and metal combo on the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge.
The capacitive touch buttons are replaced with physical ones, as has been the case with all models in the Active series, like 2014's AT&T Samsung Galaxy S5 Active and Sprint's variant, the Galaxy S5 Sport. What differs most from previous models appears to be the rubberized frame protection that maintains the rounded appearance of the regular model. The Galaxy S6 Active was rendered more angular, while the earlier Active models maintained the square appearance of their counterparts.
The Galaxy S7 Active will reportedly pack a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 chip and contain 4 GB of LPDDR4 RAM (just like the Galaxy S7 and S7 edge). The phone will of course sport IP 68 certification for water-resistance and dustproofing, as this year even the regular S7 models are rocking this feature. However, the Active model is rumored to actually meet military drop-damage standards this time around.
We may also expect a choice of one or two solid colors in addition to the camouflage option pictured. The images also show AT&T branding on the new Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, which is consistent with prior years in which the carrier had the exclusive rights to the rugged variant. Samsung also introduced a Sprint-branded Galaxy S5 Sport with very similar specs and design to the Active in 2014, but no such model was repeated for the Galaxy S6 line on Sprint's network.
Are you planning on buying the Samsung Galaxy S7 Active, and do you think Sprint should launch its own variant? Please let us and our readers know in the comments below.
