I've spent the last few weeks with the Galaxy S7 Active, loving the battery life and ruggedness, not to mention the world-class cameras and gorgeous Super AMOLED display. While battery life is king in Samsung's Active series, there is a new area in which Samsung's Galaxy S7 Active is setting a new trend: that is, the head-turning form factor.
Samsung's Galaxy S4 Active, S5 Active, and S6 Active have all been top-notch smartphones in their own right. With the exception of Samsung's flirtation with LCD panels in the first-gen. Galaxy S4 Active, the Korean giant has gone with AMOLED panels (a wise decision). Battery life, with the exception of the S4 Active (the LCD panel is partially at fault here), has been stellar on the S5 Active and S6 Active. The Galaxy S7 Active doesn't disappoint here, either.
While our review is almost ready for primetime, I can say that you can text on Facebook Messenger, Telegram, Skype, Google Hangouts, and other messaging apps, while surfing the Web and shooting photos, and still get well over 10 hours SOT on a single charge. I've also gotten as much as 2.5 days of battery life with over 8 hours SOT – so the battery life is still king in the Galaxy S7 Active. That's yet another thing, along with the gorgeous AMOLED panel, that remains unchanged (thankfully).
What has changed in the Galaxy S7 Active, though, is that Samsung has introduced a new, Sandy Gold color with this year's model that hasn't existed on any other Active phone to date – and it is sexy.
I know, I know, when I tell you this you find it hard to believe. We've all been horrified by the “Desert Camo” (officially known as Sandy Gold) color of the device, and we've even said that the Camo Green is the better color option between the two. Well, I don't know about my colleagues, but I definitely ate my words when my Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active arrived at my doorstep. The front panel of the device is highly reminiscent of the Gold Galaxy S7 and S7 edge, while the back of the device is of a much nicer design than that of the camo patterns of past and present Active models.
I was told when I purchased the device that “the Titanium Gray model looks much better,” but I disagree. The Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is simply head-turning, stunning, elegant, vulnerable and strong, all at the same time. And, keep in mind that the Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active doesn't have the camo print that exists on the Camo Green model. So, if you think that an attractive handset doesn't have a “noisy” camo print design on its back (I'm in agreement here), then the Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is the 2016 Active smartphone for you. I highly suggest that if you're buying the Galaxy S7 Active, get the gold one.
Samsung surprised us here with the look of this handset. Pictures don't do it justice, but every Active smartphone has been perceived as being functional rather than both functional and fashionable. The common understanding (or perhaps, misunderstanding, I should interject) is that the Active smartphone series is designed for those who “don't care about their smartphone's design and looks.” C'mon, you know you've heard this statement before. Well, the Korean giant is looking to change this perception with the new Sandy Gold option.
Before you decide it's too “gaudy” for your tastes, head on over to your local retail store and take a look at it. The ribbed design on the front panel that many have said looks like the soy ink box design the company formerly shipped products in once upon a time is overemphasized in photos and screenshots; you can't properly evaluate how obnoxious or subtle the design is until you see it.
We'll have our SamMobile Galaxy S7 Active review out by week's end, but for now, it needs to be said: the Sandy Gold Galaxy S7 Active is sexy, sexy, sexy. It looks good, performs well, and brings the same quality cameras, display, and even has the same speaker placement of the Galaxy Note 5. Samsung is killing the function/fashion divide with the Galaxy S7 Active. Now, if they could only work on the AT&T carrier exclusivity…
