The Galaxy S6 Active is the third iteration in Samsung's Active lineup which began with the Galaxy S4 Active in 2013. While it has been compared every now and then with the latest Galaxy S6 flagship, it would be interesting to also place it side by side with the Galaxy S5 Active which is touted as the tougher version of the Galaxy S5.
Both the Galaxy S6 Active and the Galaxy S5 Active have a screen display that measures 5.1 inches. Since these two models are expected to withstand "water abuse," they have earned the same U.S. Military Standard 810G rating, with the S5 Active having an IP67 while the S6 Active having a slightly higher rating of IP68. The S5 Active claims that it is resistant to fungus, acidic atmosphere and ballistic shock while the S6 Active is resistant to extreme temperature, humidity, and high altitude.
Resistant or not, the fact remains that each of these handsets offer certain level of toughness and tolerance which are naturally expected since they are designed for those who like the outdoors. In other words, no need to worry if one handset offers a different lineup of resistance than the other. However, it may not hurt to also be aware of the difference which could be easily done with a simple trick. The S5 offers the FAB resistance (fungus, acidic atmosphere, ballistic shock) while the S6 offers DETHH (dust, extreme temperature, humidity, high altitude).
It's now time to take a closer look on each of the handsets.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S6 ACTIVE. The S6 Active runs the latest Android 5.0.2 and boasts of a Quad HD Super AMOLED display with a resolution of 2560 by 1440. It features a 16MP rear camera and 5MP front shutter. It measures 5.78 by 2.9 by 0.34 inches and weighs 5.29 ounces. Its most outstanding feature is perhaps the camera's 570 nits of brightness which delivers image brilliance in all types of lighting conditions. It also boasts of true to life colors, spot on color temperature, wide viewing angles and impressive black color reproduction. Other features include the Exynos 7420 Octa-Core 64-bit chipset, 32GB storage which is non-expandable, 3500mAh non-removable battery, and a RAM of 3GB. It's available in colors of white, blue, and gray.
SAMSUNG GALAXY S5 ACTIVE. The S5 Active runs Android 4.4.2 and features a Super AMOLED display of 1920 by 1080. It also has a 16MP rear camera while its front counterpart measures at 2.1MP. Its dimensions are 5.7 by 2.9 by 0.35 inches while the weight is at 6 ounces. Brightness is only measured at 364 nits and it seemed to struggle in capturing images in low-light situations. However, it claims to have the ability of taking pictures while underwater. The back cover of the handset, when removed, reveals the SIM, the microSD card slot and the removable 2800mAh battery. Other features include 2GB RAM, Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor 2.5GHz CPU and 16GB storage which can be expanded up to 128GB.
One interesting difference between the two Active handsets is the micro USB port. The S5 Active has designed its port with a flap wherein the notch faces forward instead of to the side. In the case of the S6 Active, the port is wide open and not covered with the flap. However, users should not worry since it is water resistant.
Each handset has its own unique offerings when compared to the other. There are of course some differences but since they are minor, it will all depend on what the user wants, whether he wants his handset to have a higher IP rating, a higher RAM, a better-performing camera, the type of resistance it offers, and battery. If, by chance, the user thinks that the colors white, blue, and gray are plain and common, then he may be glad to know that the S5 Active also comes in Ruby Red apart from the usual options of Camo/Army Green and Titanium Gray.
