Gadgetory

it's no secret that the latest galaxy s device is one hell of a phone but now there are multiple versions of it the latest being a ruggedized waterproof and overall beefier version of its original brethren is this a galaxy s6 version you should be looking at well before we get into our full review of the phone we explore that question with the Galaxy s6 active versus the galaxy s6 and the s6 edge now it's really important to note that across all the different versions of the galaxy s6 a lot of the features are the same across the board in the s6 active there are some compromises and maybe a few enhancements that are put in but that goes the same for the other two versions as well and for that reason we're going to skip what is similar about these devices like for example and mainly the performance aspect with the exceed knows processors that are among all of these devices and just focus on what is different so make sure you keep that in mind when we're going through this versus video many were quite happy us included to see that Samsung finally moved to a different design material in the s6 and edge with glass and metal adorning them it almost feels like a step back to go all plastic on the s6 active but that would be in hindsight as the active version of the s6 ports a sturdy and beefy build willing to take any punishment and there's plenty that this phone can boast about in protection ip68 certification keeps the phone chugging along even after being submerged in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes and a military-grade seal of approval means the film can resist most weather conditions short of true acts of God but what you might remember most about this phone is that it is shockproof so drops and spills won't be enough to keep the s6 active down as this phone is outfitted for even more than the clumsiest of people can probably dish out contrast that with the fragility of the glass encased s6 and edge whose very thin and seemingly delicate builds make us feel like even a small drop from a hand to a table could cause damage remember in my Essex review how the report routing camera cracked from just falling over since then I've been wary of even small tumbles and of course you shouldn't be spilling water or dunking this phone into liquids because just about everything will malfunction if you do of course compromises have to be made on the active and they're easy to see at first glance the button layout has been made fully tactile and the home button loses the fingerprint reader but perhaps the s6 active gains point due to a quick large button on the top left that can wake the phone and raise applications of set to do so is the s6 active the most attractive phone out there many would say no the wannabe camouflage on the back of the lighter edition screams aspiring outdoor nerd though the only version perhaps worth a double-take is the sleeker black finish that will end up losing some of its dark luster due to all the scuffs you might get in drops not to mention how much thicker the phone is than the original s6 and edge but in reality that's not really the true point here is it what the active sports is a rugged design that is able to withstand anything thrown at it or anything it's thrown at where as an elegant but ultimately kind of delicate s6 and s6 edge might prove to be unnerving at times the s6 active provides what the other two versions do not an added peace of mind no the s6 active is probably not going to go through a Tundra or a hurricane any time soon but at least you'll have the peace of mind knowing that even if it did you're probably going to still have a working phone in display the same Super AMOLED screens are found across the board but the main differences can be found against the edge it seems obvious but the Essex active doesn't have the curved sides that ultimately helped with handling more than abilities in the s6 edge the edge screen capabilities mainly brought tickers and quick shortcuts overshadowed by the only truly useful feature that it gives the knight clock but what the s6 active made clear to us was that some extra girth never hurt anyone and in the case of the s6 edge we almost preferred the beefier version handling and comfort are helped by the curved sides on the edge but what became a nuisance was accidentally triggering the screen from time to time not to mention any times that our palms emulated a long press on the screen and stifled any other tabs as a result now this isn't an issue with the original s6 which makes it the middle path device here to beef your s6 active won't suffer from touch problems like the s6 edge but the edge is definitely the one that will be most head-turning of the three devices you might be turning heads with the active as well but obviously not for the same aesthetic reasons as the sleek s6 edge because of its curved screen beefy the word we keep using to describe the s6 active but it's not just about the size of this phone on the contrary some of what makes this ruggedized device so appealing lies underneath the surface mainly the battery life a much larger thirty five hundred million powered device gives the active one highly contestable point over two original siblings and it has been proving itself this far for someone like me a somewhat heavier user than most my typical external battery slowly became forgotten and left at home as full 12 hours of work were met with relative ease on the s6 active I have ended most days with at least 25% left in the tank and with fast charging capabilities still on hand it isn't hard to get the s6 active back on the road for another long stretch granted the s6 and edge are capable of fast charging as well but you may have to rely on it far more often than it's comfortable the 25 50 milliamp hour batteries in both the glass devices just feel paltry compared to the beefier active unit like we said before however there are compromises in the galaxy s6 active like the understandable omission of the fingerprint reader if you really need that extra bit of security then by all means go for the film that has it we on the other hand don't miss it quite as much as we thought we would that said we do enjoy the reader on the s6 and edge especially after ill has made a press type rather than a swipe type and the customizable Quick Launch button on the top left of the s6 active allows for two applications to be launched via a tap or a hold and this has actually proven to be very useful have them open up a music application and let's say your fitness tracker and the button will be pressed consistently and happily for every hike or gym visit or just have it open up Evernote's and a calendar app for any important meetings and notes honestly the active is proving that an extra button on the side for customized launches is useful for everyone not just active types and this is a feature that we think should be available across all Samsung devices from here on out it's like the silence toggle on iPhones it's just an extra input that actually proves always useful now the same camera package returns in the Galaxy s6 active F 1.9 aperture Pro modes and video recording that includes 4k and slow motion capture as a result picture quality is still great in the active with pictures benefiting from a slightly higher saturation for those looking for sensory overload and high detail and even lower light situations as mentioned in our previous reviews of the s6 line the best part of the image quality stems from a lack of post-processing artifacts noise reduction is kept to a happy minimum because the original shot allows details to be shown just the way that they are rather than smudged out in post the only real difference from the s6 and the edge is the addition of an aqua mode which makes the touchscreen inoperable and capture performed by pressing the active button for photos or the volume buttons for video it is a typical move for swimming photos that makes another case for the active button as an addition in future Galaxy phones and finally in software we're looking at the same new TouchWiz from before the trim down speedy and smooth version of TouchWiz we kind of didn't believe when we first used it with both phones sporting exactly the same operating system it's hard to really give the edge to either of these phones in this department though the s6 active does now include an activity zone for the active types it's really nothing more than a grouping of tools that are already mostly found in s-health but it does include a compass and a barometer now though the active key is a highlight of this phones usage it's an addition that has to be desired to really put the s6 active over its glass counterparts it really doesn't get much more in the way of software features but having a rugged phone ready for the active lifestyle still make sense for the s6 active when it can still take advantage of all the sporty apps that are found in the Google Play Store now here's where things get interesting it would seem the curves of the s6 edge cost a lot to make because it has a price point usually 100 dollars or more in comparison to the s6 proper but for a bigger battery an extra useful button and a rugged exterior the active only pulls about ten dollars more out of the pocket but there is only one problem here it's an exclusive to AT&T at least for the moment so if you do want the SX active you may need to be switching carriers really the s6 active is the phone made for anyone that doesn't really feel as safe with Samsung's most elegantly created phones as they'd like despite the move back to plastic the active can take a beating and keep moving along but its usefulness is for more than just a rock climber the drinks pillar or the clumsy handler the larger size means a battery capacity and longevity we only wished the s6 and edge would muster and the active button has proven useful for everyone who wants an easy access method to their most used applications it's not something you would just have to see on the active we think it should be available across the board the s6 edge is the luxury sports car priced accordingly and the s6 active is the off-roading car that can still show off on the streets even if it means some dirt marks and scratches will be seen but hey it still works and has much better gas mileage as always thank you guys very much for watching and I hope you enjoyed this vs. between the Galaxy s6 active and the other two versions of it the s6 and the s6 edge I personally am a very big fan of what the active provides especially that extra button on the top left that you can use for really any application not just active lifestyles but you still have a great elegant phone in the other two versions and if you want a phone that is ultimately very different than head-turning the s6 edge is still one of the best phones out there the active just provides a little bit better peace of mind so that even if you did drop the phone you don't have to worry about it not one bit so keep it tuned to android authority for my full review of the Samsung Galaxy s6 active which is coming very very soon I just wanted to make sure to give you this video to show you the differences between it and its other brethren but until then keep it tuned to Andrew authority for even more dropping some likes on our videos and subscribe to our channel if you haven't already here at the YouTube channel and then head on over to Android or decom to find not only the Android thority podcast discussing topics in Android every single week but also head on over to our forums to discuss all of our devices and Android at length and once you're done with all of that keep it there at Android or decom for even more because we are your source for all things Android